Effects of Undergraduate Student Computer Competence on Usage of Library Electronic Collections

University libraries have been increasing their electronic collections for decades. While it was found that students prefer electronic resources than printed materials, studies indicated that many electronic titles were left unused. This study is intended to investigate whether students possess the capabilities to use those collections. The following questions will be addressed: Do students use library electronic collections frequently? Do they consider the collections important to their studies? Do they think they are familiar with the use of the collections? And, most importantly, do they possess the capabilities to use library electronic collections? And, are there variances among students in different fields and genders? Questionnaire survey was conducted in this study. Participants were solicited from undergraduate students in the fields of Chinese Literature, Sociology, and Computer Science. A total of 443 students completed the questionnaires. Results indicated that most students agreed that library electronic resources were important to their studies, but they did not use the resources frequently. Not all students possessed equivalent computer competences to use library electronic resources. Gender, subject field, internet use are factors that correlate with competence variations. This study also found that students were not confident about their capabilities in using library electronic resources. Low correlation was found between students’ levels of computer competences and their frequency, familiarity, and
perceived importance of electronic resources
University libraries have been increasing their electronic collections for decades. While it was found that students prefer electronic resources than printed materials, studies indicated that many electronic titles were left unused. This study is intended to investigate whether students possess the capabilities to use those collections. The following questions will be addressed: Do students use library electronic collections frequently? Do they consider the collections important to their studies? Do they think they are familiar with the use of the collections? And, most importantly, do they possess the capabilities to use library electronic collections? And, are there variances among students in different fields and genders? Questionnaire survey was conducted in this study. Participants were solicited from undergraduate students in the fields of Chinese Literature, Sociology, and Computer Science. A total of 443 students completed the questionnaires. Results indicated that most students agreed that library electronic resources were important to their studies, but they did not use the resources frequently. Not all students possessed equivalent computer competences to use library electronic resources. Gender, subject field, internet use are factors that correlate with competence variations. This study also found that students were not confident about their capabilities in using library electronic resources. Low correlation was found between students’ levels of computer competences and their frequency, familiarity, and
perceived importance of electronic resources