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Information design--incorporating research in graphic design, typography, visualization, and usability--is a user experience practice directly applicable to contemporary museums, libraries, and archives. Information design principles and guidelines improve engagement at every point of service, effectively and efficiently complementing the mission of knowledge organizations. This historical survey explores information design in the context of contemporary user experience design, and provides an overview of information design principles and guidelines developed over 40 years of research and professional application. Applying elements of information design to archival finding aids enhances usability, while also preserving descriptive and contextual structures.

This article reports on the third phase of a project studying the integration of information behavior theories and concepts into professional education for reference and information service (RIS). It also provides a synthesis of the results of all studies in the project, including a syllabus study, an interview study, and the survey. Results of the project show that Kuhlthau's information search process model, along with several other key theories, models, and concepts, is perceived by instructors of introductory RIS courses in North America as important for RIS practice. Instructors feel that students are generally receptive to conceptual content in the course, although most teach a more practice-focused course or a course with a balance of conceptual and practical content. Still, 10-31% of introductory RIS courses do not include any information behavior content, suggesting that the relevance of theory to practice remains an ongoing debate.

Albeit its critical role in the development of the agriculture sector, the delivery of Extension and Advisory Services (EASs) in Tanzania has remained unsatisfactory and has had a limited impact on the sector. Among others, conventional approaches used in providing EASs have been found inadequate in meeting the priority needs of their clientele. Besides, they tend to demand many frontline extension agents who are few and are unable to serve farmers effectively. Thus, most recently, Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have the potential to overcome many of the challenges associated with the conventional provision of EASs. As a result, various innovative ICT-based approaches have been blended with conventional EASs to improve the service to clients. These include the use of community radio stations, TV programs, telecentres, Mobile Phones (SMS), and web-based and mobile-based farmers' advisory information systems. This study draws on the work of the ICT-based Village Knowledge Centre (VKC) established in the Rungwe District in Mbeya Region. We explore the experiences of various stakeholders in using the VKC in the delivery of extension services. Challenges hindering the functioning of VKC are highlighted and recommendations to improve the functioning of VKC and consequently, the delivery of EASs are drawn.

Purpose: Innovations in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential for increasing resource efficiency and sustainability in the agri-food system. An innovation support service (ISS) can benefit SMEs but the provision and access to it can be restricted across national borders thereby hindering cross-border regions' economic potential. The aim was to investigate how ISSs are provided and used in such a region and explore stakeholders' perceptions on their limitations and opportunities. Methodology: We conducted a case study in the Dutch-German cross-border region Euregio Rhine-Waal which included a content analysis of websites and stakeholder interviews. Findings: The provision of ISSs was limited by differing structures and priorities in both countries. SMEs' unfamiliarity with responsible authorities, significant administrative effort, and uncertainty about pay-offs were perceived as factors limiting ISS. Practical implications: We provide recommendations on how to improve ISS in cross-border regions and inform policymaking for cross-border regional development. We recommend reducing limitations of ISS provision and use, e.g. by engaging ISS providers and users in a co-creative approach. Furthermore, we suggest using opportunities of ISS provision and use, e.g. through increased promotion of available ISS by brokers. Theoretical implications: Our research contributes to the literature of extension and advisory systems by showing how differing institutional settings, combined with different 'innovation cultures' and the availability of cross-border brokers affect cross-border integration of ISS. Originality: This is the first study to explore the limitations and potentials of ISSs in a cross-border region.

A professional practice is a type of internship, a practicum, that encompasses a supervised hands-on training experience for students to develop and identify the core and enabling competencies required in a professional environment. It also allows them to identify the developed and underdeveloped skills that are important in the labour environment while still undergoing an academic training. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine the core and enabling competencies required and developed by the students coursing the Library and Information Science Programme at Universidad Tecnologica Metropolitana during their professional practices carried out from 2019 through 2021. To this end, a questionnaire with open and closed-ended questions was used as data collection instrument. It was applied to a sample of 64 graduates from this Programme, out of a universe of 70 students in addition to a focus group to delve deeper into the answers obtained. The results established that both core and enabling competencies had been relevant in their professional practice. The most relevant core competencies were those related to information and knowledge services; information analysis and data retrieval; and organisation of data, information and knowledge assets meanwhile the most relevant enabling competencies were communication, teamwork and adaptability.

The study aimed to examine the level of satisfaction of students with disabilities with library and information services in Saudi universities. The descriptive survey approach was used. The study sample consisted of 35 students with disabilities enrolled in Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was used to collect the data of the study. The results showed a number of information services and special environmental facilities available within the university central library, the frequencies, and percentages of their use by students with disabilities. They were ordered according to the students? responses: book borrowing service, book return service, audiobooks, large print, and Braille book services. Also, it was revealed that the degree of satisfaction of students with disabilities with the library services provided to them was high. In addition, the physical environmental facilities of the library from the point of view of students with disabilities were the availability of a personal and designated place to study such as computer spaces and chairs suitable for students? needs. The signs (directions) related to disability in the library and their compatibility with the needs of students with disabilities and the availability of tools and technologies to meet their needs in the library without the help of others were rated poor.

