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Copyright of Revista Española de Documentación Científica is the property of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective – The accessibility of non-traditional resources presents ongoing challenges for users and librarians. This study investigates methods for optimizing metadata and the placement of search results to enhance the discoverability of these resources within library systems. Researchers conducted A/B testing to compare two features of Ex Libris Primo: the Resource Recommender and Discovery Import Profiles. The objective was to enhance user access to a broader range of informational assets beyond conventional collections. This study posed the research question: Is inclusion in the results list (Discovery Import Profiles) or are visually appealing advertisement-style cards above results (Resource Recommender) a more effective method for discovery of non-traditional library resources? Methods – Researchers identified four key resource types for testing: librarians, frequently asked questions (FAQs), databases, and research guides. An A/B test was conducted with each resource presented in the Discovery Import Profiles and Resource Recommender formats. Following the A/B test, a combined C test was conducted to validate findings. Results – The ad-style cards achieved higher engagement rates, particularly for databases and FAQs, while research guides performed better when embedded directly in search results. This study highlights the strengths and limitations of each method. Databases and FAQs benefited from the visual prominence of the ad-style cards, while research guides were more discoverable within search results. However, minimal engagement with librarians as a resource type across both methods suggests the need for improved tagging and metadata strategies. Conclusion – Findings underscore the importance of institution-specific research and localized assessments to ensure effective implementation of discovery strategies. This study provides a useful method for libraries aiming to enhance the discoverability of their non-traditional resources, ultimately improving user access and satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bibliotheksdienst is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bibliotheksdienst is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study considers a wide range of services provided by the largest Russian and foreign to their users. The authors used the quantitative content analysis method. In this study library was considered as source of reliable information in comparison to Internet resources. The authors studied modern services that have become popular with the emergence of digital forms for verifying information. In this way, libraries seek to create an optimal approach to implement cognitive, memorial, and educational functions within their direct activities. Library has a clear opportunity to provide its users with a range of necessary services and it can become one of the key actors in providing reliable information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is undertaken to compare the use of non-alphanumeric characters in the titles of articles published in the IASLIC Bulletin (IB) and the Annals of Library and Information Studies (ALIS). This study is based on the total 567 publications appeared on IB and ALIS between the year 2011 and 2021. This study includes the distribution of publications by year, patterns of authorship, and the use of five often used non-alphanumeric characters: colon, comma, hyphen, question mark, and parenthesis. ALIS published 336 papers and IB published 231 articles over the study period, with an average relative growth rate (RGR) of 1.63 %. Cooperative authoring is more prevalent in both journals. The outcome also shows that 389 titles-216 in ALIS and 173 in IB-of the total 567 contributions appeared with non-alphanumeric characters. The colon (:) is the most often used alpha numeric character; in ALIS (78.85 %) and IB (64.51 %), double authors use it frequently. The study is an original research work intends to have a profound and noteworthy effect on researchers and library patrons who delve into the world of non-alphanumeric characters in research paper titles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web 2.0 technologies have a great deal to offer while providing information services and can be used as a platform to increase the discoverability of digital collections, engage library patrons in library activities, and create online services that promote collaboration, cooperation, communication, and information sharing among public libraries at various levels in a country. The present study focuses on ICT-enabled information services provided by connemara public library and district central public libraries in Tamil Nadu, India. The study also tries to identify the extent to which Web 2.0 tools are used in public libraries to provide information services. A survey method using a questionnaire was adopted to collect data from connemara public library and selected district central public libraries of Tamil Nadu. Findings of the study show that connemara public library and district central libraries in Tamil Nadu are providing ICT-enabled information services but only a minority of these libraries are using Web 2.0 tools for the same. Analysis found that a minority of district central libraries in Tamil Nadu are using WhatsApp (28.57 %), Facebook (23.81 %), YouTube (14.29 %), Blog (9.52 %), Twitter (9.52 %) and Mobile Apps (4.76 %) to provide information services. Analysis shows that district central public libraries are using Web 2.0 to provide only very basic information to the users. Librarians are not exploiting the full potential of Web 2.0 tools in providing information services. This paper will be helpful for library professionals working in public library systems to implement ICT-enabled information services in general and Web 2.0 in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Vjesnik