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Purpose – Creative performance relies on the capability of developing and presenting an original concept or idea, and the collaborative production of creative content which enhances feeling of connection with others and formation of strong community. The purpose of this paper is to apply the theory of work performance containing four dimensions (capacity, opportunities, willingness, and performance) to investigate how the capabilities of social network sites enhance user creative performance through collective social capital and information capital (opportunities) for and individual habit of use (willingness) of the user to engage in social learning process. Design/methodology/approach – Many measurement items are adapted from the literature, except those measuring the constructs of social media capabilities (i.e. transmission velocity (TV), parallelism, symbol sets, rehearsability, and reprocessability) and user creative performance. The study uses survey method to collect data from social media network (SMN) users in Taiwan. Facebook is chosen as the source because it is the most prevalent and sophisticated social media platform that provides a home for users to interact and communicate. Structural equation modeling with partial least square is used to analyze the usable data collected from 533 Facebook users. Findings – The results show that the constructs are significantly and positively correlated, meaning that social media capabilities enable social capital, information capital, and habit of use to improve user creative performance in SMNs. Three out of five social media capabilities (i.e. TV, parallelism, and rehearsability) are identified as the key enablers. Research limitations/implications – Because of the sampled surveyed subjects and the single research method, there are some limitations in this study. The research results may lack generalizability that should be taken into account when they are interpreted. The authors encourage researchers to test the proposed theoretical model further with additional subjects, variables, and linkages. Practical implications – The findings of this research shed light for managers of SMN platforms on how to manage the platforms more effectively. A healthy SMN platform must implement at least these three media capabilities: the functions of news feed (i.e. TV), chat (i.e. parallelism), edit (i.e. rehearsability), in order to sustain its service. Social implications – This study confirmed that user creative performance can be increased in various ways through social capital, information capital, and habit of use. Company management should use SMNs (e.g. Facebook or Twitter) to enable employees to interact and exchange ideas and promote “coopetition” among employees across the company. If the organizational culture supports free expression of ideas and sharing of opinions, the development and robustness of group creativity can be enhanced, leading to higher competitive advantage for a company against its competitors. Originality/value – Past studies related to individual creativity have mostly discussed it as a personality trait or talent; yet, personality trait or talent is implicit until it is shown by one’s behavior. Thus, for the collective performance of user creativity on SMNs, the authors elicit individual creativity through the creative performance manifested by user behavior. Furthermore, the authors confirm that social capital, information capital, and habit of use are the critical antecedents of user creative performance, and that the five social media capabilities are the enablers of social capital, information capital, and habit of use on SMNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the strategic design for entrepreneurial activity. This study examines and evaluates a qualitative Delphi methodology used in a research for the strategy development needs of entrepreneurship counselling and education. The strategic design presented may well apply to non-profit organisations due to the fact that limited resources in funding of non-profit organisations exist. Design/methodology/approach – This paper introduces methodological considerations of applying the Delphi method to the strategy development for an entrepreneurship counselling design, taking Ensimetri – an entrepreneurship counselling organisation in Finland – as a case study, and the potential in applying this strategic design projects to libraries and information management centres. Findings – The research provides a framework on entrepreneurial strategic design. The top ten items that emerged from this research may provide the framework for the development of entrepreneurial strategic design. They may be used to further examine our understanding for the strategy development needs of entrepreneurship counselling and education, as very limited research has taken place on this issue. Issues of culture are discussed. Findings illustrate that respondents would appreciate guidance on the initiation of entrepreneurial activities from the university that are associated with programmes and services provided that may help them on the initiation of entrepreneurial activities. Libraries may use the integrated information systems they employ. This exploratory study found that cultural values may influence entrepreneurship intention. Gender issues are also discussed in regard to the strategic design of entrepreneurial activity, adding to the existing literature for gender differences in attitude. The research provides a framework on entrepreneurial strategic design, and the role of universities with the use of integrated information systems and library services to the initiation of such entrepreneurial activities. Practical implications – Findings of this research may well apply in non-profit organisations such as libraries and information and communication sectors, where in periods of economic crisis, social entrepreneurship can be adopted so that these organisations become profitable. Education has also a role to play in the development of entrepreneurship. Originality/value – The application of the Delphi method to entrepreneurial research, and the use of this design to seek intention and attitudes by and for information professionals and marketers, may in fact contribute to the implementation of social entrepreneurship. Very limited research has taken place to explore entrepreneurial intention. The paper discusses a new methodology which can also be used outside Finland and is of relevance to the information profession. This research makes a theoretical and practical contribution on social entrepreneurial potential and its strategic design. Implications for social entrepreneurship are provided. The implementation of information and communications technologies, the role of social media networks and issues associated with culture are discussed for strategic communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – There is