{"title":"Nurturing a Democratic Planning Process: A Qualitative Case of Every Student Succeeds Act Requests for School Library Funding","authors":"Rene Burress, B. Martin","doi":"10.1515/libri-2020-0168","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2020-0168","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Using bounded rationality in decision-making by Simon, H. A. 1957. Administrative Behavior: A Study of Decision-Making Processes in Administrative Organizations, 2nd ed. New York: Free Press; Simon, H. A. 1976. Administrative Behavior: A Study of Decision-Making Processes in Administrative Organizations, 3rd ed. New York: Free Press) and planning theory by Cervero, R. M., and A. L. Wilson. 1994a. Planning responsibly for Adult Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; Cervero, R. M., and A. L. Wilson. 1994b. “The Politics of Responsibility: A Theory of Program Planning Practice for Adult Education.” Adult Education Quarterly 45 (1): 249–68; Cervero, R. M., and A. L. Wilson. 1996. What Really Matters in Adult Education Program Planning: Lessons in Negotiating Power and Interests. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; Cervero, R. M., and A. L. Wilson. 1998. “Working the Planning Table: The Political Practice of Adult Education.” Studies in Continuing Education 20 (1): 5–22; Cervero, R. M., and A. L. Wilson. 2006. Working the Planning Table: Negotiating Democratically for Adult, Continuing, and Workplace Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, this case study explored 2017 Every Student Succeeds Act (Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESEA) 2015. Pub. L. No. 114-95 § 114 Stat. 1177) grant application documents submitted by state education agencies (SEAs). Specifically explored was the presence or absence of requests in the grant applications for funds that can be used to support school library programs and employ and/or provide professional development funding for licensed school librarians. The purpose was to provide a description of decision-making and planning at the level of state administrators who functioned in the context of SEA and Local Education Agency organizations and were responsible for writing 2017 ESSA plans. Collected was data in four phases. The findings of this research informed a new model that illustrate sources of power relationships among legitimate interests in 2017 ESSA planning. A second proposed model can be applied to all types of libraries and their decision-making and planning. Both models can be tested in future research studies.","PeriodicalId":45618,"journal":{"name":"Libri-International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"219 - 231"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48413553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Why Soft Skills Matter: Analyzing the Relationship between Soft Skills and Productivity in Workplace of Academic Library Professionals","authors":"Aamir Hamid, Muhammad Younus","doi":"10.1515/libri-2021-0116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2021-0116","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study aimed to analyze the effects of soft skills on the work productivity of academic library professionals in Pakistan. The study employed quantitative survey method. The data was collected through a self-compiled online questionnaire from academic library professionals, yielding a response rate was 83%. Findings of this study reveal that library professionals’ level of different soft skills, interpersonal, emotional intelligence, leadership, motivation, and communication is high, which indicates that they are proficient in soft skills. Results of correlation test used to examine the relationship between the variables, soft skills, and work productivity of library professionals disclose a significant relationship between variables across the study. Moreover, soft skills have profound effects on the work productivity of library professionals, and no difference is found in library professionals’ perceptions based on their demographic characteristics. Soft skills help librarians to manage and perform different jobs effectively. Based on the outcomes of the study, it is suggested that LIS schools, professional associations, and other organizations offering professional development programs should endeavor to develop soft skills among LIS students and professionals by incorporating necessary contents in LIS curricula and offering training sessions. The research paper is the first attempt to explore the relationship between soft skills and work productivity from the perspective of librarianship in Pakistan; it will make a unique contribution to the literature.","PeriodicalId":45618,"journal":{"name":"Libri-International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"263 - 277"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42856298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Relationship between Human Capital, Innovation Capability and Employee Job Performance in Academic Libraries in Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe","authors":"Tinotenda Chiganze, Mustafa Sağsan","doi":"10.1515/libri-2021-0037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2021-0037","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Human capital is considered crucial for the sustainability and success of libraries in this era of globalization. The presented study investigated the effect of human capital on innovation capability and employee job performance in academic libraries. Further, it also explored the effect of innovation capability on employee job performance in academic libraries This study implemented a survey research design. Structured questionnaires were employed to collect the data using the convenience sampling technique. The population of the study included 387 librarians and library assistants from academic libraries in the Southern Africa Region which incorporates three countries, namely Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.23. The results indicated that human capital had a significant and positive effect on innovation capability and employee job performance in academic libraries. Innovation capability also had a significant and positive effect on employee job performance. The major limitation of the study is that it focused only on three Southern African countries, namely Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, the study only concentrated on academic libraries and excluded the other types of libraries such as public, school, and special libraries. The study illustrates essential implications to library managers on the significance