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Chatbots have experienced significant growth over the past decade, with a proliferation of new applications across various domains. Previous studies also demonstrate the trend of new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, being adopted in libraries. The purpose of this study is to determine the current research priorities and findings in the field of chatbots in libraries. A systematic literature review was performed utilising the PRISMA checklist and the databases Scopus and Web of Science, identifying 5734 records. Upon conducting the first screening, abstract screening, full-text assessment, and quality assessments guided by the CASP appraisal checklist, 19 papers were deemed suitable for inclusion in the review. The results of the review indicate that the majority of the existing studies were empirical in nature (primarily adopting qualitative methods) and technology reviews with a focus on reviewing the implementation and maintenance, design, evaluation, characteristics, and application of chatbots. The chatbots of interest were mainly text-based and guided chatbots, with closed-source tools with access portals mostly built on library web pages or integrated with social software. The research findings primarily concerned the development models and necessary tools and technologies, the application of chatbots in libraries. Our systematic review also suggests that studies on chatbots in libraries are still in the early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on a lightening talk given at the 2023 NISO Plus conference. The authors explore how research information management (RIM) workflows at universities are increasingly intersecting with library workflows, particularly regarding compliance with federal funding and preservation of the institution's scholarly record. This paper outlines one academic library's plan to shift from thinking about library-supported RIM services as a piecemeal approach to a more systematic approach that prioritizes open infrastructure. Though in its early stages of implementation, the authors seek to examine current RIM systems and services at their institution, expand on the current findings of U.S. activities brought forth in reports produced by OCLC and Lyrasis, and to identify local opportunities for library-supported RIM tools/services that are open and transparent. Specifically, this paper emphasizes the implementation and adoption of persistent identifiers, such as ORCID, but discussion will also cover other RIM systems and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study highlighting the significance of adopting the ANSI/NISO Z39.87-2006 (R2017) Data Dictionary standard to small academic libraries, using Goldey-Beacom College Library in Wilmington, Delaware, as an example. The study focuses on the impact of the standard's absence on the institution's archival collection and emphasizes the benefits of implementing the standard for small libraries with similar digital collections. Additionally, the paper addresses the challenges faced by small libraries in adopting standards and provides recommendations for overcoming these challenges. The findings emphasize the need for increased awareness and the advantages of adopting the Data Dictionary standard to improve access and management of digital assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity of open access (OA) publications has increased in recent years. This situation leads to several pertinent questions for academic libraries: Is the rapid expansion of OA availability negatively affecting their COUNTER usage reports? And, as a consequence, is the increasing accessibility of OA publications prompting academic libraries to reconsider their subscriptions to traditional, subscription-based resources? The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of hybrid OA growth on Denison University's subscribed e-resource usage and to illuminate the potential effects of OA on academic library subscriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is a rich literature reporting the prevalence of data sharing in many academic disciplines, and particularly STEM-related ones, the extent of data sharing in journals in Social Science fields has been subject to only little empirical enquiry, hitherto. Focusing on a particular Social Science discipline, Education, this research examines empirically two related issues associated with data sharing in Education. First, journal data sharing policies were scrutinized via a search of the websites of 47 randomly selected Education journals. Over half of the journals in the representative sample had issued statements on websites encouraging authors to make the data underlying published research, generally available to the academic community, though only a handful of journals make such sharing mandatory. Thus, while the importance of data sharing is well recognized by journals in the Education field, a sizeable minority seems not to have taken a stand on this issue. The second issue related to the efficacy of the positive stance taken by journals, in eliciting the desired response from authors, leading to the sharing of their data. This was probed in a limited, mainly qualitative, survey of the authors of papers published in journals that encouraged data sharing through their websites. It was found that not a single author had made data available – indeed, some authors were even unaware of the journal's policy on this matter. Thus, journals' well-intentioned procedures to encourage greater data sharing are seen to be markedly ineffective. Two main sets of reasons were offered to justify author reticence to data share: either authors did not regard it as being in their