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This article presents the Holistic Empowering Methodological Approach (HEMA), which is philosophically informed by the concept of diversity by design; epistemologically and methodologically guided by hermeneutic phenomenology; and supported by the method of qualitative survey combined with the Single Question Aimed at Inducing Narrative (SQUIN) technique. This is a methodological conceptual article whereby the development and application of the HEMA is illustrated through the study that examined the learning and professional development experiences of disabled and neurodiverse PhD students in library and information science (LIS) programs amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and explored their academic lifeworlds. The article critically assesses the merits and shortcomings of the HEMA and provides other researchers with a roadmap for replicating the HEMA in every phase of research: from brainstorming to the selection of methods, to data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting. In so doing, the article also strives to reaffirm the vitality of rigorous qualitative methodology in studying underresearched, minoritized, and marginalized communities. From the scholarly worldview to specific methodological choices, this framework advocates for the type of research that puts participants in the "driver's seat," giving them agency and providing the opportunity for self-definition and self-determination. The nuanced presentation of a holistic methodological approach, with particular attention paid to the issues of methodological rigor and quality control, will be of benefit to both beginner and seasoned researchers and can serve as an educational aid in research methods courses and dissertation supervision.

This study is a mixed design study on a sample of 87 respondents to a questionnaire in the Information Studies and Library Science program in Brno that identifies their attitudes towards hybrid teaching. Hybrid teaching is understood as synchronous education with the choice of participating in an online or face-to-face educational session. The students declared that they prefer this form of education and wish to continue using it long term. The study shows that students in the online environment prefer more passive and individual forms of educational interaction because they are connected to such education and can concentrate on it. The study offers a basic description of the phenomenon and identifies further areas for developing educational approaches and activities.

The use of game in education has been evidenced to improve students' engagement in learning. However, much research shows that the use of game in learning is only effective for high school students, while its use for students of higher education is limited. Research on game in education has predominantly been occupied by Kahoot! while Quizizz has received less analysis. This research aims to explore student perception of Quizizz as a learning media and the related obstacles experienced in a library science study program of State Islamic University of North Sumatera in Indonesia. The research uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, such as survey and focused group discussion, with a sample of 272 undergraduate students. The study found that the use of games in learning actively increased student engagement and led to a significant improvement in independence and self-control in learning. During the learning activity students maintain that they gain their self-confidence while enjoying the game. The research suggests that to increase learning achievement, educators should use various teaching strategies that encourage students' active mental and physical engagement. Additionally, it is expected that this learning experience and content will enhance students' retentive memory.

The core tool for measuring the sustainability of the Library and Information Science (LIS) discipline is the curriculum which has always been a source of concern within the Nigerian space. It was on this premise that the study systematically investigated the redesigning of LIS curriculum for sustainable environmental transformation among students of the Department of LIS, Lead City University (LCU). Findings of the study showed that the majority of students opined that the redesigned curriculum is promoting sustainable environmental transformation as it is equipping the ideal 21st-century librarian with the requisite skill set (70%); redefined curriculum promotes a socially oriented librarian (53.2%); curriculum emphasizes the economic implications of the library for sustainable environmental transformation (43.3%); curriculum broadens the horizon of students further into meeting the information needs of the present clienteles without compromising the future generations (55.7%). The outcome of the study is expected to inform policy in adopting the redefined LIS LCU curriculum in Nigeria.

This paper discusses the organization of students' internship in new circumstances caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The focus of the research is on the IT companies in eastern part of Croatia and their perspective on how they managed students' internship during and after the lockdown. Some of these IT companies successfully cooperate with the Department of Information Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Osijek. Since 2015 the Department enrolls students in graduate study of Information Technology track. From that time students used to do their internship and later find employment in IT companies in the region. The well based cooperation with local IT companies was interrupted in 2020 by the COVID-19 lockdown and semi-lockdown. In such a situation, teachers and IT companies' managers have been trying to find out the proper ways in which students could fulfill their tasks via online or hybrid mode. To learn more about the experience from the perspective of IT companies, we interviewed 18 of them. The paper points out the observed advantages and disadvantages as well as suggestions for setting a framework for future internship programs. Employers are thinking about continuing to perform online or hybrid internships, and it is clear to them that one of the answers is well defined and regulated model of internships in the online environment.

The primary goal of this study was to identify gaps in curriculum coverage and required skills for research support services (RSS) in university libraries in the Punjab province of Pakistan. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used to meet its objective. To collect data for the quantitative strand, across-sectional survey with a closed-ended questionnaire was conducted. The population for the cross sectional survey was reference/research librarians working in university libraries in the Punjab province. SPSS was used to analyze quantitative data. In the qualitative strand, the curriculum documents of seven LIS/IM schools in the Punjab province were examined by using the content analysis technique. Results of both strands were compared for gap analysis. The findings revealed a gap between the skills required for RSS and the offerings of LIS/IM schools. The findings have practical implications for LIS/IM schools that will help to realign their curricula to meet market needs.