no proposed solution to address the unresolved issues of publishing music-related electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) pertaining to technology availability, copyright, and preservation. The purpose of this paper is to propose a complete system, including technology development and publishing model, which addresses the existing issues of publishing music-related ETDs. The paper shares the practice of utilizing the system developed by Texas Tech University Libraries known as Streaming Audio and Video Experience (SAVE), and proposes it as a solution for other multimedia collections. Design/methodology/approach – The proposed system includes a technology solution and a publishing model. The technology solution, SAVE, contains an authenticated streaming multimedia player, a responsive-design user interface, and a web-based submission and management system. The publishing model combines a DSpace-based institutional repository (IR) with SAVE and preservation strategies. Findings – The integrated system of SAVE and DSpace-based IR expands the access of music-related ETDs and other multimedia collections to patrons, benefits the distance education students as well as the local students, facilitates professors’ classroom teaching, and helps to preserve physical multimedia items by avoiding check-outs. Originality/value – The SAVE solution resolves issues of publishing music-related ETDs, fulfills the local needs of publishing hundreds of music-related ETDs from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and supports the publishing of other multimedia collections. The software will be released open source to the public for other universities’ use. The publishing model is also useful for those universities that intend to integrate an IR with the streaming player platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how current US senators utilize their Facebook pages to promote positive relationships with their public in terms of relationship maintenance strategies: positivity, openness, access, assurance, sharing of tasks, and networking. Interactivity of their Facebook pages is also examined. Design/methodology/approach – Content analysis was conducted for 89 Facebook pages of the US senators of the 112th Congress. Levels of six relationship maintenance strategies and interactivity of the Facebook pages were examined. Findings – Among six relationship maintenance strategies, positivity and openness are the most frequently used strategies while access and assurance are the least observed. In total, 70 percent of the senators’ Facebook pages show a low level of interactivity. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to the samples of the current US senators. Practical implications – This study provides a useful insight for political public relations practitioners that features associated with relationship management strategies can be employed to develop better social network sites for political actors, in order to build or enhance relationships with public. Originality/value – Despite the importance of relationship management among political actors/organizations and public, and potential to establish relationships via social networking sites, only a few studies have tried to explore the relationship maintenance strategies on social network sites in the political arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how a change to a US policy about product testimonials affected bloggers and to understand bloggers’ perceptions of the organization-blogger relationship (OBR). Design/methodology/approach – This study utilizes a survey (n=173) with closed and open-ended questions, and both quantitative and qualitative data are analyzed. Findings – Bloggers’ decisions to accept compensation for a review may influence how much control they feel they have over the OBR. Qualitative data indicate that even as bloggers seek access to products to review, they prefer to maintain editorial control over the review process. Research limitations/implications – The study extends the transparency literature in public relations and relationship management theory by exploring the relationship between bloggers and public relations professionals through the lens of a disclosure policy. Practical implications – Recommendations are offered for public relations professionals in how to maintain transparent relationships with bloggers. Social implications – Qualitative data reveal concern among bloggers about efforts to persuade them and what they should disclose; this may impact the trust that consumers have in reviews at blogs. Originality/value – The study demonstrates the effects of review behaviors on the OBR and offers an organic explanation of how this relationship evolves. This is important as consumers are increasingly consulting blogs for product information. This issue also has relevance to public relations professionals, who are encouraged to broach the issue of transparency with bloggers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to add to the knowledge about how to design websites that are stress-free, easy to navigate and relevant to children’s learning needs. Design/methodology/approach – This paper involves an observational study that reports the results of website usability among sixth-grade students in a private foreign school in Kuwait. The observation pertained to search performance, usability and navigation to find the needed information using the WebPath Express database. Findings – Most of the children navigated and searched the system without much prompting; they found the search box easily, as it was positioned at the top-centre of the page, and without keywords. Of the eight students, none used the narrow-down search option; they commonly performed searches using phrases, and consistency and simplicity aided the search process. Some gender differences were found. The boys got side-tracked easily and took a longer time to find the information they sought than the girls. User behaviour, generally, was influenced by the interface design. Research limitations/implications – Research about usability with different grade levels, with different languages and between genders needs to be conducted to provide more definitive conclusions. Sample size in observations can bring to light details that large samples cannot. The goal in observation is not statistical significance but small things that observations can bring to light. Practical implications – Web designers need to take into consideration the research results in the areas of user interaction with computers and software. In designing educational tools for the young, several elements that research in general, including this one, emphasizes have to do with the location of search boxes, navigation interface and design elements, all of which can aid the learning process while providing a rewarding and fruitful educational experience. Originality/value – These findings shed light on implications for