Brokers are individuals who facilitate transfer of knowledge and resources, and coordinate efforts across boundaries of organizations. They are defined by their role rather than their organizational position. Brokers might be imperative for the formation and maintenance of inter-institutional relationship as they have the responsibility and the necessary structural position to connect otherwise separate groups. In the context of this study, brokers had the role to cultivate an inter-institutional community around open educational resources (OER) by connecting groups of teachers across higher education institutes. OER provide higher education institutes with an aid to face the challenges of improving teaching and learning. Yet most OER users encounter challenges that relate to finding resources that are relevant, up-to-date, and of good quality. Communities could minimize this issue, but many OER initiatives fizzle out as expanding their impact is an arduous task. This qualitative descriptive study draws upon cultural-historical activity theory to understand the complexities associated with the role of brokers in creating sustainable collaboration on OER across 15 higher education institutes in the Netherlands. Data was collected from project documents, process reports, reflections reports, and a retrospective focus group. The findings show that brokers engaged in a wide variety of actions but that a small-scale, personal, and content-oriented approach to encourage teachers to engage with the OER repository and the online community was perceived as the most valuable. Brokers also experienced conflicts due to the demanding context they were operating in, the ambiguity of their role, and the organizational constraints they were confronted with. Practical implications refer to supporting higher education institutes that wish to initiate sustainable collaboration across institutes.

With the rising cases of theft, vandalism, mutilation, infiltration, and other fraudulent practices at academic libraries, the matter of library security has become a matter of greater concern for modern-day library professionals as well as scholars in the field of library and information science. Considering the seriousness of the issue, the present study has adopted bibliometric techniques to gain significant insights into the performance, direction, and state of research in the field of library security in academic libraries. A total number of 440 articles published in the last two decades were retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed using bibliometric techniques. The results indicate that library security is gaining the attention of contemporaneous scholars in the research field of library and information science and led to the identification of digital services, computer simulation, and web interface as some of the key concepts in the area of contemporary library security research.

An academic library plays a significant role in providing information services to fraternities. However, persons with disabilities need special attention and specialized services. This study aims to identify the special needs of, and the services required by, persons with disabilities or differently-abled persons. The samples were collected from graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students with disabilities in 10 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in India. The survey research design and the snowball sampling technique were used to collect samples from scattered populations across the ten IITs. A total of 217 samples were collected from the respondents. The results show that graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students with disabilities were satisfied with the library resources and services available to persons with disabilities. The students had a positive opinion about the accessibility of their libraries and the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) on their studies and research work. However, they expressed the need for more training and orientation on using new tools and services for persons with disabilities. The study identified essential library tools and services for persons with disabilities. Academic and other libraries elsewhere in the country should take a cue from the IITs and take steps to make themselves accessible and offer specialized services for persons with disabilities. The findings of this research study will be helpful for policymakers and librarians who want to establish special services for persons with disabilities.

Information behavior is an important area of conceptual knowledge for reference service providers, as it provides structure for understanding users' information seeking and use. This study explores the extent to which information behavior theories, models, and concepts have been integrated into professional education for reference and information service (RIS) through a syllabus study and textbook review. In addition, the study identifies specific information behavior theories, models, and concepts used in introductory RIS courses. Syllabi for introductory RIS courses taught at North American library and information science programs were analyzed for information behavior content, as were the textbooks required by the syllabi. Results show that about two-thirds of introductory RIS courses include instruction in information behavior theories, models, and concepts. Overall, the most impactful information behavior theories and models from the literature are introduced.

Small farms and small farmers are a growing sector of the agricultural economy nationwide. Notably, small farms are influenced by similar antagonists to the success of their business as large, concentrated operations, but they experience it differently. The purpose of this study was to describe small farms and farmers in North Dakota to assist North Dakota State University Extension in defining their needs for programming development. We found that nearly 45% of small farmer respondents are women. Small farmers prefer to access information for their operations in a variety of ways but like to engage with Extension through more direct and personal means. Recommendations include developing programming targeted at female farmers and organizing Extension information resources targeted at small farm needs, specifically.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to present evidence regarding how young people, who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in South Africa, lack literacy skills and access to enabling resources to actively search and navigate information services systems that are primarily web-based. Information Poverty Theory is adopted to better understand the technological and social strata challenges experienced by young NEET people. Design/methodology/approach: The study used semi-structured interviews for collecting data over two months in 2018, employing snowball sampling with 24 key participants, representing a diversity of educational backgrounds and previous experience of economic participation. Findings: The findings of this study suggest that most interviewed young people, who are NEET, lack advanced information literacy and digital skills to access information services. The results also indicate that access to information services that are primed for online information is a challenge for most of these NEET young people residing in underserviced communities. The high cost of an Internet connection means that the Internet is out of reach for most low-income households. In communities that are underserviced with no adequate information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, people residing in such areas are subjected to living in circumstances where there is poverty and thus a lack of access to online information. Research limitations/implications: This paper reports on data collected in 2018 using intense interviews, while acknowledging limitations in terms of the sample size. Hence, it is not fully representative of the whole population of young people, who are NEET, residing in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Practical implications: The findings illustrate the need for further collaboration among relevant stakeholders to strengthen existing programmes and for stronger partnerships. The arguments presented herein enhance knowledge and understanding concerning the digital literacy skills divide that exists among young people who are NEET. It includes a discussion to contribute to policy development. Originality/value: This study focuses on challenges young people who are NEET experience when looking for work and developmental opportunities. This qualitative study adopts Information Poverty Theory and uses prior studies to link the undertaken survey and research. It is expected that this study may serve as a pilot for future studies and may also contribute to the ongoing discussions around the use of ICTs on their use and access, especially the effect on young people when searching for information related to jobs and other developmental opportunities using online services.