Bibliotekara Hrvatske is the property of Croatian Library Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Vjesnik Bibliotekara Hrvatske is the property of Croatian Library Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Vjesnik Bibliotekara Hrvatske is the property of Croatian Library Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Vjesnik Bibliotekara Hrvatske is the property of Croatian Library Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper comparatively investigates the relation between controlled vocabularies assigned by the experts in Library of Congress and tags assigned by users in Library Thing database in three subjects, Economics, History and Sociology under Social Science domain. Based on Term matching (S= 14.80 %, E= 12.77 % and H= 8.06 %) and Jaccard similarity coefficient (E= 0.15, S= 0.15 and H= 0.11), we found little matching between both vocabularies. We also found that experts mostly use double-word and multi-word specific topical terms (S= 73.14 %, E= 72.89 % and H= 61.05 %), whereas social taggers mostly use single-word general non-topical terms (E= 54.88 %, H= 54.21 % and S= 48.55%) and little topical and few personal terms. While comparison with LCSH subfield, we found that experts prefer topical terms for all subjects, whereas, taggers only prefer it for Economics and geographic subdivision terms for History and Sociology, but they don’t prefer chronological terms for tagging. Even, experts prefer little title-based terms (H= 196 terms, S= 195 terms and E= 175 terms) but taggers mostly prefer title-based terms (H= 673 terms, S= 564 terms and E= 444 terms) in three subjects. However, the study concludes that both vocabularies are different, but libraries can exploit those uncontrolled vocabularies and can introduce ‘hybrid metadata ecology’ which combines controlled vocabularies, classification and folksonomies for better subject access and retrieval of social science documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying trends in research through co-citation or content analysis of journal contents is quite a common practice in LIS research. In this study, however, we proposed the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a popular topic-modeling approach for identifying research trends of published articles in three scopus-indexed Indian LIS journals. A total of 1213 titles & their abstracts published between 2011 and 2022 have been considered. From these data, a corpus of frequently used 15 key phrases was identified from each journal using Count Vectorizer and then ten topics having higher coherence scores were extracted from each journal corpus using LDA techniques to understand to what extent these topics are different in these journals. The analysis of the study indicates that 'Library users' studies' especially in academic libraries; and 'bibliometric indicators for measuring research growth are a few common topics in these journals and, technological innovation; utilisation of electronic and print information resources; library management; or network analysis are some of the topics that are journal specific. From the t-SNE visualisation and pyLDAvis diagram, it was seen that the topics of DJLIT are significantly unique with discrete distributions than the other two journals. On analysing the growth of the top ten topics longitudinally, it was seen that research on digital libraries, analysing the global output, online search strategy, ranking universities, etc. are concurrent interests of research among researchers while academic library resources, including electronic resources and its use, open access are among diminishing research interests of authors. Since the topic-modeling approach can provide results devoid of bias, it can be used to identify research land scape longitudinally as well as obsolescence of topic in a domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic hampered the availability of information sources and services in most academic institutions around the world. Making information available during major crisis reveals the long-standing position of the library in helping its patrons. This post COVID-19 study that took place between February 2020 and January 2021 investigated the availability of information sources and services during the COVID-19 pandemic in university libraries in Nigeria. Using a descriptive design, the study used 240 students who were purposely selected from 30 universities including federal, state and private universities in South-South geographical zone of Nigeria as sample. The study revealed that information sources such as: e-books, print journals, e-journals and electronic databases and services such as: Circulation, interlibrary loan, remote access, SDI, online reference services among others were available to the patrons in university libraries in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings showed that the inhibiting factors against the availability of information sources and service in university libraries were poor telecommunication network, closure of some library sections, lack of preparation, unavailability of library policy on pandemic/disaster management and poor coordination among others. The study recommended some areas for improvement to ensure the availability of information sources and services to the library patrons during major crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Library is a place that contains various resources and materials. Many invaluable knowledge can be found in the library. By analysing the library’s data, it is possible to obtain information that can further improve its services. This research aims to extract information from Multimedia University (MMU) library and present insightful visualization of the information to enhance the library administration. At present, the library does not have information on the book preferences of the library users. The book preferences statistics can be relatively helpful as the library will know what books can be imported in the future. By doing so, more