Towards a generic model of information and library services in the information age

Storing and sharing wisdom and traditional knowledge in the library

Traditional library practice focuses on print collections and developing collections of materials that have been published, which means the documents have gone through some kind of review or vetting process. This practice leaves a wide swath of potential knowledge out of the collection. For example, indigenous knowledge, beliefs, and experience are different, in that they do not undergo the same review or vetting process; we might refer to these types of content as wisdom. Non-print collections, such as collections of recorded oral histories, represent less traditional forms of knowledge. Human libraries push the boundaries further in the quest to integrate wisdom and lived experience into library collections. This paper delineates the relationship between wisdom and knowledge that arose during a phenomenological study of the everyday information practices of Kenyan university women. The women were asked to photograph everyday events from their life and describe what they saw. One finding was a divergent presentation of wisdom and knowledge. Because the women were describing this in relation to their education, we assert that this demonstrates a need to reconsider positivist assumptions in library science, bringing what the women called wisdom into the stacks. How, though, can wisdom be stored and shared?

The changing roles, responsibilities and skills of subject and learning support librarians in the Southern African Customs Union region

The study investigated, within the Southern African Customs Union region, the titles, roles, responsibilities, educational qualifications and skills of subject librarians. Semi-structured questionnaires were sent to 179 subject and other learning support librarians. The findings revealed that subject librarians performed many different tasks, emanating from the key responsibility areas of information literacy instruction, research support, faculty liaison, collection development and marketing. It found that changes had occurred in the profession over time, largely because of technological advances, and that these mainly affected the way tasks were performed, and resulted in subject librarians having to constantly update their skills in order to remain effective and relevant.

A study of success factors of resource sharing in Iranian academic libraries

Purpose

This paper aims to present the results of a study on success factors of resource sharing (RS) and cooperation in Iranian Academic Libraries (IAL), from the point‐of‐view of librarians who have direct experience of such activities. It investigates and compares the librarians' experiences of, and opinions on, the importance of the success factors in the current and desirable situations in the IALs.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a comprehensive review of the relevant literature, 58 success factors of RS were identified from the previous studies. Using Likert scale technique, the importance of the factors in the current and desired situations of the RS programs were explored and ranked, based on the experiences and opinions of a sample of “key informants” who had direct experience of RS activities in the context of IALs. Then the consistency and/or inconsistency between the current and desired situations of the success factors were identified, using gap analysis method.

Findings

The findings revealed that almost all of the success factors mentioned in previous studies are considered important by the respondents. However, only eight factors received high rankings in the current and desired situations of the RS programs in the IALs.

Research limitations/implications

The research focuses on factors identified in previous studies. This may ignore certain, especially cultural, factors, which are effective in the context of IALs.

Practical implications

The study highlights the importance of success factors in development or improvement of any RS activity. The factors would provide both researchers and practitioners with a rich framework to examine the current situation of their RS programs and develop informed strategic plans to improve that. In particular, the findings inform the RS planners and policy makers that particular attention needs to be given to the factors that are identified as very important by the study participants. These factors would alert them to the causes and impacts of such a deficiency in the RS and library cooperation systems.

Originality/value

There is no comprehensive study on the success factors of RS in libraries and, as such, no investigation of the factors in some real‐life contexts of RS activities. Both researchers and practitioners in the field of RS may value the novelty and results of this study.

Healthcare personnel's use of e-information sources in Riyadh governmental hospitals

ICT has enabled a wide dissemination of information and a sharp increase in the magnitude of electronic information sources. The use of e-information sources by healthcare personnel within Saudi Arabia has received little research attention. This paper discusses the use of e-information sources by healthcare personnel in the kingdom. A questionnaire with open-ended questions was designed to collect data from 11 governmental hospitals and health centres in Riyadh. It identified a range of problems and obstacles that impact on the use of electronic information sources. The identification of these difficulties opens the way for development and improvement of the current situation.

Socio‐economic‐cultural aspects and mass information need

Purpose

To evaluate the magnitude of public library uses and resulting values among the general people with associated socio‐economic‐cultural features of Bangladesh and thus to indicate strategies for better library impact in societal, cultural and economic development.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were collected from the users of four public libraries in the cities of Dhaka and Rajshahi considering rich library profiles and wide variety of users. Interviews were conducted based on a structured questionnaire by visiting the sample libraries that also result in studying the users and libraries closely.

Findings

Some factors like age, income, education, and gender are very important in using public library in relation to particular socio‐economic features of Bangladesh. Though the study reveals dissatisfaction in library resources, it shows a strong library impact on recreation and culture, self‐learning, social welfare, and on economic development of the country. The findings lead some recommendations for improved utilization of library.

Research implications/limitations

The paper provides focus on studying the demographic variables of users to measure public library values and benefits in the areas of learning, recreation, culture, social welfare, and development.

Practical implications

Concerned authorities should come forward to minimize the funding and administrative barriers to make public library exclusively worthy to all with quality access.

Originality/value

Studying social factors are unavoidable to understand the magnitude of social inclusiveness of libraries and their strength of impact, and importantly, to ascertain the ways of comprehensive access to libraries by acquiring indication of realistic policy implementation from empirical evidence.

Management information and decision support for libraries in Europe: a concerted action

Management information for decision making is an essential tool for library managers. This paper outlines the European Commission Libraries Programme decision support projects that were brought together under the CAMILE concerted action. The three common themes to emerge from the CAMILE projects are then discussed. The themes are: information for decision making, systems for decision support, and the future challenges of measuring impact and developing performance measures for the elec‐tronic library. To conclude, recommendations for future research in the field of decision support in European libraries are considered.