Abstract
Digital libraries are essential to modern higher education, but human-computer
interaction (HCI) barriers hinder their adoption in Nigerian universities. This study
surveyed 86 academics and postgraduate students across Madonna University and
Michael Okpara University using a structured, 15-item Likert-scale questionnaire
(Cronbach's Alpha = 0.91) to analyze cognitive user-interface dynamics over macrolevel
infrastructure. The findings show an there is an overall End-User Computing
Satisfaction (EUCS) was low to moderate (grand mean = 2.25). Despite hosting
relevant content, platforms suffered from sluggish response times (mean = 1.78) and
counter-intuitive layouts (mean = 2.15). Again intermittent campus internet (mean =
4.61), complex search syntax, and rigid error recovery posed severe impediments. Onscreen
guidance and responsive technical support acted as strong facilitators (mean =
3.49; section grand mean = 3.08), and usability issues disrupted research schedules
(grand mean = 2.61), forcing users toward commercial search engines. A critical
breakdown occurred in exporting citations and downloading documents, scoring the
lowest integration level (mean = 1.07). conclusively, universities must shift focus from
acquiring resources to user-centered interaction design. Stabilizing connectivity,
improving system speed, and streamlining citation pipelines are vital to fully integrate
institutional repositories into scholarly workflows.
Keywords: Human-Computer Interaction, Digital Library Adoption, End-User
Computing Satisfaction, Academic Workflows, Nigerian Universities.
Publication Date: 2026-10-30