people will visit the library and they will have more related books to use as reference or to read. In addition, there are no existing dashboards to display information on all borrowers, no visitor. In the absence of this, this research adopts the data science methodology to determine the book preferences of library users by using machine learning techniques such as clustering and classification. Lastly, a dashboard will be developed to display all the findings which includes statistics on the visitors and book preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of bibliotherapy in psychiatric hospitals is still limited due to several factors, such as the lack of guidelines and standards, the mismatch of expectations between professionals, and the difficulty in achieving systematic cooperation between librarians and health workers. This study aims to find out the role of each party involved and to find out how bibliotherapy can have an impact on patients. The method used in this research is qualitative and case study developed with purposive sampling technique to obtain information from librarians and health workers involved in the bibliotherapy program. Data collection techniques were through interviews, observation, and documentation. Data analysis was conducted to produce valid and credible research findings, to understanding the librarian skills used in bibliotherapy and steps of implementing bibliotherapy in mental hospitals. By understanding the skills and steps of bibliotherapy implementation, this research is to provide recommendations that can be adopted by health institutions to increase the quality of bibliotherapy program in the recovery of patients with mental health conditions. In addition, this research is also expected to provide input to libraries in developing inclusive and user-friendly services. This research examines the collaboration between librarians and health workers in enhancing the effectiveness of bibliotherapy for healing in mental hospitals. Based on the observations made, the hospital facilitates bibliotherapy practices such as book review, mobile book visits, and which in the bibliotherapy session of the psychiatric hospital give rewards to patients who have followed a series of bibliotherapy processes so that patients are motivated and feel valued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is an editor's note from the journal American Periodicals. It introduces Marina Bilbija as the new Review Editor for the journal, highlighting her expertise in Black periodicals and her focus on international perspectives. The note emphasizes the journal's commitment to a broad definition of "America" and encourages submissions and book reviews that explore diverse communities, publications, and traditions. The note also discusses the importance of supporting scholarship in Black, Ethnic, Native, Chicano, Latine, and American Studies, as well as Gender and Sexuality. The article includes summaries of four essays featured in the journal, which cover topics such as the circulation of African American slave narratives in Canada, political satire in the mid-19th century, the role of seriality in cultural narratives, and the representation of women readers in Godey's Lady's Book. The editors invite feedback and engagement from readers. [Extracted from the article]

This paper presents a new multi-bit pulse latch design that places innovative emphasis on the integration of scan input for automatic test pattern generation (ATPG). Two different designs have been developed in ONK65 technology (65 nm process): the first with standard threshold voltage (SVT) tailored for consumer products and the second with high threshold voltage (HVT) for automotive, each addressing specific aspects of process, voltage, and temperature (PVT). Multi-bit pulse latches offer a more efficient alternative to multi-bit flip-flop circuits and promise significant power and area savings. However, the efficiency of these latches depends on the technology, library type and customer requirements. A multi-bit pulse latch consists of a pulse generator and a pulsed latch. Each component is carefully designed for its specific purpose and the most appropriate topology is selected. Furthermore, the paper serves as a comprehensive guide to the design of low-power digital cells. It rethinks the topology design approach by emphasizing the scan input and presents simulation results for both components of the multi-bit pulse latch, highlighting their advantages. The results show that a less strict PVT offers greater benefits than a strict PVT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) poses challenges as well as opportunities for anyone or anything dealing with digital technologies, including libraries. Libraries and librarians have a twofold challenge in that they simultaneously must consider AI applications in library operations as well as AI skills and knowledge as part of the information literacy (IL) training they provide for their users, whether it be in IL programmes or informal learning contexts. This study follows a learning circle in which 123 librarians in Sweden did a pre-existing online course about AI and met up at regular intervals to discuss its contents in a library perspective. The increased knowledge about AI and libraries and the confidence to pass on this knowledge to library users is measured through a self-efficacy test conducted on three separate occasions during the learning circle. The result from the test shows an increase in AI knowledge during the learning circle, although the small sample makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. A focus group from the learning circle was interviewed to get an in-depth understanding of librarians' core topics of concern and excitement regarding AI and libraries. The results from the interview showed that there was a mainly positive view of AI in relation to making library collections more accessible and easier to manage, while there was more concern regarding AI's impact on the media landscape and how