interest or data sharing was seen to be inappropriate or not possible for the data set in question. However, these fears relating to engaging in data sharing may not necessarily present insurmountable barriers to its wider adoption, as measures are available to circumvent, at least partially, or to meliorate their effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the perceptions of Spanish academic libraries regarding Open Science (OS). OS is irrupting into academia and academic librarians need to support researchers. On the other side, researchers need to be ready to change their scientific behaviour in relation to publications and research data. We conducted a focus group with 8 academic librarians. We also sent a survey to (N = 67) academic libraries, obtaining a response rate of 71.6%. In the survey, we asked for drivers and constraints for OS services as well as for any training taking place. Our results show that facilitators are the system relationships (SD = 4.74) and internal promotion of systems relationships (SD = 4.54). In relation to the level of knowledge of OS, both researchers (SD = 3.27) and librarians have a high level in terms of the OA area (SD = 4.15) but little development of the rest of the components of OS. On the other hand, in relation to training librarians, results indicated that OA (SD = 4.79), Open Data (SD = 4.79) and new evaluation models (SD = 4.79) should be part of the training for researchers. The results of the focus group reinforce some of the indicators mentioned. We conclude that academic libraries may train researchers in OS through the acquisition of new skills and trainers-training and with the strategic support of the university. We argue that academic incentives and a change in research accreditation are also needed to shift researchers' perceptions in relation to OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries have adapted and are continuing to adapt to the rapidly changing information and data needs of the communities they support. The following paper presents the evolution of Virginia Tech University Libraries, with special attention given to program and service developments in data and information science. The author describes leadership strategies for advancing services, shares stories about developing sustainable, human-centered, and technology-enhanced service infrastructures, and paints a picture of aspirations to enable individuals' success through active campus engagement. The paper will end with an overview of challenges and opportunities for future collaboration within higher education and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews recent literature on massive open online courses (MOOCs) and their impact on Library and Information Science (LIS) education, describing the features and types of MOOCs, as well as their disruptive nature, pedagogical impact and use in traditional classroom settings. Concerns with high dropout rates and the lack of a business model for MOOCs are reflected in the literature by a shift in the research focus from the innovative features of MOOCs to their more practical elements. The paper provides a list of MOOCs in LIS and related topics, although most of these are not currently available for enrolment. As in other disciplines, a large and rapid increase in the number of MOOCs available during the early 2010s has since been followed by a decline in the number of MOOCs offered. The article also analyses the role of academic libraries in relation to MOOCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a brief review of the development of Greek libraries in order to provide a context for the later papers on education for library and information studies in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D representations are a new form of information that when coupled with new technology tools, like VR, AR, MR, 3D scanning/printing, and more, offer new support and opportunities for research and pedagogy, often with dramatic leaps in capabilities and results. When combined with a pandemic, the results can be even more dramatic and valued in a variety of collaborative and higher education applications. However, as with any new technology and tools, there also can be sizable challenges that result and will need to be addressed. These include accessibility, 3D object creation, hardware capabilities, storage, and organizing tools. All represent areas where the community of users and their standards organizations, like NISO, need to move aggressively to develop best practices, guidelines, and standards to ensure these new forms of data and technology tools are widely-accessible. This paper provides a high-level overview to introduce people to the new information form, associated technologies, and their challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the changes in academic library services inspired by the Open Science movement and especially the changes prompted from Open Data as a founding part of Open Science. We argue that academic libraries face the even bigger challenges for accommodating and providing support for Open Big Data composed from existing raw data sets and new massive sets generated from data driven research. Ensuring the veracity of Open Big Data is a complex problem dominated by data science. For academic libraries, that challenge triggers not only the expansion of traditional library services, but also leads to adoption of a set of new roles and responsibilities. That includes, but is not limited to development of the supporting models for Research Data Management, providing Data Management Plan assistance, expanding the qualifications of library personnel toward data science literacy, integration of the library services into research and