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The purpose of this paper is to extend significantly the technology acceptance model (TAM) of Davis to design an extended TAM model to be used in the evaluation and assessment of e-information services for information research such as e-library services. The present TAM extension is based on two variables of behavioral intention: the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of a system. Furthermore, the user satisfaction, free access, information architecture, content richness, policies and rules, publishers’ quality, system self-efficacy and task technology fit were incorporated into the TAM to extend it with other factors theoretically motivated and would be of interest more generally.

The researcher adopted an experimental approach-based comparison between an experimental group (107 researchers) using an electronic information service (the e-library service of the university) and a control group (107 researchers) not registered in this e-information service of the university.

The researcher used the effect size values based t-test independent samples at the 0.05 level to adapt the structural model equation to the experimental sample. Principal results show that the behavioral intention was influenced significantly by user satisfaction. The perceived usefulness of the e-library services was influenced significantly by the perceived ease of use, information architecture, content richness, free access, publishers’ quality, task-technology fit and e-library service self-efficacy.

This paper is useful in advancing a framework for the evaluation and assessment of the electronic information service used for information research and exploring users’ attitudes toward using that service.

The Memex Research Institute (MemRI), an independent non‐profit research and development organization, has created an Electronic Library Program of shared research and development in order to make the vision of Vannevar Bush's “memex” more concrete. The program is working toward the creation of large, publicly available indexed electronic image collections of published documents in academic, special and public libraries. The initial objective of the Memex Research Institute has been the development of a strategic plan that defines a combination of publicly searchable access databases, image (and text) document collections stored on network “file servers,” local and remote network access, and an intellectual property management control system. This combination of technology and information content is defined in this plan as an E‐Library or E‐Library Collection.

The aim of this paper is to construct a model of cost efficiency and service effectiveness for a university e-library to allocate e-resources cost and to attain quality of service enhancement and cater to the needs of readers with existing e-resources.

The paper establishes an assessment model for the cost efficiency and service effectiveness of a university e-library in Taiwan. It then proceeds with an empirical study and analysis of related data collected from e-libraries of 16 universities. A discussion of the results of the study and suggestions for the adjustment of the university e-libraries follows.

The paper combines two models of cost efficiency and service effectiveness for the first time to analyze and consider the output results created by the input cost of university e-libraries in Taiwan and their utilization by readers.

The paper builds a figure for the relationship of e-library cost efficiency and service effectiveness at 16 universities in Taiwan and then divides it into four types.

Building a Web‐based e‐library may be the most important thing a library ever does. An important role for librarians in all types of libraries is the planning and/or building of Web‐based e‐libraries. Offers a practical discussion of developing and implementing a collection plan for building Web‐based e‐libraries. The starting point for developing any collection plan is an assessment of the function of and need for an information collection and the audience it will serve. Discusses some guidelines and practical strategies on where and how to find, identify, evaluate and select appropriate Web‐based information resources. Focuses on Web‐based information resources rather than other electronic information resources such as CD‐ROM or fee‐based databases that have been discussed extensively in recent literature.

Electronic library (E-library) is a form of computer mediated system that uses electronic media, such as Web/internet devices and distributes resources to improve on the quality of teaching and learning. Students’ use of e-library for learning is essential and as such the government has invested hugely into its subscription for several university libraries in Ghana. However, most university students feel reluctant to use the e-library resources for their studies. The purpose of this paper is therefore to examine the factors that influence students’ intention to use e-library resources for their studies.

Questionnaire was used to collect data from 200 students from one Technical University in Ghana. Structural equation modeling (SmartPLS) was used to analyze the data.

The study found that accessibility, attitude, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and relevance to studies have positive significant effect on students’ attitude to use e-library. In addition, self-efficacy, subjective norm and attitude have positive significant influence on students’ intention to use e-library.

Although the sample frame used for this study may be unique, but the total amount of data collected was limited to providing the general representative of the Ghanaian students in one particular university. Other researchers may consider collecting data from other universities to extend the sample frame for a larger sample size of students.

Academic administrators need to organize training and workshops on how to use the e-library portal for their search and other didactic assignments. Most importantly, students should be given IT or internet tutorials as foundation for the use of the e-library portal.

Universities have to provide internet access such as hotspot and network routers at the labs, classrooms and other vantage points. It is believed that with these in place, adequate access to the internet would promote students’ engagement on the e-library facility.

The study examines the factors that influence students’ intention to use e-library resources for their studies in Ghana.

The aim of the paper is to investigate the achievements of librarians from the workshop on e‐library services organized by the Librarians' Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN) in collaboration with The United States Mission, Nigeria.