Traditionally, the speech act of requesting has been regarded as a face-threatening act (Brown & Levinson, 1987) due to the impositive nature on the addressee's negative face. Yet, in specific service encounters, requests can no longer be seen as threatening (Antonopoulou, 2001). This is the case of tourist information offices, where mitigators may not be present due to the task-oriented nature of the exchange. This study aims to widen the scope of research on service encounters by examining 147 naturally occurring requests by native speakers of English in a tourist information office taking into account the variable of gender. Our findings suggest that females used more direct questions whereas men employed want statements to a much higher extent. These results have to be understood within the context of this specific service encounter, in which direct requests do not imply impoliteness or threats to the requestee's negative face.

Introduction: Applied epistemology allows information studies to benefit from developments in philosophy. In information studies, epistemic concepts are rarely considered in detail. This paper offers a review of several epistemic concepts, focusing on understanding, as a call for further work in applied epistemology in information studies. Method: A hermeneutic literature review was conducted on epistemic concepts in information studies and philosophy. Relevant research was retrieved and reviewed iteratively as the research area was refined. Analysis: A conceptual analysis was conducted to determine the nature and relationships of the concepts surveyed, with an eye toward synthesizing conceptualizations of understanding and opening future research directions. Results: The epistemic aim of understanding is emerging as a key research frontier for information studies. Two modes of understanding (hermeneutic and epistemological) were brought into a common framework. Conclusions: Research on the concept of understanding in information studies will further naturalistic information research and provide coherence to several strands of philosophic thought.

This paper describes the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) principles in an undergraduate IT service management course, followed by the results about student satisfaction and work performance. The results indicate the students' general satisfaction with the course implementation, as well as some challenges regarding the self-assessment and peer assessment of their work. The findings also reveal the students' better work performance in project results than in traditional knowledge tests, which reinforces the indications about their positive attitudes towards the interactive PBL environment. The cluster analyses identified seven different patterns in student behaviour regarding course performance. Findings from this study could be used by both researchers and practitioners in their efforts to create or further research a stimulating, interactive learning environment based on PBL that improves the preparation of students for their future workplaces.

One of the impacts of information technology in guidance counseling is in the implementation of the support system. Entering the world of globalization and rapid technological breadth of information requires counseling to adjust to the environment in order to meet the needs of learners. Therefore, cyber-counseling is now developing. It is one of the utilizations of information technology in the world, especially the provision of counseling services of career information for the learners. The issue that needs to be answered in this research is "how is the model of ICT-based career information service that is interesting, acceptable, based on the accuracy, feasibility, and utility to improve career decision-making ability of the learners developed?" This research aims at finding out a model of ICT based-career information services that can be used to help learners in improving their career decision-making. The method used was the Research and Development (R & D) through several steps. Techniques and data collection instruments were questionnaires, observations, and tests. Data analysis technique used was qualitative and quantitative analysis. Based on the data analysis, it is found that t value is 40.79 with df = 149. The t table value is 1.645 with the significance level (P) = 0,000 < a = 0.05. Therefore, the hypothesis stating that "there is a significant effect on improving career decision-making of the learners after the implementation of the service model of ICT-based career information to the Senior High School students in Parepare" is accepted.

The relevance of research: The relevance of the problem studied is caused by the acceleration of transition of the Russian economy on an innovative way of development, which depends on the vector of innovative sphere of services and, to a large extent, information and communication services, as well as it is caused by the poor drafting of methodical approaches to the effectiveness's evaluation of the processes of information and communication services' commercialization. Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study is to develop a methodic to assess the relationship of basic indicators of projects of information and communication services' development. Methods of the study: The basic methods of research are methods of stochastic factor analysis, method of pair correlation, multiple correlation analysis, matrix models and mathematical modeling. Results of the study: Based on the analysis of traditional methodic for assessing of the cost-effectiveness of projects of information and communication systems' development the paper offers combined method to estimate the dependencies of financial indicators' basic parameters of projects on long-term development of mobile operators in providing of information and communication services. Practical significance: The paper is intended for researchers, teachers and undergraduates studying the problems to assess the effectiveness of the projects' commercialization in the service sector, particularly, in the development of information and communication services, as well as for specialists--mobile operators, engaged in the problems of development projects' investment and implementation.

Introduction: The popularity of social question and answer sites has made it an important and convenient source for obtaining knowledge. This study quantifies how three different system characteristics (interface design, interaction and answer quality) affect users' perceptions (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment), which in turn alter the perceived user experience. Method: Using an online survey, this study investigated the experience of using a leading Chinese site, Baidu Knows. The study received 218 validated responses which were used to test the research model. Analysis: Structural equation modelling technique was used to evaluate the hypothesised research framework. Results: The results show that the influences of the system characteristics (interface design, interaction and answer quality) on user experience are well mediated by user perceptions of usefulness, ease of use and enjoyment. Additionally, perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment have direct and significant influences on user experience. Against expectations, perceived ease of use is found to have no significant direct effect on user experience, but have an indirect effect mediated through perceived usefulness. Conclusion: Use experience is mainly determined by user perceptions about its usefulness, the ease of use and the enjoyment of using the social question and answer sites, which are derived from their evaluation in relation to specific service features. By identifying these service features and quantifying how they affect user experience, a number of practical suggestions for service design have been made to help social question and answer sites managers improve their customers' user experience, e.g. offering more attractive rewards and adding various entertainment activities to motivate users to actively participate in knowledge sharing and innovation.

