{"title":"Students’ perceptions of the user education programmes at a South African university","authors":"Katlego Petrus Chiya, O. B. Onyancha, I. Ezema","doi":"10.1177/03400352221130775","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221130775","url":null,"abstract":"First-time university students lack the practical and complex skills to harness, evaluate, use and create information to achieve their educational, occupational, social and personal information goals. The purpose of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of user education programmes at the North-West University, South Africa. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 320 students across two faculties. The study’s findings reveal that the majority of first-year students had participated in different user education programmes, with 80.7% of the students indicating that they were satisfied with the content and quality of the programmes. Over 90% of the students who participated in the programmes affirmed that they had enhanced their capacity to make effective searches for information and improved their skills in correctly citating and referencing information sources for their assignments. The majority of the students searched for information and resources independently of librarians. This article draws several conclusions and makes recommendations based on the findings.","PeriodicalId":45334,"journal":{"name":"IFLA JOURNAL-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48294440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Continuing professional development in Cambodia: Perspectives of different stakeholders","authors":"Gina de Alwis Jayasuriya, Shaheen Majid","doi":"10.1177/03400352221130776","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221130776","url":null,"abstract":"The objective of this study was to gather the views of training providers and library employees on the continuing professional development opportunities available in Cambodia and the associated barriers. In total, 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted – 14 with training providers and 12 with library employees. Four key barriers were identified: the lack of continuing professional development opportunities; the inability to meet real training needs; the challenges associated with attending programmes in other cities, such as travel, accommodation and study leave; and a lack of resource personnel to conduct continuing professional development programmes. Four areas of improvement are suggested: offering regular training programmes; conducting a training needs assessment study; organising a national-level meeting to discuss library staff development issues; and developing a library and information science ecosystem to support the continuing professional development framework. The findings of this study are expected to provide some background information for the development of a continuing professional development plan for the library and information science sector in Cambodia.","PeriodicalId":45334,"journal":{"name":"IFLA JOURNAL-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45046876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spread of misinformation during COVID-19: The case of Mauritius","authors":"A. Beebeejaun","doi":"10.1177/03400352221134347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221134347","url":null,"abstract":"As COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly across the globe, it is imperative to regulate the content of information such that people have access to accurate information. Nevertheless, there is the fear that governments are abusing legislation to limit freedom of expression and that the pandemic is simply being used as an excuse to further obstruct free speech. As such, it is through the lens of human rights that this research critically examines the approaches undertaken by the Mauritian authorities to deal with misinformation during COVID-19. To achieve this research objective, the related laws on misinformation are critically assessed and a comparative analysis is caried out of international responses to misinformation during COVID-19. It has been noted that the law alone is not sufficient to deal with misinformation, and media literacy among citizens is also essential in this endeavour.","PeriodicalId":45334,"journal":{"name":"IFLA JOURNAL-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46088497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Academic libraries’ main strategies and services during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Reza Rajabali Beglou, S. S. Akhshik","doi":"10.1177/03400352221130778","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221130778","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to identify and evaluate the most important activities of academic libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research was conducted using qualitative content analysis to discover the services that supported education and research, and social responsibilities, at the time of the crisis. Three hundred and one of the world’s top universities were randomly selected and analysed. The findings show that libraries used four strategies in supporting education and research: creating new services and activities, developing previous services and activities, changes in previous services and activities, and support for research on COVID-19. Seven substrategies were identified for social responsibilities: documentation of events, preparation of guidelines, current awareness of the public, COVID-19 rumours versus reality, physical and mental health-care programmes, providing useful information about COVID-19, and providing medical information about COVID-19. As the pandemic continues, the experiences presented in this article can help in the provision of library services during the current crisis and be used in times of similar crises in the future.","PeriodicalId":45334,"journal":{"name":"IFLA JOURNAL-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45903119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Irish libraries: An introduction","authors":"","doi":"10.1177/03400352221128717","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221128717","url":null,"abstract":"This article originated in a desire to provide a ‘landscape report’ on the different library sectors in Ireland, and describe their current state and future plans for the benefit of delegates at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2022 in Dublin. The initial plan was to collect the individual contributions and synthesise them into a single, seamless piece of work. Having received the contributions, however, I decided on a light-touch editorial approach. So, I revised the texts for consistency of grammar, condensed or expanded a small number of sections, and made slight stylistic changes. Otherwise, I let the authors speak for themselves. What follows, therefore, is a series of separate stand-alone descriptions. The approaches adopted by each of the authors and the levels of detail differ in each piece. When put together, however, they do provide an introduction to the different library sectors in Ireland today. I trust it is of some interest to the readers of IFLA Journal.","PeriodicalId":45334,"journal":{"name":"IFLA JOURNAL-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46522640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How do Asian international students use Australian university libraries? A literature review","authors":"Clare P O’Dwyer","doi":"10.1177/03400352221116922","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221116922","url":null,"abstract":"The findings of this literature review are applicable to university libraries globally, as students accessing libraries are now more culturally diverse than was the case historically. