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Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://atuspace.atu.edu.gh/handle/123456789/2813

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Use of Social Media Platforms in Disseminating Information amid COVID-19 pandemic in Technical University Libraries in Ghana
(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2023) Antw, J.K.; Frimpong, A.D.
Educational institutions have undergone tremendous changes through the usage of technology-based applications. Academic libraries however have not been left out of this transition since the libraries are instituted in the university and the heart of the institution. The study aimed to examine social media use to disseminate information amid the Covid-19 pandemic in Technical University libraries. A qualitative research approach was used with semi-structured interviews used to collect data from ten participants. The findings revealed that most of the participants made use of social media like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp to disseminate information during the pandemic in both libraries studied. Also, social media helped make the libraries studied visible to the world at large. Inadequate funding, slow internet connectivity, and inadequate ICT infrastructure hindered the effective use of social media platforms as well as users accessing information during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was recommended that the Management of the parent universities provide the necessary infrastructure as far as ICT is concerned for libraries to function efficiently and effectively in their line of duty to support scholarship, teaching, leaching, and research work as they cannot function effectively without adequate provision of IT tools.
Information Literacy among Post Graduate Students of the University Of Ghana.
(2016) Dorvlo, S. S.; DADZIE, PERPETUA S.
Information has become so important for decision making in today’s world. The problem of information used to be scarcity of information but in the current century it has become abundance of information. This is as a result of the development of various media of information, for example information from books and the internet. The development of information communication and technologies has escalated the problem of information that is, too much information for people to choose from for decision making. Information literacy is the surest way of helping solve the problem of choosing the right information from the abundance of information from various media. The purpose of the study is to investigate the information literacy levels among post graduate students of tertiary institutions, specifically the University of Ghana. The survey method was used to collect data for the study. The number of students involved was 151 in number giving an overall response rate of 56.98%. The variables considered in this study include: concept identification, search strategies, search tools, evaluation of information and the legal and ethical use of information. Most students knew how to identify concepts whereas most of them were not skilled in the use of search strategies, search tools and the evaluation of information. However, some of them knew about copyright issues. This result shows that the majority of the post graduate students are not information literate. 3 The study recommends that information literacy education should be introduced into the curricular of the University of Ghana as a full course which needs to be credit bearing. Information literacy should also be integrated into the research method course that is offered by every department and school. More library professionals should be employed to teach the course more effectively and efficiently.
Living libraries: The role of the baansi in preserving the culture of the Dagbon in Northern Ghana.
(The Journal of Pan African Studies, 2018) Plockey, F. D. D.; Asuro, A. S
This study focuses on the role of the living libraries, the baansi, of the Dagomba of Ghana in preserving and sustaining the culture and history of the people of Dagbon in the northern region of Ghana. The paper is a qualitative study, and the instruments used for data collection span from 2012 to 2015, which comprises acoustic appreciation, group discussion, observation, phased assertion, storytelling, and filed notes. The study reveals that the living librarians (baansi) are the watchdogs/social critics of the society who help to maintain stability and influence people into conforming to the norms and the culture of the society.
Examining the use of ICT storage and dissemination of library materials in academic libraries in Ghana.
(International Journal of Development, 2018) Plockey, F. D. D; Pwadura, J.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has transformed library and information services from the concept of storehouses of books to the concept of libraries without walls. Academic libraries exist to support the academic community. Their main functions include selection, collection, production, documentation, organization, preservation, organization, storage, dissemination and exchange of library materials. This study seeks to examine in detail, the role of ICT in the storage and dissemination procedures of Library materials in academic libraries in Ghana. The instruments for data collection were interviews coupled with observation and the researchers’ experience as Assistant Librarians in an academic library. The responses demonstrate that, academic library materials come in different formats and are stored differently depending on the nature of the material. The libraries under study use multi-strand approach to disseminate information to ensure wide coverage.
Use of serials by undergraduate students of the Nyankpala Campus of the University for Development Studies.
(The Maktaba: A Journal of the Kenya Library Association, 2018) Appiah, D. K.; Plockey, F. D. D.; Konlan, B.
Information acquisition mechanism of universities libraries: An empirical study of public university libraries in Ghana
(International Journal of Library and Information Science, 2019) Plockey, F. D. D.; Appiah, D. K.; Ofori, R. A
This paper takes a critical look at how academic libraries in Ghana acquire their information/materials. The investigation was mainly based on interviews. The interviews were conducted in four Ghanaian public university libraries from January 2014 to March 2015. In all, 38 senior members were interviewed. The findings indicated among other that the libraries under study purchase their library materials through donations, purchase and legal deposits. Also, other ways of acquiring knowledge/information in the library were: the socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation of artefacts. The study recommended that the Procurement Law of Ghana must be reviewed to allow other key officers like the provost and deans to give approval for the library to purchase books on their behalf; clearing process from the port should be streamlined to reduce the number of days spent clearing containers of books from the port.
Evaluation of use of e-resources by academic staff of Navrongo Campus of University for Development Studies through workplace information literacy programmes.
(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2017) Pwadura, J.; Asapeo, A.; Plockey, F. D. D.