Introduction: In recent years, the introduction of social question and answer services and other Internet tools have expanded the ways in which people have their questions answered. There has been speculation and debate over whether such services and other Internet tools are replacing library virtual reference services. Method: Most previous research on the comparison between social question and answer services and virtual reference has been conducted from the perspectives of libraries or library users, and research based on social question and answer services users' viewpoints has not yet been explored. This study surveyed Yahoo! Answers users on their awareness, use, and evaluation of the social question and answer services site and virtual reference. Analysis: The survey data from multiple-choice questions, fill-in, and open-ended questions were analysed using SPSS for a quantitative summary. Results: The findings of this study show that social question and answer services and virtual reference have their own strengths and weaknesses in serving various user needs and in meeting the expectations of an online or virtual service, based on important user-identified considerations. Conclusions: The notion that social question and answer services will take over virtual reference is not supported. As they stand, virtual reference and social question and answer services have great potential for collaboration in meeting user information needs. The practical implications of the findings to virtual reference are also discussed.

The South African Library for the Blind (SALB) contributes to the quality of life of print-impaired people encouraging independence through access to information, informed decision making, and taking pleasure in the enjoyment of recreational reading. In realizing the vision, SALB implemented two strategic models; agent mini-libraries and comprehensive mini-libraries. Management and administration of the services rendered is covered in detail. The project was pioneered in one of the provinces and has been rolled out to other provinces. The paper highlights how visually impaired people experience in a tangible manner, assistive technologies, training and interaction with community members and use libraries.

We conducted an online survey to examine religiosity, sexual health knowledge, and behavior and sexual health information sources among undergraduate students affiliated with student religious organizations (n = 45) and unaffiliated students (n = 82). Analyses included Fisher's exact tests, t-tests, and exact regression models. Students reporting religious affiliation considered religious sources to be believable (p = 0.004 for sexual health; p < 0.0001 for romantic relationships) and identified these sources as their primary information sources for romantic relationships (p = 0.0042). Although religiously affiliated students reported fewer sexual partners in the past year (p = 0.020), their reported condom use was not significantly different from that of unaffiliated students. Future research should explore the focus and content of romantic relationship information provided by student religious organizations. Health practitioners and educators should consider strategies for collaborating with religious organizations to meet the information needs of these students.

The questionnaires' origin (sources from which elements of the questionnaire are derived) and initial development (process of making a questionnaire from elements) should be assessed before their measurement properties. There is no Critical Appraisal Tool (CAT) that comprehensively assesses the origin and initial development of questionnaires therefore, our objective was to develop one. To develop the Questionnaire Origin and Development Appraisal (QODA) tool, we first developed QODA version-one from psychometric tool development guidelines, and pilot tested it, resulting in QODA version-two. Second, we performed a review that identified six CATs that evaluate origin and initial development. A pool of items was derived from these six CATs and QODA version-two. Using a nominal group method, this item pool was reduced and QODA version-three (20 items) was developed. The QODA may be useful to academic librarians who assist researchers and students from various disciplines. Information professionals including research trainees can learn how to use QODA and ensure sound questionnaire origin and initial development. This will improve the accuracy of data collected in research and professional practice (e.g., information service evaluation). Future research will study the QODA's measurement properties.

Introduction: This paper provides a contribution to understandings of information literacy regarding context and transferability of information practices. Specifically, the paper analyses the subset of information practices in situations of student protests and addresses issues of transfer of information literacy practice from a highly formal landscape to a highly non-formal and unstructured landscape, such as the community information literacy landscape. Method: Data from 340 students was collected through a face-to-face survey consisting of a questionnaire that pertained to modes of obtaining information about student rights and information practices in situations of protests. Analysis: Quantitative analysis was used to explore specific understandings of information literacy and information as an impulse for making decisions about participating in student protests. Qualitative analysis was performed for investigating resource selection and information sharing and use during student protests. Results: Students who are protesting deploy different information practices in comparison with students who do not participate in protests. The results of the study have highlighted significant features that differentiate community information literacy landscapes in situations of civic engagement from common educational contexts. Conclusion: The findings confirm that information practices are context-dependent and not by default transferable. The results allow further characterizations of community information literacy landscapes. [This paper was published as part of: Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science, Copenhagen, Denmark, 19-22 August, 2013.]

Introduction: The role of library and information science professionals as knowledge facilitators is solidly grounded in the profession's theoretical foundations as much as connected with its social relevance. Knowledge science is presented in this paper as a convenient theoretical framework for this mission, and knowledge engagement services--knowledge brokering, knowledge readiness and knowledge promotion--as an area that might serve to reframe and expand traditional services such as reference, information literacy and outreach and cultural programming. A key competency for knowledge engagement specialists is mastering instruction, aimed at the efficient fostering of innovation and the creation of new knowledge within organizations and society. The purpose of this paper is to analyse current supply of courses covering instructional related competencies in accredited graduate programmes. Methods: Main professional competency standards and courses currently offered in accredited graduate programmes (United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia) are analysed. Results: Results suggest that although some relevant competencies have been included by professional associations in their competency standards for all types of information professionals, instructional competencies have not received much attention in graduate educational programmes other than in concentrations or tracks targeted at future school or academic librarians. Conclusion: It is concluded that further research on competencies and education for knowledge engagement is required in order to fully develop this role within the profession. [This paper was published as part of: Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science, Copenhagen, Denmark, 19-22 August, 2013.]

