Abstract:
The aim of this study was to examine the awareness and use of e-resources by the
students at the University of Namibia (UNAM) in the library of the Ogongo Campus.
The research was conducted as a qualitative phenomenological case study following
an interpretive research paradigm. The objectives of the study were: to determine
awareness of e-resources among UNAM students at Ogongo Campus; identify the
types of e-resources available on UNAM's Ogongo Campus; to determine the level of
usage of e-resources among UNAM students at Ogongo Campus; identify the purpose
and reasons for using e-resources and identify student difficulties in using e-resources.
Data for the study were collected from 20 students and two librarians. Both cluster and
targeted sampling were used to select the 22 participants who participated in the study.
The study used focus group discussions, observation, and semi-structured interviews
as data collection methods. All proposed ethical considerations were applied to data
collection and processing. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis;
therefore, they were presented according to themes and sub-themes arising from the
data. The results of the study showed that some students are not aware of the e resources available in the campus library. Some e-resources such as CDs, videos,
AGORA, HINARI, EBSCHOST and Google Scholar, which are believed to be helpful
for students, are available. The frequency of use of e-resources is more strongly
influenced by the e-resources known to the students. Most e-resources are aimed at
conducting scientific studies. The study also pointed to challenges such as lack of
computers, subscription to an abstract database only, slow internet and lack of
awareness that e-resource use as being widespread. The study recommends library
awareness campaigns and student orientation courses that include a skills training
component. It is recommended that libraries provide enough computers, and libraries should educate students more on the benefits of e-resources