this could impact library users. Introspectively, the focus group perceived challenges in including AI when teaching IL to users as well as in the lack of AI skills among colleagues that could make it difficult to apply or discuss AI in relation to the workplace and the library profession. This paper presents a method of increasing AI knowledge among librarians and library staff. It highlights topics relevant for several library types when faced with the development and application of AI in libraries and in society that based on the results of the study are difficult to escape. The insights may prove useful when planning educational endeavours and when considering library development and strategy related to AI and their implications for libraries and library users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bibliotheksdienst is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the study, we examined perspectives of Library and Information Science undergraduate students on library user education and the use of the Donald E.U. Ekong Library at the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria. Five specific objectives with corresponding research questions guided the study and one hypothesis was formulated. In the study, we adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted of 194 students in the Department of Library and Information Science. A sample size of 131 respondents was selected using a simple random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a self-developed structured questionnaire titled "Library Information Science Undergraduate Students' Library User Education and Use of Library" and was distributed among the students. The 131 (100%) questionnaires were returned in good shape and analysed using frequency, percentages and mean. The hypothesis was tested using Pearson's product moment correlation at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that library orientation, the lecture method and the library tour were the methods used in teaching user education at the Donald E.U. Ekong library, while the online course was poor. We concluded that user education has a positive influence on these undergraduate students' library use. Our recommendations included that a conducive environment for, creating awareness on and advocacy of user education and the use of the library be adopted as ways to improve the library user education at the Donald E.U. Ekong Library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries function as the hearts of academic institutions. In fact, due to their role, some institutions call them Information Centers. The central purpose of academic libraries is to cater to the information needs of their patrons, most of whom are students at that institution. Patrons' information needs must always be met to keep coming to the library. Furthermore, patrons must always be assured that their library is a centre of relevant information. If patrons are satisfied with the service, they are more likely to return for that library service. This study investigated the users' satisfaction with the services offered to the University of Limpopo Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership (UL TGSL) students. The study adopted the quantitative research approach. Sixty-eight (68) TGSL students participated in this study. Collected data were analysed through descriptive statistics. The findings of this study revealed that TGSL students are dissatisfied with the library collection housed at the University of Limpopo academic library. The study also revealed that the information resources are unreliable and useless to the students' information needs. Based on the study's findings, it is recommended that the University of Limpopo, as the mother campus, should build a functional library equipped with experienced personnel and relevant information resources that will help TGSL students. The availability of such a library will help those staying or working around the campus access a reliable information hub, which will also boost the academic performance of the TGSL campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessing the library's subscribed electronic resources remotely by users has always been a challenge for the library. KMC Health Sciences Library, Manipal relied on proxy-based authentication to remotely cater its e-resources to library users. To enhance the secure usage of electronic resources and to provide user-friendly authentication, the library has considered a Single Sign-On (SSO) remote access through OpenAthens. The article demonstrates the setup process of OpenAthens and the various steps involved in the transformation of the library from proxy-based authentication. The single sign-on setup at the library has benefited users in having a single set of credentials to access all the library e-resources, reducing the hassle of remembering multiple login credentials. Features such as cloud hosting, granular usage reports, and the admin dashboard gave complete hold on the usage of library e-resources. Although OpenAthens has its merits, the setup process involved challenges in the integration of existing library-subscribed e-resources. This article provides insight into the step-by-step process of enabling OpenAthens, addresses troubleshooters, and makes recommendations to libraries looking towards SSO remote access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the role of public libraries in bridging the digital divide in the Kerala State Central library (KSCL), Thiruvananthapuram. The study employed a descriptive survey method using a structured questionnaire distributed among library users. It discussed the use of ICT and internet services in the library, the purpose of using the internet, digital services, e-governance services, e-resources provided by the library and factors that cause the digital divide. The findings revealed that the majority of the users are not aware of ICT (47.0 %) and internet services (39.4%) provided by the library. The users preferred photocopy (43.2 %) and