Effective use of weblogs for disseminating information in university libraries in Sri Lanka: A feasibility study

Abstract

Academic Libraries in the new millennium have undergone several changes as the consequences of modern Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs). The Internet and related technologies are among the most influential for the change. Weblogs or Blogs are one of the latest developments in the Internet. Blogging has made a revolution in the dissemination of current information, which is recognized as one of the major responsibilities and challenges of present day academic library. Aims of this study were to explore the effectiveness of the available university library websites in Sri Lanka in disseminating current information, to identify the deficiencies associated with them, and to investigate the feasibilities of using weblogs for disseminating information in university libraries in Sri Lanka. Two data collection instruments were used for the study as follows. Data on library websites were collected by means of observation. Researcher himself collected data by visiting websites/ web pages of university libraries. Fifteen (15) university library websites/ web pages were accessed for the study during August/ September 2009. The data on university library ICT facilities were collected by using a questionnaire especially designed for the purpose. It was dispatched among librarians in- charge of ICT, via e-mail. The study revealed that, all the university libraries have their own websites/ web pages. However, following were identified as the barriers faced by university libraries in disseminating current information through library websites. Technical problems associated with updating the website on a regular basis Unfamiliarity on HTML and other web development applications of the library staff Unavailability of qualified and dedicated staff to regularly update library websites Finally, the study identified the feasibilities of creating weblogs for university libraries and the study suggests that the blogging technology can be used effectively to disseminate information in university libraries in Sri Lanka.