Main Article Content
Abstract
Guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, this correlational survey examined the perceived potential of virtual libraries, the challenges that constrain them, and the strategies judged most effective in four tertiary institutions in Enugu State. Of 450 questionnaires distributed to academic staff and final-year students, 402 were usable (89.3%). Perceived potential was high (M = 3.88), infrastructure challenges were high (M = 3.77), human–institutional challenges were moderate-to-high (M = 3.50), endorsed strategies were high (M = 3.95), and actual utilization was only moderate (M = 2.98). Multiple regression showed that perceived potential positively predicted utilization (β = .32), while infrastructure challenges (β = −.18) and human–institutional challenges (β = −.19) predicted it negatively. Academic staff reported higher utilization than final-year students, t(400) = 4.08, p < .001, d = 0.50. Utilization also differed by institution, F(2, 399) = 10.41, p < .001, η² = .05. Virtual libraries are valued; they are not yet used at the level that value implies. Power, bandwidth, subscriptions, and compulsory information-literacy coursework are the indicated remedies.