Institutional capacities for sustainable implementation of open-source assistive resources in academic libraries in a developing country

The study examines Open-Source Assistive Resources (OSAR) as viable accessibility solutions for patrons with visual impairments in selected academic libraries in Zimbabwe's Midlands Province. The study was guided by three research questions: (i) How are selected academic libraries in Zimbabwe's Midlands Province implementing OSAR for patrons with visual impairments? (ii) What factors influence the adoption of OSAR in these libraries? (iii) What institutional capacities are required to sustain OSAR for patrons with visual impairments in the selected academic libraries? The study population comprised 59 participants drawn from five academic libraries (AL1–AL5) in Zimbabwe's Midlands Province, including library staff (n = 12), student services staff (n = 4), academic staff/lecturers (n = 5), students with visual impairments (n = 16), staff members with visual impairments (n = 10), alumni with visual impairments (n = 6), and Zimbabwe Library Association members (n = 6). Data were generated through questerviews, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and document analysis, and analysed using thematic analysis with QDA Miner Lite version 5. Findings reveal that OSAR implementation remains fragmented and largely opportunistic across four of the five libraries studied, with only AL4's dedicated Disability Resource Centre demonstrating sustained, strategic deployment. Cost advantage was widely recognised; however, inadequate infrastructure (cited by 35.60% of participants), limited OSAR awareness (33.90%), technical complexity, and absent management support constrain systematic adoption. Sustaining OSAR requires comprehensive institutional capacities, including needs assessment capacity (59.30%), infrastructure upgrades (54.20%), staff training and development (45.80%), inter-institutional networking (42.40%), and strategic planning. The study concludes that OSAR adoption is shaped primarily by institutional capacity deficits rather than technological limitations, and that sustainability requires structural transformation extending beyond mere software acquisition.