The web 2.0 has already penetrated the learning environment of students ubiquitously. This dissemination of online services into tertiary education has led to constant changes in students' learning and study behaviour. Students use services such as Google and Wikipedia most often not only during free time but also for learning. At the same time, traditional information media such as textbooks or printed hand-outs still form basic pillars in their learning environment. To measure the media usage for learning and how it changes an international long term media survey in tertiary education was set up by the author and other cooperation partners. Until February 2013, 12,000 students from five countries were asked 143 questions about their media use for learning and close-by topics. The results of the survey include an acceptance ranking of 53 media services, a comparison of media acceptance in five countries, data on possession of IT devices and a comparison of students and teachers media acceptance.

Although mentoring is widely valued and encouraged within librarianship, it has been conceived mostly as a professional relationship that occurs after one has obtained a position. Thus, mentoring among LIS students is not customary--largely because internships and field experiences are not universally required. To address this problem, the investigators wanted to distinguish the kind of education a mentorship program provides. This study identifies the kinds of knowledge academic librarians and LIS students gained after participation in a semester-long mentorship program. Data were collected through two focus group interviews, which were transcribed, analyzed, and compared for inter-coder agreement. The mentees gained knowledge related to the work life of academic librarians, job seeking, and workplace expectations. The mentors valued the experience because it promoted currency in the field, self-awareness, and reflection on practice. This research supports the need to emphasize internships and mentoring within the LIS curriculum.

This paper presents the results of a Delphi study conducted over a two-month period in 2011. The purpose of the study was to identify reference sources that should be covered in basic reference courses taught in LIS programs in the United States. The Delphi method was selected for its appropriateness in soliciting expert opinions and assessing the relative salience of issues and is considered appropriate for investigating questions that can benefit from subjective input from a group of highly qualified experts. The study included one pre-test round with six experts. After refining the instruments, four rounds were conducted using a panel of twelve experts. The panel of experts was composed of librarians in different types of libraries who have regular experience in providing reference services and reference instruction in LIS. Results show consensus and a high level of agreement on 54% of the resources presented to the list. In addition to the numeric data, the study includes qualitative comments from the experts that explain and justify their choices. A bibliography is included.

Introduction: This study investigates the information needs and information-seeking patterns of secondary level geography teachers in Lesotho to guide the design and implementation of an information service for these teachers. Leckie, Pettigrew and Sylvain's model of professionals' information-seeking served as a theoretical framework but was overlaid with other models such as that of Savolainen and Wilson. Method: Data were collected from in-service teachers through focus group discussions, prospective teachers with a questionnaire, and key actors in Lesotho's secondary geography education context through individual interviews. Analysis: The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to analyse the questionnaire responses. Content analysis was used to analyse the verbal responses as well as an open-ended question on the questionnaire. Triangulation was applied through using three sets of participants and different data collection techniques for each. It allowed comparative analysis of responses and data collection techniques used in the study. Results: The work environment of in-service geography teachers is revealed including their work roles, associated tasks, information needs and information-seeking patterns. An information service model for Lesotho secondary level geography teachers (including possible interventions) is proposed. Conclusions: Lesotho geography teachers need information to fulfil their work related roles and tasks that might be addressed through an information service. An implementation agency, information specialist(s) and collaborative approach to service delivery are crucial for the implementation and sustenance of the proposed information service. (Contains 7 figures.)

The major thrust of technical and vocational education (TVE) worldwide is to address issues of youth unemployment, poverty and international competitiveness in skills development towards current and projected opportunities and challenges. The paper posits that despite the evidence of numerous reforms in vocational and technical education programs over the years, they still remain greatly detested by students and parents in Nigeria as evidenced in low enrolment when compared with sciences, engineering, banking and finance, and medicine just to mention but a few. This may be because of lack of understanding of the importance, scope and content of the program or lack of occupational information. Some wrongly view technical and vocational education programs as education for the handicapped or education for those who cannot cope with the sciences and social sciences. This paper therefore, examines the factors responsible for low enrolment into technical and vocational education programs, its implications for Nigeria and suggests how career education and effective occupational information service can help to stem this trend. It is recommended that career education should be used to create the necessary career awareness and occupation information made readily to students to enable them make informed career choices.

Information behaviour studies have the potential to inform the design of effective information services that incorporate the information needs, information-seeking and preferences for information sources of target users; hence a doctoral study was conducted on the information behaviour of geography teachers in Lesotho with the aim of guiding the design and implementation of an information service model for these teachers. This paper focuses on the analysis of the information behaviour of geography teachers in Lesotho as a contribution of original knowledge on geography teachers' information behaviour. The analysis established the information behaviour of geography teachers using the information behaviour concept that encompasses information needs, information-seeking and information sources. Data were collected and analyzed through focus group discussions and conceptual content analysis respectively. The analysis reveals that these geography teachers need current and accurate information covering a variety of aspects in teaching and learning, such as content, pedagogy, classroom management and learners' assessment. Owing to the increasing number of orphans in schools as a result of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, most teachers expressed the need for information on social assistance for orphans and vulnerable children. Recommendations include information literacy training for teachers and access to the Internet in schools, including the use of open access journals on the Internet by the teachers.