OPAC (31.8 %) services. The library users access the internet for education, reading news, and employment purposes, and mostly use computers to access e-journals and e-books provided by the library (52.2 %). M-governance (12.8 %) and E-district (12.0 %), were the most frequently used e-governance information services provided by the library. The users opined the primary factors that causes digital divide are lack of ICT skills and illiteracy. Non-parametric test showed the significant differences between the purpose of internet usage and the place of living, as well as the factors driving the digital divide. Public library services are essential for common people to overcome the digital gap and the library can bring new technologies to reduce the digital gap of public users and can assist them in getting education, employment, and government services. The respondents suggested that the library should conduct user awareness program about emerging technologies and orientation for users to familiarise the services provided by the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries have started incorporating game-like elements into their services, while the latter have added gamebased facilities to their collections. Now a days, Gamification is a well-known concept in education and marketing. It entails incorporating game-like features into a certain process. It can serve to attract people's attention, interest them in a specific activity, and affect their behaviour. Gamification can be used to grab library users' attention, engage them in game-like library activities, and impact their overall library user behaviour. Ten years of data from 2013 to 2023 was extracted from Web of Science, and R Software (Biblioshiny) has been used for visualising the extracted data. Findings are mainly based on indicators like-most relevant sources, authors, globally cited documents, affiliations, country scientific production, three field plot, word growth, keyword plus and co-occurrence network. This study emphasises the importance of Gamification in library culture as it motivates users and makes learning more engaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to redesigning the user interface architecture of the digital library website of the National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI) using card-sorting method in order to improve the structure and the desired retrieval. The present study is an applied research. To this end a multifaceted approach and various techniques such as interviewing, think-aloud protocol and card-sorting were used to redesign the user interface architecture of the digital library website of the NLAI. EXCEL and VISIO software were used to analyze the data, and Sort Optimal tool was used to analyze the data obtained from card-sorting. The results were read in the form of similarity matrix and dendrogram algorithm. The statistical population in this study included users of the digital library website of the NLAI, who were selected in two groups of novice users (clients) and advanced users (librarians). In order to validate the qualitative findings, the researcher triangulation method was used. Findings of the research, the model and the results obtained from Card Sorting test, were provided to 7 experts, researchers and professors of library and information science who had necessary experience, for evaluation to give their expert opinion in the field of data analysis. The similarity matrix findings showed that users grouped elements such as “Ask Us”, “Legal Considerations”, “Resource Registration”, “Resource Donation”, and “Technical Support” and so on together. The findings of the Standardization Network also confirmed that users have included 10 times “Ask Us”, 17 times “Resource Registration” and 6 times “Technical Support” in the menu of electronic services. Dendrogram findings also showed that a number of contributors expect to be able to select “source type” if necessary next to the search box, rather than independently reviewing individual digital resources. Cart sorting process analysis showed that in addition to predefined categories, some new categories were suggested. These included “links to other digital libraries”, “shared databases” and the “FAQ” category. The data and performance of users in this study showed that the current user interface of the digital library website is not user-friendly and users cannot quickly get what they are looking for. The card-sorting process generally acknowledged inconsistencies in how users perceived the labeling and organization of digital library website content. Interviews and think-aloud protocols with users also confirmed that the language used to name menues and information elements is currently not simple and user-friendly. User categories in the card-sorting process for designing the user interface architecture also showed that there are elements in the website that users do not need, and conversely, there are important elements that are not included in the website. In the simulated information architecture, based on the findings of the interview and the participation of users in the Card Sorting process, an attempt was made to design the proposed user interface somewhat similar to other user interfaces (OPAC and Rasa software). In the proposed model, while paying attention to the demands and expectations of users, the simplicity of the pages, the most important point has been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agilität als Möglichkeit, Organisationen erfolgreicher auszurichten, wird auch in Bibliotheken populärer. Oft erfolgt die agile Transformation dabei aber mit einem einseitigen Fokus auf agile Tools, was zu Frustration und Ablehnung bei den Bibliotheksmitarbeiter*innen führen kann. Besteht hingegen auch ein Bewusstsein für agile Prinzipien und Werte sowie die Bereitschaft, das agile Arbeiten empiriebasiert an die Bedürfnisse der Bibliotheksmitarbeiter*innen und Benutzer*innen anzupassen, kann die Transformation gelingen. Dies zeigt der Beitrag anhand von Praxisbeispielen