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Purpose: This study aims to determine the requirements and find out the challenges for the use of digital library services for rural areas of Capricorn District Municipality, Limpopo province. The research questions of the study are: What are the requirements for the use of digital library services in rural areas of Capricorn District Municipality? What are the challenges of accessing digital library services in rural areas? Design/methodology/approach: Data was analysed thematically and deductively in this study, as researcher required to accomplish the purpose of the study through consistent structure (Zalaghi and Khazaei, 2016). In deductive analysis, the researcher starts with a set of categories, which are then used to categorize and organize data (Bertram and Christiansen, 2020). The researcher got familiar with data from the interviewing process and when transcribing data from audio tape. The transcription process was done for the coding purposes. Coding allows the researcher to simplify and focus on specific characteristics of data. Findings: The study findings advocate for the establishment of digital libraries in rural areas. The library authorities are challenged to adapt digital ways of information provision. Since librarians have been providing digital content in libraries for use on users' laptops and other gadgets, this implies that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has been lagging behind in finding innovative ways to provide information, especially in rural areas. To successfully keep libraries as sources of information, transformative measures have to be taken, and where possible, revisit the policies and keep drifting with the societal changes. The library authorities have to delve into new ways of providing LIS to the communities. Unquestionably, information and communication technologies have penetrated our societies and became a way of life. In addition, there are unlimited benefits which can be derived from digital technologies, especially given the lack of physical libraries in rural areas. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, the academic research is original and has not been published anywhere before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the realm of literature about personalization of digital library services. This paper focuses on users' unique needs and will identify different types of personalized services. Therefore, this study has identified different types of services personalization in the context of digital academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach: In this research, the systematic review method has been used to obtain the relevant indicators of different types of personalization in the context of libraries. To explain basic indicators, a Delphi method has been used. The Delphi panel's members consisted of 15 experts (faculty members, researchers, professional users and software designers). A purposeful sampling and the Delphi fulfillment process were performed in three rounds. After collecting data, descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), inferential statistics (binomial distribution test) and the Kendall coordination coefficient were used to determine the consensus rate among experts. Findings: A total of 103 indicators were extracted for different types of personalization through a systematic literature review. Of these, 90 indicators were considered significant in the experts' view. Generally, content personalization, interactive personalization, collaborative personalization and information retrieval personalization are the main components of personalization types, each of which has its own indicators. Originality/value: This study has dealt with the issue of what is personalized in the context of digital academic library. The findings should be helpful and effective in the development of a holistic view on personalization of services in digital libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Research support services (RSS) is an emerging and popular area in university libraries, whose increasing importance has been well documented since the early 2010s. This study aims to identify the status of RSS provided in the university libraries of Pakistan and to compare the results with relevant international studies. The research also reports on the perception of librarians regarding the application of RSS in Pakistani university libraries. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative survey was conducted of the chief librarians/head librarians working in the 175 university libraries of Pakistan. A structured questionnaire was designed and pre-tested with national and international research experts, faculty members and library professionals. SPSS was used to calculate descriptive statistics. Results of the study were compared with previous literature from an international perspective. Findings: Results of the study indicated that most of the university libraries are providing basic RSS and that they have good collections of both general and subject-specific works to meet the needs of researchers. Most respondents not only were interested in providing RSS but also emphasized that libraries should upgrade their collection to meet researchers' requirements. However, results of the study also indicated that there was noticeably less support for both the more advanced and newer research support services. Practical implications: Because the delivery of RSS enables libraries to help meet a university's strategic research goals, the findings will be of interest to university library and information science executives, policymakers and administration. The suggested recommendations highlight those service areas which are most in need of improvement. Originality/value: This research provides an updated perspective on the delivery of research support services by university libraries in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Blockchain technology is a distributed and decentralized public digital ledger, which is employed to save dynamic transaction data and static records across several computers so that each record could not be modified retroactively without the collusion of the network and alteration of all subsequent blocks. Recently, it has become immensely popular in