Education curricula need constant updates in response to job market requirements, which may be influenced by the changing technological environment. In the library and information science (LIS) job market there are dynamics brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). These dynamics call for LIS schools to reconsider their curricula in line with the job market. The job markets expect the education system to reflect their demands, as they are the primary clients. This study explored the education and training of LIS professionals on digital scholarship in line with the LIS curriculum in higher education institutions of South Africa. This was to enable the development of a framework for incorporating digital scholarship into the LIS curriculum. Wolf's (2007) curriculum development model and an aspect of the customer satisfaction model (Zeithaml et al., 1993) informed the study. The models assisted in producing a framework that can be used to incorporate digital scholarship content into the LIS curriculum in South Africa. The framework suggests that when developing digital scholarship, consultation with relevant stakeholders both internal and external should be considered. Relevant infrastructure and resources should also be in place when developing a digital scholarship curriculum. The relevant infrastructure should include the 4IR-driven infrastructure such as smart sensors, three-dimension (3D) modeling, and cybersecurity tools, among others. Relevant documentation such as resources in the form of policies, course outlines, and other curriculum-related documents should also be consulted. This model, if adopted, could assist LIS schools in developing a curriculum that is driven by digital scholarship, leading to the production of LIS graduates that meet the requirements of the current LIS job market.

Amid the growing body of research on disability and neurodiversity, disabled and neurodiverse Ph.D. students are not often in the focus, despite the fact that Ph.D. students occupy a unique position of a learner-scholar-teacher in academia. A particular gap is felt in the field of Library & Information Science (LIS). This study stands to address this gap by focusing on the experiences of disabled and neurodiverse Ph.D. students in American and Canadian LIS Programs during the COVID-19 pandemic and in its immediate aftermath. Guided by the Holistic Empowering Methodological Approach (HEMA) that puts participants in the driver's seat and allows them to determine the nature and extent of participation, the study spotlights participants' experiences during the remote learning and returning to campus phases of the lingering public health crisis. The findings show that while there was a fair balance of positive and negative experiences during the earlier stage of the pandemic, the stage of returning to campus was associated with additional challenges and an overwhelming number of negative experiences. The article addresses personal, program-related, and environmental factors in both positive and negative experiences, using the findings as a basis for conclusions and recommendations to Ph.D. program administrators and faculty.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate information literacy (IL) education in library schools in Nigeria, to establish whether they are in line with international and national library and information science (LIS) standards ('library schools' here indicates departments offering LIS qualifications within higher education institutions). The study used document analysis and qualitative methods. First, departmental documents from heads of department and students' handbooks containing the LIS curriculum were collected from thirty (30) library schools in Nigeria and analyzed. Secondly, lecturers in the department of LIS from the thirteen (13) library schools offering an IL course were engaged in an interview. The study revealed a significant improvement compared to previous studies as 13 out of the 30 Nigerian universities surveyed offered the course 'information literacy' as a stand-alone course in the department of LIS. Unfortunately, the study found that majority of the LIS departments do not have IL laboratories for students to acquire practical skills. These findings will provide useful data for stakeholders in the university system such as supervising bodies, university management, heads of department, and library associations and regulatory bodies, assisting them in the creation of policies related to the integration of IL courses into the school system and in enforcing the implementation of these policies.

The purpose of this research is to get university students' views on a promising library and information education model. This study was designed in the phenomenological pattern, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of 80 students studying at various universities in Kazakhstan in the 2021-2022 academic year. Research data were collected with a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers. The data were evaluated by content analysis method. As a result, it has been determined that the vast majority of university students sometimes use university libraries to access information. Majority of the students gained knowledge education and they categorised them as gaining the ability to access information, gaining the ability to use information, gaining critical thinking skills and gaining an understanding of accessing information in an ethical way. Students' views on creating a promising library are mostly in the direction of digital and traditional library options, print and digital-rich resource content, resource alternatives with language options, ease of access for the disabled, audiobook options in digital libraries and contemporary architectural design in traditional libraries. Students' views on the knowledge education model that should be created for a promising library are mostly providing information literacy and library access skills courses in each department, providing online orientation support, organising seminars on library practices in the university environment and the standards of accessing information through the library.

Technological innovations have led to an increase in demand for information technology (IT) skills in contemporary library and information agencies. This in turn has created an increased need for pedagogical skills on the part of library and information science (LIS) professionals for them to empower users with knowledge and skills to navigate a complex digital information terrain. Hence LIS professionals with both technology and pedagogical skills have become increasingly critical in a digitized information environment. In the context of this confluence of knowledge and skills requirements for the LIS professional, this article draws early findings from a global phenomenological probe into curriculum design and development directed at the blended or hybrid LIS professional located in a pluralist information environment and requiring cross-disciplinary competencies spanning LIS, IT, teaching and learning, and perhaps even other cognate areas. It explores, in this context, challenges, ideas, and thinking in LIS education from preliminary empirical findings from parts of Africa, Asia, and South America (representing the Global South) and from parts of Europe and North America (representing the Global North), with a view to stimulating debate and discourse on the repositioning of the LIS discipline toward staking an intellectual claim on the broadening of its disciplinary space resulting from a natural evolution of the LIS discipline in response to a technology-driven information environment. Shank and Bell's concepts of "disruptive innovations" and the blending of traditional librarian skills with information technology and pedagogical skills, together with Corrall's "content, conduit, and context" approach to educating for a pluralist digital information environment, are used to frame this reflection.

