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The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library, University of Kerala, houses the treasures of ancient knowledge in India. It has come in to existence out of royal interest. The kings of Travancore, as a rule, were valorous as well as lovers of art and literature. Srimulam Thirunal was mainly responsible for the spread of Oriental literature throughout the world. It was he who instituted the department for the publication of manuscripts which in due course grew into the present institution. It is located at Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Its origin goes back to the illustrious Maharaja of Travancore, Swati Tirunal (1829-1846). The institute carries out researches on Indian language manuscripts, major part of which are in Sanskrit. Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library has over 65,000 works mostly of palm leaf manuscripts. Currently the Oriental Institute and Manuscript Library is headed by Dr. R. B. Sreekala, Professor and Head of the Department, Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library, University of Kerala. The paper highlights the techniques used for the conservation and preservation of the rare manuscript collection in Oriental Research & Manuscript Library, Thiruvananthapuram. It further investigates the hardware and software available for digitizing the invaluable collection of manuscripts for the future generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How can novel AI techniques be made and put to use in the library? Combining methods from data and library science, this article focuses on Natural Language Processing technologies, especially in national libraries. It explains how the National Library of Sweden's collections enabled the development of a new BERT language model for Swedish. It also outlines specific use cases for the model in the context of academic libraries, detailing strategies for how such a model could make digital collections available for new forms of research, from automated classification to enhanced searchability and improved OCR cohesion. Highlighting the potential for cross-fertilizing AI with libraries, the conclusion suggests that while AI may transform the workings of the library, libraries can also play a key role in the future development of AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document provides information on East Asian libraries in North American institutions for the fiscal year 2022-2023. It includes data on physical and electronic collections, fiscal support, staffing, and public services. The document highlights specific collections and acquisitions at certain institutions and mentions challenges faced by some libraries. It also provides contact information for libraries conducting research on East Asian studies. The document offers a comprehensive overview of the East Asian library collections and resources available at these institutions. [Extracted from the article]

Technology in libraries has played an essential role in serving today's communities. This study provides an overview of the integrated library systems/software (ILSs) used in libraries in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It aims to highlight the strengths and possibilities of ILSs and briefly explain their advantages and disadvantages along with the cost of implementation. The data was gathered from questionnaires sent via an online survey and from direct interviews with certain academic libraries over the period of 2019 to 2020. Fifty-three of 67 libraries that fulfilled the study have implemented an ILS. To deeply understand the application, a direct interview with some libraries was conducted to learn the advantages and disadvantages. The result of the study showed that the most used ILSs are SLiMS and INLISlite and other programs like Apollo, Athenium Light, Simpus, Spektra, Jibas, KOHA, and Openlibrary. The budget spent is an average of300 USD. While the ILSs have helped these libraries improve services, IT expertise and adequate resources are needed, especially when the systems present problems. An easy-to-use system that costs less will potentially be used in this area of research. This study will be particularly helpful for any library in Indonesia. These findings may also be generalized to libraries in other countries facing economic and technological similarities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Libraries in the UK have evolved from traditional book-lending institutions into dynamic community hubs, This study aims to explore the potential of libraries to act as community hubs to promote mental and physical health and wellbeing of community-dwelling adults, drawing on insights from both library users and library staff in England. Design: A mixed-method, cross-sectional study using online survey and interviews with community-dwelling adults and library staff. Methods: We collected data using a 14-item electronic survey and interviews with library users and staff to gauge perceptions. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to identify key trends and emergent themes. Results: We included 605 respondents from the survey and interviewed 12 library users and staff. Libraries remain popular and are considered a 'safe place by members of the community, regardless of their frequency of service usage irrespective of whether they are frequent users of services. However, a lack of awareness among library users about community-facing services could act as a hurdle to improving community health and wellbeing. Targeted engagement with residents is needed to increase awareness of libraries' services, including community interventions to help tackle loneliness and inequalities in digital and health literacy. Library staff often did not feel involved in important decision-making. Various barriers, drivers and practical recommendations were identified to leverage libraries as hubs to promote community health and wellbeing. Conclusion: Libraries already offer a variety of resources that directly or indirectly support the health and wellbeing of community-dwelling adults and young people. However, public awareness of these services is limited. As we navigate post-pandemic recovery, libraries can serve as platforms for community engagement, fostering resilience, mental health support and reducing social isolation. Recognising