| dc.description.abstract | The study aimed at designing a digital library for Kawempe Youth Center (KYC) Community
library. The objectives of the study were; to find out the information needs of KYC library users
and how they access information materials, to identify the library materials that can be digitized
in KYC Community library, to establish the challenges encountered in accessing the information
materials at KYC Community library and to design a digital library that will act as a single point
of access and gateway to digital collection at KYC Community library.
The study employed a case study design while adopting both quantitative and qualitative
approaches. Purposive sampling and convenience sampling were used to sample 25 respondents
who participated in the study. Interviews, questionnaire and observation methods were used to
collect relevant data for the study.
The study established that KYC Community library acquires a wide variety of print information
resources which include; textbooks, journals, pamphlets, periodicals, and newspapers. Most
library users who access these information resources are students (80%).
The challenges faced by library users in accessing information resources include; missing
content in some information materials, tall shelves that prevent some library users from locating
materials from the top level shelves, limited staff which delays information materials access.
Most of them face a challenge of library opening hours (opens late, and closes early as well as
not working on Sundays) and the daily mode of the payment to access the library collection
limits some library users from accessing the library.
The requirements for designing a digital library for KYC community library were; to support the
staff in provision of the information resources to the library users, easy to use, user friendly
interface, compatibility with the available hardware and software, ability to communicate with
other systems (Interoperability), to provide a variety of books, remote access to information
materials, providing up-to-date information materials.
The study concluded that most library users access the library on weekly basis (48%) specifically
to use the KYC reading rooms 18 (72%) to access the information materials 17(65%). They
mostly need the information to satisfy their educational need 20 (80% | en_US |