cooperation between librarians and teachers and on design elements for sites tailored to school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of the importance for library and information services (LIS) to take the responsibility to find a manageable way to regularly monitor internet censorship in their countries, and to suggest a framework for such monitoring and to encourage manageable on-going small scale research projects. Design/methodology/approach -- The paper follows on contract research for the IFLA Committee on Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression on country specific trends in internet censorship. Based on an extensive literature survey (not fully reflected here) and data mining, a framework is suggested for regular monitoring of country specific negative and positive trends in internet censorship. The framework addresses search strategies and information resources; setting up alerting services; noting resources for data mining; a detailed break-down and systematic monitoring of negative and positive trends; the need for reflection on implications, assessment of need(s) for concern (or not) and generation of suggestions for actions; sharing findings with the LIS community and wider society; and raising sensitivity for internet censorship as well as advocacy and lobbying against internet censorship. Apart from monitoring internet censorship, the framework is intended to encourage manageable on-going small scale research. Findings -- A framework of internet censorship monitoring can support the regular, systematic and comprehensive monitoring of known as well as emerging negative and positive trends in a country, and can promote timely expressions of concerns and appropriate actions by LIS. It can support sensitivity to the dangers of internet censorship and raise LIS' levels of self-efficacy in dealing with internet censorship and doing manageable, small scale research in this regard. Originality/value -- Although a number of publications have appeared on internet censorship these do not offer a framework for monitoring internet censorship and encouraging manageable on-going small scale research in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This selected annotated bibliography is designed to aid any user with access to the internet in performing legal research, without requiring access to expensive legal research databases and subscription services.Design/methodology/approach - These online resources are regularly referred to by those hoping to help self-represented litigants or those without access to paid legal resources.Findings - As traditional legal research databases, such as HeinOnline, Lexis, and Westlaw become more and more expensive, while at the same time legal services become more expensive, these free and open legal research resources are increasingly important, particularly for self-represented litigants. This selected bibliography contains resources that will be helpful to librarians in all types of libraries, from public to academic, from county law libraries to large, private law school libraries.Originality/value - This is an original annotated bibliography that may be valuable to those working in libraries, who are regularly asked questions about legal research or resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The overwhelming speed and scale of digital media production greatly outpace conventional indexing methods by humans. The management of Big Data for e-library speech resources requires an automated metadata solution. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual model called semantic ontologies for multimedia indexing (SOMI) allows for assembly of the speech objects, encapsulation of semantic associations between phonic units and the definition of indexing techniques designed to invoke and maximize the semantic ontologies for indexing. A literature review and architectural overview are followed by evaluation techniques and a conclusion. Findings – This approach is only possible because of recent innovations in automated speech recognition. The introduction of semantic keyword spotting allows for indexing models that disambiguate and prioritize meaning using probability algorithms within a word confusion network. By the use of AI error-training procedures, optimization is sought for each index item. Research limitations/implications – Validation and implementation of this approach within the field of digital libraries still remain under development, but rapid developments in technology and research show rich conceptual promise for automated speech indexing. Practical implications – The SOMI process has been preliminarily tested, showing that hybrid semantic-ontological approaches produce better accuracy than semantic automation alone. Social implications – Even as testing proceeds on recorded conference talks at the University of Tebessa (Algeria), other digital archives can look toward similar indexing. This will mean greater access to sound file metadata. Originality/value – Huge masses of spoken data, unmanageable for a human indexer, can prospectively find semantically sorted and prioritized indexing – not transcription, but generated metadata – automatically, quickly and accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to attempt to answer some plausible questions like what do teenagers prefer to read at leisure, how do they read and why do they read? With the rapid changes in information technology, there is tremendous change in means of communication. Today, much more information is available from electronic and digital media as compared to traditional books. A paradigm shift in information delivery from just information to infotainment has also affected the preferences of the information seekers. Teenagers are a demographic group under transition and they are not untouched by these rapid changes in technology and their impact on their reading preferences. Design/methodology/approach – For this purpose, a survey among 223 school-going (public/convent and government-/aided) teenagers aged between 12 and 18 years was done using a semi-structured questionnaire. Findings – The findings revealed a decline in sports and outdoor recreational activities during leisure, and only 20.6 per cent teenagers preferred reading during leisure. However, self-perception as an avid reader was expressed by majority (53.8 per cent). Fictions were liked by > 75 per cent teenagers; however, non-fictions were also liked by majority (61.8 per cent). The reading preferences of the children were found to be affected by their age, their gender and the type of schools they attended. A significant inverse relationship of television watching and movie-going was observed with reading time. Research limitations/implications – The biggest limitation was inability to directly interact with the students and inability to gather data from more schools. Practical implications – By knowing the current reading trends, leisure