auf der Ebene von Projekten, Teams und der Gesamtorganisation von Bibliotheken auf. Agile management, a promising way of optimising organisational structures, is increasingly used in libraries as well. The focus of agile transformation is, however, mostly dedicated to the use of tools and techniques leading to frustration and resistance on the side of library staff. If, on the other hand, there is an awareness of agile principles and values, and a willingness to adapt these tools to empirically based needs of both library staff and users, agile transformation can succeed. This is illustrated by various examples at the level of projects, teams and the overall organisation of libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical data contributes to strategic planning, creation and maintenance of a library. Such data is critical to the library's collection development decisions. This study investigated the extent to which Rössing Foundation libraries use statistical data for decision-making. The objectives of the study were to establish how Rössing Foundation libraries analyse statistical data, to find out if the statistical data is used for the libraries' management, to determine the extent to which the statistics relate to collection development, to find out if there are any challenges in the use of statistics at Rössing Foundation libraries, and to come up with solutions to the challenges. The study used a case study design and employed a qualitative research approach to collect data from library staff of two libraries within the Rössing Foundation. The target population consisted of 10 library staff and six librarians were selected through purposive sampling. The researchers collected data in two phases through face-to-face interviews. The first phase covered three librarians who were interviewed before the COVID-19 pandemic and the second phase covered the same number who were interviewed after the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of six librarians were interviewed. The findings revealed that the librarians at the two Rössing Foundation libraries in Swakopmund and Arandis were not qualified, and they lacked information and communication technology (ICT) skills. This posed a challenge in compiling reports. Moreover, some library patrons did not follow library procedures. The study was limited to two Rössing Foundation libraries in Arandis and Swakopmund, which are the only public libraries in Erongo region. Although the results from the study may not be generalised to other public libraries in the country, they draw attention to the need for public libraries to document accurate and reliable statistics for decision-making. The results will inform policy at national level. The major recommendation from this study was that Rössing Foundation should hire more librarians with skills and knowledge required to collect and analyse library statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calls for a shift from the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) to discovery systems craft a need for recognising the information-searching behaviour of the current genre of library users. This study examined the undergraduate students' awareness and usage of information search functionalities that are embedded in OPAC at the University of Venda (UNIVEN) in Limpopo Province, South Africa (SA). Quantitative data were collected using a Google Form questionnaire, the link of which was e-mailed to the participants to complete. A systematic random sampling method was applied to arrive at 563 respondents. The findings revealed that most respondents rated their level of awareness of OPAC as average. Although some were familiar with OPAC search functionalities, such as author-and-title search entries, and preferred using simple search options on OPAC, there were respondents who were not familiar with Boolean operators, truncation and wildcard symbols, proximity operators, and field search. The major variables affecting their information retrieval on OPAC were poor internet connection and their lack of skills in searching for information from OPAC. This study recommends that librarians promote the importance of using all OPAC functionalities and train undergraduates to improve their awareness and optimal usage of OPAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study set out to investigate the reference service provision at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Ghana from the perspective of users. A total number of 335 copies of questionnaire were administered to students and faculty of the National Film and Television Institute out of which 234 copies of the questionnaires were returned and used for the study representing a 69.9% response rate. The findings show among others that though the majority of respondents found the services and resources provided in the reference section coupled with staff attitude and skills of the library satisfactory, there is lack of electronic reference service provision. The researchers therefore strongly recommend the immediate adoption of electronic tools for reference service provision in addition to adequate user education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of electronic information resources (EIRs) has transformed modern libraries, as they provide convenience and remote access, they also disrupt traditional library spaces and services. This critical review examines library management tactics regarding EIRs, weighing two approaches: 1) attempting to bring back on-site users through enhancing physical spaces and embedding librarians in courses, versus 2) following remote users by developing robust virtual reference and embedded librarianship. Scholarly views consider the pros and cons of each tactic. Emphasis is placed on aligning tactics with institutional priorities and user needs. Findings show that a blended approach is the best, with libraries finding the right balance between on-site and remote services. In conclusion, agility and user-centricity are essential in