Digital Maturity and Web 2.0 Adoption Among Library and Information Science Associations in India: A National Webometric Assessment

Abstract

In recent years, professional Library and Information Science (LIS) Associations in India are becoming more and more reliant on their websites to interact with members/Library Professionals, share knowledge and stay visible in the organization. This study investigates the digital footprint of 23 Indian LIS associations by analyzing their website's availability, qualitative content quality, the extent of their implementation of Web 2.0 features, the usability of their website and connectivity via the Internet.

A descriptive and evaluative webometric design was used for 23 formally constituted LIS associations that were found from the official webometric directory of ILA, government records, and from the peer-reviewed literature. These included 18 associations with operational websites, and comprised the analytical sample. Qualitative content was analyzed using a dual-coder checklist instrument (Cohen's κ = 0.87) with six dimensions; the five Web 2.0 features were analyzed with a binary scoring protocol. Cluster analysis (Ward's linkage), heatmap and radar charts were used for the digital maturity patterns analysis using Python language.  Analysis of the data collected in January–March 2025 indicates that 78.3% of associations had reasonably strong content accuracy (77.8%) and usability (83.3%) in their functional websites, but the use of interactive Web 2.0 features was very low, such as use of RSS feeds (11.1%), Keyword search (16.7%), and Membership login (22.2%) and only 22.2% linked with related professional resources, cluster analysis yielded three distinct digital maturity tiers, represented by associations like Kerala Library Association, Assam Library Association and ILA, respectively. While these findings are based on presence/absence scoring within the Indian national context, the study suggests that the following measures need to be taken in order to improve the functioning of these associations: Associations need to designate dedicated digital officers, enhance their RSS feeds, search functionality, and sitemaps; and bodies such as IFLA India and government funding agencies should develop digital standards and benchmarks in relation to association recognition. This study is the first national-level webometric analysis of Indian LIS association websites and provides a replicable typology of digital maturity in LIS associations based on both quantitative and qualitative analysis methods, which can be extended for longitudinal and cross-national research in the future.