time habits and exposure to different means of information technology, the choice of medium for knowledge dispersal could be done. The study would help in providing a basis for a strategic change in the ratio of conventional books and other information media in the library. Social implications – By identifying the media exposure time and popularity, proper steps may be taken in order to enrich the particular media and to ensure that quality of information available on the media can be directed for social benefit in large. Originality/value – The impact of demographic and environmental variables on reading habits of teenagers has not been evaluated in this part of the world, especially in view of the paradigm shift in information technology and the growing influence of electronic media and social networking. An understanding of this mutual relationship would help in modifying the reading behaviour of the teenagers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Does the same news item on three different online news platforms, namely: newspapers, blogs and video news, impact each of perceived source credibility, likeability, content believability and attitude toward a message, differently? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – An experimental approach conducted among university students is adopted. Findings – The psychometric properties of the instruments used are supported. Results showed that source credibility did not differ for the three platforms, indicating that respondents did not find one platform less credible than another. However, differences were observed on each of content believability, likeability and attitude toward the message. Online newspapers scored highest in all of these. Blogs came second in both content believability and likeability, while video news came second in attitude toward a message. Research limitations/implications – A number of limitations are noted. In particular, generalisability of findings to all youths in the country and beyond must be done with extreme caution. Practical implications – The results suggest that the medium does change the message and online newspapers as a platform retain an advantage despite the arrival of alternative new media platforms, represented by blogs and video news. The latter emerges as the least effective indicating that respondents appear to prefer reading their news. Originality/value – The paper uses an experimental approach and robust measures to compare news platforms across a number of elements in the communication process among a strong user segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This article aims to develop a framework that considers digital archiving as a form of networked information production, in which the different stages of producing a digital archive are modularized and distributed across different actors. The framework is applied and developed within the context of designing a digital archive for the electronic artwork Rider Spoke. More specifically the framework is applied and developed within the context of designing a subject scheme that provides its users with consistent yet relevant access to the content of the archive. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 74 postgraduate students from the Information School at the University of Sheffield were invited to tag four videos from the Riders Have Spoken archive as a voluntary exercise. Students were evenly distributed across the four videos and each participant was invited to generate up to ten tags; with each tag or annotation representing a point of interest in the content of the video for viewer. The time was also noted. In total, 46 students completed the exercise and this generated 356 user tags. As a collection these tags and annotations represent the terms and vocabulary on which a subsequent content analysis was conducted and a subject language developed. Findings – The development of a subject scheme for a particular single electronic artwork with seven facets, sub-facets, and illustrative examples is presented. The design of the scheme and its relations to prior work in classification is discussed. Research limitations/implications – Implications of the research for the design of a digital archive and the methods used to construct them are discussed Originality/value – The originality of the article lies in its characterization of digital archiving as a form of networked information production; and the application of the framework to the design of a faceted scheme enabling subject access to the digital archive of an electronic artwork called Rider Spoke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of relationship fundraising and cultivating committed donors for nonprofit news outlets seeking financial sustainability, particularly during a time of major changes in the journalism industry. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines four nonprofit news organizations and their audiences of financial contributors. Results from a survey of 465 donors and subsequent interviews with donors are discussed. Findings – Nonprofit news organizations rely heavily upon individual supporters who typically give often but in small chunks. Donors tend to favor nonprofit journalism organizations that report quality, local news stories not usually found in other news sources. Donors place a premium on developing a relationship with journalists in their communities and are likely to support their local nonprofit news source once the news outlet has earned their trust. Research limitations/implications – News organizations were allowed to choose which donors received invitations to take the survey, and donors to one news organization provided the vast majority of responses. Future research should explore how nonprofit journalism donors differ from donors to other types of nonprofit organizations. Practical implications – This paper reveals new data about audiences of emerging media organizations. The interests and behaviors of donors help to provide new insights into audience engagement. Originality/value – The paper profiles donors to four relatively new nonprofit organizations and investigates their motivations for providing financial support. Managers of communication organizations could benefit from new strategies for audience cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to evaluate the status of eight interoperability protocols within repositories of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) as an introduction to further studies on feasibility of deploying these protocols in upcoming areas of interoperability. Design/methodology/approach – Three surveys of 266 ETD repositories, 15 common ETD management software solutions, and 136 ETD experts were conducted in order to appraise the protocols. These protocols were evaluated in four categories of aggregation, syndication, distributed search, and publishing protocols. Findings – This study revealed that, despite its