In total, 35 librarians purposively selected from universities, colleges of education, and polytechnic libraries participated in the study, which adopted semi‐structured interviews.

It emerged that librarians who participated in the workshop have been exposed to skills in areas such as database searching, using different search engines, using social media, knowledge of relevant websites, and knowledge of planning for e‐libraries. The participants are of the opinion that a workshop of this kind should be organized at least twice a year to upgrade librarians' skills on e‐library services in Nigeria.

Library associations in other developing countries can also partner with professionals from developed countries to organize workshops and seminars like this to equip librarians with the necessary skills to render e‐library services effectively and also to train users to use e‐resources effectively.

The paper reports skills the librarians have been exposed to through the workshop on e‐library services. Acquiring such skills will enable them effectively to use e‐resources and also train users on different search strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative approach that is proposed for developing e‐libraries with metadata to meet the need of training observation and classification skills in a mobile learning environment.

A knowledge engineering approach is proposed to assist teachers in defining metadata of e‐libraries to meet the need of training observation and classification skills. Based on the innovative approach, an e‐library of butterfly and ecology has been developed. Moreover, an experiment was conducted from March‐April 2007 on the science course “Butterfly and Ecology” at an elementary school in Taiwan. There were two teachers and 35 students participated in the experiment.

Experimental results showed that the e‐library developed with the innovative approach is able to effectively support the training of observation and classification skills for elementary school students.

Currently, the innovative approach has only been applied to the training of observation and classification knowledge. Further studies will be needed to assist teachers in defining metadata of e‐libraries for other educational objectives, such as “analysis” (the ability to separate material or concepts into component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood), “synthesis” (the ability to put parts together to form a new whole) and “evaluation” (the ability to judge the value of material for a given purpose).

With the innovative approach, personalized supports can be provided as a guide for students' learning. Moreover, students are allowed to face the real objects with technology‐rich supports during the learning process.

This article aims to construct a performance evaluation system for the e‐library in universities in Taiwan. The paper uses actual university cases as the target for analysis for in‐depth research so as to provide an evaluation reference.

This article reviewed the library performance evaluations found in the literature of the UK, Germany, USA and Taiwan and constructed primary performance evaluation indicators. The Delphi Method was then used to summarize the opinions of experts in completing the construction of a performance evaluation model for e‐library. With all the factors of e‐library, user satisfaction and input of libraries as the basis, Analytic Hierarchy Process is used to illustrate the problems and combine the two to establish the hierarchy structure for the performance evaluation of this research. The weights of all indicators within hierarchies are calculated and then the weight of the overall hierarchies are worked out.

The e‐library plays two important roles: data searching and academic study.

Using relevant e‐business data collected from libraries in six universities, combining indicator weight and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), this paper considers the distance of the universities from positive and negative Ideal Solutions as the evidence for ranking and demonstrate the overall performance of e‐libraries in all universities – providing future improvement directions for university libraries. The research can also provide important future decision‐making references for libraries and universities to enable better performances.

This paper aims to focus on how the e‐library interoperates with the e‐learning process within the academic computing environment (ACE) at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).

This paper is inspired by the existing findings of a questionnaire survey conducted by the Laptop Project at the UAEU (2002‐2003) and sequel research (2004‐2005) on the acceptance and adoption of the Blackboard, a web‐based instructional platform, by the students. Personal interviews were conducted with the instructors who were involved in the e‐learning initiative to find out the appropriate e‐information services that should be provided to support their respective Blackboard‐aided courses.

The paper finds that the instructors have viewed e‐learning as a sound instructional tool and an evolving genre capable of providing more than just textual information. According to their viewpoints, the e‐library could support e‐learning courses with a bundle of networked e‐information services such as development of course‐related electronic collections, virtual reference help, current awareness and SDI, online document delivery, etc. E‐literacy was found to play an essential role in fostering adoption and acceptance of e‐learning, whereas the language barrier has constrained e‐learning initiative in the colleges where Arabic is the teaching language, i.e. Blackboard does not support creation of Arabic contents and interface so far.

The capabilities of the e‐library in providing networked e‐information services have made the integration with the e‐learning process a highly urgent requirement.

A model representing the integration of the e‐library functions with the e‐learning process is presented in the paper. The proposed model could be applicable in learning settings within an academic computing environment.

“WHAT a place to be in, is an old library! It seems as though all the souls of all the writers, that have bequeathed their labours to these Bodleians, were reposing here, as in some dormitory or middle state. I do not want to handle, to profane the leaves, their winding sheets… I seem to inhale learning, walking amid their foliage.” Thus wrote Charles Lamb, of the Bodleian Library, which is the largest library to bear the name of a private benefactor, and amongst British libraries, is second only in importance to the British Museum.