الملخص الإنجليزي
This study aims in its first stage to identify the textbook related requirements of SQU faculty members and textbook keepers and to verify the feasibility of building and developing a digital repository for SQU textbooks using open source software. The study also aims to measure their satisfaction regarding the current process of textbook provision and distribution to the students, identify their views on the absent features that should be accounted for in the proposed repository, and foresee the challenges that may lie ahead of the project. The second stage, in view of the results of the first stage, aims to develop a proposal on the features of the textbook digital repository.
For the data collection, the study adopted the mixed-method approach by combining the quantitative approach using the questionnaire with the qualitative approach using the interview. The researcher used SPSS tool for data analysis.
The study found a number of results, most notably of which are: most faculty members and textbook keepers are moderately satisfied with the current process of textbook provision and distribution to the students, building and developing a digital repository for textbooks using open source software is administratively and academically feasible, and respondents emphasized that using open source software is one of the main features of developing the digital repository. The researcher also found that availability of technical expertise in open source software use and maintenance, availability of SQU technical support, internet and telecom infrastructure and support from the top administration office are the main challenges that may face the implementation of the project. The study also revealed that from the point of view of faculty members there are no differences of statistical significance attributed to age group, academic level, college or academic experience regarding the challenges facing the development of the textbook digital repository.
