Awareness of electronic resources: the case of university libraries of Bangladesh

Abstract

Electronic resources are converting libraries into access points. These resources are gaining popularity because of their useful nature. Considering the value of these resources, libraries are acting accordingly and spending money on increasing electronic resources. However, these paid-for resources are invisible items; stakeholders should know of the presence of these resources. Thus, a sample survey was conducted among selected universities in Bangladesh to understand the awareness thereof. From 11 universities, 257 participants responded to two questions. All participating universities held subscriptions to electronic resources. Most respondents (84.9%) were aware of the electronic resources subscribed to or procured by their university libraries. However, less than a third of the respondents knew about Research4Life. This study did not investigate the causes of awareness or the lack thereof; therefore, further research is needed to ascertain the causes.