We may not always like the speed of today's world, but we still need to prepare students for working in a fast-paced environment. In the library and information science (LIS) professions today, deadlines are becoming ever shorter, yet research into the effects of time pressure in LIS is scarce. This pilot project aims to develop and test a speed-training program to improve LIS students' ability to work under time pressure. An experiment is conducted where students in the control group receive no speed training while students in the experimental group complete speed-training exercises. Students provide feedback through surveys and a focus group. The results suggest that speed training can help students learn to work more quickly and that students feel positively about speed training. Therefore, it may be worth including explicit speed-training exercises in LIS programs.

This article addresses a framework for conceptualizing the preparation of leaders for the library and information science (LIS) profession. The framework has three components: curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment (CPA). Moreover, this framework is mirrored in examples from two LIS programs (one in Finland and one in the United States) and discusses how the future expertise of library and information professions can be foreseen in educational programs. This study demonstrates how LIS programs can utilize this framework in developing an intentional and holistic approach to guide, review, and impart leadership education in a global information context.

Library and librarian involvement in digital humanities (DH) has grown over the past few years. However, it is unclear whether current library and information studies (LIS) programs are properly preparing students for this type of work. This study analyzed course offerings at Canadian ALA-accredited LIS programs. While Canadian ALA-accredited LIS programs offer DH-relevant courses, the number of courses offered and their range/scope vary greatly among institutions. Although many are teaching the technical skills required by the field of DH librarianship, collaboration and project management training remain elusive in most programs.

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the supply-and-demand dynamics in the library and information science (LIS) academic market in China. This analysis is based on a broad concept of academic market and large-scale labor-market data. The authors find a shift in faculty positions, in which traditional positions in universities and research institutions have been replaced with relatively new, temporary academic positions, such as contract-based positions, research librarians, and army lecturers. In addition, they speculate that institutional prestige contributes to a structural mismatch in the Chinese LIS market. Confronted with a changing academic job market, LIS institutions and associations need to strengthen the training of doctoral students' transferable skills to improve their entry into the academic market. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to investigate the supply and demand of the LIS academic market in China, which can provide a reference for the global LIS academic community.

This paper studies how the concept of "Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity" (DE&I) has been instrumentalised "in lieu" of effective policies to tackle racism and racial inequity in Higher Education and in particular in Library and Information Science (LIS). The author takes stock of the research output devoted to this topic in Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in order to ascertain European LIS's involvement in it or lack thereof. The paper analyzes the results of a preliminary qualitative survey of some European LIS scholars on how racially and ethnically "diverse" their departments and student population are.

Library and information science (LIS) as a discipline is constantly changing in line with the trends of the profession, so in order to ensure that LIS curriculum in higher education addresses the needs of contemporary stakeholders, evidence-based evaluation is needed. Student satisfaction has become an important factor in considering the success of the institution of higher education. The studies on student motivation for enrolling in LIS programs are many, but papers on student perception of satisfaction with their LIS study programs are rarer. This paper focuses on the efforts of ensuring curriculum quality of the LIS program at the graduate level of study at the Department of Information Sciences of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Osijek, Croatia. The main aim of the study was to determine how satisfied the students are with the quality of their study program and to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The study was carried out by anonymous online survey in which the students were asked to rate their satisfaction with the study program and the obtained professional and lifelong learning competences. While findings of the study are relevant for the revision of the LIS study program at the Osijek Department, this study can also have larger implications for LIS education trends globally, for it has confirmed some of the results from international studies.

This study examines the evolution of current interests and emerging characteristics in library and information science (LIS) from Chinese iSchools, including an analysis of the LIS landscape, space distribution, citation, emerging characteristics, and collaborations. This study considers a non-parametric approach to outline the structure of the iSchool movement in China, while clustering analysis helped us obtain information about the descriptions generated within unsupervised learning groups. It was found that Chinese iSchools play an intermediary role in the international development of Chinese LIS, which further promotes the dissemination and exchange of knowledge and international cooperation in LIS.

This study explored university students' information-seeking behaviours related to nutrition. The focus was on cognitive authority, specifically, the trust given to information sources. Research questions encompassed identifying university students' nutrition needs, information sources usage, and the levels of trust in those sources. A questionnaire was completed by 138 students, and six students were interviewed. Overall, the Internet is the most used information source on nutrition, followed by family and friends. Trust in the information from the Internet in general and social media is relatively low. However, specific authors on social media are perceived as trustworthy. Interviews revealed that students evaluate specific online sources based on author expertise, systematically organised information, and other cues. Expert sources of information are highly trusted but, on average, not often used. Only students with health problems mostly rely on experts and professional literature. Students engaged in training and weight maintenance primarily follow social media, notably specific authors on YouTube and Instagram. Trust in information sources is correlated to their usage, especially for Instagram and other social media. These insights into university students' information-seeking behaviours can inform experts involved in educating students on making informed choices based on information gained from trustworthy sources.

