Digital Resources Accessibility as A Strategy for Enhancing User Engagement in University Libraries in Meru County

Abstract

Purpose: The engagement of users in university libraries is defined by the interactions between students, faculty, and staff with library resources, services, and facilities. Digital resource accessibility serves as a critical strategy to enhance user engagement in university libraries by removing barriers to access and facilitating remote access. The study investigated the challenges and opportunities of enhancing user engagement in university libraries through digital resource accessibility, focusing on Meru County, Kenya. The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of digital resource accessibility as a strategy to increase user engagement in Meru County's universities. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, targeting 13,000 undergraduate students, 665 postgraduate students, and 25 library staff from Meru University and Kenya Methodist University. A sample of 716 participants was selected using stratified and simple random sampling for students, and purposive sampling for library staff. Data was collected via questionnaires and interviews, with qualitative data analyzed thematically and quantitative data processed using SPSS to generate descriptive statistics. Results: The findings revealed that while students generally engaged well with online databases and public access catalogues, they struggled with e-journals and institutional repositories due to usability challenges and the poor quality of digital resources. These issues hindered effective engagement, as the resources also often failed to meet academic needs. Conclusion: The study concludes that improving the quality and user-friendliness of digital platforms is critical for enhancing user engagement. It recommends that university libraries in Meru County collaborate with publishers to improve digital resource quality and provide students with targeted training to navigate digital platforms more effectively. This study contributes to the field by offering actionable insights into how universities can optimize digital resource accessibility to boost user engagement, thus providing a valuable framework for libraries in similar educational contexts.