libraries' untapped potential can lead to healthier communities and improved wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the challenges faced by emerging scholars in the field of Jesuit history and the importance of conducting personal archival research. The authors share their research project on anti-Jesuitism in nineteenth-century Polish literature and its European context. They highlight the significance of the Jesuits in Poland-Lithuania and the various sources of anti-Jesuit sentiment in the region. The authors provide a summary of their research trips to different archives and libraries in Cracow, Paris, Vilnius, Rome, and Prague, emphasizing the valuable materials they discovered and their impact on their analysis. They discuss the importance of hands-on research, the value of in-house catalogs, and the relationships they formed with local archivists. The findings of their research will be publicly available in 2025 as part of the Mirabilia collection project. [Extracted from the article]

Histopathology image processing, analysis and computer-aided diagnosis have been shown as effective assisting tools towards reliable and intra-/inter-observer invariant decisions in traditional pathology. Especially for cancer patients, decisions need to be as accurate as possible in order to increase the probability of optimal treatment planning. In this study, we propose a new image collection library (HICL-Histology Image Collection Library) comprising 3831 histological images of three different diseases, for fostering research in histopathology image processing, analysis and computer-aided diagnosis. Raw data comprised 93, 116 and 55 cases of brain, breast and laryngeal cancer respectively collected from the archives of the University Hospital of Patras, Greece. The 3831 images were generated from the most representative regions of the pathology, specified by an experienced histopathologist. The HICL Image Collection is free for access under an academic license at . Potential exploitations of the proposed library may span over a board spectrum, such as in image processing to improve visualization, in segmentation for nuclei detection, in decision support systems for second opinion consultations, in statistical analysis for investigation of potential correlations between clinical annotations and imaging findings and, generally, in fostering research on histopathology image processing and analysis. To the best of our knowledge, the HICL constitutes the first attempt towards creation of a reference image collection library in the field of traditional histopathology, publicly and freely available to the scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous archives and collections of past documents have become available recently thanks to mass scale digitization and preservation efforts. Libraries, national archives, and other memory institutions have started opening up their collections to interested users. Yet, searching within such collections usually requires knowledge of appropriate keywords due to different context and language of the past. Thus, non-professional users may have difficulties with conceptualizing suitable queries, as, typically, their knowledge of the past is limited. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for the temporal correspondence detection task that requires finding terms in the past which are semantically closest to a given input present term. The approach we propose is based on vector space transformation that maps the distributed word representation in the present to the one in the past. The key problem in this approach is obtaining correct training set that could be used for a variety of diverse document collections and arbitrary time periods. To solve this problem, we propose an effective technique for automatically constructing seed pairs of terms to be used for finding the transformation. We test the performance of proposed approaches over short as well as long time frames such as 100 years. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed methods outperform the best-performing baseline by 113 percent for the New York Times Annotated Corpus and by 28 percent for the Times Archive in MRR on average, when the query has a different literal form from its temporal counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The author of the article discusses selected academic and popular publications on the history of libraries and librarianship in Poland which were issued between 1945 and 2015. In that period, information about the most important historical resources of various Polish libraries and early book collections was made available. In addition, the period was marked by progress in the study of materials originating before the end of the 18th century. Scholars published a range of methodological works and works about sources, contributing to the development of scholarship. At the same time, there were too few editions of source materials. After 1989, scholars intensified their efforts to find sources in foreign collections, especially in Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Germany. Polish collections kept abroad are yet to be fully researched and to have their inventories and catalogues published. The vast body of literature is uneven when it comes to its focus on individual historical periods, regions, subregions and local centres. It comprises publications on the history of libraries, their function and role in culture with regard to the history of publications focused on the types of libraries or individual libraries — of different traditions, sizes and the book, and stature. Scholars also explored the history of private book collections, reading rooms and libraries, as well as biographies of librarians and collectors. The quality of the publications varies. There are gaps in, for example, the history of libraries in the former Polish eastern borderlands and ‘blank pages’ in the historiography of Polish librarianship after the Second World War. There is a visible shortage of quantification of phenomena from the past of libraries, despite the fact that there are some possibilities in this respect. What is also needed is development in comparative studies, including from an international perspective, although this would require Polish historians to become more interested than before in the history of librarianship in other countries.