In the context of an evolving digitally-oriented library and/or information science (LIS) discipline and framed by Andrew Abbott's Chaos of Disciplines theory, this article presents an epistemological overview of evolving competency requirements for a global digital information environment and the implications of this for future LIS education. In doing so it draws from both an international case study of ongoing research by the IFLA BSLISE (Building Strong LIS Education) Working Group into the development of an international framework for the assessment of quality standards in LIS education and a national (South African) case study involving the compilation of an LIS competency index in a highly digitally oriented information environment. The Chaos of Disciplines theory was originally conceptualized to demonstrate the evolution of disciplines in the social sciences. Its core principles of the interstitial character of a discipline and fractal distinctions in time are employed as a heuristic tool to connect the empirical evidence from these two purposively selected case studies to the inherent nature of the LIS discipline and the implications of this for competency requirements for professional practice in a highly digitized global information environment and for future LIS education responding to these competency exigencies.

This paper presents a case study of two types of multimedia resources that were integrated as supplementary learning materials into the design and delivery of two different graduate courses on the historical foundations of library and information science (LIS): video and audio lectures from an online course on the history of information (integrated into a doctoral seminar), and a curated playlist of a weekly public radio broadcast on the history of ideas (integrated into a master's course). It also considers some of the limitations of compiling LIS-related audiovisual materials from disparate online sources, with references to examples. By analyzing and critiquing these three applications of multimedia resources in LIS graduate courses, this paper attempts to answer the following research question: Beyond traditional pedagogical strategies such as lectures and text-based readings and assignments, how might students, practitioners, and the general public gain a sweeping understanding of our field? The paper aims to help LIS educators to diversify their pedagogical strategies and reach people outside their classrooms. By incorporating these kinds of multimedia resources into course designs, educators may help to empower students to actively and creatively apply what they learn in class to the analysis of historical events, biographies, and social movements, develop technical skills that will benefit their professional development, and produce deliverables that can be shared on public platforms to reach a wider audience beyond LIS classrooms.

Subject to various restrictive requirements on project application and completion, funded projects are often affected by funding policies for the selection of research objects. This study explored the impact of scientific research funding policies on the funding and research by comparing the topic distribution of awards and papers. A total of 1,870 awards and 16,491 papers of the National Social Science Foundation of China (NSSFC) in library and information science (LIS) were collected from a Chinese research project database. According to the results, the growth rate of awards on most topics is higher than that of papers, while the growth rate of papers on the relevant topics to users, technology, and metrology is higher than that of awards. It was found out in the study that the topics funded by NSSFC were imbalanced. NSSFC provides much more funding to traditional topics rather than emerging topics. As indicated by the funding provided to the projects on traditional topics for research on a large number of papers on emerging topics, however, the innovation and diversity of academic research have yet to be restricted. This study demonstrated that the effect of funding policies on the research topics in LIS is significant. Topic suggestions and funding structure of NSSFC have more impacts on award topics than on paper topics. The influence of NSSFC-recommended topics on paper topics is declining year by year. Additionally, awards with high funding intensity are more susceptible to topic suggestions.

Research data services are increasingly offered by academic libraries. As a result, librarians may need to upskill to provide data services and build capacity. This study measures the current level of data services skills of academic librarians and explores preferred methods of continuing education. An online survey was circulated asking respondents to self-assess data skills in four categories. The results capture a baseline of self-assessed data skills and show statistical significance between the percentage of time a librarian provides data services and higher levels of technical skill sets. The findings support the hiring of data librarians in academic libraries offering data services and providing training for librarians who provide any level of data services.

Traditionally, American library and information science (LIS) education and librarianship have been predominantly white and female-oriented professions. As an international gay male person of color (originally from India) in its ranks, I have embraced social justice scholarship outside and within our bastion institutions of higher learning during a 14.5-year tenure as an LIS educator in the United States. This article reflects on select experiences as a minority along multiple intersectional dimensions of human experience and socially constructed identity markers, including race/ethnicity, national origins, sex, gender, and sexual orientation. Indulging in these musings allows me to decipher layers of complexities shaping faculty interpersonal microaggressions, a perceived lack of equal/equitable recognition of contributions, and limited comparable administrative growth/opportunities. These are discussed as hypothesized encounters in the form of few imagined scenarios or key episodes connected in the form of a searching narrative. It develops an alternative "voice" to identify possible directions that might transform LIS education beyond its "feel good" practices/policies surrounding diversity, inclusion, and collegiality and give it greater relevance in the twenty-first century. The goal is to engage authentic conversations that address behaviors of perceived prejudice, bias, abuse, and discrimination (intentional or unintentional) by LIS faculty/administrators targeting male faculty of color and "marginalized" others (e.g., first-generation graduates) in academic and professional networks.

This Article discusses the features and the use of Metrics such as Bibliometrics, Scientometrics, Webometrics, Informetrics and Altmetrics in the field of Library and Information Science Research at present.

