By Azenath Ateka

It was joyous almost nostalgic to go back to 2019, the last time we held an e-resource week. We realized that we are never to underestimate the human touch, the face to face, in as much as ‘things online’ are said to collapse the world and expand it at the same time.

So, the Library and Information Center, led by the liaison team, set up a desk at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, from October 11-13. The idea was to speak to our clients about our electronic collections which are growing fast and which may not be so well known and could present challenges to users when searching. We wanted to demystify this collection and respond to any other library and information related queries.

We confirmed that USIU-Africa students are actually interested and keen to use library collections in their learning. Faculty would like to have the latest information in their disciplines for their teaching and research. Both groups want to be able to learn when on campus and while away from the campus.

Here is what we heard:

• “I use the library but I am not aware of the digital library”
• “How do I access the library e-resources?
• “How do I download the E-books?”
• “Why are some of the e-resources restricted from full download?”
• “Which databases provide full access to case studies?”
• “Can I get papers published in 2020 and after in the e-databases?”
• “Are the e-databases specific to particular subjects?”
• “How do I connect to the e-databases off campus?”
• “My VPN is not working hence I cannot access the e-resources”
• “What is open access and open scholarship?”
• “How do I select current from old resources when searching the e-library?”
• “What are the best resources for software engineering?”

We responded to all these questions and more. We have a rich resource ranging from eBooks, eJournals, eNewspapers, eMagazines, eTheses, to eReports and reviews.

Anybody who came by the desk, left smiling and of course, more equipped. If you were not able to come by this desk, we invite you into the library. We can have a chat via Libchat, respond to your email sent to askalibrarian@usiu.ac.ke, deliver a short training via Zoom, or have an in-person consultation. Otherwise, we look forward to another e-resource week in Spring, 2023.