OPTIMIZING DIGITAL LIBRARY RESOURCES ENGAGEMENT: THE ROLE OF ACCESS METHODS AND INTERFACE DESIGN IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of access methods and interface design on the use of digital library resources by undergraduates in private universities in South-West, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to examine the individual effect of access methods, assess the influence of interface design, and determine their joint contribution to students’ utilization of digital library resources. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 343 penultimate and final-year students across selected institutions. Regression analysis was employed to test three hypotheses guiding the study. The results showed that access methods exerted a significant positive influence on use (R² = 0.024, Adj. R² = 0.022, F = 8.550, p < 0.05), explaining 2.4% of the variance. Interface design demonstrated a stronger positive effect (R² = 0.037, Adj. R² = 0.034, F = 12.993, p < 0.05), accounting for 3.7% of the variance. When combined, access methods were not statistically significant (B = 0.435, p = 0.170), but interface design retained its influence (B = 0.806, p = 0.013). The overall model was significant (R² = 0.042, F = 7.458, p < 0.05), suggesting that together, access methods and interface design explain a small but meaningful proportion of the variance in usage. The study concludes that optimizing both variables, with particular attention to interface design, can enhance students’ engagement with digital library resources