Researcher-facing librarians in New Zealand are providing guidance across more of the research lifecycle than ever before in response to an increasingly complex scholarly ecosystem. This research explored the development of research support through survey responses from all eight New Zealand University Libraries. From the responses it was possible to ascertain the level of services offered or planned in the four key areas of research impact, Research Data Management, scholarly communication and Kaupapa Maori research. Skills gaps and barriers to service development were also identified. Comparison with an earlier study revealed that research impact and Research Data Management services have developed well over the last 6 years. A good level of maturity was identified in scholarly communication services but support for Kaupapa Maori research was identified as an area for development. Barriers to service development included lack of resourcing and low recognition of library value from the wider institution.

After spreading quickly around the world and causing the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, COVID-19 has also forced educational institutions into lockdown around the world. They had to continue their activities through distance learning and online courses to cope with this pandemic outbreak. One of the areas of higher education that was most affected by this unexpected situation was internship programs, and alternative ways began to be sought instead of face-to-face internships. The aim of this study is to introduce the first online internship program developed in lieu of an in-person internship program as a response to nationwide lockdowns due to the pandemic. The program was conducted between June 29 and July 24, 2020, via the Zoom platform and designed in five modules, with the detailed content information provided under each module. A total of 21 sessions were held, and 32 library and archive specialists contributed to the program. The study also provides information on the results of a survey applied to 61 students at the end of the program. The analysis of the survey results demonstrates that the majority of the interns who participated in the program preferred to have a face-to-face internship. But also, they explained that this program was a valuable contribution to their theoretical learning as it was run by professionals from different information organizations. Also, the sustainability of the program is reviewed by taking into account its advantages and disadvantages. Overall, this study provides an international perspective on an alternative model of internship programs which supports theoretical education in the library and information science field.

This article argues for the usefulness of experiential learning as a vehicle for democratic civic engagement in North American library and information science programs. First, we explore the literature on service learning, traditionally the primary type of experiential learning in LIS. We define and provide historical context and scrutinize service learning's benefits and challenges for students, faculty, LIS programs, and parent institutions. Second, we trace the evolution of experiential learning from service learning to community-based learning (CBL); we underline the ways in which such an approach in its epistemology and its practice transcends the traditional service-learning model. Finally, we unpack the novel ways in which one iSchool's LIS program is implementing community-based learning, namely by embracing data science and design thinking in its pedagogical approach to a new three-course, twelve-credit post-Bachelor's certificate (PBC). We discuss the institutional context for the certificate, the project partners, the 12 PBC Fellows, and the curriculum, which includes three new courses (Design Thinking for Digital Community Service, Data Analytics for Community-Based Data and Service, and a capstone).

According to the American Library Association (ALA), organizational sustainability requires social equity, and serving diverse populations is mandated in the ALA Library Bill of Rights and its Policy Manual on Diversity. Preparation to serve diverse and marginalized populations is a key ingredient in creating the type of resilient leaders needed to promote and sustain systematic and lasting changes in LIS. Although the field promotes services to diverse populations through recruitment and retention of librarians, staff, faculty, and students from diverse backgrounds, there is still much work to do, and LIS programs must support students in obtaining the knowledge and skills they will need to develop inclusive library collections, services, and programs that reflect diverse patrons' lives and needs and understanding of the experiences of people whose lived experience differs from their own. This study analyzed courses that prepare students in North American ALA-accredited Master's of Library and Information Science (MLIS) programs to serve diverse populations. All programs' websites were examined to identify relevant courses, and 28 syllabi were analyzed for the study. The researchers employed descriptive statistics and content analysis to describe course offerings and identify course topics through themes emerging from the syllabi. Overall, the study found that course offerings and rotations vary considerably across programs and that the courses focus on how information organizations serve diverse users' information needs in the context of access, equity, and diversity and professionalism in LIS. The findings from this study add to previous research on this topic and provide data that can inform MLIS curriculum development.

This study investigates how time intersects with student learning in Canada's first, and only, Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) in an online teaching and learning stream. Thirty-two students responded to a survey that asked about their experiences, perceptions, and challenges after their first year of the program. Descriptive statistics and NVIVO 10 were used to analyze survey responses and to develop themes through open coding. The findings indicate that time shapes students' decisions to pursue the MLIS online, their perception of what the degree might mean for their future, their experience in the program, the quality of their relationships, and their learning. The perceived flexibility of the MLIS program was incredibly important to students. However, the majority of students described themselves as "time poor" and many students underestimated the time commitment necessary to complete the program, to manage coursework, and to build and maintain relationships with others.

This paper was produced as a collaborative project by a Progressive Librarianship class at an ALA-accredited Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program located in Canada. Recent research in LIS has identified a need for issues of social justice to be discussed more prominently in LIS education. From a uniquely student perspective, the authors suggest how MLIS programs can incorporate social justice as a key component in LIS education. Specifically, they encourage pedagogy that supports critical thinking on issues of social justice and provides scaffolding for progressive change for the common good within a library context. This includes where social justice should appear in the LIS curriculum, who should teach about social justice, what topics are currently of relevance, and suggestions on key strategies for progressive change that can be taught in LIS education.