Participating in collaborative scientific research through citizen science, a component of open science, holds significance for both citizen scientists and professional researchers. Yet, the advantages for those orchestrating citizen science initiatives are often overlooked. Organizers encompass a diverse range, including governmental entities, non-governmental organizations, corporations, universities, and institutions like libraries. For libraries, citizen science holds importance by fostering heightened civic and research interests, promoting scientific publishing, and contributing to overall scientific progress. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the specific ways in which citizen science can benefit libraries and how libraries can effectively utilize citizen science to achieve their goals. The paper is based on a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles that discuss the direct benefits of citizen science on libraries. A list of the main benefits of citizen science for libraries has been compiled from the literature. Additionally, the reasons why it is crucial for libraries to communicate the benefits of citizen science for their operations have been highlighted, particularly in terms of encouraging other libraries to actively engage in citizen science projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have become pervasive in our everyday lives. These applications range from the mundane (asking ChatGPT to write a thank you note) to high-end science (predicting future weather patterns in the face of climate change), but, because they rely on human-generated or mediated data, they also have the potential to perpetuate systemic oppression and racism. For museums and other cultural heritage institutions, there is great interest in automating the kinds of applications at which AI and ML can excel, for example, tasks in computer vision including image segmentation, object recognition (labelling or identifying objects in an image) and natural language processing (e.g. named-entity recognition, topic modelling, generation of word and sentence embeddings) in order to make digital collections and archives discoverable, searchable and appropriately tagged. A coalition of staff, Fellows and interns working in digital spaces at the Smithsonian Institution, who are either engaged with research using AI or ML tools or working closely with digital data in other ways, came together to discuss the promise and potential perils of applying AI and ML at scale and this work results from those conversations. Here, we present the process that has led to the development of an AI Values Statement and an implementation plan, including the release of datasets with accompanying documentation to enable these data to be used with improved context and reproducibility (dataset cards). We plan to continue releasing dataset cards and for AI and ML applications, model cards, in order to enable informed usage of Smithsonian data and research products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines several libraries assembled by the Society of Jesus in their college and missions in Northern Mexico (in the present-day Mexican State of Chihuahua), where Jesuits have been a constant presence from the seventeenth century, interrupted only temporarily by the Society's suppression. All their bibliographic collections were transferred, dispersed, or looted after the general expulsion of 1767. Archival materials preserved in repositories such as the Archivo General de la Nación in Mexico City, however, enable a reconstruction of these libraries. This essay argues that these collections constituted a sort of "cultural oasis" (Michael Mathes). They provided arsenals of knowledge for missionaries in distant places with harsh living conditions and show the strong and lasting bond between Jesuits and print culture even in the most remote and adverse of conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of digital preservation is explored in this article, delving into the challenges and best practices involved in safeguarding and conserving digital materials within library settings. It explores the importance of preserving digital collections in order to ensure their availability for future generations and the various technologies and tools used to preserve and conserve digital materials. It also highlights the role of libraries in preserving digital cultural heritage and the importance of collaboration and partnerships in digital preservation and conservation. The article concludes by emphasizing the constant evolution of the field and the need for libraries to stay adaptable to new technologies and challenges. Overall, the article is useful for librarians, library professionals, and researchers to understand the challenges and best practices of digital preservation and conservation in libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a case study of how six digitization competencies were developed and disseminated via grant-funded digitization projects at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries Special Collections and Archives. The six competencies are project planning, grant writing, project management, metadata, digital capture, and digital asset management. The authors will introduce each competency, discuss why it is important, and describe how it was developed during the course of the grant project, as well as how it was taught in a workshop environment. The differences in competency development for three different stakeholder groups will be examined: early career grant staff gaining on-the-job experience; experienced digital collections librarians experimenting and innovating; and a statewide audience of cultural heritage professionals attending grant-sponsored workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment in which human being, particularly, students operate makes information to be one of the decisive factors for survival. Students seek information to fill an identified gap in their quest for knowledge. This study, therefore, investigated information needs and seeking behaviour of students of the Nigerian Army School of Education, Ilorin, Nigeria. Five (5) research objectives were formulated for this study. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Population for the study comprised of students at the Nigerian Army School of Education, Ilorin. Israel (2003) model for determining sample size was used to calculate the sample size with precision levels of 5% and confidence level of 95% and the recommended sample size was two hundred and twelve (212). A simple random sampling technique was used to select the samples from the population. The self-designed questionnaire was divided into six (6) sections. The content-related approach of validation was conducted to ensure the validity of the instrument while Cronbach alpha was used to test the reliability of the instrument and the overall reliability of the instrument was r = 0.832. The collated copies of the questionnaire were analyzed with the IBM SPSS version 21.0 using simple frequency counts and percentage. The presentations of the data for the research objectives were done using tables, pie charts and bar charts. The findings of the study showed that academic information is the major information need of the students of the Nigerian Army School of Education, Ilorin, Nigeria. The findings further revealed that the Internet and library are the most commonly used sources of information. The findings also showed that the major purpose at which the students seek information is to update their knowledge and to enhance their professional activities. However, the findings generally indicated that most students firstly acknowledge their information needs and compare available resources before making the final decision and if they seem not comfortable with the information they need in a particular information material, they will continue searching for information until they are satisfied. Among numerous challenges affecting information seeking behaviour of students, this study found insufficient library opening hours as the major challenge confronting the students of the Nigerian Army School of Education. The study, therefore, recommended that library working hours should be extended to meet the need of the students and that the library management should ensure that adequate collection of books is made available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Records from a popular series at The National Archives were found to bear warning labels that they have been bound using a 'poisonous insecticidal solution'. Research into historic sources suggested that the agents used by bookbinders in the early twentieth century were mercuric chloride, copper sulphate, and beechwood creosote; these may have been replaced by organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) mid-century. Analysis by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of mercury in labelled, bound items. A number of OCPs were detected using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS) including DDT, gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (Lindane, γ-HCH), Dieldrin, pentachlorophenol (PCP), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), and 1-chloronaphthalene (1-CP). Tests confirmed the presence of these agents on all items tested regardless of format (e.g. tagged files and bound volumes) or period of creation, suggesting the OCPs were introduced to the items after the binding process. An occupational hygienist (OH) consultancy was engaged to carry out in-situ air monitoring during production, digitisation, and general handling of the items. Risk assessments were developed based on the results, allowing readers and staff to once again access the collection with safety measures including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A smart self-service kiosk (SSSK) in a library ensures that users are able to access library services without the help of librarians regardless of the location. An SSSK is web-based and allows library users to access library services remotely. Library users are able to check the availability of information resources, the location of the information resources, and the number of copies of a particular information resource in a particular library. This study sought to investigate the provision of information services at the National University of Lesotho (NUL) Library with a view to suggest a framework for implementing an SSSK. It could be like a point-of-sale self-service touch-screen kiosk check-out, like those used in supermarkets up and down the country, an information point in a tourist attraction, or a kiosk in an airport that allows people to check in without joining a counter queue. An SSSK would be different for every specific field, depending on the specific planned application. In the field of library and information sciences, an SSSK would be used to search for the availability of books, the location of books and to check a book in and out of the library. For this study a literature review was conducted to demonstrate a need for a framework which involves the provision of information services through an SSSK at the NUL Library. The study identified the need for an SSSK to provide reference and information services at the NUL Library. This includes searching for the availability of information resources or just books like elsewhere, the location of such information resources, as well as the self-checking in and out of information resources in the library. The library users through the web portal of the SSSK would also be able to access the library services remotely. The study proposes a framework to provide information services through a SSSK at the NUL Library. It is hoped that the proposed framework may serve as a benchmark and guideline for the provision of information services through a SSSK at the NUL Library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the successful collaboration of an art librarian, a science librarian, and a