educational process by taking part in research grants and many others. We outline several approaches taken by some academic libraries and by libraries at the City University of New York (CUNY) to meet necessities imposed by doing research and education with Open Big Data – from changes in libraries' administrative structure, changes in personnel qualifications and duties, leading the interdisciplinary advisory groups, to active collaboration in principal projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an overview of the highlights of the NFAIS Conference, Artificial Intelligence: Finding Its Place in Research, Discovery, and Scholarly Publishing, that was held in Alexandria, VA from May 15–16, 2019. The goal of this conference was to explore the application and implication of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across all sectors of scholarship. Topics covered were, among others: the amount of data, computing power, and the technical infrastructure required for AI and Machine Learning (ML) processes; the challenges to building effective AI and ML models; how publishers are using AI and ML in order to improve discovery and the overall user search experience; what libraries and universities are doing to foster an awareness of AI in higher education; and an actual case study of using AI and ML in the development of a recommendation engine. There was something for everyone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents aspects of a space planning project assigned to Library and Information Studies postgraduate students and reflects on six themes that cropped up repeatedly in their design of a 24/7 postgraduate library space, namely: lighting, space and colour; tools and technology; defined zones; re-bootable spaces; furnishings; and respite. The projects are shown to present students' needs for a varied library space, but one that is primarily for work and study. Disappointingly, the projects did not reflect the needs of disadvantaged or differently-abled students, nor did they display a uniquely South African flavour. Despite the students being members of both the postgraduate user group and the LIS discipline, project omissions led the authors to conclude that, while this group had a lot of value to add, ultimately the library should cast its net as wide as possible when assessing user needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries are seeking, in fact driving, change on their campuses. The oppressive costs of information are creating the need to unleash new value from information silos and thus are driving the change. This paper identifies the barriers to that change and how, in some cases, they're being overcome. Some of the solutions are technology and some are innovative new spaces that facilitate collaboration and innovation. Examples are identified. In addition, the key roles of connections and cognitive cities are briefly explored as examples of other directions technology is leading. When combined with spaces, the result is entirely new levels of innovation in academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed at describing and analyzing WeChat services at the libraries of the top 50 universities in China. It first describes the services offered by WeChat and then provides an analysis of the WeChat services through three pathways – menu service, real-time reference, and message sending – and provides suggestions for improvement, meaning that library services can be better and more conveniently accessed via WeChat. This paper may be helpful to librarians interested in WeChat as a library service tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the relationship of copyright and the right of universities on scientific production. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are causing many changes in the system of scientific communication, such as the creation of Institutional Repositories that aim to gather scientific production in digital format. The University needs quicker ways of spreading academic production and many questions are emerging due to contexts such as the Open Access movement. Thus, this paper questions the positioning of Universities, especially Public Universities, which despite having policies related to intellectual property to protect the transferring forms of research results to society; many times do not have a positioning or a mechanism that regulates the self-deposit of scientific production in these Institutional Repositories. In order to develop this paper, the following issues are addressed: lack of interest of the University in storing scientific production; reports on the relationship of the library with scientific publishing houses; the participation of faculty members and students in supporting the Free Access movement; and initiatives aimed at greater flexibility of copyright to the context of scientific production. In order to follow the development of these issues at international level, it was opted for qualitative research with non-participating direct observation to carry out the identification and description of copyright policy of important publishers from the ROMEO SHERPA site; therefore, it can be observed that there are changes regarding the publishers' flexibility before self-archiving of authors in open access institutional repositories in their universities. Given this scenario, we present reflections and considerations that involve the progress and mainly the integration of the University and its faculty members; the institution should recommend and guide its faculty members not to transfer their copyrights, but to defend their right of copy to Institutional Repositories along with Publishing Houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Open Access movement