The appearance of the contagious viral disease COVID-19 posed challenges in providing education at campuses, and pandemic caused disruptions to deliver face-to-face education worldwide. The COVID-19 outbreak has massively damaged many sectors, including the educational industry [1, 21]. Educationists and experts have looked into new dynamics to embrace the innovative shift in the educational system, ranging from educational activities delivery mode to shift on new online digital solutions. This study analyses the problems, barriers, challenges and success parameters by using online digital service in Pakistan and examining the determinants of students’ intention to adopt e-library services and online content choice amid the pandemic COVID-19 [2, 21, 38]. Although the exact origin of the virus COVID-19 dangerous disease is unknown, the health experts identified the first patient with the COVID-19 disease in Wuhan in late December 2019. There were confirmed cases of the COVID-19 disease over 180.863 million with deaths 3.935 million worldwide. However, over 166.143 million infected people recovered from the infectious virus, COVID-19, as of June 27, 2021, around the world [3, 41].
The learning process describes how to acquire new knowledge [1-4], creative understanding, skills, attitudes, preferences, and behaviors [5-9]. It is explained that learning has attained a central position in the competitive world of academia and research. [10-12] Human learns and accumulates knowledge during normal and crises [13-15], social skills, and facts of the natural world through different approaches that make our lives better [16-18]. It is essential for learners since it is evident from our practical work that learning affects people’s daily lives. [19] There is a surfeit of options for learning, such as, libraries, experiences, discussions, and practices; however, in today’s electronic world,[13,20,21] the e-learning (computer-based learning) ecosystem is assimilating all stakeholders with procedures and the latest technology.[22-26] Consistent with the e-learning approach, electronic-library is gaining attention in the current era, allowing all users to access well-managed knowledge repositories [27-32].
Generally, terms such as an electronic library, digital library, and virtual library are interchangeable in a sense.[33-37] E-library is an essential source for gathering valuable information on preferred topics [38-40]. Besides, the users can access an e-library with some resources such as e-books, e-journals, and educational websites. These services are accessible for the users [41-44] to embrace and acquire the knowledge related to their concerned topics [45-47]. Comparing the traditional library pattern with an e-library, usually, human capital, enough space, and operational resources are required for conventional libraries. Nevertheless, e-learning offers an open-ended and individualized approach to learn, attracts more students, and drops the price of learning and the cost of operational resources [48-51].
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the educational intuitions have actively practiced the online mode of education, which has affected education provision at institutions in many ways [52-54]. The quality of knowledge transfer is being questioned when past literature exhibited [55] that millions of learners encounter difficulties in learning process [56-59]. Knowledge sharing is a vital step in the learning process [60, 61]. If the quality of knowledge transfer is at stake, how to address the situation is crucial [62]. Huynh [63] suggests that, under extraordinary circumstances, e-library systems have become the need of the hour for a strategic and technical benefit to meet the educational requirements of, especially, medical students. E-library resolves the problem by providing the additional best learning option, consulting e-libraries databases such as e-books, e-journals, and online educational content [64].
In 2003, the higher education commission initiated corporate social responsibility with the National Digital Library Program established the first national e-library of Pakistan to contribute to society [34, 65-68]. It provides enormous opportunities for all students to access almost 75,000 e-books and 20,000 e-journals.[69-71] The Pakistan Information Technology Board (PITB) has taken an incredible initiative to establish e-libraries across Punjab province, where thousands of individuals have access to 50,000 e-books, e-journals, e-lectures, and webinars. PITB (2018) mentions that around 60,000 students enjoyed free access to the e-library in the area. The COVID-19 outbreak has massively affected the learning process; however, educational institutions adopted protective measures for safety purposes [72-75]. From a focus on the future perspective, the higher education commission of Pakistan is uninterruptedly striving to offer access to e-libraries in the main cities of Pakistan to prevail the culture of e-learning [38]. It intends to stimulate ease of access to ample content in a well-managed structure.
In line with previous arguments, the adoption of e-library among medical students is central, but the influencing factors toward its adoption have yet to be deduced. Therefore, the study has employed the planned behavior theory (TPB) to explore students’ intentions and determinants to avail of the e-library service.[76] These services and facilities are vital for students’ e-learning environment. This study postulates the behavioral beliefs’ attitude decomposed by technology readiness 2.0 index’, normative beliefs based on “subjective norms” and control beliefs “perceived behavioral control” that lead to the e-library adoption. This investigation enables the authorities and policymakers in Pakistan to understand the medical students’ acceptance of e-learning technology. See Figure 1 for details.