The study was carried out to determine how beneficial the Information Literacy Workshops have been to the staff of University for Development Studies (UDS). The study was conducted at the Navrongo Campus of UDS which houses two faculties: Applied and Mathematical Sciences. The study used the survey research method and a purposive sampling procedure to sample the lecturers for a period of two weeks in May 2014. The main instrument for data collection was a questionnaire. The study found out that generally there is a high level of ICT skills among the lecturers in computer usage. The study further established that for the past decade, lecturers have been using e-resources but less frequently. The study also revealed that majority 88.9% of lecturers make significant use of the databases especially Science Direct mostly for educational /teaching purposes while 73.3% of them do so by accessing and using full text journal articles. It also came out clearly that lecturers found the e-resources training very beneficial with a majority 75.6% asking for more training two or three times in a year. It then identified challenges lectures face in using e-resources include: download delays, failure to find the information, frequent power outages and inadequate search skills
Awareness and use of electronic resources in university libraries: A case study of University for Development Studies Library
(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2018) Yebowaah, F. A.; Plockey, F. D. D.
Academic libraries are hub of knowledge and hence are considered as integral parts of academic life. Academic libraries have been in existence for over 500 years and are still very useful today to all educational institutions. The advent of Information and Communication Technology has led to the use of electronic resources in libraries. However, empirical studies have shown that the use of these resources by faculty members is very low. The objective of this study therefore, was to examine the use of electronic resources by lecturers of the University for Development Studies, Wa campus. Primary data were collected from 80 lecturers through the use of a simple random sampling procedure. The data were collected with the aid of a questionnaire and analysed through the use of binary logistics regression model. The results indicate that 88.8% of the respondents were users of the Library and 65% were aware of the availability of e-resources in the Library. This suggests that awareness is high but utilization is low. The determinants of e-resource utilisation in the Library include purpose of Library visit and sources of awareness of the e-resources in the Library. Besides, it was discovered that inadequate Library infrastructure, low internet bandwith, and inadequate trained library staff were the major challenges confronting the use of e-resources of the Library. The study therefore, recommends that efforts to improve the use of e-resources in the Library should include ways of creating user awareness, training/workshops for users and staff, and responding to the challenges confronting utilisation.
Examining the information seeking behaviour of under graduate students of Navrongo campus of the University for Development Studies.
(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2018) Pwadura, J. A.; Plockey, F. D. D.; Yebowaa, F. A
Electronic resource sharing in academic libraries at Ghana Technology University College & Presbyterian University College Libraries.
(Digital Commons Philosophy & Practice., 2020) Antwi, J. K.; Ankrah, E.; Frimpong, K.
The purpose of the study was to examine electronic resource sharing among academic libraries focusing on Ghana Technology University College and Presbyterian University College Libraries. Qualitative research was used for the study. A semi-structured interview was used to collect data based on the objectives identified. Twelve (12) participants were interviewed. The findings showed that the majority of the participants indicated inadequate budgetary allocation, the influx of technology and information overload in sharing e-resources influenced both libraries studied, the majority of the participants mentioned inadequate ICT facilities as a challenge in both libraries. Other challenges were on cost in the subscription and maintenance, repair and training of staff. It is therefore recommended that academic libraries in Ghana Management should ensure the provision of adequate funds to enable librarians to procure the necessary ICT facilities and other resources to facilitate e-resource sharing to promote quality user satisfaction
Influence of copyright exceptions and limitations on access to information in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda libraries.
(Library Management, 2020) Mungai, M. W.; Dorvlo, S. S.; Nuwagirya, A.; Holmner, M.
Purpose – Copyright exceptions promote access to information by users without breaching copyright. This research paper reviews copyright exceptions in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda and how they influence access to information in libraries. Objectives were to find out the implications of copyright exceptions in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda; advantages and disadvantages of copyright exceptions for libraries; and recommend best practices of copyright exceptions. Design/methodology/approach – This is a desktop research reviewing empirical literature and incorporating authors’ experiential knowledge in their information profession. Authors have interrogated copyright exceptions in their home countries’ copyright acts, policy documents and peer-reviewed articles on copyright and information access. They analysed the documents as stated to deduce key recommendations regarding ideal copyright exceptions. Findings – The study established that copyright exceptions do not always improve access as intended because they are inadequate, ignoring key library functions. Major inconsistencies exist in the exceptions in these countries; key terminologies have not been defined; and the concept is not well understood. Librarians lack sufficient knowledge on exceptions, hence lack self-efficacy in educating users. Kenya, Ghana and Uganda should improve and harmonize their copyright acts to cover key library functions. Originality/value – This study provides in-depth analysis of historical and modern practices of copyright exceptions in the three countries revealing useful comparative insights. Previous studies looked at the issues from individual countries perspective.
Challenges to building synergy between indigenous knowledge and academic libraries in Ghana.
(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2020) Plockey, F. D. D.; Yembil, C.; Konlan, B.
Assessing the information literacy skills of education students in a multi-campus institution.
(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2020) Asiedu, N. K.; Plockey, F. D. D.; Kordie, G. A.
This study seeks to assess the information literacy skills of undergraduate students in one of Ghana’s multi-campus universities. This became necessary as there was the need to know whether the students had understood or not the concepts of the information literacy programme after it had been introduced and taught, two years ago. Using the survey approach, 327 first year diploma and degree students were selected to participate in the study. x2 ≤ 0.05 is also used in the study to test the existence of associations between interested variables. The results of this study revealed that majority of the students have become fully aware of what plagiarism is and its implications on their academic lives; it was further disclosed by the study that a large number of students have also realized the need to always evaluate information before using it. Based on the findings, this study therefore recommends that higher learning institutions who are yet to introduce the information literacy programme should not hesitate to do so and it should be added to the academic curriculum and taught as a course with credit hours assigned to it.

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