has been with us in various disguises for the last decade or so. Initially driven by the idealistic notion that technology would free us from the Faustian grip of the academic (paper) publishers by offering a cheap and superior alternative, it is now slowly realized that the ‘old’ system is remarkably more robust than originally thought and that publishers do offer (some) added value after all. Fuelled by the ‘serials crisis’, for which, conveniently, the (commercial) publishers are blamed, it has managed to make converts in the library world as a liberating solution to their budgeting problems and those who caused them. The reality is, however, that the movement has failed to bring about its utopia and the most promising prospects are currently experimenting with business models that show some fundamentally flaws, both from a financial and from an author incentive point of view. The speaker will argue that the access situation has improved dramatically over the past 7 years and that there is little evidence that the current players (authors, readers/users, librarians, publishers, etc.) are dissatisfied to such an extent that the Open Access revolution will fill the deeply felt need it claims to do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade electronic publication generally, including electronic journals, has developed an ever more central role in communication. Yet, the printed serial publication is still a robust medium and a major source of expense for university libraries. In library and publishing practice old tensions over pricing and journal costs still remain and new business and operational models have yet to become embedded in practice. In this phase of publishing development outcomes are still uncertain. The paper reviews some of the stakeholder perspectives in the serials publishing environment. The economic theory may be clearer yet still has to be accepted by stakeholders. In the absence of simple solutions collaborative business models may offer progress. Assertiveness within the library community collectively on behalf of users can ensure that the vital role of the serial publication in scientific communication is maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although every career has its own unique trajectory, when I look back at my own path to my present position at the University of Florida (UF), it was entirely unplanned and unanticipated, yet in hindsight, the pieces all fit together quite neatly. The progression from a compulsive reader signing up to work in her 8th grade library so she would have better access to the books to the Dean of University Libraries at a large research-intensive public university seems almost inevitable. The opportunity to observe, and participate in, the transformation of the way information is produced, delivered, analyzed and preserved from the perspective of small special libraries and large academic research libraries, as well as from government agencies and information companies, has been both exhilarating and challenging. However, while we do many things differently now because of the opportunities that technology has brought, we continue to share a common goal of providing essential, reliable information to users at the point of need and to seek ways to develop and employ technology to improve the accuracy and efficiency with which we accomplish that goal. Although we may compete to be the first or the best, and some of us are motivated by profits and others have the opportunity to deliver "free" (no fee) or not-for-profit services, we are not adversaries. This paper will demonstrate that we are colleagues who can and do benefit from collaboration and learn from one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a consequence of the high adoption levels of mobile technology, users are increasingly accessing academic library-subscribed content via vendor-supplied mobile applications (apps) or responsive websites. However, users may be unaware of the existence of some standalone apps and might miss benefitting from available apps at their most significant point of need. This paper outlines the McGill Library's multifaceted approach to promotion and outreach to increase awareness and usage of mobile apps in an effort to provide additional access points for the library's e-resources. A variety of online and traditional promotional methods were employed, such as faculty news e-bulletins, an app web-guide, images on the Library home page slideshow, and in-person demonstrations, to advertise two of the Library's subscribed apps, PressReader and BrowZine. Complementing this approach, four different workshops were offered at different times during an academic year targeted to specific audiences: faculty, university communications and library staff, and students. The authors describe the content and results of these initiatives showing how specific promotional strategies appear to have a greater impact on usage. They conclude with thoughts on how current behaviours in mobile usage might begin to affect the future direction of mobile access to library-subscribed e-resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative metrics in research assessment are proliferating all over the world. The demand has led to an increase in bibliometric practitioners and service providers. Their professional roles and competencies have not yet been subject to systematic study. This paper focuses on one important service provider in evaluative bibliometrics - academic librarians - and analyzes their professional competencies from a sociology of professions perspective. To this end, expert interviews with 25 British and German information professionals and several documents have been analyzed qualitatively. Academic librarians