Adoption and Use of Web Technologies by Librarians in Open Distance e-Learning at the University in South Africa

Abstract

Web technologies are now adopted by libraries worldwide to facilitate information services. The objective of this study was to examine how subject librarians’ use web technologies to support students in an online, distance and elearning university in South Africa. Data was collected from 68 of the 135 participants who were administered with an online questionnaire, and analysed to generate information about web technology adopter categories and examine the types of the web technologies used by the librarians. Technical support and network issues top the challenges the librarians encountered. The librarians recognise the pertinence of web technologies in their services but their performance is hampered by technology, administrative and environmental factors. There is need to practically examine the meaning and nature of library technical support in the library, and extent of performance of existing library technical support services based on the opinion and experiences of UNISA librarians.