Online Library Services In Public and Private University Libraries In Uttar Pradesh a Comparative Investigation

Abstract

 University libraries across India are progressively abandoning purely physical collections in favor of online cataloging, e-journals, digital archives, and virtual reference services. This shift has become particularly evident since the COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions to rethink student and faculty access to information. However, most existing studies on this topic focus on a single institution or a group of similar universities, leaving the gap between the public and private sectors largely unanalyzed. This article presents the design and rationale for a comparative study of online library services in selected public and private university libraries in Uttar Pradesh. Based on a descriptive survey approach grounded in positivist philosophy, the study uses structured questionnaires administered to both librarians and users, supplemented by personal interviews with library professionals. A pilot study has already been conducted with eight academic libraries (four public and four private) to test and refine the research instrument, and the final questionnaire has been validated for content and reliability. This article describes the objectives, hypotheses, sampling strategy, and data collection tools guiding the research, and discusses how the findings, once primary data collection is complete, are expected to inform library administrators and policymakers on how to reduce the digital services gap between the two categories of institutions. The article concludes by identifying the next steps in the research process, including large-scale data collection and statistical analysis of user satisfaction and digital literacy in the sampled institutions.