Utilization of Digital Collections and Electronic Archives to Support Academic Research at ATK Polytechnic

Abstract

The advancement of information technology has transformed library and archival services into digital systems that support academic research. This study examines the utilization of digital collections and electronic archives at ATK Polytechnic Yogyakarta, focusing on their roles, benefits, and challenges. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed using observation, interviews, and documentation. The participants consisted of nine undergraduate students and one faculty member selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model. The findings reveal that digital collections, including e-books, e-journals, institutional repositories, and digital theses, serve as primary scholarly references, while electronic archives provide research data such as reports, policy documents, statistics, and institutional records. These resources improve information accessibility, enhance literature retrieval efficiency, strengthen theoretical foundations, and accelerate research activities. However, limited access to subscription-based journals, incomplete archive digitization, inadequate internet connectivity, and insufficient information retrieval skills remain challenges. Continuous service improvement and digital infrastructure development are essential to enhance research productivity.