developing effective EIR management tactics in today's shifting library landscape. Academic libraries should employ dual approach such as bolstering access to digital information resources and enhancing the on-site infrastructures to facilitate academic activities of library users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is on exploring the impact of library education in addressing library anxiety among first year students of Coal City University, Enugu, Nigeria. The study aims to ascertain the impact of library education in addressing library anxiety. Four specific objectives and four research questions were formulated to guide this study. A total of two hundred and twenty-eight (228) year one students formed the population of the study. These are the students who had library education for the year 2022/2023 academic year. Questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Data collected were analysed in line with the research questions using frequency and percentage and presented in charts. The research findings revealed that library anxiety affect the way students use the library, however, disturbances and noise inside the library, size and space of the library, unfamiliarity of the library arrangement, crowding of the library, attitude of staff and poor ventilation in the library contribute less to library anxiety among first year in Coal City University Enugu. The students are aware of library education programmes such as use of library course and they participate in the use of library course. The library education has really played key role in ensuring that there is no form of library anxiety among the Coal City University freshmen and that they use the library effectively and efficiently. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the library management should create avenues to always encourage the library users so as to ensure that they are not hindered from using the library due to anxiety especially the freshmen.; that while delivering library education, there shouldn't be any assumption that the students are already familiar with the library beforehand, instead, it should be taught from the basics in order to achieve its objective and ensure effective use of the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource sharing and networking are among the noticeable phenomenon which have not been given necessary attention it deserves as a result of which most libraries are not meeting the information needs and services of their users as at when due. This paper highlights evolving networking and resource sharing among academic libraries in Nigeria. It was discovered that most of the library in developing countries are faced with the precarious issue of non-availability of qualitative services to their numerous library users due to inadequate budget allocation for library, uncooperative or inept attitude of most libraries professionals. Hence, in an effort to curb this perennial crisis, resource sharing and networking between the different libraries came into limelight. The relevance of resource sharing and networking were discussed vis a vis different types of resources that can be shared. The impact of ICT on resource sharing and networking was also stressed and myriads of challenges encountered during the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the challenges faced by academic libraries in meeting Google generation digital demands. It explores how library research services have changed due to these difficulties. It examines how the needs of the current generation of consumers affect library research services. This article emphasizes the various strategies for adapting research services; including incorporating digital tools and platforms, improving information literacy initiatives, and providing personal assistance are some of the techniques suggested in this study to transform research services. The study highlights the need for collaboration and partnership with researchers and technology professionals to foster innovation and meet changing demands. This study stresses continuous development through customer feedback and service performance evaluation and examines information management functionality. This study contributes to our understanding of how libraries may reinvent their research offerings for a more diverse user base. Libraries may enhance their offerings, stay current, and support Google Generation academic goals using these tactics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the awareness and perceptions of library users towards the use of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC). The research adopted the survey research design using cross sectional survey research design of Quantitative research methodology, where a structured questionnaire was used to gather the data for this study. Three hundred and thirty five (335) questionnaires were distributed, Two hundred and ninety-eight were returned, and two hundred and ninety questionnaires were found useful for analysis, indicating 88.96-response rate for the study. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics employing frequencies and percentage. The study revealed poor awareness on the availability of OPAC in the library under study, which subsequently breeds the neutrality in the perceptions of the library users towards the use of OPAC. The study further revealed under-utilization of the OPAC facility in the library understudy, which is also attributed to the poor awareness of the users. Some of the challenges library users face when using OPAC include: Access restricted to the Library only; Inadequate computer terminals; Erratic power supply; Lack of ICT skills of the library staff; Frequent computer breakdown; Lack of skills to use OPAC independently and Lack of Computer Knowledge among others. It was also recommended in the study that proper awareness of Library services such as OPAC should be created through all means such as library orientation and other awareness creation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Vjesnik Bibliotekara Hrvatske is the property of Croatian Library Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Vjesnik Bibliotekara Hrvatske is the property of Croatian Library Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bibliotheksdienst is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the role of digital humanities (DH) in libraries, emphasizing its importance in preserving historical humanities and archaeological resources. It covers various aspects of DH, including courses, machine learning applications, metadata practices and the potential for interdisciplinary research and collaboration.

