Perceived Attributes of Diffusion of Innovation Theory as a Theoretical Framework for understanding the Non-Use of Digital Library Services

Abstract

Rogers’s diffusion of innovation theory is one theoretical approach to understand how members of a social system can adopt an innovation. Certain attributes of the innovation itself may facilitate its adoption. This paper highlights the necessity of designing a Digital Library Service (DLS) in conformity with the attributes of Innovation. These attributes are: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability. It further discussed previous studies that have used the theory of perceived attribute of innovation to conduct research on acceptance and rejection of an innovation in different fields and concluded that Digital Library Service designers who adopts the theory of the perceived attributes of innovation will understand why there is low or non-use of these services and help them in designing DLS that can easily be adopted by potential users.