Elucidating the Adoption of Electronic Information Resources: A Case Study of Kuwait University Library

Abstract Kuwait University Library has invested in electronic information resources (EIR) to facilitate users’ access to library materials. However, this has been insufficiently investigated to identify the factors that influence the use of EIR. Therefore, this study aims to explore the factors influencing the use of EIR by faculty members at Kuwait University, as the study further aims to enhance library services. Specifically, the study uses a modified technology acceptance model (TAM) to investigate whether the perceived ease-of-use, the perceived usefulness, and prior experience of using EIR affect their adoption. The EIR adoption, consequently, impacts the faculty’s academic performance. A mixed-method approach was adopted using the questionnaire and interview tools sequentially to collect primary data from faculty members at the College of Social Science, Kuwait University. Out of 116 questionnaires sent to participants, 48 were returned, yielding a 41 % response rate, which was supplemented with ten semi-structured interviews. The quantitative results, which were supported by the qualitative findings, indicate that the perceived ease-of-use, the perceived usefulness, and prior experience significantly influenced the adoption of EIR, and that adoption significantly impacted the academic performance. Moreover, the qualitative findings revealed the challenges that EIR users encountered. Recommendations and future research are also discussed.