Impact of restructuring resources and services and their utilization in IIT Roorkee library, India

Abstract

PurposeThis paper examines the impact of restructuring on the usage of resources and services in the Indian Institute of Technology library, Roorkee. Library users were approached to know their preferences between an electronic and traditional resources and services. Additionally, the study focused to know the extent of change in users' awareness, dependency, usage, frequency and satisfaction from library resources and services after restructuring these due to the availability of abundance of e-resources.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted survey-based research design, for which a questionnaire was used as the principal instrument for data collection. This questionnaire was distributed to the library users when they physically visited the library. Notably, all the questionnaires distributed were returned, yielding thereby a cent percent response rate. One questionnaire was administrative on the librarian for getting the data regarding the changes made in the subscription of e-resources and services. The collected data were further analyzed with appropriate statistical techniques of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) as chi-square test, mean and standard deviation.FindingsThe results showed that the use of both restructured resources and services had increased, and was found to be helpful for users. Also, the users' dependency on library had increased, showing thereby an upward trend for usage in the future. However, although the users’ awareness, usage and frequency of e-resources and ICT-based services have positively changed, and partially been satisfied, the study suggests that further revision is needed for further strengthening e-resources and services as per user's needs satisfaction.Practical implicationsThis study would create interest in rethinking library resources and services among librarians that tend to respond positively to user satisfaction and library functions; it also provides a strategic position of a library per se for its users in the future. Importantly, the assessment of the usage of restructuring resources and services, vis-a-vis their impact on users, may also serve as a key tool, which possibly could be applied to both public libraries and other types of higher education libraries.Originality/valueMany libraries find it difficult to balance between electronic and printed materials, especially in the fields of science and technology, due to the preferences of the users. Thus far, there have not been too many studies that have looked to assess restructuring of library resources and services, vis-a-vis their impact on library users. Therefore, the results of this study would provide a clear understanding to the library profession as to how users use e-resources and services in the digital age, and how much they are actually influenced by these.