The Role of Social Networks for Promoting Library Use in Academic Libraries

Lotegelwaki, Obedy M. (2023) The Role of Social Networks for Promoting Library Use in Academic Libraries. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

This study examined the role of social networks in promoting library use in academic libraries with reference to the Institute of Accountancy Arusha. The study was guided by the following objectives; assessed services provided by social networks to promote library services; identified the most popular social network tools used in promoting library services; determined the extent to which social network tools are used in promoting library services and explore factors challenging the utilization of social networks to promote library use in academic libraries. The study adopted an exploratory research design and used a mixed method approaches for purposes of improving reliability of study findings. The data was gathered using questionnaires, interviews and observation. The sample size of the study was 188 respondents which consisted of Masters Degree students, Undergraduates students, Lecturers, and Library staff. Quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 program, Microsoft Excel, frequency distributions tables and bar charts were applied as appropriate based on the objectives. Findings indicated that social networks can be used in various ways to promote library services in academic libraries. The results showed that the respondents realized that Staff unwillingness to change (23.9%) has been an obstacle to promote library use in academic libraries. It was concluded that the majority of respondents believed social networks had been used to promote library services in academic libraries. It was recommended that; Academic libraries should make the most of social networking sites because they are typically free and simple to use. Academic libraries should also employ social network administrators and maintain active social networks accounts so that the students can easily access these libraries adequately. Keywords: Social Networks, Library Use, Academic Libraries, Library Promotion, Marketing.

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