Purpose The purpose of the paper is to determine how undergraduate students at the University of Namibia perceive and use e-books. This paper aims to report on the result of a study that investigated the adoption of, views about and use of e-books at the University of Namibia. Design/methodology/approach The study used a mixed-method approach. It used three methods, namely, focus group interviews, observation combined with the think aloud and a survey to investigate how undergraduate students use e-books. Findings Major findings of the study indicated that students use and prefer e-books for course and research purposes. But they mainly use non-library search engines such as Google, Yahoo and commercial sites. Lack of searching skills, slow/unreliable internet and limited or lack of relevant content of e-book collections were the major hindrances affecting e-book use. Originality/value The findings of the study could be used to understand the use of e-books at the University of Namibia and at academic institutions with similar context to Namibia. The study contributes to the knowledge base of library and information science (LIS) by providing a detailed analysis on the views and use of e-books at the University of Namibia. The recommendations of this study can be adopted by libraries in other countries with similar socio-economic conditions like Namibia.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of e-resources by the Faculty of Law’s academic staff at the University of Namibia’s (UNAM’s) main campus. The study aimed to determine their level of awareness of electronic resources (e-resources) available to them, how useful and effective they found these e-resources, and the challenges they face in accessing them. Design/methodology/approach A convenient sampling technique was used to select a sample of 12 law academics from the population of 17. The study used both qualitative and quantitative research methods using questionnaires and a semi-structured interview guide. Findings Findings revealed that the majority of the law academics were aware of the e-resources subscribed by UNAM’s library, although some were not aware of the newly subscribed international law databases. The findings further revealed that the academics used e-resources for research, publications and teaching purposes, but irregular training, bandwidth problems and limited searching skills hindered their use of e-resources. Practical implications Findings could be used to inform future collection-development decisions, realignment of information-literacy training and promotion and marketing of library services. Originality/value This study has made a significant contribution in the understanding the use of electronic legal resources by law academics at UNAM. The findings and recommendations could also benefit similar academic institutions in developing countries like Namibia.

The global competitiveness drive, pursuit for relevance, and search for true identity continues to challenge many African universities in their quest to achieve the delicate balance of preserving national indigenous repute and worldwide visibility. For decades, universities have occupied a centre stage in this balancing act through research productivity, evaluation, and impact. The benefits of university research and innovation are varied, persuasive, well-documented, and acknowledged as benchmarks for the visibility, sustenance, and relevance of any modern university. This chapter examines the research profile of the University of Namibia (UNAM) by looking at its current research productivity, visibility, and impact in the SADC region and beyond. Using bibliometric and altimetric analysis from Web of Science, Scopus, and SciVal databases, and the institutional repository, the chapter underscores the fragility but evolving UNAM's research performance output and highlights open access and research data management as keys to enhancing institutional research productivity and visibility.

No abstract

No abstract