digital resource sharing in different research areas such as healthcare, smart cities, cryptocurrency and libraries. Since the current eLibrary systems are vulnerable to issues such as unauthorized access, plagiarism, etc., there is a lack of access control system that can efficiently address these issues. Design/methodology/approach: The authors designed a conceptual model for evaluating the users' intention in the use of blockchain-based digital libraries, which can facilitate the resource organization and provide additional security to interactive processes between users. To conduct our survey, the authors devised and shared two versions, English and Chinese, among 298 participants. Moreover, 7 PhD students participated in the pre-testing of the questioner design. The authors analyzed the demographic data using the Jamovi software and SmartPLS in order to generate the path modeling. Findings: This study revealed that blockchain technology adaption in eLibraries is essential for enhancing the quality of services, infrastructure and resources for libraries. The study's results show that optimism, informativeness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude and intention to use blockchain technology for accessing digital resources in libraries. Originality/value: This study contributes to the adoption of blockchain technology in the digital library. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this work is the first empirical attempt to provide a new perspective of developing digital libraries based on security policies. This model shows the underpinning knowledge to manage digital resources, which can facilitate the design phases and enhance the management costs in eLibraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to show the quality control process and techniques of an open-source digital library (DL)/institutional repository (IR) in an institution. It will also demonstrate the challenges for quality control of a digital library in an institution. Design/methodology/approach: It will explain metadata quality control and structural quality control and some matters that are important for an ideal IR. It also describes data migration from one repository to another. Findings: Metadata without quality is just junk. Library personnel should have adequate library science educational qualifications to do the DL work. Non-professionals may create junk in the IR. Quality control can ensure the standard of a digital IR. Originality/value: This study drowns upon the practical experience of DSpace quality control of a private university library in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the user satisfaction criterion for qualitative assessment of timeliness and efficacy of digital libraries based on the multivariate fuzzy logic technique. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, the performance of digital library services using fuzzy logic modeling are evaluated. This model based on fuzzy logic control is used to compute the dynamic response of users by using multiple independent variables. These parameters with inherent uncertainties in practical scenarios are characterized by fuzzy linguistic information. Findings: Several parameters determining the user satisfaction metric in the deployment of digital library exhibit implicit uncertainties which can be intelligently modeled by means of fuzzy control systems. Given the sample data set for the proposed fuzzy multi-attribute decision-making framework, the simulation results are used to compute various error performance measures in the estimation of the fuzzy output variables. Research limitations/implications: The size of the considered sample data set is considerably small. Scalable real-world data sets can be used to reinforce the statistical efficiency and accuracy of the proposed model. Moreover, other techniques such as evolutionary multi-objective optimization and the Markovian process can be implemented to explore the efficient correlation between different parameters influencing the users' behavior and facilitate the general application of the proposed technique. Originality/value: The paper applied a fuzzy design methodology in which several attributes related to the service of digital library and the affiliated online resource provisions are used to assess their synchronous impact on user convenience in accessing and manipulating the library information. End-users' satisfaction is crucial for quality-based valuation of compliance with the time limitations and proficiency of digital libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As the revolution of information takes place, industrialized societies are going to become information societies. Developing countries such as Pakistan are going to change due to technology and, in turn, transform the whole structure of libraries. The concept of digital libraries (DL) has emerged due to technological advancements. This study aims to highlight the factors that encourage and discourage the use of the Higher Education Commission's (HEC) National Digital Library (NDL). Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research approach was selected for the investigation, while the data collection instrument was a questionnaire. Postgraduate research students were the population of the study. A convenient sampling technique was used for sample selection. Findings: The results of the study indicated that the use of HEC (NDL) was frequent monthly. The display of search results, 24/7 access, the authenticity of items, availability of navigational assistance and up-to-date information encourage researchers to use DL. However, their preference for print material over electronic material, slow downloading speed of the internet and non-availability of older and archival publications were the common reasons for the low use of DL. Furthermore, there are significant differences in terms of using the NDL based on gender, the program of study and the stage of the study. Originality/value: This study will contribute significantly to the literature from the developing countries and would also helpful for HEC (NDL) authorities and university libraries to design information services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a model for automated classification of old digitised texts to the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC), using