The adoption footprints of Koha as a library management system in university libraries of Pakistan

Abstract

The study investigated the adoption footprints of Koha in university libraries in Pakistan by using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. The UTAUT model suggests that the decision to use technology is influenced by performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions. The study used a survey questionnaire to collect data from 250 librarians working in libraries and analysed the results using a quantitative research approach. The findings of the study revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions positively influenced the intention to adopt Koha. Interestingly, social influence had no significant effect on the adoption of Koha, indicating that the opinions of others did not play a significant role in the decision to adopt Koha. Personal innovativeness had a negative impact on the behavioural intention of librarians to use Koha. Personal innovativeness refers to the willingness of individuals to adopt new technology, and this finding suggests that librarians who are less willing to adopt new technology may be less probably to adopt Koha. The study also found that the significance of information and communication technology (ICT) background among librarians in Pakistan was low. This can be attributed to inadequate perceived social influence and facilitating conditions towards adopting new information technology (IT) solutions. To increase the use of Koha among librarians, the study recommends that libraries improve social influence and provide better conditions for adoption. This study has important implications for library managers and policymakers who are seeking to enhance the use of open-source library management system (LMS) in university libraries.