| dc.description.abstract | The interactions among students, faculty, and staff with library resources, services, and
facilities define user engagement in university libraries. To encourage engagement, these
libraries invest in digital collections, empower users through information literacy
workshops, gather feedback via surveys to customize their services, and build a strong
social media presence to foster a sense of community and connection among library users.
Unfortunately, some university libraries are facing low user engagement. This study aimed
to analyze strategies for enhancing user engagement in university libraries in Meru County,
with a particular emphasis on suggesting practical best practices. The objectives of this
study were to evaluate how digital resource accessibility enhances user engagement, assess
user survey mechanisms for improving engagement, examine the use of information
literacy programs to boost engagement, and analyze social media strategies to increase
engagement. The study was guided by information interaction theory, flow theory, and the
social media integration framework. It adopted a descriptive survey research design. The
target population consisted of 13,000 undergraduate students, 665 postgraduate students,
and 25 library staff from Meru University and Kenya Methodist University. A sample of
434 undergraduate students, 267 postgraduate students, and 15 library staff participated in
the study. The researcher first stratified the undergraduate and postgraduate students and
then applied a simple random sampling technique to each group to ensure representation
across different academic disciplines and years of study. Purposive sampling was used to
select library staff participants. The researcher gathered data from undergraduate and
postgraduate students through questionnaires and conducted interviews with library staff.
The instruments were pretested to ensure their reliability, which was crucial for producing
trustworthy and replicable research findings. A reliability test using Cronbach’s alpha
coefficient was conducted on the research instruments to ensure reliability. The qualitative
data were thematically analyzed and presented in thematic categories and narratives, while
the quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics such as mean and
standard deviation were computed, and the results were presented using tables and figures.
The research adhered to ethical guidelines, including observing all research policies and
ensuring the safety and confidentiality of the respondents. The study results revealed a
significant level of engagement between students and library staff, with students frequently
seeking assistance for research and resource location. Extensive use of online databases
and electronic resources was noted; however, many students experienced difficulties in
effectively using e-journals and institutional repositories. Additionally, user surveys were
conducted sporadically with a poor response rate, and poor attendance at information
literacy sessions was observed, with sessions not equipping students with efficient search
strategies. Furthermore, most students felt library staff were unresponsive on social media,
and the staff were unaware of effective methods to measure social media engagement. The
study concludes that maintaining knowledgeable library staff, improving the quality and
accessibility of digital resources, reassessing event planning and promotion strategies,
enhancing social media engagement, and better promoting information literacy sessions
are essential for enhancing user engagement. It recommended that university libraries in
Meru County conduct regular user surveys, incorporate advanced search techniques in
information literacy programs, establish clear social media engagement protocols, and
integrate information literacy sessions into the academic curriculum. | en_US |