machine-learning methods. Design/methodology/approach: The general research approach is inherent to design science research, in which the problem of UDC assignment of the old, digitised texts is addressed by developing a machine-learning classification model. A corpus of 70,000 scholarly texts, fully bibliographically processed by librarians, was used to train and test the model, which was used for classification of old texts on a corpus of 200,000 items. Human experts evaluated the performance of the model. Findings: Results suggest that machine-learning models can correctly assign the UDC at some level for almost any scholarly text. Furthermore, the model can be recommended for the UDC assignment of older texts. Ten librarians corroborated this on 150 randomly selected texts. Research limitations/implications: The main limitations of this study were unavailability of labelled older texts and the limited availability of librarians. Practical implications: The classification model can provide a recommendation to the librarians during their classification work; furthermore, it can be implemented as an add-on to full-text search in the library databases. Social implications: The proposed methodology supports librarians by recommending UDC classifiers, thus saving time in their daily work. By automatically classifying older texts, digital libraries can provide a better user experience by enabling structured searches. These contribute to making knowledge more widely available and useable. Originality/value: These findings contribute to the field of automated classification of bibliographical information with the usage of full texts, especially in cases in which the texts are old, unstructured and in which archaic language and vocabulary are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the user satisfaction criterion for qualitative assessment of timeliness and efficacy of digital libraries based on the multivariate fuzzy logic technique. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, the performance of digital library services using fuzzy logic modeling are evaluated. This model based on fuzzy logic control is used to compute the dynamic response of users by using multiple independent variables. These parameters with inherent uncertainties in practical scenarios are characterized by fuzzy linguistic information. Findings: Several parameters determining the user satisfaction metric in the deployment of digital library exhibit implicit uncertainties which can be intelligently modeled by means of fuzzy control systems. Given the sample data set for the proposed fuzzy multi-attribute decision-making framework, the simulation results are used to compute various error performance measures in the estimation of the fuzzy output variables. Research limitations/implications: The size of the considered sample data set is considerably small. Scalable real-world data sets can be used to reinforce the statistical efficiency and accuracy of the proposed model. Moreover, other techniques such as evolutionary multi-objective optimization and the Markovian process can be implemented to explore the efficient correlation between different parameters influencing the users' behavior and facilitate the general application of the proposed technique. Originality/value: The paper applied a fuzzy design methodology in which several attributes related to the service of digital library and the affiliated online resource provisions are used to assess their synchronous impact on user convenience in accessing and manipulating the library information. End-users' satisfaction is crucial for quality-based valuation of compliance with the time limitations and proficiency of digital libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the level of awareness and usage of open source digital repository software (DRS). The paper also studies the factors, which influence the level of awareness and usage of different open source DRS by academic librarians in India. Design/methodology/approach: The study administered an online questionnaire to academic librarians in India to know their level of awareness and usage of open source DRS. The questionnaire aimed to gather the awareness and usage of open source DSR. In total, 374 complete responses were collected from academic librarians in India and the collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Moreover, Fishers' exact test was used to identify whether factors i.e. qualification and participation in workshop/seminar influence the level of awareness and usage of open source DRS. Findings: The results of the study reveal that the level of awareness and usage of open source DRS, namely, DSpace (Mean = 2.92, SD = 0.906) and Greenstone digital library software (GSDL) (Mean = 2.18, SD = 0.699) are high amongst the academic librarians in India. In total, 33.4%, 11.5% of the participants are using DSpace and GSDL, respectively, on regular basis. Fishers' exact test shows that factor(s) i.e. qualifications and participation in workshop/seminar affect the level of awareness and usage of open source DRS. The results show that there exits strong relation between participation in workshop/seminar and awareness and usage of DSpace (Fishers' exact test = 13.473, p < 0.05). Originality/value: This paper is the new type of study exploring level of awareness and usage of open source DRS by academic librarians in India. It identifies the factors that affect the awareness and usage of open source DRS. It is the first study to analyze the statistical significance between Indian librarians' participation in workshop/seminar and their level of awareness and usage of different open source DRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between lecturers' ability to identify the extent of information need, access information and utilization of digital library resources in Federal Universities, Southern Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: Correlational research design was adopted. The population of the study comprised 6,653 lecturers' with a sample size of 665 selected through proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Instruments for data collection were cognitive test and questionnaire used for utilization of digital library resources. Kuder–Richardson method was used to establish the internal