This study aimed to identify factors motivating individuals to earn a doctoral degree in library and information science. Data about doctoral student motivation was collected from first-year students through a survey, semi-structured interviews, and personal admission statements. Findings suggest five motivating factors: research-related interests, previous experience in academia, preparation for the future, appeal of the scholarly environment, and encouragement from others. Investigating student motivation informs program administrators, faculty, and prospective doctoral students of the future of graduate-level education. This study also addresses concerns about faculty supply, offering recommendations for improving the pipeline from graduate study to doctoral study to the academy.

Librarians are continuously expected to update their job knowledge and renew their job related skills to enable them compete effectively in our changing society. These professionals are also expected to acquire extensive education and training to enable them function properly and be productive in their organisations. Agreeably, for librarians to integrate and develop a nation like Nigeria, sustained efforts must be made by pulling acquired knowledge and skills into practice for quality service delivery, which is now the hall-mark of international best practices. This paper assesses the educating and training of librarians for national integration and development. It discussed the concept education and training. It further highlighted programmes as well as course contents for the educating and training of librarians. It concluded that the performance index of librarians through education and training will enable them to acquire the competencies needed to render appropriate and quality services in libraries in Nigeria. The paper recommended that education and training of librarians should be more of practicum and that librarians must acquire computer and internet literacy.

Introduction. This study examines the research methods and techniques used in Spanish journals of library and information science, the topics addressed by papers in these journals and their authorship affiliation. Method. The researchers selected 580 papers published in the top seven Spanish LIS journals indexed in Web of Science and Scopus and conducted a content analysis of 394 of these papers. In each case, the analysis considered: (1) type of paper (research/non-research); (2) authorship (country, sex, number of authors, academic versus professional profile); and (3) the research methods and techniques used and the topic addressed. Results. Sixty-eight per cent of the papers were identified as research papers. These papers used either a quantitative or qualitative approach to the topic and both were well represented, although rarely combined in the same paper (9.6%). The most frequently addressed topics were information sources, metric studies and technologies. Most of the authors were Spanish (78%). Forty-two per cent of the papers had just one author. Conclusions. In terms of the volume of publication and the research methods and techniques most commonly used, library and information science research in Spain does not generally lag behind research in the international sphere. However, there is still room for improvement in experimental research, of which there is very little, and in the internationalisation of authorship.

In this study we investigated the research designs employed to study the interdisciplinary profession of school librarianship during a time period of notable changes across both the Pre-K-12 and school library domains. To conduct this work, we analyzed all 217 articles published in "School Library Research" (SLR) and "School Libraries Worldwide" (SLW) from 2007 through July 2015. Results point to the high variability in research designs employed and limited inclusion of Pre-K-12 students as participants. The articles also exhibit high incidences of collaboration between scholars but limited involvement of practitioners as researchers. Findings are discussed in relation to research and practice.

The study presented in this article is aimed to improve the academic education in the field of library and information science by structuring the curricular and pedagogical reasoning that shapes the contents of undergraduate academic programs. It was composed of two methodological phases. The first phase was a systematic Critical Delphi study with 21 leading information science scholars from Brazil. The second phase was an unsystematic formative evaluation of the content categories. The evaluation was based on a Grounded Theory study of more than 100 programs worldwide. The study resulted in a universal model that sets the guiding principles for developing bachelor's degree programs applicable worldwide. The model, which is actually composed of two complementary models, is a systematic four step developing process (model[subscript 1.1]) and a structured plan of 288 content categories (model[subscript 1.2]). It is grounded on theoretical foundations and empirical studies.

A study of PhD dissertations in library and information science (LIS) was carried out to investigate which research topics have been of interest in Nordic LIS institutions. Seventy-nine doctoral dissertations from 2005 to 2014, published by 13 different research institutions, were retrieved from the institutions' archives and from library catalogues. Compared to other metastudies on research topics in LIS, this study on Nordic PhD dissertations revealed a noteworthy difference, namely the high number of dissertations on topics related to cultural policy and literature. The findings are discussed from the perspective of sociology of literature, according to questions of power. The main purpose of the study is to show the relevance of sociology of literature in the diverse and rich research field of library and information science.

This comparative case study evaluated the role of foreign language study within the Library and Information Science (LIS) curriculum of two programs in the United States and Honduras. The purpose of this research was to understand the significance and usefulness of language courses from the perspective of the students enrolled. Students who had completed language courses in LIS programs in both countries were surveyed with regard to their motivation for language study, application of language skills in the workplace, most and least valuable aspects of the courses, and overall usefulness of courses. The results suggest that students in graduate LIS programs are interested in learning foreign languages when the courses are targeted to the students' specific interests and professional needs. The findings provide a curricular enhancement model that could be adopted at other universities, with key considerations focused on customizing language courses to the LIS context, required and elective course offerings, course delivery formats and student motivation.

