Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
2021
Abstract
The medium which carries out telecommunication is referred to as a channel. In India, the subscriber base of the telecommunication channels is huge, dynamic, and ever-changing. To satisfy the changing channel preferences of the learners of diverse demographics virtually, it is important for the university libraries situated in metropolitan cities in India to integrate multiple channels. The channel integration strategy allows coordinating multiple channels to create and connect different paths for the clients to reach the same organization. The study has featured the channel integration status in the libraries of 46 UGC-listed universities of four metropolitan cities- Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. The purposive sampling method has been followed to select the samples for the study and the observation method is used to collect the qualitative data on the channels from the websites of all the selected universities and library web pages. The channel integration features in the website have been emphasized according to Goersch’s six elements. The table on the forms and combination of channels have aided to specify the channel-specific capabilities and information management. The presence of telephone and email in all the university library websites has justified the strategy about the types of communication channels, network, and cost; portability; multimedia sharing; audience outreach and connectivity; accuracy of communication; and information overload/ traffic generation. Except for consistency, the elements like branding channel cross-promotion and logistics are not prominently implemented in the libraries.