Online Library Adoption in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study

Online Library (OL) is an educational support innovation that significantly can contribute to the educational system in developing nations such as Bangladesh. However, due to the lack of awareness and fear of technology, Bangladeshi users are far away from taking OL support. Its full potentiality in deepening and extending library support is yet to be realized, as a critical mass of users is yet to be accessed. So, better knowledge about why some university authorities adopt OL and others do not, besides this determining the factors affecting the decision is likely to be of practical and academic value. For this reason, the purpose of this study was to explore the factors influencing the adoption and usage patterns of OL among Bangladeshi Universities. Applying Rogers' IDT framework, data was collected using a self-completion questionnaire, in which some 5 private universities participated. Findings recommend perceived risk, lack of adequate support, and training from eLearning institutions are some of the reasons for non-usage. The implications of these results are that universities could provide more attention to eLearning as OL together with other traditional libraries, as OL is rarely used exclusively. Installing eBook readers and computers inside the library in conjunction with promotion and demonstrations may also increase the adoption rate.