drawbacks, Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (PMH) is still the most utilized interoperability protocol within ETD providers, ETD software developers, and implementers, followed by ATOM and Object Reuse and Exchange (ORE) protocols. However, in all competitive areas related to performance and functionality, ORE surpasses other protocols. It was also found that the three protocols of ATOM, PMH, and ORE could be used interchangeably in the most used cases of interoperability protocols in repositories. Practical implications – In this research, a combination of methods was employed to evaluate the status of protocols, from the perspectives of data providers, software providers, and implementers. Practitioners may use these methods to assess other protocols in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. Originality/value – The conduct of this study has involved three types of surveys, through which different aspects of interoperability protocols are evaluated. Prior to the conduct of this study, there has yet any study focusing on the same topic, which has adopted the multi-method that has been adopted in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The aim of this article is to locate and describe collections of digitized primary sources of value to scholars and librarians in the fields of women's history and gender studies. This bibliography focuses on digitized primary source collections related to the global history of women. Design/methodology/approach -- This article provides an overview of subscription databases and open access websites dedicated to women's history primary source collections available electronically. Priority was given to sites with materials or transcriptions available in English, those that represented a diversity of aspects within women's history and those that are curated by scholars in the field or supported by academic institutions. Two major criteria for inclusion in the list were that a large portion of the collection must focus on women's history and that the site could be navigated in English. Findings -- The majority of these collections are focused mainly on the history of American and British women and secondarily on the history of women from other cultures and global regions. While some primary sources have been digitized and made available online relating to Asian, African, South American and Latin American women's history, they appear as part of more general regional primary source collections. Originality/value -- Though there are a number of excellent librarian or scholar web guides available online, a thorough examination and comparison is lacking from professional literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess how well digital piracy self-report intentions predict actual digital piracy behaviors in service marketing research. Design/methodology/approach – Study 1 collects 321 surveys to investigate potential measurement issues related to digital piracy intention formation. Study 2 replicates Study 1 based on a separate sample of 267 respondents, and additionally links digital piracy intentions to directly observed digital piracy behaviors across a peer-to-peer network. Findings – The results first validate a strong predictive relationship between self-report intentions and observed digital piracy behaviors (R2=0.36). Second, common method bias and measurement error do not appear to threaten the veracity of reported results. Third, a social psychological model of how digital piracy behaviors emerge is validated based upon the folk theory of the mind. Finally, a two-dimensional conceptualization of frequency of past behaviors is identified based upon exploratory factor analysis using structural equation modeling. Research limitations/implications – The research reported here relies on experimental methods of measuring peer-to-peer network activity. Future research might consider the motivational and attitudinal antecedents to digital piracy intention formation. Practical implications – The results afford service marketers assurance that self-report measures of digital piracy behavioral intentions can serve as predictive measures of future behaviors. This helps make the collection of data in this context both achievable and practical. Also, a methodological framework is identified to strengthen measurement models associated with this type of research. Originality/value – The research provides a first effort to empirically relate behavioral intention data to unobtrusively observed digital piracy behaviors across peer-to-peer networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to provide an analysis of the MoRe2010 specification while identifying the best practices and techniques of requirements engineering's (RE) body of knowledge that could be applied to improve the quality of this specification.Design/methodology/approach – Considering the scope of MoReq, the authors describe the most relevant related RE techniques and common practices. Next, they evaluate the potential impact of applying these techniques to MoReq2010.Findings – Bearing in mind that MoReq2010 is embodied as a textual document, the paper discusses how the structure and the writing style of this document could be improved by adopting: a pre-defined structure template; standard-based guidelines; and well-defined requirements quality criteria. Also considering that MoReq2010 is the result of a collaborative process, it is also suggested how the authoring process could be improved by using traceability, prioritisation, and other requirements management techniques.Research limitations/implications – The paper only assesses the MoReq2010 specification as it was made public. Thus, although it is considered that requirements discovery approaches are very important for the quality of any final result, the paper does not discuss the techniques that were eventually used to elicit original stakeholders' needs.Originality/value – The paper synthesizes several recommendations that, if followed, will have a strong impact on the overall quality of MoReq2010. Furthermore, as it is believed that these recommendations are not disruptive, they can be directly applied against the current version of MoReq2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of electronization in improving the effectiveness of citizens' democratic participation in the context of e-petitioning. With this aim, the current study worked to ascertain what influences citizens' offline and online petitioning and the extent to which electronization empowers citizens for effective e-petitioning. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a case study from Sutharyakeralam meaning "Transparent Keralam" to determine the extent to which e-petitioning worked for protecting a public irrigation canal in Kerala (India). Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with relevant government officials, journalists and petitioners who reside near the canal. Secondary data used for the case analysis consist of petitioners' documents. Using a content analysis, this paper assesses citizens' ability to participate and influence decision making. Findings – Findings illustrate adequate citizen participation before and after the electronization of the grievance redress mechanism. Results also show if there are adequate publicizing facilities, e-petitions can empower citizens to engage effectively in efforts to fight for their human rights. Research limitations/implications – The scope of the study is limited to exploring the determining parameters that may improve democratic participation in an issue of environmental pollution. Results imply that adequate policies to ensure the involvement of participants are essential to enable e-government initiatives to deliver on the ideals of e-democracy for equity and justice. Originality/value – Earlier studies on e-participation were less adequate in explaining the influence of electronization on citizens' capability for effective e-petitioning. The current study attempts to explore the enablers of effective e-petitioning. Drawing on the canal case study, arguments are presented that explain the possible success and failure of e-petitioning initiatives in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – E-books are an important and growing type of digital resource. Academic libraries have traditionally had a major role in selecting books and making them available to learners, scholars, and researchers. Therefore the processes and criteria that they apply in the selection and acquisition of e-books may potentially have significant consequences for the future viability of e-books as a product. This paper aims to report on research into the criteria and processes that academic libraries use to choose e-books. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 librarians in seven academic libraries in the UK. Findings – Academic libraries purchase e-books from a portfolio of different vendors. In order to select the books and packages that they acquire they apply a number of criteria, including business models, licence, price, platform, interface, subject coverage, and match to reading lists. High on the list of librarians' concerns are: the variation in and complexity of business models for purchasing, licence variety and digital rights management (DRM) restrictions, and perceived high prices. Originality/value – This study focuses directly and in depth on the buying and selection processes and criteria. Insights offered by this study may be of value to publishers, aggregators and librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to compare the life cycle environmental impacts of the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Sciences' current printed annual report to a version distributed via the internet. Design/methodology/approach – Life cycle environmental impacts of both versions of the report are modeled using the online environmental input-output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) tool. Most monetary model inputs were obtained from the University of Cincinnati and the others were estimated. Results are presented for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy use, water use, and human and ecosystem health impacts. Alternative scenarios reflecting different reader behaviors were evaluated. Findings – The electronic report reduces economic costs and all categories of environmental impacts so long as the recipients do not print the report at home. Impacts of the printed report were higher than the electronic report due to impacts associated with paper production and disposal and to a lesser extent differences in the impacts of mail versus electronic distribution. The environmental preferability of the options is heavily influenced by the number of users who choose to print the electronic report at home; if more than 10 percent print at home, it offsets the benefits of the e-report. Research limitations/implications – Using the EIO-LCA tool limited the accuracy of the results by using average US data for a specific supply chain. It was limited by assumptions about reader behavior with the e-report. Practical implications – This case study demonstrates how a screening level life cycle assessment (LCA) might be used by a university administrator to make decisions supported by quantitative environmental information. Originality/value – The screening level LCA-based approach can provide grounding for environmental decision making within a reasonable time period and cost while maintaining sufficient accuracy for guiding purchasing or product decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to explore the role of the blogosphere in framing Alitalia's performance during its 2008 crisis. Design/methodology/approach – Content analysis was chosen as research method to investigate bloggers' perceptions of Alitalia's crisis. Five major Italian blogs were selected and each blog was operationalised in units of analysis and explored for posts and post comments. The final sample comprises 27 blog posts and 467 blog post comments. Findings – The results show that the Italian blogosphere was mostly interested in the exploration of technical, economic aspects of the crisis and consequences for the community. Although some differences in the way the crisis was discussed by bloggers and blog readers are visible, both bloggers and blog readers primarily framed Alitalia's crisis with a negative tone and were extremely critical towards the Italian government and Alitalia management in the way they handled the crisis. Research limitations/implications – Because of the choice of a qualitative inquiry, based on a single case study, generalisability of results is not possible. Practical implications – This analysis suggests that crises are framed differently in the blogosphere than in traditional media and therefore, public relations managers should differentiate their crisis response strategies addressed to the blogosphere from those for traditional media. The lack of official statements by Alitalia also shows that public relations practitioners should have taken a more active role in the discussions in the blogosphere to correct wrong or distorted information in posts and comments. Originality/value – This study provides practitioners and scholars with interesting insights into the blogosphere and bloggers' opinions during a crisis situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Company disclosures on the web are a useful tool to promote the efficiency of financial markets. Moreover, they can be a source of strategic financial communication. The objective of the study reported in this paper is to make an inventory of the information published on the web sites of companies listed in the Moroccan and Tunisian stock exchanges, and to compare the practices of those companies with those of their European counterparts. The study also seeks to identify the determinants of these