Librarians’ Perceptions About Adoption and Uses of The Integrated Library Software

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to investigate the factors that influenced the adoption of Koha-integrated library software by librarians in Sri Lankan universities and libraries and to examine the challenges that were encountered during the implementation process. Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate the librarians' perceptions of Koha's performance in Sri Lankan libraries. To gather data, a survey was conducted among a purposive sample of 75 university librarians in Sri Lanka. The results showed that librarians were attracted to Koha due to its multilingual support, desirable features, and functionality, popularity among professionals, and provision of the MARC 21 standard for cataloging. However, during the implementation process, librarians faced several challenges, including a lack of knowledge about operating systems, the complex process of migrating data from legacy systems, a lack of technical skills, and the need for a highly networked and integrated environment. Despite these challenges, the study found that librarians were generally satisfied with Koha's performance, particularly in the areas of circulation, cataloging, OPAC, and patron modules. The findings of this study can provide valuable insights for librarians who are considering implementing or using Koha in their libraries.