reliability coefficient, yielding the score 0.77, 0.78, respectively, and Cronbach alpha for questionnaire yielding 0.81. Data collected were analyzed using the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. In testing the hypotheses, p-value was used to determine the level of significance at the 0.05 alpha level. Findings: The results show low positive relationship between abilities to identify the extent of information, access information in the utilization of digital library resources. The hypotheses were rejected, indicating a positive relationship between abilities to identify extent of information need, access information and utilization of digital library resources. Originality/value: The findings of this study provide novel facts that help to clarify existing uncertainties and ambiguity in the link between some elements of information literacy and the use of digital library resources in developing economies such as Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to identify the critical success factors of the continued usage of digital library (DL) successful implementation from the perspective of users with organisation support factors as key antecedents. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the extensive literature review, this study has constructed a conceptual framework based on organisational support perspectives and updated Delone and McLean's information system success model. A pilot study was carried out on a sample of 105 respondents from military-context. A survey instrument including 22 measurement items was designed to identify the level of DL information system (IS) successful implementation practices in military context. Descriptive statistical analysis and reliability analysis were used to analyse the data with SPSS software. Findings: The findings indicate that training and education, DL environment and communication support, continuation of usage intention, net benefits and user satisfaction are the critical success factors that play key role in ensuring the continued usage DL successful implementation in military context. The military-context DL needs to obtain critical success factors of DL practices implementation to sustain its continued usage, particularly for the active users of its members. Research limitations/implications: This study only considered the military personnel who have visited the five main military libraries. For practical implications, the development of instruments in this study may be valuable tools to evaluate DL in other DL settings in Malaysian context other than academic settings. Originality/value: This study makes a new contribution to DL IS successful implementation practices in military context. This study also provides important information for decision-makers involved in DL IS successful implementation practices and provides useful reference for future researchers in this research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to propose the development of formal (scientific content) and informal (content for science communication) educational activities in an inclusive and safe way, involving two essential elements, virtual reality (VR) and the digital library; as well as the implications for its enforcement such as educational strategies in the university setting and for the encouragement of scientific culture in society. Design/methodology/approach: For the integration of content, a simplified conceptual model was designed first, in which universities and research centers are seen as complex systems where different subsystems, from which processes and information resources are derived, converge. To cover the model's elements, a descriptive documentary review was developed, looking to synthesize each element's contexts and implications. Findings: The need to establish transdisciplinary relationships between the VR and the digital library is determined with the goal to integrate educational activities using technology, with the purpose of studying contents from the scientific point of view, as well as with the possibility of transforming them into contexts of general access for society, with the objective of social appropriation of knowledge, citizen science and social innovation. In the conclusion section, some implications in the implementation of this type of initiatives are presented. Originality/value: The aspects that set this paper apart are: treating VR as emerging documents tending to measure their direct impact, not as isolated elements of a collection; identifying the digital library's social influence actions through VR; and generating processes to encourage the creation of contents with a differentiated focus according to the population served. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Based on a comparison with different realities, analysis of the situation of libraries in line with International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) policies and directives. Design/methodology/approach: The method used for the following paper is that of a remote interview. Findings: The expected results will emerge from the debate that can be raised from this paper. Research limitations/implications: The IFLA guidelines have international value but are implemented according to the context of the individual country, not always in a uniform manner. Originality/value: The interview reveals the formality of the contents through the informality of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the usability of the National Library of Turkey website developed for all citizens in the country to retrieve information available in a wide range of areas.Design/methodology/approach The evaluation performed by 57 undergraduate university students involved the identification and analysis of usability problems in the selected website. The assessment process was mainly based on Nielsen’s Heuristics. The data obtained in the evaluation process were enriched using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the Net Promoter Score (NPS) to conduct a more detailed analysis.Findings The participants identified many usability problems concerning the evaluated website and considered it as having low usability characteristics. The most violated heuristic item was found to be “consistency and standards” whereas the least violated heuristic item was “match between