Application of WeChat in university libraries in China

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Xi, Qingkui^* | Zhang, Yong | Li, Xinquan | Wu, Weiming

Affiliations: Library, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Qingkui Xi, Library, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: This study is aimed at describing and analyzing WeChat services at the libraries of the top 50 universities in China. It first describes the services offered by WeChat and then provides an analysis of the WeChat services through three pathways – menu service, real-time reference, and message sending – and provides suggestions for improvement, meaning that library services can be better and more conveniently accessed via WeChat. This paper may be helpful to librarians interested in WeChat as a library service tool.

Keywords: WeChat, university library, China

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-170135

Journal: Education for Information, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 217-230, 2017