Introduction: The paper attempts to understand value constellations in organising and using the business information service that was recently developed by various stakeholders with libraries who were in pursuit of supporting people's problem solving in Japanese public libraries. Method: In-depth interviews were conducted not only with users and librarians, but also with members from specialised organizations who participated in organising the service. Analysis: Tape-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed to identify how the new set of services were designed and implemented in collaboration with organizations. Because the analysis was aimed to identify values recognised by those involved in designing, managing and using the services, an ethnomethodological approach was adopted as the approach is appropriate for understanding practical reasoning embedded in activities. Results: Two approaches (i.e. value constellations) in designing the service were identified, one is reference service oriented approach, where the reference service is located at the centre of the business information service and its transformation is carried out; and the other is specialised service, programme-oriented approach, where the service is organized with more reliance on outside specialists. Different emphases on various values were also identified in using the business information service. Conclusions: Close examination of value constellations as part of organizing and using the service seem to be an appropriate way to systematically understand and inform the actual services in relation to the use of such services. (Contains 1 table.)

Introduction: This paper is about the challenges of working creatively and reflectively in the information-intensive environments characteristic of our digital age. Method: The paper builds upon earlier work about uncertainty in library and information science by incorporating work exploring risk cultures and uncertainty as everyday phenomena. It presents arguments emerging from an ongoing investigation of the background work involved in scholarly research practice. These threads are used to invite discussion about the particular strategic contribution that the ISIC community might make in answer to calls for more creativity and greater support for the human spirit in all that we do. Analysis: Ethnographic material about scholarly research practice is combined with varied research exploring creativity and uncertainty. Results: Analysis of conditions that can stimulate creativity suggests that working through and being in uncertainty provides a site of creativity stimulation that addresses Howkins's query about how and where we wish to do our thinking. Conclusions: As information researchers and practitioners, we can act as stewards within our communities and help shape the information services and infrastructures that support organisations and communities striving to be more creative and to engage with information in inventive ways.

Purpose: Information sharing is a relatively unexplored part of the information behaviour. The aim of this paper is to examine the research on the concept, as it appears in other bodies of literature and to draw out the key variables that appear to influence information sharing in different contexts. Methods: A literature review was carried out using the Scopus database, to identify the contexts and perspectives under which information sharing, information exchange or knowledge sharing has been discussed. Findings: A small number of key variables regularly appear in the information sharing literature. Some are limited to a particular context, e.g., sharing patient data in health care organizations, while others appear to have more general applicability. Four variables are identified that appear to be relatively common: trust, risk, reward (or benefit), and organizational proximity. Conclusion: The analysis presented could be employed both to guide an investigation into information sharing in organizations and to offer guidance to organizational management on the circumstances under which information sharing may take place readily, versus those circumstances under which sharing must be either negotiated or difficult to achieve. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)

Introduction: This paper presents an analysis of the Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) compared with other alternatives for thesaurus representation in the Semantic Web. Method: Based on functional and structural changes of thesauri, provides an overview of the current context in which lexical paradigm is abandoned in favour of the conceptual paradigm. Likewise are described briefly various initiatives for the representation of thesauri using RDF vocabularies and hence for application to the Semantic Web, with particular attention to SKOS. Analysis and Results: This brief comparison will allow us to know some highlights of these proposals to raise those transcendental aspects in a model representing thesauri. SKOS includes the main proposal of this model, which organizes the concepts into diagrams and libraries. The notions of descriptors and non-descriptors terms are replaced by the association to the concepts of preferred and alternative labels and may be defined hierarchical or associative relationships between concepts. SKOS also provides for the establishment of correspondence relations between concepts belonging to different conceptual schemes. Conclusions: In accordance with the extent to which this series of requirements is fulfilled, we propose and defend the SKOS option as the best alternative for the development of multiple applications focusing on the use of thesauri in Web-based information services and systems, highlighting the advantages of this model over others proposed and in consideration of the user perspective in management, search and information query operations. (Contains 8 tables and 9 figures.)

Introduction: In this paper we propose a multi-agent Selective Dissemination of Information service to improve the research community's access to digital library resources. The service also provides a new recommendation approach to satisfy researchers' specific information requirements. Method: The service model is developed by jointly applying Semantic Web technologies (used to define rich descriptions of resources and a concept scheme that helps in indexing and retrieving tasks), fuzzy linguistic modelling techniques (both ordinal and 2-tuple-based approaches, that allow us to flexibly represent and handle information that is subject to a certain degree of uncertainty), as well as content-based and collaborative filtering techniques. Analysis: An experiment has been carried out to test the performance of the proposed model using a prototype and several experts have been asked to assess the recommendations provided by the system. Results: The outcomes of the experiment reveal that the proposed model is feasible and efficient in terms of precision and recall. Conclusions: Semantic Web technologies and fuzzy linguistic modelling provide the means to develop value-added services for digital libraries, which improve users' access to resources of interest to them. Furthermore, the recommendation approach here proposed allows researchers to satisfy specific information needs not covered by traditional recommender systems. (Contains 7 figures and 3 tables.)