system and the real world.” The total number of the usability problems in heuristic evaluation correlated significantly and negatively with the SUS and the NPS results indicating that the more participants identified usability problems, the less they considered the website as usable and recommendable.Research limitations/implications The participants were not usability experts, however they were selected from among the students who received the Human Computer Interaction course to ensure that they had sufficient information and experience concerning the evaluation of a website with heuristics. Besides, the study was limited to a small number of university students. The implication is that results of this study have potential to guide libraries, which plan to adapt themselves to the digital world by delivering web services, by addressing critical points influencing users’ points of views toward library websites and their usability evaluation result.Practical implications Depending on the changes in user habits regarding the retrieval of information, libraries have made considerable investments in web technologies to meet their users’ demands, and recently, digital libraries have begun to take over physical libraries. Users always need to perform tasks efficiently, effectively and satisfactorily when using websites. As one of the most crucial sources of digital materials, library websites are expected to have usable characteristics that satisfactorily meet user requirements. Therefore, the practical implication is that the findings of the study will guide designers, developers and practitioners in the development of library websites.Originality/value In the context of usability evaluation of digital libraries, this is the first study to analyze effects of usability problems identified by users during the heuristic inspection on their overall evaluation score and willingness to recommend the website to their friends or colleagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purposes of this paper are to understand the user information seeking (IS) process under a new service system, to explore how users construct strategies and to identify the influences of the new service system on the IS process and behaviour.Design/methodology/approach A quality research study design that included questionnaires survey, observation, thinking-aloud and interviews was employed. In all, 20 participants from 12 social science disciplines at Sichuan University, Chengdu, China were observed using the proposed Discovery Service system. The user IS process characteristics and taxonomy were analysed, and the stages matrix of IS under new system was built.Findings Users’ IS processes under the new system proved to be very complex. The features of three process stages, i.e. searching, scanning and verifying stages, and four different behaviour patterns were identified. Moreover, characteristics of IS behaviour under the new service system were described.Originality/value User IS behaviour was addressed in a new service system context in this study, as has seldom been done in previous IS research. A comprehensive and user-centred understanding of users’ exploratory practices in a new service system context was obtained, which will inform the development of information services for digital libraries. In addition, it indicated that the uncertainty of the IS process should be addressed by considering the relationships among IS, information retrieval and user-computer interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to present a solution for building an institutional information system (IIS) for the university, so that it combines the functionality of institutional repository (IR) with the functionality of current research information system (CRIS). The paper presents functionality of a system that has been implemented at Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), which solves the requirements of both system types. In addition, applied AI technologies aiming at providing features attractive for the system beneficiaries are presented. Design/methodology/approach -- The authors have reviewed various approaches to IIS, analyzed the problems observed by researchers in combining CRIS with IR, and have shown how the problems can be solved within a system that integrates various functionalities. Based on this analysis, the authors have implemented software Ω-ΨR (OMEGA-PSIR) for an academic IIS, which integrates requirements of both system types, and then deployed it at WUT. Findings -- It is shown that although a classical repository is an important part of the CRIS/IR system, the essential value of the solution is in providing analytical tools for "research management." Based on the example of OMEGA-PSIR, the authors have also presented how the researcher-centric approach influences the acceptance rate of the academic community. It is also shown how the researcher-centric approach can take advantage from integrating the conflicting functionalities of IR and CRIS. Practical implications -- The paper bridges the gap between theory and practice in the area of IIS for academic institutions. It constructively discusses the role of institutional IR and it provides guides how to develop a system combining functionalities of CRIS and IR, as well as how to make IIS more attractive for the users by making the system researcher centric. Originality/value -- The survey of various approaches to IIS is unique. The research-centric approach and its implementation within OMEGA-PSIR system are original. Lessons learned from deploying the software at the WUT are of great value for institutions planning to install IR/CRIS solutions. A survey research concerning the system usability is provided, showing practical usefulness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Systems to support literature review (LR) and manuscript preparation tend to focus on only one or two of the tasks involved. The purpose of this paper is to describe an intervention framework that redesigns a particular set of tasks, allowing for interconnectivity between the tasks and providing appropriate user interface display features for each task in a prototype system.Design/methodology/approach A user evaluation study was conducted on the prototype system. The system supports the three tasks: building a reading list (RL) of research papers, finding similar papers based on a set of papers and shortlisting papers from the final RL for inclusion in manuscript based on article type. A total of 119 researchers who had experience in authoring research papers, participated in the evaluation study. They had to select one of the provided 43 topics and execute the tasks offered by the system. Three questionnaires were provided for evaluating the tasks and system. