Access and use of digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library

Abstract

Academic libraries have digitised their collections for easy access and effective utilisation by adopting institutional repositories. The study noted that there is seemingly limited utilisation of digitised special collections by users at Midlands State University although the library has been able to digitise these collections and disseminate them on the Institutional Repository. Therefore, the research aimed to investigate the utilisation of digitised special collections at the Midlands State University Library. The study sought to explore how special collections are defined by the library and to what extent are they being utilised. It intended to determine and appraise the access tools provided by the library and to ascertain any challenges faced in the utilisation of these digitised special collections. The research was qualitative in nature were a phenomenological research design was used to explore how special collections are defined by the Midlands State University academic library and how frequently users are using the special collections. The study was able to explore how special collections are defined at Midlands State University Library. Positive remarks are given to the Midlands State University Library for collecting and digitising these special collections and providing effective access tools to digital information. However, it concluded that users are under-utilising these digitised special collections mainly because of lack of awareness over the availability of these collections and the institutional repository. Lack of awareness is coupled up with other variables that include lack of mobile data, availability of other online sources and hard copy information, in creating a barrier in accessing digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library.