Literature on business information literacy primarily focuses on business students. This paper instead explores business information literacy for students in liberal arts colleges: aside from career preparation, are there reasons to teach them to grapple critically with business information? This paper brings together survey findings, concepts from critical information theory, and the "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education" developed by the Association of Colleges and Research Libraries to bear on this question. It argues that business information is a powerful genre for teaching core concepts central to both information literacy and liberal arts: critical inquiry, authority, access, incentives, rhetorical practices, and more.

This study examines how academic librarians at the Complutense University (Spain) perceive project management techniques that are becoming increasingly popular in library and information centers due to the need to comply with their strategic planning and services. To reach this goal, a quantitative and qualitative methodology was applied and a survey, in the form of a questionnaire, was used as a data gathering tool. The response rate was 31.2%. The key findings are based on respondents' education regarding project management skills and their expertise managing projects, as well as the presence of project management courses in the Library and Information Science Spanish curriculum. This study revealed that over one third of the academic staff completed their project management training by self-directed learning. Additionally, over half of them stated that they had not participated in any library project in the last five years, and almost half of the library staff concluded that project management techniques are quite important as formal courses in the Library and Information Science university programs. The study is interesting and revealing for those library and information services professionals who are facing day-to-day to users' demands and Library and Information Science challenges.

Websites are a critical tool for sport participants to seek logistical information prior to arriving at a facility. Given the challenge in accommodating mobility disabilities, research exploring how outdoor sport facilities, such as golf courses, precommunicate accommodation information via hosted websites is warranted. This study assessed website accommodation communication by nonprivate golf courses. To create a context and comparison, the researchers also collected data for commercial sport facilities. Of 268 nonprivate Indiana golf courses hosting websites, only two (< 1%) included Web-based accessibility announcements. Of 10 Indiana commercial sport facilities hosting websites, six included Web-based accessibility announcements (60%). Perceptions of undue burden and targeting the active-aging community inform the discussion of research results.

In 1932, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis debuted a series of fifty educational lending cases. The cases, constructed by museum staff from duplicate or donated materials, covered a variety of topics in the areas of natural and social sciences. While never specifically referred to as intercultural programming or intercultural education, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, with the help of artists from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Museums Extension Project (MEP), developed a variety of special exhibits, programs, and lending materials focused on the peoples, craftwork, and customs of foreign nations. They distributed these country-lending cases to schools and civic organizations during the 1930s and early 1940s as part of their extension program. The content of the cases and director's reports provide insight into how one museum incorporated the basic ideals of intercultural education into its programming. This article introduces the cases and lending program, briefly outlines the educational goals of museums in the early twentieth century, identifies key components of the intercultural education movement, and concludes with a discussion of how the programming at the Indianapolis Children's Museum fits into the larger movements of the 1930s. Ultimately, the study of the intercultural programming created by the Children's Museum helps broaden understanding of the strengths and limits of the intercultural education movement as it occurred outside of the traditional classroom.

Modern academic libraries tend to provide services beyond traditional lending, reference, and enquiry services. Many are converged with other professional or student-focussed services such as IT, student services, academic support, or such learning resources as multimedia or print services -- often co-located in space and management structure. At its optimum, this convergence can foster cross-institution working and enable Library services visibility in institution strategy alongside other business continuity services (e.g., student records, Finance, HR). Conversely, the structure could bury Library services, relegating them to the 'always there, not a problem' box. The visibility of Library services within the converged structure, of course, is dependent on whether the Library leader has influence at the executive table. Through the prism of the McKinsey 7S framework, this article reflects on the convergence of Library, IT, Multimedia Services including classroom management, and Print Services at SOAS University of London and examines the process of bringing together staff with varying professional identities and grades to work as a cohesive team delivering front-line, customer-focussed services. The article also reflects on how taking a multidisciplinary approach to providing institution support enabled the Customer Services and Operations (CSOps) team to influence institution strategy on space development for learning, teaching, and research support.

A content analysis of "JLSC"'s publications in 2007-2016 was conducted to investigate its publication patterns and research topics. Elements such as article titles, keywords, authors' affiliations, titles, disciplines, author collaboration and grant-funded projects were coded and examined. Findings indicate that libraries, information services, cataloging and classification, knowledge management and information retrieval were the most frequently discussed topics. Over 50% of the authors were LIS faculty members with librarian practitioners and LIS graduate students each representing about one-quarter of the total authorship. The percentage of case studies was not significant. Over half of the articles resulted from grant-funded projects. Collaborative writing was active.

Introduction: Presents a personal account of the transfer to open access of the leading Canadian journal of sociology. Background: The Canadian Journal of Sociology had established a strong position, internationally, among sociology journals. However, subscriptions were falling as readers increasingly accessed the resource through libraries and a transfer of editorship occasioned an opportunity for a radical re-assessment. Rationale for open access: Following something of a personal struggle on the part of the Editor, the rationale for open access, that is, increasing the visibility and use of the journal, was accepted. Support from the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council becomes more central to economic viability. Conclusion: Converting a scholarly print journal from toll-based to open access cannot be undertaken without serious consideration of all elements of the publishing and editing processes, but the benefits to scholarship are expected to be real. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

At the University of Birmingham, Information Services, together with the Staff Development Unit and the Learning Development Unit have been working together to set up a number of initiatives to support staff to use WebCT to underpin its learning and teaching strategy within a flexible framework. The framework seeks to invest in developing appropriate skills and training for University staff to ensure that the quality of the content and the communication tools within the WebCT environment are fully exploited to enhance the student learning experience. Developments include the establishment of an e-Learning module, team based projects from the Learning Development Unit and a WebCT training and support pathway.