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed on the collected evaluation data.Findings Task redesign aspects had a positive impact in user evaluation for the second task of finding similar papers while improvement was found to be required for the first and third tasks. The tasks interconnectivity features seed basket and RL were helpful for the participants in conveniently searching for papers within the system. Two of the four proposed informational display features, namely, information cue labels and shared co-relations were the most preferred features of the system. Student user group found the task recommendations and the overall system to be more useful and effective than the staff group.Originality/value This study validates the importance of interconnected task design and novel informational display features in accentuating task-based recommendations for LR and manuscript preparatory tasks. The potential for improvement in recommendations was shown through the task redesign exercise where new requirements for the tasks were identified. The resultant prototype system helps in bridging the gap between novices and experts in terms of LR skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a scale involving the factors affecting usage of e-resources.Design/methodology/approach The present study identifies five factors affecting the usage of e-resources: training modes, awareness, influencers, utilitarian benefits, and experiential and hedonic benefits. To generate measurement items, two focus group discussions were carried out which resulted in 20 items. To empirically ensure reliability and validity of scale, data were collected from 347 postgraduate students actively using e-resources. To test reliability of scale, internal consistency reliability and construct reliability were examined. The construct validity of scale (which includes convergent validity and discriminant validity) was verified through confirmatory factor analysis using structure equation modeling.Findings Findings of the study present a statistically reliable and valid scale consisting of five factors and 18 items.Originality/value The present study is one of the distinctive studies on introducing a scale employing factors affecting usage of e-resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review and describe the teamwork, collaboration and learning experiences involved in meeting the unique challenges of establishing a new digital library for Syriac collections. The eBetharké Syriac Digital Library Portal is a collaborative effort between the libraries at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and the Beth Mardutho Syriac Institute, a traditional library of texts, to create a specialized digital library collection online. This digital library features content in and relating to Syriac, an Aramaic dialect spoken in the first century A.D. and for which a great deal of historically significant documents was written during the period.Design/methodology/approach This task required effort and research on multiple fronts, including software development; collaboration on technical, interpersonal and policy-based levels; and in overcoming challenges related to the predominant computing platforms installed and in use by potential users of this digital library.Findings This collaboration provided significant new challenges and learning experiences among the staff who worked on this project and provides a base upon which our digital library platforms can diversify and be more culturally aware.Social implications There have been increasing calls within the academic community for better support in the technological space for this and other contemporary languages of the region. Creation of such a platform and expanding it significantly would benefit scholars of Middle Eastern texts in much the same way digital repositories have revolutionized online text access for the Western world.Originality/value The project is unique in that it is believed to the first production-level, digital preservation-specific Syriac digital library of its kind. It supports the display of metadata and descriptive details for digital library objects not just in English, but in Arabic and Syriac languages as well, where appropriate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of user satisfaction in the context of academic web digital library (DL). A model based on the re-specified information system success model was developed and tested using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. Design/methodology/approach - The study employed survey research methodology with self-administered questionnaire as the research instrument. The questionnaire was developed based on the instruments used by previous researchers. The population of the study was students enrolled for the bachelor's degree in the Faculty of Information Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. These students were chosen because of researcher's easy access to the sampling frame. Descriptive analysis and inferential analysis which include SEM were executed using IBM SPSS and AMOS statistical software. Findings - The findings indicate that information quality, systems quality, service quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and cognitive absorption are significant predictor of users' satisfaction with the web DL. Research limitations/implications - Instead of collecting data from students from various faculties, this study only covered students enrolled in one faculty. In the same light, as the respondents were from one faculty, they only report their experience of using one DL. Given these limitations, the results obtained are narrowed in terms of generalizability. The second limitation of the study is related to the predictor variables which only focussed on six variables only. Practical implications - From the practical viewpoint, the instrument that has