The Use of Electronic Information Sources in Virtual Libraries by the Students : The Open Arab Uni¬versity in Jordan as a Case Study
Keywords:
Electronic Information Sources, Virtual Libraries, Students, Open Arab Uni-versity, Jordan, a Case Study, open learningAbstract
The study is concerned with the extent the students of the Open Arab University (Jordan – branch) use electronic information sources at the virtual libraries. This is achieved through identifying the type of use, motives, places of their use, and the sources most extensively used to meet users’ needs for study and research. Difficultiesandobstaclesthatfacestudentsinusingthevirtual libraries are also investigated.
The study sample constituted 295 students (or 10%) of the 2946 students studying in six fieldsattheOpenArabUniversity(Jordan–Branch)duringthe second term of the academic year 2005/2006.
Results of the study indicated the importance of the source of the electronic information that the virtual libraries provide for the students of the open educational system, and 183 (62%) students of the sample use these libraries, and 42% of them use virtual libraries through the available computers in the university, but 6% only use computers available at the university library.
The study revealed that 135 students (74%) use these libraries in order to save time and efforts, and 130 students (71%) use them due to their easy access of the virtual libraries sources. Most of the electronic sources, used by 173 students (64%), are the electronic indexes for virtual libraries. The data bases of the available information in the libraries through internet are extensively used by 135 students (74%); but 167 students (91%) feel that the information secured by the virtual libraries are enough to meet their needs.
The study, also, concludes that 112 students (38%) of the sample do not use the virtual libraries, and 78 students (70%) do not use them because they don’t know the electronic sites of the virtual libraries; and 77 students (69%) do not use them because they are not familiar with the electronic search process.
The study recommended that it is necessary for the institutions of the open learning to take care of the virtual libraries to comply with the development of the information technology, and to be able to keep its visitors and supply them with the updated and specialized information
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