Users’ Perceptions of E-books at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi : A Case Study

  • Nageswara Rao Kondamudi Dr B.R. Ambedkar Central Library, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India
  • Sunil Kumar Planning and Development Division, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi, India
  • Manorama Tripathi Dr B.R. Ambedkar Central Library, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India
Keywords: Print books, electronic books (e-books), university libraries, accessing and browsing

Abstract

The collection development policies of university libraries are driven by the information seeking behaviour and extent of use of resources by students, researchers and teachers. Libraries have introduced e-books in their collections with rising demand of users for them. However, e-books have not gained the perceived acceptance among users. It is essential to understand the gaps in preferences and experiences of users of e-books in academic libraries so that the collections of e-books can be customised to meet the users’ preferences. The purpose of this study is to understand how students, teachers and research scholars access, browse and use e-books in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India. The study has identified factors that encourage or discourage the use of e-books in academic libraries. It highlights preferences for the format (electronic/print) while perusing books as textbooks or reference books for research.

Author Biographies

Nageswara Rao Kondamudi, Dr B.R. Ambedkar Central Library, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India

Mr Nageswara rao Kondamudi is Assistant Librarian in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His areas of research include electronic resource management, innovative library services, and user behaviour in online environment.

Sunil Kumar, Planning and Development Division, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi, India

Dr Sunil Kumar is a Senior Analyst at Planning & Development Division, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU),New Delhi, India. His research interest includes social media in education, elearning, course management system, planning and funding of distance education. He has authored more than 35 papers, three monograms, two books.

Manorama Tripathi, Dr B.R. Ambedkar Central Library, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India

Dr Manorama tripathi received her PhD in Library and Information Science from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Presently she is working as Deputy Librarian at the Central library, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has published 50+ research papers in journals and conference. Her areas of research include : Information seeking behaviour of researchers, innovative library services, and scientometrics.

Published
2018-06-27
How to Cite
Kondamudi, N., Kumar, S., & Tripathi, M. (2018). Users’ Perceptions of E-books at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi : A Case Study. DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, 38(4), 231-237. https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.38.4.12993
Section
Research Paper