been developed can be used as a diagnostic tool for continuous improvements of the DL. Originality/value - From the theoretical viewpoint, the study has developed an empirical based framework that depicts critical factors influencing DL satisfaction. Researchers specializing on the assessment of DL effectiveness can consider adopting the framework for future studies. Alternatively, the framework can be further extended by integrating other variables such as users' characteristics or organizational characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Scholars rely on electronic databases to conduct searches and locate relevant citations. The purpose of this paper is to compare the retrieval results on the same topic (multiple sclerosis and liberation therapy) of two commonly used databases for searching print news media: ProQuest’s Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies and Dow Jones’ Factiva. Design/methodology/approach – A case study comparing two electronic searchable databases using the same keywords, date range, and newspaper-specific search parameters across three Canadian university institutions. Findings – Considerable differences were found between institutional searches using Factiva. Factiva allows all individual users the capacity to establish systems-wide “administrator” privileges, thereby controlling the output for subsequent users if these preferences are not changed. The capacity for individual users to tailor searches within Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies was more in line with standard protocols for institutions paying for single user accounts with access to multiple sessions within that same institution: any user-specific searching/retrieval preferences are individually contained within a search and do not influence the searches of a different user. Research limitations/implications – What began as a comparative analysis of two commonly used databases for searching print news media turned into an examination of larger systemic problems. The findings call into question several factors: the integrity of a researcher-generated data set; the quality of results published in peer-reviewed journals based on researcher-generated data sets derived from established e-resource databases; the reliability of the same e-resource database across multiple institutions; and the quality of e-resource databases for scholarly research when developed to serve primarily non-academic clients. Originality/value – No comparison of this kind for these particular e-resource databases has been documented in the literature. In fact, the scholarly publications that address questions of functionality and reliability of either Factiva or Proquest have not brought this issue into the discussion. Therefore, this study furthers academic discourse on the nature and reliability of database use at any academic institution and illustrates that researchers, in a variety of academic fields, cannot depend on the reliability of their search results without thoroughly consulting the various settings of their database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- Conducting academic searches within online digital libraries can be a difficult task due to the complexity of the searcher's information need. The interfaces for such digital libraries commonly use simple search features that provide limited support for the fundamental strategies that academic searchers employ. The authors have developed a novel visualisation interface called Bow Tie Academic Search to address some of these shortcomings, and present in this paper the findings from a user evaluation. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach -- A controlled laboratory study was conducted to compare a traditional search interface to Bow Tie Academic Search. In total, 24 graduate students were recruited to perform academic searches using the two candidate interfaces, guided by specific sub-tasks that focus on citation and keyword analysis strategies. Findings -- Although the use of the core visualisation and exploration features did not reveal differences in retrieval effectiveness or efficiency, the query refinement features were found to be effective. Strongly positive impressions of usefulness and ease of use of all aspects of the system were reported, along with a preference for using Bow Tie Academic Search for academic search tasks. Originality/value -- This study provides insight into the potential value for providing visual and interactive interfaces for supporting academic search tasks and strategies. While the quantitative improvements over the traditional search interface were minimal, the qualitative measures illustrate the value of Bow Tie Academic Search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Most digital libraries (DL) are now available online. They also provide the Z39.50 standard protocol which allows computer-based systems to effectively retrieve information stored in the DLs. The major difficulty lies in inconsistency between database schemas of multiple DLs. The purpose of this paper is to present a system known as Argumentation-based Digital Library Search (ADLSearch), which facilitates information retrieval across multiple DLs. Design/methodology/approach - The proposed approach is based on argumentation theory for schema matching reconciliation from multiple schema matching algorithms. In addition, a distributed architecture is proposed for the ADLSearch system for information retrieval from multiple DLs. Findings - Initial performance results are promising. First, schema matching can improve the retrieval performance on DLs, as compared to the baseline technique. Subsequently, argumentationbased retrieval can yield better matching accuracy and retrieval efficiency than individual schema matching algorithms. Research limitations/implications - The work discussed in this paper has been implemented as a prototype supporting scholarly retrieval from about 800 DLs over the world. However, due to complexity of argumentation algorithm, the process of adding new DLs to the system cannot be performed in a real-time manner. Originality/value - In this paper, an argumentation-based approach is proposed for reconciling the conflicts from multiple schema matching algorithms in the context of information retrieval from multiple DL. Moreover, the