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this diversity was due to increased numbers of international students attending selected universities in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada. The literature suggests that the different information seeking, cultural transition, information disruption, English-language challenges and learning styles of Asian international students are not fully understood by western university libraries. Consequently, university libraries may not have strategically aligned to their university’s internationalisation objectives. Lack of understanding of the experiences of Asian international students potentially attenuates their well-being and academic success. Furthermore, this lack of adaption could place universities, such as those in Australia, at risk of not meeting national regulatory compliance expectations. This review examines the literature about the context of Asian international students’ use of Australian university libraries and introduces a research project that explores the lived experience of using Australian university libraries. The review identifies literature regarding the changing profile of Asian international students enrolled in Australian universities, their information-seeking behaviour, cross-cultural dimensions, their communication skills, and the expectations of an Australian university library. The review of this literature also seeks to explore who is studying international students, which methods are being used to do so, and which topics are of particular interest to the researchers. Finally, the review considers new post-COVID-19 pandemic opportunities for both libraries and other service areas to understand the needs of Asian international students as universities competitively recruit for their return.","PeriodicalId":45334,"journal":{"name":"IFLA JOURNAL-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44210758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Kassim, Kokuberwa Katunzi-Mollel, Kelefa Mwantimwa
{"title":"Assessing library and information science graduates’ skills and knowledge against 21st-century employability demands","authors":"M. Kassim, Kokuberwa Katunzi-Mollel, Kelefa Mwantimwa","doi":"10.1177/03400352221118695","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221118695","url":null,"abstract":"The demands of graduates, employers and society are changing due to substantial technological advancements. The present study assessed the library and information science skills and knowledge required by employers and society. The study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive research design with both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The study sample was drawn from Master of Arts in Information Studies students who graduated from the University of Dar es Salaam between 2005 and 2020. Questionnaires, alongside interview guides, were used as instruments for the collection of the required data. Descriptive statistics and thematic methods were used to analyse the data. The findings suggest that the Master of Arts in Information Studies curriculum does not fully fulfil all of the expectations and needs of the graduates, employers and society. The study reveals the mismatch between what the curriculum offers and current job market requirements. The study recommends a regular review of the Master of Arts in Information Studies curriculum to effectively integrate 21st-century competencies that meet the needs of the current job market.","PeriodicalId":45334,"journal":{"name":"IFLA JOURNAL-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44550162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Developing research data management services in a regional comprehensive university: The case of Central Washington University","authors":"Ping Fu, Maurice R. Blackson, M. Valentino","doi":"10.1177/03400352221116923","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221116923","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to analyze the needs of researchers in a regional comprehensive university for research data management services; discuss the options for developing a research data management program at the university; and then propose a phased three-year implementation plan for the university libraries. The method was to design a survey to collect information from researchers and assess and evaluate their needs for research data management services. The results show that researchers’ needs in a regional comprehensive university could be quite different from those of researchers in a research-intensive university. Also, the results verify the hypothesis that researchers in the regional comprehensive university would welcome the libraries offering managed data services for the research community. Therefore, this study suggests a phased three-year implementation plan. The significance of the study is that it can give some insights and helpful information for regional comprehensive universities that are planning to develop a research data management program.","PeriodicalId":45334,"journal":{"name":"IFLA JOURNAL-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42430564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Data science education programmes in Middle Eastern institutions: A survey study","authors":"M. Zakaria","doi":"10.1177/03400352221113362","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221113362","url":null,"abstract":"In response to the current trends in dealing with data in academia, various research institutions and commercial entities around the world are building new programmes to fill the gaps in workforce demand in specific disciplines, including data curation, big data, data management, data science and data analytics. Thus, the aim of the present study was to reveal the reality of data science education in the Middle East and to determine the opportunities and challenges for teaching data science in the region. Thirteen countries in the Middle East were offering 48 data science programmes at the time of the study. The results reveal that these data science programmes significantly use the words ‘data’ and ‘analytics’ in their names. With regard to the academic affiliations of the data science programmes, the study found that they are offered in a variety of schools, especially computer science, information technology and business. Moreover, the study found that computer science is the dominant trend in the programmes. Data science programmes have a significant overlap with other programmes, especially statistics and computer science, because of the interdisciplinary nature of this field. Data science schools in the Middle East differ in terms of their programme titles, programme descriptions, course catalogues, curriculum structures and course objectives. Broadly, this study may be useful for those who are seeking to establish a data science programme or to strengthen data science curricula at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.","PeriodicalId":45334,"journal":{"name":"IFLA JOURNAL-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43641972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Knowledge management, organizational culture and job performance in Nigerian university libraries","authors":"C. I. Ugwu, A. Ejikeme","doi":"10.1177/03400352221103896","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352221103896","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of organizational culture on the relationship between knowledge management practices and the job performance of academic librarians in university libraries in Nigeria. The study employed a quantitative research methodology. A total of five hypotheses were proposed for testing, and a conceptual model was developed to test these hypotheses for significance at the .05 level. A questionnaire survey was used and a total of 230 academic librarians agreed to participate in the study. The data collected was analysed with the aid of SPSS. The results of the study reveal that knowledge management and organizational culture made positive and significant contributions to job performance. The results of the study also provide compelling evidence in support of the impact of organizational culture on the relationship between knowledge management and the job performance of academic librarians in university libraries in Nigeria.","PeriodicalId":45334,"journal":{"name":"IFLA JOURNAL-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44140919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}