Objective: To examine cultural barriers and participant solutions regarding acceptance and uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine from the perspective of Black African, White-Caribbean, Arab, Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani young people. Methods: In total, 40 young people from minority ethnic communities in Scotland took part in a qualitative study, involving seven focus groups and four paired interviews, to explore their views and experiences of the HPV vaccine. Using critical discursive psychology, the analysis focused on young people's accounts of barriers and enablers to information, access and uptake of the HPV vaccination programme. Results: Participants suggested innovative strategies to tackle intergenerational concerns, information design and accessibility, and public health communications across diverse contexts. A cross-cultural community engagement model was developed, embracing diversity and contradiction across different ethnic groups. This included four inter-related strategies: providing targeted and flexible information for young people, vaccine provision across the life-course, intergenerational information and specific cross-cultural communications. Conclusion: This is the first HPV cross-cultural model inductively derived from accounts of young people from different ethnic communities. We recommend public health practitioners and policymakers consider using the processes and strategies within this model to increase dialogue around public engagement, awareness and receptivity towards HPV vaccination.

The value of evidence-based policy is well established, yet major hurdles remain in connecting policymakers with the wider research community. Here we assess whether a UK Evidence Information Service (EIS) could facilitate interaction between parliamentarians and research professionals. Fifty-six UK parliamentarians were interviewed to gauge the challenges of working with evidence and the potential utility of an EIS. Grounded theory analysis identified several barriers to evidence-based policymaking, however 85% of parliamentarians supported the EIS, preferring a rapid, impartial, concise, and optionally confidential service. We conclude that an EIS integrated with existing parliamentary systems could enhance dialogue between policymakers and researchers.

Library quality is no longer evaluated solely on the value of its collections, as user perceptions of service quality play an increasingly important role in defining overall library value. This paper presents a retooling of the LibQUAL+ survey instrument, blending the gap measurement model with perceptual congruence model studies from information systems management research. The new survey instrument redefines service desk assessment by taking into consideration the perspectives of both service users and of service providers, to help service providers gain a more robust sense of service quality.

While some Canadian universities have a long history in the provision of data services, that was not the norm in Canada, especially in small universities and colleges. To maximize the use of data by students and researchers in academia, it was evident that increased education, resources, and tools were required to support those delivering data services on their campuses. To this end, the Data Liberation Initiative (DLI) Survival Guide was designed as a comprehensive reference tool, which complements an established regional training curriculum, whereby enabling librarians to effectively fulfill their role as a DLI Contact in their academic institutions. This case study will examine the history, current state, and recommended future direction of the Survival Guide. This article will also examine the challenges in understanding the drivers shaping academic service delivery and the ways in which the guide has evolved to remain current to the needs of the Canadian data community.

Brittany Brannon is an MLIS candidate in the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University. In this essay, she makes an argument for incorporating a rhetorical approach when assisting students with their information seeking and use. A rhetorical approach focuses on how the student will use the information they seek, and thus emphasizes identifying the context, purpose, audience, situation, appeals, and genre required to complete the rhetorical act. Brannon argues that incorporating these ideas in reference and instruction service can help guide students as they seek, select, and evaluate information.

"portal: Libraries and the Academy" has as its mission to address library and information services in a campus-wide context, focusing on librarians' engagement with learning services, joint technology initiatives, cross-disciplinary and cross-functional research, faculty partnerships, and scholarly publishing and public policy, but encouraging research that results from innovative collaborations or that shows the integrative potential of libraries with other campus units has been challenging. Fostering writing that brings together authors from different disciplines or academic functions, however, derives directly from the shared thinking and leadership that goes into creating a campus project or organization. At every turn, we talk about needing such projects to reshape our universities to meet pedagogical demands and resource challenges, but it is still surprisingly difficult to bring such initiatives to fruition in an ongoing way. How can we incentivize sustainable innovation within our existing traditional academic environments? In 2016, three separate national, invitational gatherings highlighted and sought to expand campus and scholarly collaborations on new models of information services that can advance research and teaching in today's interdisciplinary and multi-institutional contexts. The three meetings discussed in this article include the following: (1) Academic Art Museum and Library Summit; (2) Publishers Reporting to Libraries (P2L) Summit; and (3) Open Scholarship Initiative. The meetings had distinctive emphases--museums, university presses, and scientific publishing--and libraries had a leading role in all three. The author was present at all three and offers summaries of the presentations and the issues addressed.

To better understand the value of current information services and to forecast the evolving information and data management needs of researchers, a study was conducted at two research-intensive universities. The methodology and planning framework applied by health science librarians at Emory University and The Ohio State University focused on identifying the need for new or retooled information services supporting health and biomedical researchers and their increasing use of digital resources. The lessons learned and outcomes described herein are informing the development and implementation of new information service models and can help forecast changing user needs across the broader library community.