of human capital and, therefore, recommends that library managers should place emphasis on the part which human capital plays and invest in the most viable elements of human capital, which can develop innovation capabilities and, in turn, play a substantial part in boosting employees’ job performance.","PeriodicalId":45618,"journal":{"name":"Libri-International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"317 - 334"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43711286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing Freshmen Undergraduate Students’ Comprehension of Library Vocabularies in Library Orientation Sessions","authors":"S. M. Zabed Ahmed, Md Noman Hossain","doi":"10.1515/libri-2021-0042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2021-0042","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper evaluates freshmen undergraduate students’ comprehension of library vocabularies used by librarians in library orientation sessions. For the assessment, a questionnaire survey was conducted among a group of 1456 freshmen students during library orientations at a premier public university in Bangladesh. In addition to students’ socio-demographic and personal information, the survey included 15-multiple choice questions on the definition of library terminologies. For each definition, the correct answer was given a score of “1” whereas the wrong or unsure response was assigned a score of “0.” Statistical procedures, t-test and ANOVA, were run to test the equality of means between student groups. A Generalised Estimating Equation (GEE) model was applied to determine the effect of socio-demographic and personal variables on students’ category-specific scores. The findings indicate that more than half of the terms were either incorrectly defined or not known to students. There were significant differences in freshmen’s total and category-specific scores based on gender, age, previous residence, discipline enrolled, computer and library experience and in terms of their previous exposure to library instructions. The GEE model showed that category-specific scores were significantly associated with term types and prior computer and library experience.","PeriodicalId":45618,"journal":{"name":"Libri-International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"253 - 262"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42073036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"User Participation in Archival Knowledge Structures: Archival Description as Domain and Testing Ground","authors":"Brad Wiles","doi":"10.1515/libri-2021-0125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2021-0125","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper presents a critical analysis of disciplinary discussions on user-generated contributions to institutional archives collections metadata and attempts to assess its impact on professional archivists’ approach to archival description. It frames archival description as a distinct knowledge domain and considers the possibilities, limitations, and contradictions of expanding this key function of archival work beyond the professional purview. It discusses how enhanced user participation might contribute to the knowledge and information infrastructures of archives and what this might suggest for archival description going forward. It identifies various practical, theoretical, and ethical implications for archives emerging from this body of literature, all undergirded by the role of technology in shaping the cultural and historical phenomena that archives seek to capture. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of archives’ renewed place in knowledge building in a digital society and offers suggestions for continued inquiry.","PeriodicalId":45618,"journal":{"name":"Libri-International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"355 - 364"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43390154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Depictions of Diversity in Books Recommended for Storytime: A Cautionary Tale","authors":"Erin Ingram, M. Cahill","doi":"10.1515/libri-2021-0126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2021-0126","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Elements of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in diverse books support children’s intellectual, social, and emotional development. Public library storytime programs serve as venues to showcase books with characters of varied backgrounds, identities, and experiences who may or may not reflect those of the communities the libraries serve. Because storytime providers often rely on online resources to plan their programs, it is important to investigate the presence and quality of EDI elements in books recommended for storytimes by these resources. The present study analyzed the text, illustrations, and WorldCat metadata for a random sample of 481 children’s books recommended by six popular online resources for storytime planning. Results revealed an overall lack of EDI in the recommended books with few characters representing parallel cultures, living with a disability or chronic illness, practicing a religion other than Christianity, or communicating in a language other than English. The paper includes implications for storytime providers and library administrators in the areas of program planning, professional development, and program assessment.","PeriodicalId":45618,"journal":{"name":"Libri-International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"405 - 416"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44859572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The University Library’s Strategic Process: Competing Through Plans, Positions, and Resources","authors":"W. Edgar","doi":"10.1515/libri-2021-0150","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2021-0150","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The traditional notion of university library strategy has been that of a pattern of goal-oriented activities that implement a strategic plan. Through conceptual analysis, this paper integrates strategic planning with two other perspectives—strategy based upon competitive position and upon library resources—to propose that a university library can best serve its academic community through a “strategic process” when supporting research and teaching. Drawing extensively upon applicable library science and strategic management literature, the paper presents the potential contribution of each perspective and of the entire strategic process using relevant examples. Successfully applying the strategic process enables university