special collections librarian in their efforts to engage the community in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) conversations through the curation of a STEAM-based exhibition of artist books. The exhibition was an opportunity to showcase STEAM's interdisciplinarity through library collections that, until this point, had remained unexplored. The goal was to demonstrate how scientific principles have inspired both contemporary artists and those throughout history, dispelling the myth that artists are not influenced by science. The Libraries' Special Collections proved an excellent resource to investigate these ideas as it held numerous artist books that take science as their subject. An opportunity also presented itself to commission a regional artist and University alumna to create a new artist book based on scientific collections held at the University's natural history museum, as well as work with the local middle school to engage students in the making of artist books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of information communication technology tools has caused unprecedented change in the information seeking behavior of library users to the extent that the relevance of academic libraries in the 21st century is often being questioned. Consequently, academic libraries are trying their best to innovate and find innovative solutions to keep abreast with the changing needs of library users. This review seeks to provide understanding of the changing roles of the 21st century academic library. It also considered the studies done on the key paradigms, major changing roles of the academic libraries, recent technologies in the library and the way forward. Considering these, this review seeks to bring to the limelight the roles of 21st century academic libraries in view of arousing the interest of people and debunk the notion of others who criticize the relevance of the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the possibility of minimizing instances of book banning, program protest, director firing, and library defunding in conservative Republican communities. The aim is to suggest ways of reducing strife while preserving the maximum possible local access to socially just public library collections and services. It begins with an exploration of the causes of the present day's seemingly irreconcilable confrontations in conservative communities over the socially just services of many public libraries. The influence of contemporary versions of the "library faith" and religiously inspired "callings" on disputes over children's books and programming is examined. Finally, the article goes beyond the library and information literature to explore the effectiveness of pre-dispute, or early dispute, informal and formal negotiations as a means of avoiding deep divisions over the role of the public library. In conservative communities and states such an approach might develop acceptable, albeit sometimes imperfect, resolutions of problems that are tolerated by both library professionals and conservative critics. In too many instances the perceived alternative to negotiation is likely to be a public library caught up in censorship clashes with unpredictable results for socially just service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the Covid-19 greatly affected the libraries, so too did the librarians' attempts to reach the library users through online and remote services. These emergency reforms have offered an unexpected opportunity to reevaluate and re-imagine current service models in order to improve the library's user experience. This study looks into the awareness of online library services and the frequency of utilization of online resources among education students during the COVID 19 Pandemic. Descriptive in nature, the study utilized an online survey which was accomplished by 70 students of the College of Education. Findings revealed that respondents are fully aware of the online library services and they frequently utilize the library's online resources regardless of their gender, program, and year level. Findings also showed that the higher the level of respondents' awareness on online library services, the more frequent they utilize the online resources. As a whole, the results imply that libraries need to ensure the sustainability of their online resources and services by providing user education and supporting the users to cope-up with the changing information environment so that optimum use of information resources becomes possible during and after the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every activity that is being done and carried out in the library is aimed at delivering services to the users and the community that is hosting the library. The services that libraries render cannot be overemphasized especially the Academic library. Their advantages are numerous and help towards the growth and development of the society. Libraries have continued to evolve since its operation, and the emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has changed alot about librarianship all over the world. Many new concepts are being introduced, yet, not without their challenges and prospects. No academic library is devoid of challenges; these challenges can make or mar the potentials that academic libraries offer if not properly managed. This paper traced the challenges and prospects of library and Information Services in Academic libraries in Nigeria. It started from the period of pre-colonial era, colonial era, independence era, post independence era and the 21st century era. This study also identified the origin of Library and Information Services (LIS) in Nigeria, the stages of development of LIS in Nigeria, and the prospects that Library and Information Services have in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contextus: Revista Contemporanea de Economia e Gestao is the property of Contextus: Revista Contemporanea de Economia e Gestao 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.)

