Awareness, Use, Purpose, and Satisfaction of E-Resources among Medical College Libraries Users in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

We examined electronic resources routine of medical college library users in Punjab, particularly in the southern region. It also explores gender-based variations in awareness, purpose, usage, satisfaction, and barriers to e-resources. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a well-structured questionnaire, distributed to library users mostly medical college students and faculty in the
Multan, Pakistan, yielding an overwhelming 88% response rate. Findings indicate that most library users are moderately aware of e-resources approach as primarily users’ utilization for book writing, social networking, lecture preparation, entertainment, research, and education. However, medical e-resources such as electronic newspapers, e-books, CD-ROM databases, and Wikipedia are rarely
used. Despite overall satisfaction with e-resources, users face significant barriers, including a lack of training, slow internet speed, energy crises, limited full-text journal access, and inadequate IT infrastructure. No statistically significant gender differences were found in awareness, usage, satisfaction, or barriers. These findings offer valuable insights for improving digital library services in Pakistan's medical colleges, particularly in Punjab’s Multan division. Enhancing online services and IT infrastructure could foster a stronger virtual culture and more efficient access to e-resources in health sciences libraries.