proposed approach can also be applied for similar applications which require automatic mapping from multiple database schemas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The paper aims to set out challenges that libraries face while developing their Digital Library capabilities and capacity and propose an approach to estimating the costs for these functions. There is a skills challenge as well as an organisational challenge. The opportunities to build new teams or re-train existing staff are discussed. Design/methodology/approach – The approach builds on a 2008 paper about Digital Library economics and discusses the changes in the environment since then. A model is described in which a library takes on the full responsibility for building and operating a Digital Library function in-house. This is used to benchmark other options such as managed services, outsourced infrastructure and “cloud” services. Findings – The Open Access Publication and Research Data Management mandates present challenges to all libraries based in academic institutions in the UK. New working methods and new costs are unavoidable. There are a number of ways to deal with this depending upon the institutional circumstance. The bottom line can be increases in revenue budgets of around 10 per cent with variable requirements for capital investment. Originality/value – Libraries and librarians have different experiences in closely working with colleagues in information technology (IT). A number of propositions are presented about the value of cooperation and collaboration between library and IT and also with external partners and service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how Swedish local politicians perceive the impact of public library digital services on public libraries and to discuss how this can affect the sustainable development of public libraries. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with local politicians from 19 different Swedish municipalities. Data were treated to qualitative content analysis and discussed based on the concept of sustainable organization. Findings – According to local politicians, public library digital services may affect public libraries through changes to libraries’ physical spaces, librarians’ tasks and competencies and libraries’ economic situations. Based on these findings, public library digital services can both strengthen and weaken public library sustainability through, for example, increased access and expenditures, the latter of which may threaten public library sustainability. Research limitations/implications – Interviews did not focus specifically on the politicians’ views on public library digital services but dealt generally with their views on public libraries. To identify reasons for variations in views on this topic, follow-up interviews should be done. Data on views from public library managers would also be of use to determine the degree to which they are shared with local politicians. Originality/value – When sustainability and public libraries are discussed, the focus is generally on the library’s contribution to a sustainable society. Here, the focus is instead on the sustainability of the public library itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to propose a hybrid model based on expectation-confirmation model (ECM), technology acceptance model (TAM), and updated DeLone and McLean information system (IS) success model to examine whether quality factors as the antecedents to user beliefs affected users' continuance intention of the digital library. Design/methodology/approach -- Sample data for this study were collected from students enrolled in a comprehensive university in Taiwan. A total of 600 questionnaires were distributed in the campus library, and 525 (87.5 percent) usable questionnaires were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) in this study. Findings -- Findings show that the proposed research model integrating ECM, TAM, and updated DeLone and McLean IS success model has good explanatory power for quality antecedents of users' continuance intention of the digital library. Information relevance, system accessibility, and technical support play key roles in explaining users' continuance intention of the digital library via their beliefs. Originality/value -- This study's empirical evidence on capturing ECM, TAM, and updated DeLone and McLean IS success model reveals deep insights into quality evaluation for users' continuance intention of the digital library. Especially, this study additionally contributes to the identification of interface features that may lead to users' continuance intention of the digital library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues related to customer churn behavior in digital libraries (DLs) and demonstrate the successful application of Survival Analysis for understanding customer churn status and relationship duration distribution between customers and libraries. Design/methodology/approach – The study applies non-parametric methods of Survival Analysis to analyze churn behaviors of 8,054 customers from a famous Chinese digital library, and a cluster method to make customer segmentation according to customer behavioral features. Findings – The customer churn rate of the given library is very high, so as to the churn hazard in early three months after customer's registration on the web site of the library. There is clear difference in both customer survival time and churn hazard among customer groups. It is necessary to strengthen customer churn analysis and customer relationship management (CRM) for DLs. Research limitations/implications – The studied samples are mainly based on customers from one digital library and some hypotheses have not been strictly proven due to the absence of relevant empirical researches. Practical implications – This study provides a reasonable basis for decision making about CRM in DLs. Originality/value – Most previous researches about information behavior concentrate on information seeking behavior in DLs, seldom discuss customer switching behavior. The paper discusses issues related to customer churn analysis and illustrates the adaptation of Survival Analysis to understand customer churn status and relationship duration distribution in DLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]