Libraries in the United States handle sensitive patron information, including personally identifiable information and circulation records. With libraries providing services to millions of patrons across the U.S., it is important that they understand the importance of patron privacy and how to protect it. This study investigates how knowledge transferred within an online cybersecurity education affects library employee information security practices. The results of this study suggest that knowledge transfer does have a positive effect on library employee information security and risk management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a bibliographic mapping project recently undertaken at the Library of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW). The MARC Advisory Committee recently approved an update to MARC that enables the use of dereferenceable Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) in MARC subfield $0. The ISAW Library has taken advantage of MARC's new openness to URIs, using identifiers from the linked data gazetteer Pleiades in MARC records and using this metadata to create maps representing our library's holdings. By populating our MARC records with URIs from Pleiades, an online, linked open data (LOD) gazetteer of the ancient world, we are able to create maps of the geographic metadata in our library's catalog. This article describes the background, procedures, and potential future directions for this collection-mapping project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the project of establishing the library and learning resources center at Malawi Institute of Procurement and Supply (MIPS) were to draft recommendations on the kind of infrastructure in terms of hardware, software, and networking required to establish the library systems; Koha and DSpace, to develop user training manual for e-library systems, to develop a user manual for a recommendation for additional training resources for the library, to install e-library systems, link the elibrary systems to Members Management Information System (MMIS), to create catalog records for information resources and to conduct training on the functionality of the e-library system. The study was a descriptive account of the processes of establishing a library and learning resources center in an organization. Monitoring and reporting of the project activities were done which led to the development of reports, library manuals, and deliverables for the project. The scope of the work involved the establishment of the library currently operational. The period for the entire project was 6 months. Some of the major achievements for the project were the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system for the resource center, installation of e-library systems, purchase of new textbooks and subscription to electronic journals, training of MIPS management and users on the functionalities of e-library systems, and recruitment of a qualified Librarian to manage the resource center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to define the unique research needs of creative communities as seen by the academic librarians supporting those communities. After surveying academic librarians, visual practice, information relating to the practice of a creative discipline, and inspiration were identified as unique research needs of these populations. Survey respondents also identified challenges to serving creative communities, including perceptions of library relevance, buy-in, and scheduling. While past literature has engaged with supporting specific creative disciplines, this study focuses on the collective research needs of creative communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public libraries need to be more creative and innovative with their collection development. It's important to consider how the information is delivered and what has the potential of being accessed on a given device. Collection development in public libraries is about more than just acquiring new materials for patrons to use. It is about the connection that libraries provide between people and resources, whether they be physical or digital. This study discussed the improvement of library collections based on user demand and user interest, that is those who need information are like house wives, businessmen, employed people, unemployed people, retired people and children. Collection development policy includes that fulfilment of present and future needs of the user community in the public libraries. Collection development deals with the procurement, collection development of antiquate materials, conventional documents and Non-Book materials for the users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, libraries face the challenge of being underutilized, and special libraries in Sri Lanka in particular are no exception. Studies show that this can be overcome through marketing. Current study determines how marketing is applied in special libraries in the Colombo district, Sri Lanka and their future prospects in marketing. The study identifies the current marketing activities, marketing techniques and librarians' perception towards marketing in selected special libraries (n=50) in the Colombo district. Findings revealed that special libraries under study have a sufficient number of resources acquired and market opportunities available. However, it is assumed that unintentional marketing is been carried out in a majority of libraries as reflected by the absence of a marketing plan, absence of user surveys and lack of persuasive communication with parent organization for undertaking marketing. Most librarians give priority to promotional works such as conducting awareness programs, focusing on public relations, designing new information products and advertising library events and services. Techniques used for marketing were email lists, library website, seminar and workshops, traditional communication methods and social media. A majority of librarians were of the view that marketing concept can be applied to special libraries. Periodical collections, library spaces and infrastructure were identified as highly marketable resources. Other libraries are not considered as a challenge when employing marketing practices in their own library but respondents hold a mixed perception regarding how users would react to marketing practices if they are implemented in their libraries. Overall findings concludes that these libraries can break the boundaries and take up formal marketing if confronted with a proper market plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urge to diversify workplaces has spread nationwide. Although many institutions feel that formal statements and pledges are enough to satisfy the public outcry, actions such as setting up a direct plan to address the rejection of neutrality, to expand the access of materials, and actively hiring and promoting a racially diverse staff are less