Impact of Interface Characteristics on the Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness of Digital Library Adoption among Post-Graduate Students in Somalia

Abstract

The Main objective of this paper was to investigate the impact of interface characteristics—terminology and screen design—on the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of digital libraries among post-graduate students in Somalia. Convenient sampling method was adopted for sample selection and a structured questionnaire was distributed on July, 2014. The study found out that terminology used on the digital library interface has a positive influence on its perceived ease of use. Also, screen design has much impact on the perceived ease of using digital library. Finally, a positive correlation between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness was found. These findings imply that some factors such as exclusion of technical terms and jargons to enhance ease of use of digital libraries should be taken into consideration (when planning and building digital libraries).

Keywords: Digital library, Terminology, Screen Design, Perceived ease of use, Perceived usefulness