Department of Information Management University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
Vol. 14 (2013)
PJLIS
PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
3
Use
o
f
University’s Library Websites i
n Pakistan: An Evaluation
Dr. Muhammad
I
jaz
M
airaj
Librar
i
a
n
, University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.
Email:
[email protected]
This study presents findings from a user
-
based
evaluation of the use of Pakistani university’s library
websites. A questionnaire [printed and electronic] was
used to collect the data from 17 universities. A
p
urposive
sample of 60 users from each university
based on their academic role difference [faculty,
researchers, graduates and undergraduates] was
drawn.
The findings of the study show that use of university
library websites in Pakistan was satisfactory. Patrons
wh
o frequently used the Internet and library were
found as frequent users of the library websites.
University websites were found to be vital sources of
awareness about the presence of the library websites
and computers physically available at the university
libraries were the significant places to use the library
websites. Regarding users’ academic role difference,
faculty connected to the library websites from
departments/faculties, while researchers and students
preferred to use them from university librar
ies. The
library websites were mainly used to find course
-
related materials or search in online public access
catalogue (OPAC).
However, on the basis of users’ academic role
difference, faculty used the library websites to search
in Higher Education Commi
ssion (HEC) Digital
Library offering international scholarly literature;
researchers accessed them to search in OPAC, while
students preferred them to find course
-
related
materials. The study recommends creating dynamic
websites in all university libraries
of Pakistan with
useful content and state
-
of
-
the
-
art services for wider
use
