Abstract

The study aims to assess the proficiency of engineering college library professionals in Kerala in utilizing web resources and applications to support researchers. The focus is on the familiarity of library professionals with software essential for research scholars, access to Internet-based resources, and research and publishing tools. The study is limited to engineering college library professionals affiliated with APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Kerala (KTU). Proficiency in commonly used software and tools in modern libraries, such as search engines, reference management software, and plagiarism detection software, is evaluated. Gender-based analysis is applied to the data gathered from 210 respondents out of 352 distributed questionnaires, comprising 116 female and 94 male librarians. The findings highlight a significant association between the proficiency levels and gender of engineering college librarians in handling specific web resources and applications. Additionally, the study reveals variations in proficiency levels across different software and applications. The insights derived from this research can assist librarians, institutional administrators, and HR managers in understanding suitable courses for working librarians and in devising systems for acquiring and maintaining the technology proficiency essential to library professionals in this digital era.