Abstract
Purpose - In this study, we use the term e-quality to refer to information quality, system quality and service quality. This study focuses on e-quality, exploring and comparing users’ perceptions of digital libraries and virtual communities in the hopes that the results of this study can help better understand the exact nature of e-quality as perceived by users.Design/methodology/approach - A large scale survey was conducted for data collection. Data collected from 334 users of digital libraries and virtual communities were used for data analysis.Findings - We find users are likely to perceive a higher level of information quality, system quality and service quality of digital libraries than that of virtual communities.Practical implications - We suggest librarians needn’t have concerns over the challenge brought by virtual communities which indeed have an increasing impact on the way a lot of people seek and gather information. Instead, they should encourage their users to use both digital libraries and virtual communities. We believe the usage of these two types of information sources by users can efficiently inform each other, thus facilitating the e-quality of both digital libraries and virtual communities to reach excellence.Originality/value - Building on the Information Systems (IS) success model, this study explores and compares users’ perceptions of digital libraries and virtual communities in terms of e-quality, which we think presents a new view for digital library research and practice alike.
Purpose - In this study, we use the term e-quality to refer to information quality, system quality and service quality. This study focuses on e-quality, exploring and comparing users’ perceptions of digital libraries and virtual communities in the hopes that the results of this study can help better understand the exact nature of e-quality as perceived by users.Design/methodology/approach - A large scale survey was conducted for data collection. Data collected from 334 users of digital libraries and virtual communities were used for data analysis.Findings - We find users are likely to perceive a higher level of information quality, system quality and service quality of digital libraries than that of virtual communities.Practical implications - We suggest librarians needn’t have concerns over the challenge brought by virtual communities which indeed have an increasing impact on the way a lot of people seek and gather information. Instead, they should encourage their users to use both digital libraries and virtual communities. We believe the usage of these two types of information sources by users can efficiently inform each other, thus facilitating the e-quality of both digital libraries and virtual communities to reach excellence.Originality/value - Building on the Information Systems (IS) success model, this study explores and compares users’ perceptions of digital libraries and virtual communities in terms of e-quality, which we think presents a new view for digital library research and practice alike.