disclosures. Design/methodology/approach – The study develops a composite scale to measure the quality of web site disclosures. This scale is used to score the web sites of the top 91 companies listed on the Casablanca and Tunis stock exchanges in 2007. The quality of those web sites is compared with the quality of some web sites of European companies. A number of hypotheses relating to the determinants of web site quality are then tested using linear modeling techniques. Findings – Two thirds of the firms listed in the Casablanca and Tunis stock exchanges have a web site (www.casablanca-bourse.com). An average of 39.7 percent of Moroccan web sites and 19.4 percent of those from Tunisia meet the benchmark quality criteria used by this study, compared with between 48 percent and 61 percent for European firms. The average extended score is 32.80 percent; Moroccan firms score 38.34 percent on average, while Tunisian firms score 28.12 percent. The determinants of this information level are found to be accounting performance and the proportion of shares held by foreigners. Web site quality is also linked to firm size. Apart from those characteristics, no effect of the economic sector, the country or market performance could be detected. Originality/value – The study presents an international comparison (north/south) and builds a novel scale in order to explain web disclosures. This is an area that has not previously been explored, and includes some financial markets that are under-researched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to investigate the increasing use of online communication for sharing knowledge by examining what bloggers on an online academic newspaper have to say about diversity. Design/methodology/approach – Ten diversity blogs from a popular online academic newspaper, The Chronicle of Higher Education, were analyzed for content to understand the extent to which bloggers responded to blogs related to diversity. Findings – This study offers a glimpse about blogging posts as it relates to diversity and how individuals respond to the content of these diversity blogs. Some blogs took on a confrontational tone while others sought to engage and educate. Originality/value – While research on technology is ongoing, the degree to which scholars discuss diversity with peers in an online format is relatively limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to identify which marketing activities libraries are using to promote electronic resources and to examine how libraries are measuring the successes or failures of their marketing plans. Design/methodology/approach – The research analyzes the literature published in library science on marketing techniques for electronic resources in use at libraries; the corpus is composed of 24 documents published from 1994-2009. The literature is qualitatively analyzed to determine the techniques in use, the libraries' goals, targeted groups, budgets, and assessments of their marketing plans. Findings – A total of 38 unique marketing techniques were discovered in the 24 documents consulted for this research. The four most popular techniques were patron training in a group setting, flyers/brochures, e-mails to patrons, and surveys. Libraries were generally unclear about stating the goals for their marketing plans but were able to easily identify the target of their marketing efforts. Budgeting was inconsistent among libraries included in this research; nine libraries reported having either no budget for marketing or did not mention budgeting in the article. Assessment was the weakest part of the marketing plans, with four libraries not documenting an awareness of the need for assessment and seven libraries noting an understanding of the need to evaluate their plan but unsure how to do so. Originality/value – Based on the analysis the paper makes it clear that as libraries engage in marketing activities, they should make themselves aware of general principles before beginning their plan. Special focus should be given to selecting activities that match the goals of the marketing plan and choosing an appropriate evaluation technique before beginning the marketing activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to report on users' information behaviour in China, a topic which has not been researched extensively. The aim is to help producers and providers collect and develop more electronic resources. Design/methodology/approach - The study investigates users' information behaviour at seven "211 Project" universities in Wuhan, a city in central China. These universities all have access to the resources of the National Science and Technology Library (NSTL). The questionnaire includes questions about respondents' basic identifying information (educational level, job, etc.) and their information service requirements. Correlations among users' education level, users' jobs, users' retrieval methods, literature use, etc. were analysed. Findings - The results show that most NSTL users are graduate students and young staff members. and the number of male users surpasses female ones slightly. The purpose of the utilisation of electronic resources for customers is scientific research, teaching and the need for self-development. During a year, the demand of users is the highest in March and the lowest in August. The users' knowledge service types include learning the progress of science and technology, citation retrieval and analysis, statistical analysis, intelligent retrieval and knowledge aggregation. Practical implications - The findings suggest that electronic resource producers should offer more foreign literature and providers should improve the quality of services. Originality/value - The paper provides suggestions for the further improvement of NSTL to fulfill the information needs and requirements of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to describe how the acts of piracy in the publication field are viewed by the industry, and possible student involvement in e-book piracy. Design/methodology/approach -- The searches encompassed articles on the issue of e-book piracy. Findings -- There is a definite problem between the needs of the publishing industry and students in colleges and universities. Research limitations/implications -- The author has only seen small indicators of the overall problem. Much more has to be investigated and learned. Practical implications -- Libraries in particular will have to be watchful in terms of e-book readers and e-book piracy. Originality/value -- Owing to the litigious nature of the publishing industry, librarians must be wary of e-book piracy as it regards to the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current situation and the social and economic benefits from the consortia acquisitions of electronic resources by the China Academic Library and Information System (CALIS) South China Regional Centre and to recommend improvements for consortia acquisitions. Design/methodology/approach - Analyses of price and usage made within the CALIS South China region of databases from a range of suppliers including EBSCO, LexisNexis and Springer are presented. Findings - The electronic resource acquisitions by the CALIS South China Regional Centre have yielded remarkable social and economic benefits as the range of electronic collections has been expanded and enriched, benefits have accrued,money has been saved and it has proved to be of benefit to users; however, there is room for improvement. During the last three years, the total usage of the South China Consortia has increased but the usage of the member libraries in the consortia is unbalanced and there are big gaps among the member libraries. The single download/search cost of the e-resources has been gradually decreasing but the cost of the e-resources purchased by the South China region consortia is higher than that of the national consortia; hence, there is a need for further reductions. Originality/value - The study is the first of its kind ever conducted in China. The findings of this paper will be helpful in improving electronic resource consortia acquisitions in the South China region. Keywords China, Purchasing groups, Academic libraries, Electronic media, Benefit-cost ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of electronic information sources (EIS) and the need for end-user training in the Fisheries Sciences institutions of South India. Design/methodology/approach - This paper was conducted using a questionnaire-based survey method along with the observations and informal interviews among the users of the seven Fisheries Sciences institutions of South India. The response rate received was 79 per cent. The sample respondents chosen for the study consists of 183 teachers/scientists, 71 research scholars and 81 postgraduate students. The data collected were tabulated and analyzed by using SPSS statistical software. The analysis of data covers the computer literacy level, use of different electronic sources, and frequency of its use, and the areas of training needed by the users of Fisheries Sciences institutions. Findings - It is observed that the respondent's perceived ability to use the computer is quite high and that there is significant use of EIS mainly for research purposes. Though the majority felt that their level of computer literacy was average or above average, they expressed a need for training in the use of the EIS. The respondents preferred workshops, hands-on training, on-screen presentations and the need-based support to self-help guides/hand-outs and training by central/state government. Originality/value - The findings of the paper have provided useful insights for the library management to take appropriate steps and plan strategies in a systematic manner so as to enable the users to achieve a higher skill which in turn would facilitate the better provision and utilization of the EIS. The paper can also be of use for other subject areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Many believe that in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the perception of a national identity, as a construct amongst Emiratis, is under threat at the moment. The purpose of this paper is to examine this concern and describe how one educational establishment in the UAE, the Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology (SHCT), a context that presents unique language and cultural issues, used a digital storytelling competition to address this issue with Emirati students. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 150 students at SHCT used a variety of tools to create digital stories around the theme of "Proudly Emirati", a topic aimed at building a sense of self. Stories covered topics ranging from family traditions to cultural icons. A case study investigated this initiative and addressed how the process of creating digital stories shaped the students' perspectives of self and national identity. We collected feedback on the digital storytelling initiative using focus group interviews and surveys with the students involved. Findings – Strong support is voiced for the competition and its impact on helping students express feelings of national pride and identity. Research limitations/implications – The survey addresses a limited number/range of issues and many more points and implications are raised in the focus group meetings that we would like to include in future research of digital storytelling. Practical implications – The paper highlights the practical implications and huge potential of digital storytelling for learning environments. Originality/value – This is an innovative approach to highlighting a contentious social issue with the students and community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper is part of the study that was conducted to analyse the LIS postgraduate e-resources seeking behaviour in Makerere University, Uganda. Its purpose is to present and discuss specifically the problems LIS postgraduate students face in accessing e-resources. Design/methodology/approach - Survey research techniques were used in which the data collected using structured questionnaires were carefully handled and analysed using the Excel computer program to generate the frequencies, percentages and pie charts. Findings - The respondents have positive attitudes towards e-resources utilization and they indicated varied problems faced in e-resources utilization and proposed different strategies to improve on e-resources in the University. Among the problems identified are: slow Internet connectivity, inadequate networked computers, lack of access to low cost printers in the library, using advanced search strategies of most databases and lack of awareness of most of the e-resources. Originality/value - Without knowing exactly what is wrong with a system, it becomes very difficult to plan and execute meaningful strategic measures to mitigate the problems. This study will help library planners and LIS educators to rethink on how to improve on e-resources access and utilization. It will provoke new thinking to revamp the situation in the University library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe Qatar's Education City's six university libraries, their international patrons, collections, and services. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides analysis of the data provided by various parties related to patrons, collections and services of the six university libraries in Qatar's Education during the calendar year of 2009. Findings - Education City's six branch libraries successfully support the needs of their patrons' curriculum and research needs especially in the e-resources. Originality/value - This research provides in-depth information for the Qatar Foundation, university and library administrators of main and branch campuses related to future e-licensing, collections acquisitions, and staffing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]