compete with other occupations for professional jurisdiction in quantitative research assessment. The main currency in this competition is their expert knowledge. Our results show that academic librarians rely strongly on the know-how gained in their academic Library and Information Science (LIS) training and develop a specific jurisdictional claim towards research assessment, consisting primarily in training, informing and empowering users to proficiently manage the task of evaluating scientific quality themselves. Based on these findings, and informed by the theoretical framework of Andrew Abbott, our conceptual proposal is to adapt formal training in bibliometrics to the various specific professional approaches prevalent in the jurisdictional competition surrounding quantitative research assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to investigate the perceptions of academic librarians towards the marketing of library services through social networking sites (SNSs) and their understanding of using electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) as a marketing tool in academic libraries. This study follows a qualitative data-gathering approach of structured interviews with ten academic librarians in Malaysia. The qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The academic librarians showed very positive perceptions for the implications of eWOM. Librarians expressed the view that academic libraries could use eWOM as a marketing and promotional tool for creating awareness of library services, promoting library services and building relationships with user communities through SNSs. Academic librarians indicated that eWOM could be used as a very fast medium of communication and for instant responses; it could also be worked as a virus. This study is limited to the perceptions of only ten academic librarians, thus it cannot be generalized to all academic librarians in Malaysia. This paper will be helpful to academic libraries in the marketing of libraries through SNSs. This study also contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the marketing of library services in academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like other disciplines, organizational and technological innovations have influenced the standard philosophies of librarianship. These innovations have changed the basics of information retrieval and delivery in libraries. As a result, library authorities are demanding competency-based job performance. Nonetheless, there is a scarcity of research on the association between skills (current and needed) and job performance (job satisfaction and organizational commitment). Further, there is a dearth of research on the difference in skills of librarians. This research paper proposes a conceptual framework composed of two major parts. Part one denotes empirical analysis of the relationship of current competencies with JP aggregated as JS and OC. This relationship section may signify librarians' perception of task performance; part two examines the difference between the current and needed competencies. These different sections explore the levels of deficit and surplus in competencies and job 'best fit'. The findings of this conceptual framework may be significant for the implementation of a competency-based management system, in updating LIS curriculums, for designing librarians' training programs and for LIS professionals as a whole to perform more efficiently. Researchers from diverse settings can utilize the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the library environment, games and gamification can be used to improve various services and activities. Although many successful gamification projects have already been implemented, some librarians still lack knowledge and are sceptical about the use of games in libraries. This is also the case in Slovenia, where library gamification projects are rarely formalised and publicised. Moreover, not much is known about whether Slovenian librarians obtain any knowledge about these approaches during their formal education. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with ten main compulsory course holders at the Department of Library and Information Science and Book Studies at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. The main objective of the study, which was carried out in January 2021, was to investigate the attitudes of Slovenian Library and Information Science (LIS) educators towards the inclusion of games and gamification in their courses and in academic library services. The results showed that they rarely cover games and gamification-related topics in their lectures, nor do they use them for knowledge transfer. They especially see the potential to design games and gamification activities that would promote departmental library, its services and activities, motivate students for independent research and support the educational process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Introduces several studies on library and information services. Application of the Critical Incident Technique; Resource allocation strategies for electronic database services in academic libraries; Information for library managers to support policy decisions on document delivery.

Presents information on a study on how library managers implement document delivery in digital academic libraries in Great Britain. Methodology; Findings; Concluding remarks.