Libraries must provide supportive environments and unhindered services to their users to support their academic well-being. A survey of 202 Punjab Agricultural University Library users was conducted to determine users' satisfaction with the library webpage, library resources, infrastructure facilities, and library services. The study found differences in the satisfaction level and awareness of library services and facilities among the undergraduate, graduate, research scholars and faculty users. A compulsory credit-based course exists for postgraduate students only, leaving the other users uninformed about the services and facilities offered by the library. It was discovered that a robust ICT infrastructure is required since most of the users assessed the ICT infrastructure as 'average'. Data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author of the article, who has worked both as staff and as a senior librarian, as well as a graduate workplace mentor, examines how the dynamics between staff in libraries, with a special focus on workplace cooperation and conflict, evolve in the light of the insights of the increasingly popular theory of generational theory. Do generational conflicts exist among Hungarian librarians? Do those involved perceive any conflicts related to age groups? If so, are they able to separate them from other, personal conflicts? The questionnaire research, supplemented by mini-interviews, sets up three hypotheses: 1. Librarians do not identify workplace conflicts as generational; 2. For older generations, lack of respect and low work ethic are the main sources of conflict; 3. Younger generations believe that the conservative professional attitude, slow work pace and lack of IT skills of older generations generate most of the conflicts. The findings outlined in the course of the problem statement and analysis should be used both in professional work and in tertiary LIS education, since conflicts arising from generational differences can significantly reduce the performance of library staff, which strongly affects the success of the given institution and the satisfaction of library users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Library / Knjižnica is the property of Zveza bibliotekarskih drustev Slovenije (ZBDS) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nowadays the explosion of information sources has shaped how library users access information and provide feedback on their preferences. Therefore, faced with this explosion and the blossoming of digital libraries, modern libraries must take up the challenge of meeting the needs of their users and considering their opinions and preferences in order to offer them adequate resources and henceforth eliminate those that are unsatisfactory. Almost all library recommender systems aim to provide users with items of interest to them. However, despite its definite interest, the staff-oriented adaptation and application of this revolutionary technique to the collection development process is still in an embryonic stage. We propose a patron-driven hybrid library recommender system that uses machine learning techniques to recommend and assist in the acquisition and weeding decision-making operations by extracting and analyzing users' opinions and ratings. The recommender system is applied and validated in a real national library case using Amazon's digital library and the library's catalog as a data source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to investigate the library use and user satisfaction of postgraduate students in the School of Social Sciences regarding the service quality at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg Campus's Cecil Renaud Main (CRM) Library. The study investigated postgraduate students' usage of and satisfaction with the library as an environment for reading, studying and conducting research. The study's objectives are to determine the level of satisfaction of postgraduate students with the library. The study also sought to examine postgraduate students' library use. The study employed a quantitative research method, with a survey research design. Its population comprised the postgraduate students in the School of Social Sciences in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Pietermaritzburg Campus. The overall response of the postgraduate students indicated that they were satisfied with most of the services. The study found that the majority of the students were satisfied with the information skills needed for studies. However, the study found a few honours, master's and PhD degree students who were dissatisfied. In terms of the library support for reading, research and studying, the study found high levels of satisfaction. Concerning access to information, the study found that the majority of students were satisfied with the access to information, but there were a few dissatisfied students from honours, master's and PhD levels. The study found that concerning the library facilities, the majority of the students were satisfied with what was provided for them. A few students were dissatisfied, especially honours and master's degree students. Regarding the overall quality of the services provided by CRM library, the study found that most of the students were satisfied with the overall quality while the few dissatisfied students were from the honours and master's programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]