Tangibility of digital institutional repository service provision to postgraduate students at Universities in Meru County, Kenya
Keywords:
tangibility, digital institutional repositories, service provision, university libraries, SERVQUAL model, postgraduate studentsAbstract
Institutional repository services in libraries essentially determine the quality of the scholarly output of postgraduate students. Subsequently, this demands a multi-skilled workforce, facilities, and ICT infrastructure. Tangibility in this context is demonstrated when the staff in charge are decent, premises are neat, resources are easily retrievable and ICT technologies are available. Demonstration of tangibility usually heightens user attractiveness to a place. It may also be reinforced by a user experiencing satisfaction through an easily navigable institutional repository, visually attractive arrangement of the contents, and easily downloadable research materials. Nevertheless, incidences of users getting disinterested and losing patience with institutional repositories have continued to be reported. This paper assesses the tangibility of repository service provision to postgraduate students at universities in Meru County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The SERVQUAL model was also adopted to underpin the research. The sample population consisted of 91 students and 10 library heads of sections. Post-graduate students filled out questionnaires while the library heads of sections participated in the interviews. Purposive sampling was used to get librarians and simple random sampling for students. The findings of the study indicated that the tangibility of institutional repositories at universities in Meru County was moderate. To improve it, the respondents recommended the provision of policies guiding the security of information, the repository section being operational during working hours, providing a functional website as well as shelving and classification of information materials be done regularly. There was a need to acquire modern reading tables, student computers, and provision of resources in full texts, and upgrade the earlier version of the repository management system with the current one. The paper recommends the heads of libraries liaise with university management to support and finance the acquisition of new and refurbish existing facilities, technologies, infrastructure, and additional resources. It is also recommended that the directorate of research to revise the postgraduate policy to include all postgraduate levels’ research in order to achieve inclusive service provision.
References
Achieng, J. (2016). An analysis of the usage of a digital repository in an academic institution [Doctoral dissertation, University Of Nairobi]. Kenya. http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/99365
Alam, M. J. (2021). Effects of service quality on satisfaction in Eastern University Library, Bangladesh. IFLA journal, 47(2), 209-222. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0340035220959099
Al Mahameed, M. A., Sirhan, A. A. A., Al Tawalbeh, S., Mohsen, I. N., & Momani, H. (2021). A Proposal for Building an Institutional Digital Repository: Stages and Obstacles from Librarian's Perspectives. Webology, 18(4), 1732-1756. http://www.webology.org
Arlitsch, K., & Grant, C. (2018). Why so many repositories? Examining the limitations and possibilities of the institutional repositories landscape. Journal of Library Administration, 58(3), 264-281. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01930826.2018.1436778
Baada, F. N. A., Ayoung, A. D., Bekoe, S., &Azindow, F. B. (2020). Resource constraints and quality public library service delivery in Ghana. International Information & Library Review, 52(1), 10-31. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10572317.2019.1607697
Bandyopadhyay, A., & Boyd-Byrnes, M. K. (2016). Is the need for mediated reference service in academic libraries fading? Reference Services Review, 44(4), 596-626. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/RSR-02-2016-0012/full/html
Callicott, B. B., Scherer, D., &Wesolek, A. (2015). Making institutional repositories work. Purdue University Press. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/31579
Daniel, C. N., & Berinyuy, L. P. (2010). Using the SERVQUAL model to assess service quality and customer satisfaction. An Empirical Study of Grocery Stores in Umea. UmeåUniversitet, 15(1), 1-66. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/32759548/fulltext01-libre.pdf?1391118754g6~nz9we4l~nmc0ca~wnekicw__&key-pair-id=apkajlohf5ggslrbv4za
Digby, T. (2021). Factors Influencing the Adoption of Institutional Repository Systems by Academic and Research Library Leadership.https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_all/4537https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_all/4537/?fr=operanews
Fernández-Ramos, A., & Barrionuevo, L. (2021). Value-added services in institutional repositories in Spanish public universities. IR Information Research, 26(1), 1-10. http://informationr.net/ir/26-1/paper895.html
Gathoni, N., & Van der Walt, T. (2019). Evaluating library service quality at the Aga Khan University library: Application of a total quality management approach. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 51(1), 123-136. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/0961000616679725
Haylenchale, E. (2020). Determinants of e-service delivery implementation in Ethiopian public universities: the case of Dilla University [Doctoral dissertation, University of Ethiopia].Ethiopia. http://etd.hu.edu.et/bitstream/handle/123456789/467/etebark%20haylemchale%20final%20ma%20thesis%202020%20(1)%20(1).pdf?sequence=2
Ibrahim, I., Mat Isa, A., &Samsudin, Z. H. (2022). Malaysian institutional repositories approach on the preservation of their digital contents. Journal of Information and Knowledge Management (JIKM), 1, 336-347. https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/71019/
Kakai, M. (2018). Open access institutional repositories in selected East African Universities: Achievements, challenges and the way forward. SCECSAL Publications, 1(12), 205-226. https://www.scecsal.org/publications/papers2018/012%20_kakai_2018.pdf
Karanja, M. (2017). Development and management of institutional repositories in selected university libraries in Kenya [Master’s thesis, Kenyatta University]. Kenya. https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/123456789/18868/Development%20and%20management%20of%20institutional%20repositories....pdf?sequence=1
Khumalo, N. B., & Baloyi, C. (2018). The Extent to Which Universities Have Embraced Technology in Service Delivery: A Comparative Study of NUST (Zimbabwe) and University of Venda (RSA). World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues, 10(1), 1-9. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1170363
Lagzian, F., Abrizah, A., & Wee, M. C. (2015). Critical success factors for institutional repositories implementation. The Electronic Library, 33(2), 96-209. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/EL-04-2013-0058/full/htm
Mugenda, O., & Mugenda, A. (2003). Research Methods Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Acts Press.