BACKGROUND: According to ergonomic researches regarding a good sitting posture, it is essential to ensure a natural back-curve in order to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. A brief observation among the Scientific Technology Library inside the University of Salerno showed that students used to complain about neck and lumbar pain, especially after a study day. OBJECTIVE: On the light of this background, a sitting posture comfort analysis had been performed on chairs inside the library to check the critical factors that influence the postural comfort and, consequently, the learning. METHODS: A prolonged sitting posture, that is common during the daily study activity, had been simulated with fifteen volunteer students performing 1-hour tests (divided into four 15-minutes tasks). Subjective perceptions had been gathered through questionnaires rating on a 5-point Comfort scale, both the expected comfort at the beginning of the experiment and the Localized Postural Comfort at the end of each task have been investigated. Then, postural angles had been gathered through photographic acquisition and Kinovea®. CaMAN software had been used to calculate the objective (dis)comfort indexes. Finally, subjective and objective data had been statistically processed and compared. RESULTS: Lumbar area scored the lowest perceived comfort while the perceived comfort was independent of participants and tasks, but dependent on time. CONCLUSIONS: After this comfort-driven analysis, critical factors of the chair-design were checked, and a proposal for a future re-design was hypothesized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a short introduction of the LIS landscape in Austria, the development of LIS education for academic librarians will be discussed. Until 2004 library education in Austria consisted mainly of vocational training to which only university graduates and eventually high-school graduates were admitted. In the nineteen-nineties, with Austria joining the European Union and the creation of universities of applied sciences, LIS education became possible at the university level. For various reasons, the two established LIS programmes were discontinued after a relatively short time period. Major changes in university legislation concerning the legal autonomy of Austrian universities meant, however, that a post-graduate inter-university library and information studies programme could be launched in 2004. With the fourth revision of the curriculum in 2019, the programme has become even more aligned with international practice in terms of content, didactic methods and flexibility. The increased dynamism in library education has also had an impact on the creation of non-academic training and continuing education programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the ever-increasing presence of artificial intelligence (AI), an environmental scan on academic libraries engagement with AI was conducted. The authors reviewed scholarly articles, university libraries' strategic plans, and library programming to determine if any reference to AI was being made and in what context. Top research universities in the United States and Canada were considered. The primary goal was to discover what role the librarian will play in an AI-dominant future, as well as how libraries are responding to this change. Findings indicated a lack of response or awareness to the current AI trend, though a small number of institutions were found to be participating in or creating their own AI hubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As governments around the world are beginning to recognize the role of creativity in the promotion of innovation and competitive advantage in a Global Knowledge Economy (GKE), Creative Knowledge-based Industries are becoming the focus of attention. Nevertheless, and in spite of the rise of Big Data, the prevailing absence of systematic library collection of activity data perpetuates the persistence of traditionalist and myopic approaches that tend to overlook the nexus between libraries and creativity while perceiving libraries as exclusively or basically collection gatekeepers, information brokers, and content providers. Given the universally acknowledged fact that the central value of the library is clearly creative, we embarked on the exploration of the academic library position within the Creative Industries system, as seen through the Ibero-American library community lens. In this vein, and following a literature review that focused on the interpretation of the intensity of libraries' creative value and content across different Creative Industries classification models, our survey within the library expert community attempts to investigate the relationship between academic libraries and the creative industries (CI) realm. Our overarching goal is to facilitate the articulation of targeted recommendations and to contribute to the conceptual foundations guiding the formation of a special interest group that will streamline the academic librarianship community response to this challenging area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This quantitative study examined the information literacy skills among graduate students in the College of Education at Kuwait University. The study's aim was to investigate the level of information literacy among the selected students, including their awareness, skills, and information needs, as well as the college's role in supporting this population. The overall results showed that the students in the sample had only modest skills relative to their position as graduate students. In particular, the results also indicated a lack of skills regarding the use of most library services and facilities, which sheds light on the college's role in disseminating an awareness of information literacy. The authors recommend that the college library be more engaged in the education process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces the journal with a discussion of the development of academic libraries in Greece since the 1970s.