often seen. In America's libraries in particular, good-natured sentiments about how a modern, socially diverse library should look are met with half-hearted efforts. While some libraries, such as the Oregon Library Association, are making significant strides towards their intended directions, others, such as the Rural Branch Library in Mississippi, continue to wallow behind by clinging onto a collection of books which promote racist ideologies. The collection at the Rural Branch Library is the result of many contributing factors, however the lack of acknowledgment of the harm these materials bring is the result of maintaining a neutral stance on race relations issues. Another example of this is the lack of high-quality resources available in other languages that can serve the portions of communities who are not native English speakers. This can be remedied with the growing number of digital resources that are available in multiple languages for patrons who speak languages other than English and be beneficial to all users by exposing them to contemporary and diverse literature. Lastly, for libraries to show they are truly committed to the cause of creating an inclusive environment, they must actively participate in recruiting and employing people of color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection of social media as a promotional media is to make it easier for the public to know all forms of social inclusion-based library services and facilities. This research aims to describe the effectiveness of social inclusion-based library promotion through social media. This research uses a quantitative approach. The variable in this study was a single variable i.e. the effectiveness of the promotion of social inclusion libraries through social media. Instruments in research use AISAS theory, namely attention, interest, search, action, and share. The sampling technique in this study is random sampling. The data collection techniques in this study used questionnaires and observations. Calculation of validity and reliability of data using SPSS application version 23.0 for windows. The results showed that the effectiveness of social inclusion-based library promotion through social media showed a percentage of 72.2% (effective). With a result on each attention indicator of 81.25% (highly effective); 77% interest (effective); search 71.75% (effective); 82% of actions (very effective); and share 74% (effective). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RDBCI: Revista Digital de Biblioteconomia e Ciência da Informação is the property of Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Portal de Periodicos Eletronicos Cientificos 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.)

A previous research conducted by White and Choemprayong in 2019 indicates that libraries in Thailand have encountered multidimensional challenges in contributing to global bibliographic and resource sharing networks. As libraries outside Thailand may have a strong influence on representation in the global bibliographic universe, this paper investigates how libraries outside of Thailand manage Thai collections, particularly acquisitions and cataloging. Adopting Merton's Insiders/Outsiders doctrine as a contextual framework, this study applies an exploratory mixed-method approach using observation and interview methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intriguing new opportunity for research into the nineteenth-century history of print culture, libraries, and local communities is performing full-text analyses on the corpus of books held by a specific library or group of libraries. Creating corpora using books that are known to have been owned by a given library at a given point in time is potentially feasible because digitized records of the books in several hundred nineteenth-century library collections are available in the form of scanned book catalogs: a book or pamphlet listing all of the books available in a particular library. However, there are two potential problems with using those book catalogs to create corpora. First, it is not clear whether most or all of the books that were in these collections have been digitized. Second, the prospect of identifying the digital representations of the books listed in the catalogs is daunting, given the diversity of cataloging practices at the time. This article will report on progress towards developing an automated method to match entries in early nineteenth-century book catalogs with digitized versions of those books, and will also provide estimates of the fractions of the library holdings that have been digitized and made available in the Google Books/HathiTrust corpus., INTRODUCTION Digital libraries such as Google Books and HathiTrust have created tantalizing opportunities for research into the history of American culture: automated analyses of the entire corpus of books published [...]

This is a study of the services provided by Indian libraries during the COVID-19 lockdown and the problems faced by the libraries in providing their services. Using a Google Forms questionnaire survey, responses were sought from librarians through library groups covering schools, colleges and universities, mailing list forums and WhatsApp/Telegram groups. The findings show that libraries strived to stay connected with the users and provided remote services. Many libraries developed library/digital guides and e-content and responded to online reference queries. Librarians frequently participated in webinars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing number of threats to society through the uncontrolled distribution of information is forcing library communities in many countries to reconsider their views on free access to collections. Based on the content of numerous documents of international importance, it can be concluded that in any democratic country access to information is one of the most important human rights, along with the right to life, liberty, and security of person. However, the state has the right to restrict citizens' access to information within the framework of existing legislation. Constantly, restrictions on access to information are established in order to protect the ethical foundations of the constitutional order, morality, health, rights, and legitimate interests of others, to ensure the country's defense and state security. It goes without saying that each country has the right to independently decide where the boundaries lie between permitted and prohibited information, including printed information, contained in library collections. This article describes three levels of access restriction: foreign, state, and regional. The authors have analyzed the legal and regulatory documents that govern libraries, as well as the reasons and methods of limitation. A comparative analysis of the restriction of access to information in the countries of Europe and Asia is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]