library managers to move forward with optimism in difficult competitive and financial situations. The process enables the university library to gain sustainable competitive advantage over its competitors by providing faculty and students with intellectual value in support of their discovery and education. As it operates, the strategic process empowers the university library to fulfill its traditional mission—providing persistent, generalized access to information—but to do so in transformed ways. The process also enhances library managers’ ability to communicate such successes to university decision-makers, illuminating the library’s effective use of scarce financial resources.","PeriodicalId":45618,"journal":{"name":"Libri-International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"199 - 217"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45796942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Contributions of Public Libraries to Satisfy Intellectual Curiosity of Rural Inhabitants in West Bengal: An Indian Case Study","authors":"Shamim Aktar Munshi, M. Ansari, Sayantoni Barsha","doi":"10.1515/libri-2021-0085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2021-0085","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the contributions of public libraries to the satisfaction of the intellectual needs of rural inhabitants in West Bengal, India. The study applied a quantitative survey method with the help of a well-structured questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed among to the users (students, officers/professionals, self-employed individuals, businessmen, jobseekers, retired persons, and housewives) of 45 rural public libraries in five selected districts of West Bengal. The study found that the largest group of respondents belonged to the students and jobseekers categories, who visit the rural public libraries for seeking academic and job-related information. Many students from humble backgrounds were solely dependent on public libraries because they have procured some textbooks from middle school up to graduation level. Jobseekers were mostly consulting the Career Guidance Section of the library to prepare for various competitive exams. The study also revealed that public libraries have been trying to satisfy the intellectual and informational needs of the rural inhabitants by providing various services and facilities. Respondents have further reported that public libraries should adopt modern technologies and provide ICT-based library services as well. The outcome of this study would help to develop and upgrade the public library collection, services, and facilities in developing countries in a way that reflects patrons’ stated needs.","PeriodicalId":45618,"journal":{"name":"Libri-International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"279 - 296"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48737043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samira Esmaeili, Leila Nemati-Anaraki, Saeid Asadi, S. Mohamadzadeh
{"title":"Preferred Characteristics of Medical Library Directors: An Analytical Network Process Modeling for Selection of Recruitment Criteria in Academic Institutions","authors":"Samira Esmaeili, Leila Nemati-Anaraki, Saeid Asadi, S. Mohamadzadeh","doi":"10.1515/libri-2020-0151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2020-0151","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The present study aimed to rank the factors affecting the appointment of health library at central libraries of Iranian universities of medical sciences through employing the analytic network process. The statistical population of this applied study comprised the research directors and deputies as well as managers and assistants of central libraries of three universities of medical sciences of whom 12 were selected through the census method. Data were collected via a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using the decision-making techniques of ANP in Super Decisions 2.0.8. Results revealed that among criteria related to occupational factors, honesty and integrity obtained a higher rank. Out of the criteria related to organizational factors, familiarity with organizational technology and perception of objectives and strategies were two high-ranked criteria. Finally, from the criteria related to environmental factors, familiarity with the customer was ranked top, while familiarity with economic factors was ranked as the least important determinant. This study was aimed at offering a framework for step-by-step ranking of major criteria in the selection and recruitment of library directors in libraries for health professions education/academic health sciences libraries.","PeriodicalId":45618,"journal":{"name":"Libri-International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"109 - 121"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44747863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ssu-Han Chen, Huan Li, Yi-Ching Liaw, Chien-Lung Hsu, Tuan-Vinh Le, Weipeng Luo
{"title":"Evaluating Digital Divide Based on Big Wireless Logs: A Case Study among Remote Tribes in Taiwan","authors":"Ssu-Han Chen, Huan Li, Yi-Ching Liaw, Chien-Lung Hsu, Tuan-Vinh Le, Weipeng Luo","doi":"10.1515/libri-2021-0114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2021-0114","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This research attempts to explore digital divide among tribes in Taiwan and to reveal relevant important tribal contextual features. Firstly, we collect residents’ connection event logs from the free wireless Internet, i-Tribe. Those connect behaviors are quantified as average of daily connection frequency, daily connection time, daily data transmission, inter-login time, Internet speed, and connection quality which are corresponding to evaluate how often, how long, how much, how active, how fast and the effectiveness of the information and communication technology (ICT) accessibility of tribes. Then the tribes are grouped into tribal clusters optimally by a rank aggregation algorithm and are asked if there are significant differences among them by three stages of hypothesis testing. After the phenomenon of digital divide is confirmed, some important contextual features, longitude, female dependency ratio, network environment level, economic service level, and policy cooperation level, are identified using the ordinal regression model (ORM).","PeriodicalId":45618,"journal":{"name":"Libri-International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"183 - 198"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45016110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}