Mwiti, F. M. (2017). Factors influencing use of open access repository: A case of Kenya Methodist University [Masters’ Dissertation, Kenya Methodist University]. Kenya. http://repository.kemu.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1070
Nunda, I., & Elia, E. (2019). Institutional repositories adoption and use in selected Tanzanian higher learning institutions. International Journal of Education and Development using ICT, 15(1), 150-164. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/209740/
Ogenga, D. O. (2015). Adoption of Institutional repositories in dissemination of scholarly information in Universities in Kenya with reference to United States International University Africa [Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi]. Kenya. http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/93088
Open, D. O. A. R. (2018). The Directory of Open Access Repositories–Open DOAR. 2014-01-14]. http://www. opendoar. org.
Stedman, R. C., Connelly, N. A., Heberlein, T. A., Decker, D. J., & Allred, S. B. (2019). The end of the (research) world as we know it? Understanding and coping with declining response rates to mail surveys. Society & Natural Resources, 32(10), 1139-1154. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08941920.2019.1587127
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of retailing, 64(1), 12-40. https://www.proquest.com/openview/7d007e04d78261295e5524f15bef6837/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=41988
Podbrežnik, I. (2015). Using SERVQUAL for Public Library Service Quality Assessment. ZbornikRadova–Asocijacijainformacijskihstručnjaka, bibliotekara, arhivistaimuzeologa (BAM), 1(8), 51-63. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=566508
Posigha, E. B., &Eseivo, L. O. (2022). Content recruiting: Obstacle to institutional repository development in university libraries in Nigeria and South Africa. Information Development, 02666669221105468. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02666669221105468
Ratanya, F. C., &Muthee, D. (2018). An exploratory study on access and utilization of the institutional repositories among academic staff at Egerton University, Kenya. East African Journal of Information Science, 1-14. https://assets.pubpub.org/1zugwf9b/aba3cfc0-c4c7-4966-8ffc-c8fb59b63d44.pdf
Roy, B. K. (2021). Institutional Digital Repositories: a systematic review of literature. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1-12. https://www.proquest.com/openview/e382dd5dff526a07d770b5e5bc5d7bc4/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=54903
Salman, A., Mugwisi, T., & Mostert, B. (2017). Access to and use of public library services in Nigeria. South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science, 83(1), 26-38. https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.7553/83-1-1639
Saulus, N. R., Mutula, S., &Dlamin, N. (2017). Technology acceptance factors in the use of institutional repositories: the case of the University of Swaziland and (UNISWA)’s Faculty of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences. https://www.scecsal.org/publications/papers2018/038_saulus_2018.pdf
Saulus, N. R. (2018). Usability of the Institutional Repository by Faculty and Postgraduate Students at the University of Swaziland [Doctoral dissertation, University of Swaziland]. Swaziland. https://ukzn-dspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/15889
Trivedi, D., & Bhatt, A. (2019). Quest for quality: Assessment of service quality of special academic institution library: case study. Performance Measurement and Metrics, 21(1), 1-17. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/PMM-02-2019-0004/full/html
Vencataya, L., Pudaruth, S., Juwaheer, R. T., Dirpal, G., &Sumodhee, N. M. Z. (2019). Assessing the impact of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction in commercial banks of Mauritius. Studies in Business and Economics, 14(1), 259-270. https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/sbe-2019-0020
Wangui, W. M. (2018). Perception and Attitude of Postgraduate Students on Institutional Repositories: Case of St. Paul’s University, Kenya [Master’s thesis, Kenyatta University]. Kenya. https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/123456789/17746/Perception....pdf?sequence=3
