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Article
Publication date: 9 July 2021

Scholastica Chizoma Ukwoma, Ngozi Eunice Osadebe, Victoria Nwamaka Okafor and Chinwe Nwogo Ezeani

This study aims to show that digital literacy can serve as a tool for effecting social change and highlights the achievements of an academic library in digital content creation…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to show that digital literacy can serve as a tool for effecting social change and highlights the achievements of an academic library in digital content creation using the Wikipedia platform.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted qualitative research method, Interview and document analysis were used for data gathering. Data gathered were analysed using content (conceptual) analysis.

Findings

Findings showed that the library has created or edited digital content for various categories of women, such as women in academia, industry and politics. These entries have received more than eight million views over a period of two years, which shows that the entries are being utilised. However, the editing exercise had been confronted with challenges such as accessing reliable citations in terms of the notability and verifiability policy of Wikipedia amongst others.

Practical implications

Currently, people rely more on online resources for their research, leaving physical library resources unused. Even, more students start their research online using Wikipedia. Thus, libraries could create visibility for their physical material using regularly visited sites like Wikipedia and its sister projects such as Wikidata; otherwise, these physical materials will remain invisible to the people that needed them.

Originality/value

Contributing to Wikipedia by creating a new entry or editing an existing one can help students to deepen their knowledge about a subject; Wikipedia editing may serve as an avenue for improving information literacy skills. Drawing from the theory of cyberfeminism as used in the study, information and communications technology has the potential to empower women and transform gender relations.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2015

Ojedokun A Ayoku and Victoria Nwamaka Okafor

The purpose of this paper is an audit of information technology (IT) skills set of librarians in some Nigerian university libraries with the aim of examining their relevance and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is an audit of information technology (IT) skills set of librarians in some Nigerian university libraries with the aim of examining their relevance and adequacy to the digital environment. Nigerian universities as knowledge creators and their libraries as gatekeepers of knowledge are rapidly witnessing the introduction of various IT. One of the challenges facing IT/digital library projects in Nigeria has been the readiness of the university libraries in terms of knowledge and skills to implement the digital and electronic library services.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used the survey approach. The sampling technique for the selection of the universities was stratified and for the librarians (respondents), census. The sampling frame was the approved list of universities released by the National Universities Commission as of the time of this study. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.

Findings

The findings of this paper revealed that many of the respondents do have knowledge and skills of email use and word processing tasks but lack knowledge of search engines and directories other than Google and Yahoo, respectively. Many of them do not know how to evaluate and catalogue e-resources; have no knowledge of subject gateways, specialised databases and some open-access library databases; have no knowledge of database management; are not skilled in Web design; and are equally not familiar with Web design applications.

Originality/value

The study recommends management support for IT skills training and/or continuous professional development to improve the librarians. Librarians are also challenged and encouraged to explore the range of training resources available over the Internet for self-development.

Details

The Electronic Library, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

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