The evolving demand for workforce skills has often been a topic of discussion at various professional library and information science (LIS) conferences and in the academic literature. Although LIS schools tend to highlight the goal of preparing future members of the LIS profession to be effective leaders, a management and leadership curriculum gap still exists worldwide. Most LIS schools are still falling short when it comes to offering advanced management courses on a regular basis as identified in international studies. Consequently, this lack of adequate management education and training in LIS schools tends to contribute to the development of "accidental managers." A review of the online program and course descriptions of the 58 American Library Association (ALA) accredited graduate schools demonstrates the current landscape of LIS education in relation to the demand for leadership and management skills and the increasing significance of these competencies for information professionals. This research also shows how regular interaction and engagement with the LIS professional community resulted in the development of an online advanced certificate program in management for information professionals. Although this study primarily reviewed LIS schools in the U.S. and Canada, it has wider implications given the need for advanced management courses expressed in the literature worldwide. It is vitally important for LIS schools to bridge the existing gaps in LIS education in order to meet professional demands for leadership and management skills, and this paper demonstrates one way in which LIS schools can accomplish this.

Licensure examination performance of graduates is one measure of the effectiveness of curricular programs. This study analyzed the five-year performance of 159 BLIS graduates in the Librarians' Licensure Examination in from 2011 to 2015. Findings reveal that the passing the graduates' passing rates were statistically consistent in the five-year duration. The average passing rate was moderately high at 57.89%, but the mean general rating was only 73.23%. The general ratings had a slightly platykurtic, negatively skewed distribution. Overall, the institutional passing rate surpassed the national passing rate by 45.12%. Passing rates were highest in Information Technology, Indexing and Abstracting, and Library Organization and Management. Lower passing rates were posted in Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials, and in Cataloguing and Classification. The first timers, and the review center attendees, outperformed their respective counterparts, while the male and female examinees were statistically even. The first timers scored better than the repeaters in five areas, save cataloguing and classification. Meanwhile the male examinees and the center-reviewers were better than their counterparts on only one area - Library Organization and Management, and Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials, respectively. Recommendations as to the result of this study were proposed.

Introduction: Evidence-based practice has broadened and spread into new areas including librarianship. This reorientation has resulted in increased uncertainty regarding what counts as evidence and has caused a tension between formalised procedures and professional judgment. This theoretical paper aims to extend the knowledge about how evidence-based practice can contribute to regulate work and information practices. Method: Data from a small-scale empirical study of social welfare workers was theorised through the lens of institutional ethnography. Analysis: The analysis was primarily guided by the following key concepts: documentary governance, disciplinary mechanism and knowledge mobilisation. Results: Nationally produced statutes, decrees, guidelines, action plans and reports constitute prominent information resources. Knowledge is mobilised when these are read, interpreted, talked about and represented. Evidence-based practice emerges at the same time as a concrete and material activity and as a phenomenon placed in a wider perspective which can be traced through a societal dimension. Conclusions: Evidence-based practice can be viewed as a means to bring about effectiveness but emerges in this study as a disciplinary mechanism through which power is exerted. The theoretical framework has made it possible to elucidate how documents and texts contribute not only to structure but also make things happen in the practice under study.

This paper is based on two studies conducted in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2008 and in Kampala, Uganda, in 2014. The basic research question addressed in both studies was: "What are the experiences in the lives of upper elementary-aged children that foster an intrinsic motivation to seek information?" The secondary question was: "How do the experiences of students from a collectivist culture (Kampala, Uganda) who are intrinsically motivated to seek information compare and contrast with the experiences of similarly aged students from an individualistic culture (Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.A.)?" The focus of this paper is to explore the dispositions of both sets of informants using a theoretical framework consisting of the educative dispositions of an Effective Learner--independence, creativity, self-motivation, and resilience (Bertram and Pascal 2002)--as correlated with the dispositions listed in the American Association of School Librarians' "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner" (2007). The findings were that both sets of informants exhibited an affinity for play and a tendency toward creativity, and that the Ugandan students were more inclined toward competence-building activities than their Colorado Springs counterparts, who generally exhibited noncompetitive dispositions. Furthermore, resilience was a disposition revealed by students in the Ugandan study.

This paper provides an overview of a teaching and learning project that explored the flipped classroom model to determine if it was an effective teaching and learning method to use with library and information studies (LIS) students with diverse learning needs. The project involved developing a range of videos in different styles for students to watch before class. These were used in conjunction with a range of student centred and interactive in class activities. The flipped model was evaluated in order to understand the students learning preferences and to evaluate if the model was effective. Results from these evaluations and student feedback, indicated that the flipped classroom model proved to be an effective way to teach Masters LIS students with diverse learning needs, due to it's interactive and student centred approach. The video style lectures, also suited students who speak English as a second language (ESL), as it enabled them to re-watch the videos and learn at their own pace. Utilizing the flipped classroom model holds advantages for LIS faculty as it allows them to engage students in innovative ways, both inside and outside the classroom, and to employ a range of modern teaching tools and approaches.

