Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to examine the effects of the proposed mobile Web library application (MWLA)
on the search experience and its impact on learners’ engagement, interaction and overall learning outcomes
within an institutional repository. Furthermore, the study investigates learners’ acceptance of the MWLA
system.
Design/methodology/approach – The study suggests implementing an MWLA with Algolia’s
search service to improve the institutional repository and enhance learners’ access to reliable
information. It involved an experiment with 85 undergraduate students divided into experimental and
control groups (CGs), where the experimental group (EG) used MWLA for search tasks, and the CG used
the traditional library website. The study evaluated the acceptance and learning behaviours of the EG
towards MWLA, considering factors such as usefulness, ease of use, mobility, accessibility, satisfaction
and intention to use.
Findings – The findings of this study provide empirical evidence that the EG, which used the MWLA,
demonstrated superior performance compared to the CG across all institutional repository collections,

resulting in improved learning outcomes. Participants were highly satisfied with MWLA and found it user-
friendly and beneficial for improving search skills. MWLA’s portability and accessibility motivated active

learner engagement.
Originality/value – The powerful search bar of MWLA significantly enhanced learners’ search efficiency,
resulting in more effective retrieval of relevant materials. Moreover, learners who actively engaged with
previews and full-text content, using appropriate keywords and syntax, achieved higher scores and were