Ranganathan’s fifth law, “the library is a growing organism,” is a manifestation that libraries today must be a continually changing institution, never stagnant in its form. In response, state university libraries in the Philippines have increasingly invested in electronic information services to support their clientele. While many models have been used to approach information systems, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) remains underexplored in Philippine librarianship. This study applied TAM to examine the use of Library Electronic Information Resources (LEIR) among 399 randomly selected undergraduate students at President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU), focusing on two external variables: Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use. The study revealed that despite the positive perception of LEIR usefulness and the students' recognition of its supportive features in accomplishing academic tasks, they encounter notable difficulties in terms of ease of use. Students experienced frustrations, errors, confusion, and mental effort, signaling barriers to efficient use. When engaging with LEIR, not only positive emotions were experienced by students, they also display adaptability in navigating through the system by the use of manuals. The most significant external barrier emerged is the issue on slow internet connectivity; this suggests that infrastructure issues may be limiting access and user satisfaction. In response to these findings, enhancing user education and orientation programs to improve digital skills and familiarity with LEIR is recommended. Continuous feedback mechanism between students and library management may also be established to address usability concerns and inform service improvements.

Authors:
Loreen Daphnee Bundang, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines
Sonia Gementiza, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines

About the Presenter(s)
Miss Bundang is currently the College Librarian of President Ramon Magsaysay State University, San Marcelino Campus, Zambales.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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