This study analysed the usage of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 tools by librarians in Kwara State academic libraries. A sample of 40 librarians was surveyed through total enumeration sampling technique from four different tertiary education institutions libraries in Kwara State, Nigeria. Questionnaire was used for the collection of data. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results demonstrate thatWeb 2.0 and Library 2.0 are widely used by the librarians with 80% of them currently using the tools. Various uses of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 revealed by the study include information sharing, documents delivery, connection and networking. Major challenges to the use of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 by the librarians are accessibility, technical-know-how and unstable power supply. Based on these findings, the study makes a number of recommendations for a more effective use of the new technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite guidance from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) on the requirements for earning a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ergonomics credit in the Innovation in Design and Innovation in Operations category, few projects have received the credit. The University of California, Berkeley ergonomics program, Ergonomics@Work, has aligned the ergonomics strategy to those of the USGBC and LEED to achieve the ergonomics credit in several new buildings. This article describes the steps needed to obtain the credit and highlights the opportunities it creates to partner with the project team to promote ergonomics. As a profession it is up to ergonomists to create the road map that incorporates ergonomics into the green building design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education in Library and Information Science is a requirement to become a librarian. There are a lot of syllabi and subjects to concentrate on such as cataloguing and classification, information retrieval, knowledge management, and reference. The library as a centre of information has been developing year by year with various types of collections written and presented in many languages such as English, Arabic and Malay. The different languages come with different letters, words, pronunciations and characters. They can bring problems and challenges in the cataloguing process including determining access points, subject headings and call number. The objective of this study is to identify the challenges in cataloguing Arabic books for cataloguers in Malaysia academic libraries. This study aims to investigate the relationships and differences between Arabic and Roman scripts in cataloguing process. The comparison is made to discover the similarities and differences in the problems faced by cataloguers from different academic libraries in Klang Valley, namely International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), University of Malaya (UM), National University of Malaysia (UKM), Islamic Science University of Malaysia (USIM) and International Islamic University College Selangor (KUIS). The method used in data collection in this study is personal interview with cataloguers responsible for cataloguing Arabic books. The findings show that the major problem is in the Arabic scripts. They are difficult to vocalize Arabic words due to the different ways of reading the various types of calligraphy and typography. Besides, the issues of lengthy author's name, vocalization of name and Arabization of English names also create problems for the cataloguers. Some of the integrated library systems cannot adopt Arabic characters. Another problem is the difficulty to determine the subject heading for Arabic books that are not accurately stated in the Library of Congress Subject Heading (LCSH) besides the unavailability of new Arabic terms. However, the cataloguing process of Arabic books is still on-going even though there are a lot of problems that come without solutions. Although transliteration can be one of the solutions, it is still not the best one. This study will help to improve Library and Information Science education to cope and face the challenges in library work field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fitness for purpose of professional education for library work has been constantly debated. Librarianship education and library practice have changed significantly as a result of technological, social and other factors affecting information provision and use. The key role of subject librarian in academic libraries has been particularly affected by both technological and pedagogical developments that have transformed the information arena, expanded their teaching activities and raised questions about the relevance and value of contemporary library-related courses for their present hybrid responsibilities. An investigation of UK course content and practitioner opinion was conducted in summer 2010 to explore whether existing programmes offered suitable preparation for current subject librarian roles. A pragmatic mixed methodology combined document analysis of course content with a mainly quantitative sector-wide survey of subject librarians (n=65) and library managers (n=48), followed by interviews with 8 librarians and 7 managers. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results showed generally positive opinions of UK library education, but revealed different priorities among the two groups and a strong desire among subject librarians for improved coverage of pedagogy. Findings confirmed that personal qualities are at least as important as specialist abilities for contemporary librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs that the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Committee on Academic Libraries and Information Systems are responsible for the management of funding activities for libraries and archives. CALIS, in 2005, has worked on new recommendations to the focal points of interest in research information. The four main funding programs that have been recommended by CALIS include Nationwide Library Services, Cultural Heritage, New Forms And Methods Of Publication and Information Management.

Information and reference services are one major component of library services. This article attempts to describe the paradigm of information and reference services in the digital library. Based on the fact that automatic digital library technologies are solving more and more information needs and changing the mode of user service, the authors suggest a three‐levelled system that supports users' information needs. The role of reference librarians at each level is discussed. Finally, digital reference service, a new means of delivering services, is briefly reviewed. The authors emphasize that a systematic process to support users' information needs in the digital library is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current model of scholarly communications fails to meet the information needs of researchers world‐wide. New technology (in particular the coming of the internet) allows us to revise or to reinvent scholarly communication. This talk discusses the new models that are taking advantage of the new technology and describes a possible future for scholarly communications. In particular, I focus on the development of institutional repositories and open access journals and the way their interaction could result in a future where the world's research is available to all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study on the resource allocation strategies for electronic database services in academic libraries in Great Britain. Research methodology; Results; Conclusion.

Presents two studies which describes the methodological developments while exploring the use of interactive information systems in academic research. Aims of the studies; Sponsorship of the studies; Methodology of the studies; Results.

Presents a study which evaluated the use and non-use of electronic bibliographic services within academic context. Aims of the study; Methodology of the study; Results of the study.