Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate the impact and purpose of using Higher Education Commission (HEC) digital library resources by the faculty members in the universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The population of study comprised of 280 social science faculty members working in the public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Census Based survey method was used to solicit both genders’ views for this study. A quantitative survey procedure was employed for data collection, obtaining 89.2% response rate. Majority of faculty members who were lecturers participated in survey. The study indicates that both male and female respondents have knowledge about the HEC digital library resources. However, male faculty members used these resources more than female. The faculty members between the age group of 31- 40 years were major users of these resources. Among them MS/Phil faculty members use these resources extensively to fulfill their teaching and research needs. The results of the study showed that majority of the faculty members used HEC digital library resources for the purposes of teaching and research, writing articles, updating their knowledge, improving professional competencies, and guiding research students respectively. Results further showed that these resources have a significant impact on respondents’ teaching and research performance. The study suggests that in order to enhance the impact and effectiveness of HEC digital library resources in the public and private sector university of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it was suggested to make necessary planning to increase its usage among the faculty members which will increase their research and academic outputs.