LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FOR LIBRARY SERVICES: A CONJOINT ANALYSIS OF LIBRARY USERS’ PREFERENCES

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to determine the preferences of college library users affiliated with Punyashlok Ahilya Devi Holkar Solapur University, Solapur, Maharashtra, regarding the use of social media platforms to access the information services provided by their college libraries. This study employed the conjoint analysis method to identify the most preferred attributes of social media platforms that are deemed significant for information retrieval by library users. The five attributes chosen include Social Media Platform, Delivery Mechanism, Information Extension, Messenger, and Interaction. Using SPSS software, a total of 192 profiles were generated, and from these, sixteen profiles were chosen for the responders. A survey was created and sent using Google Forms, and a total of 151 individuals completed the survey. The research findings are presented through the Model Summary Table, Coefficient Table, Part Worth Utility Table, and Relative Importance of Attributes. The study examined the relative importance of each attribute's choices and found that all attributes are substantially different, indicating that library customers are clear about their choices. Additionally, the study observed that the library users preferred prerecorded videos with basic information. As well as prefers subject experts over library staff, and prefers interactivity during information seeking. This study recommends that social media channels should be heavily used by college libraries in order to better serve their patrons. According to the readers' preferences, library patrons anticipate information from professionals in YouTube videos.