Use of library tools in a learning management system

Abstract

There has been little empirical research into the involvement of subject librarians in university Learning Management Systems (LMS). This study examined how library-specific tools in a university-wide LMS are used, by who and for what purposes, in order to assess their effectiveness and to draw conclusions about how to encourage wider adoption and usage. Few demographic differences were found between users and non-users. Overall, survey respondents showed high levels of positive perceptions of librarians, but exhibited low awareness of the library tools and little understanding of their use. This suggests that potential for greater usage of the LMS library tools exists, with the main challenge being lack of awareness and inadequate training. © 2012 Authors.