This article is an exploration of ways in which LIS educators can consider culture, heritage, and identity as a framework for becoming participatory agents of their teaching practices in the LIS classroom. To support this framework, this discussion introduces the research methodology, practitioner inquiry, as a meaningful approach to studying pedagogical practice and identity in the LIS classroom as a means to LIS educators becoming more self-reflective and aware of the impacts of their own identity construction in their teaching. In this article I am affirming the case for a diversity stance within the North American LIS curriculum. I am also posing additional questions and challenges about LIS identity construction and professional practice as we teach and learn in the classroom.

As data has become critical to our everyday lives, a growing concern with the skills gap required to exploit the data surfeit has arisen; library and information science practitioners and educators have recognized this concern. This paper is intended to identify current trends in library and information science education in response to the rising demand for data professionals. To provide a detailed map of the content of the current curriculum, academic programs and courses that support a data-driven workforce offered by library schools in North America were reviewed. The results of this analysis indicates that various topics are being offered to address skills gaps for data professionals, but there are still insufficient opportunities for students to develop the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills needed to be highly capable data professionals. It is suggested that cross-disciplinary and/or cross-institutional collaboration may be an efficient way to enhance and develop educational and training opportunities for data professionals.

Since the 1960s, many scholars have questioned the relationship between library science and information science. This paper investigates LIS doctoral dissertations in terms of their topics and interdisciplinarity in the period 1960-2013. Results show that LIS is an interdisciplinary field in which library science and information science are intimately related. The study shows that Information Science has surpassed Library Science to become the dominant research topic in LIS. It also shows that the academic background of doctoral advisors affects the interdisciplinarity of their student's doctoral dissertations.

The last decade has seen decline in the fortunes of the Library and Information Science (LIS) sector in the United Kingdom (UK), both in professional practice and in higher education. This paper sets out to assess the health and wellbeing of LIS teaching and research and to identify key strategies for its future survival. Over the past decade many schools of LIS have ceased to exist, among them for example, in the University of Central England, Brighton University and Loughborough. Many have become subdivisions of other schools, as in Northumbria University, Strathclyde and the Robert Gordon University, spread indiscriminately around a variety of disciplines like business management, computing and communications. There are three autonomous departments/schools of LIS in the UK, in Sheffield University, City University and UCL, a very significant decline from what would have been 15 in the 1980s (Elkin & Wilson, 1997). In 2018-19, the authors undertook a series of interviews with colleagues in information and library science education across the UK, both current academics with responsibility for the subject and retired former heads of school, department or subject. The aim of the interviews was to gather the views of these experienced and knowledgeable individuals about how the discipline has fared in the last 30 years, its current status and where it might go in the future. What emerged from these interviews was a sense of isolation, threat and uncertainty amongst participants about their future and that of the discipline. The authors were of the view that the UK is currently at something of a crossroads for the subject as taught in universities and that a study such as the present one would help to focus minds on the areas where most impact might be made in creating a legacy for the subject into the future.

According to Stearns (2009), culture shapes childhood. The way a society defines culture shapes: (a) how childhood is constructed; (b) the production of literary products and services for young people; and (c) training for library professionals. In 21st century America, children are viewed as a vulnerable population in need of protection, as evidenced by the books that are challenged in schools and libraries every year. In Denmark, however, childhood is constructed differently. While the American-style of helicopter parenting described in Finkel and Fitzsimmons (2013) exists, since the 1980s a cultural shift has occurred, as Danes move from what Juncker (2007) calls a silent, attendant culture to a vocal, participatory culture. Today, young Danes' right to access culture is mandated through the Ministry of Culture, and libraries and cultural institutions, working in partnership with schools, are largely responsible for providing such access. According to the Royal School of Library and Information Science's website, Bachelors and Masters degrees in Information Science and Cultural Dissemination emphasize connections between information and knowledge, but also focus on the interplay between knowledge and culture. As library education changes, children's library centers in turn are transformed into cultural institutions that incorporate media in all forms, focusing on culture, creativity, and play. This qualitative study uses participant observation gathered in Denmark during summer 2014 at the Royal School of Library and Information Science, libraries and cultural centers, and online analysis. Findings demonstrate how the Danish LIS program addresses changing constructions of childhood and the roles of information and culture, encompassing both aesthetics and play.

This paper presents some of the challenges and concerns for library and information science (LIS) education in India. In order to provide context for these challenges, the paper begins with a brief overview of higher education in India in general and then discusses the beginning of LIS education. It briefly summarizes LIS education in South Asia to provide additional context. The paper discusses concerning issues, including curriculum, accreditation, program delivery through distance education, and research in LIS. The paper goes on to highlight some of the challenges that LIS educators face in India. It concludes with suggestions about how some of these challenges might be addressed including implementation of the Recommendations of National Knowledge Commission. The need for a Model Curriculum in order for LIS to fill the gap between needs of the users and skills of library professionals is also discussed.

The Freedom Charter of the African National Congress (ANC), the triumphant South African liberation movement, proclaims that "the doors of learning shall be open" for all. Twenty years since coming to power, the doors of the universities are struggling to stay open for adult student-workers. An action research project into implementation of "flexible provision" at one historically black university is described in response to these realities. Rich experiences from lives of working librarian student-workers illustrate the complex issues that confront individuals, workplaces and institutions in implementing innovative pedagogies within a university.