Bridging the Digital Divide in Tanzanian Higher Education: A Pragmatic Assessment of Library Users’ Knowledge and Awareness of Digital Resources in Morogoro Universities

Abstract

The transformative potential of digital library resources (DLRs) in higher education remains unrealized when users lack adequate knowledge and awareness, a challenge particularly acute in Sub-Saharan African contexts where infrastructural and socio-cultural factors intersect. In Tanzanian universities, despite growing investments in digital platforms, empirical evidence on the actual levels of user knowledge and awareness, and the specific gaps that constrain effective utilization, remains scarce. This study pragmatically assesses the knowledge and awareness of DLRs among library users in five selected universities in Morogoro, Tanzania, employing a cross-sectional mixed-methods design. Data were collected from 150 respondents via structured questionnaires, 10 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) involving 89 participants, and 16 key informant interviews, with quantitative analysis using IBM SPSS v20 and qualitative data organized thematically. The results reveal critically low levels: only 34.3% of respondents possessed adequate knowledge of DLRs, while awareness levels were even more limited, just 6% were aware of the concept and practices of DLRs, 4.8% could identify specific resources and strategies, and merely 3.5% could accurately describe or explain them. These findings empirically demonstrate a profound second-level digital divide, where access does not translate into capability, and confirm that inadequate knowledge directly predicts poor awareness and underutilization. The study makes a significant policy contribution by showing that socio-demographic factors (age, education level) and institutional support (training frequency) are stronger predictors of DLR engagement than mere physical access, challenging supply-side only interventions. For practice, it recommends mandatory, curriculum-embedded digital literacy modules, structured library sensitization campaigns, and a national framework for continuous ICT skills training for both students and staff. Conclusively, without targeted, sustained educational interventions, investments in digital infrastructure in Tanzanian universities will continue to yield suboptimal returns, perpetuating educational inequality.