Changing the face of reference and user services: Adoption of social media in top Ghanaian academic libraries

Abstract

Purpose

Social media allows collaboration, participation and sharing in libraries with users. The purpose of this study is to examine the response of academic librarians in Ghana to the use of social media in reference and user services.

Design/methodology/approach

It is a quantitative study that used the Likert type of questionnaire in soliciting the views of academic librarians from six public and private universities in Ghana on their knowledge and use of social media in providing reference and user services.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate that majority of academic librarians are knowledgeable and use social media for both personal and work-related purposes. They, however, lack adequate skills to use the array of social media tools to make remarkable difference in service delivery. For this reason, they find the traditional mode of service delivery a comfort zone.

Practical implications

Higher education policy makers in Ghana and elsewhere would find the results useful in decisions on the types of social media tools to use in universities and colleges.

Originality/value

The study provides in-depth analysis of the impact of social media on reference and user services in Ghanaian libraries, which is deficient in literature. It also recommends change in policy direction and training to whip up interest in librarians to use social media.

Citation

Ahenkorah-Marfo, M. and Akussah, H. (2016), "Changing the face of reference and user services: Adoption of social media in top Ghanaian academic libraries", Reference Services Review, Vol. 44 No. 3, pp. 219-236. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-01-2016-0001