Print Disabilities: Devices and Services Available in Two-Year University System of Georgia Libraries

ABSTRACT

Many patrons of libraries have one or more print disabilities that partially or totally impair their ability to use standard print. However, many devices and services are available to aid patrons who can not use print in the conventional manner. This paper provides an overview of typical assistive technology devices and services available to students with print disabilities. Barriers to access and solutions to these barriers are also discussed. In addition, original research results are presented from a survey of two-year college libraries of the University System of Georgia.     

The use of information and communication technologies in public libraries in South Africa as tools for bridging the digital divide: the case of the Kempton Park public library

ABSTRACT

The information and knowledge society has resulted in the exponential growth of information and communication technologies (ICTs), thus creating a gap between those who use ICTs and those who do not; hence the emergence of the term “digital divide” in the 1990s. One of the milestones of South Africa’s National Development Plan, a policy that charts the country’s development up until 2030, is to ensure that high-speed broadband internet is universally available at competitive prices. Notwithstanding the importance of ICTs in public libraries, the provision of such is still taking place on a limited scale in South Africa. This article investigates the use of ICTs in public libraries in South Africa as a tool in bridging the digital divide. It also examines the inequalities in access and use and suggests ways in which ICTs may be used to reduce the digital divide. A qualitative research methodology was adopted. In order for public libraries to function as an important tool in bridging the digital divide, there is a need to standardize the provision of public library services with regard to the digital divide.     

Analyzing Critical Incidents Stories to Understand Change Management Process in the Adoption of e-Resources at the University of Botswana Library

This study used the critical incidents technique to gather the University Botswana Library staff's stories relating to the change management process during the implementation of e-resources projects. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 13 individuals who were involved in the implementation of various projects at the library. Data was analyzed using grounded theory techniques of open coding, selective coding, and axial coding. The results of the study showed that communication, investing in resources, capacity building, team building, garnering external support through collaboration, and users' involvement were key change management strategies used. The library staff were involved in the coordination of projects, systems selection, liaising with stakeholders and consultants, benchmarking, and conducting in-house training. The findings also showed some challenges encountered, which included staff ignorance, reluctance, and fear to take decisions, and inadequate training facilities. The study recommends dedicated project team members with reduced workload and having knowledge and skills to lead the teams to fully participate and engage in the project process.     

Biowatch South Africa and the challenges in enforcing its constitutional right to access to information

This paper examines the difficulties encountered by Biowatch, a South African civil society environmental organization, in its attempts to obtain access to government information in respect of genetically engineered plants. After establishing the context of South Africa's access to information regime, including a brief discussion of several of its weaknesses, the paper engages in an extended account of the Biowatch case as an exemplar of some of the more pronounced challenges to the effective implementation of the country's access to information legislation. The elaboration of the case is based on interviews conducted with the Director of Biowatch and counsel from the Legal Resources Centre that aided Biowatch, as well as various internal and court documents provided by Biowatch and its lawyers.     

Roving Librarian: The Suitability of Tablets in Providing Personalized Help Outside of the Traditional Library

Emanating from the ground-breaking Library Impact Data Project, the aim of the Roving Librarian project first initiated in 2011 was to offer personalized help outside of the traditional library to library non-users in social or academic settings using Android and the iPad tablets. It was thought that the portability and flexibility of these devices would allow staff to reach students and help them at their point of need. To test out this premise, an action study was carried out to examine the use of tablets and their suitability in facilitating the roving librarian project as well as evaluate roving as a vehicle for teaching information literacy on the move. Data was collected through peer observation, individual reflections, and a questionnaire conducted with subject librarians to find out more regarding their usage of the tablet and to ascertain whether they have found it conducive in roving. The project demonstrated that the affordances of both devices enabled librarians to provide personalized mobile help to students whilst building stronger relationships and arguably having the type of conversations about library resources and facilities that would not have happened if staff had stayed within the physical library building.     

Putting Ariel to Work at the University of Texas at Austin: A Case Study

SUMMARY

This article is a case study of Ariel use at the University of Texas at Austin. The author divides the history of Ariel use into three distinct stages: resistance, full implementation, and enhanced. For each stage the advantages and disadvantages of using Ariel are discussed. The author concludes that using Ariel saves both money and staff time and permits faster delivery of documents than other methods.     

Exploring the information seeking behavior of Greek graduate students: A case study set in the University of Macedonia

This paper explores information ethics (IE) education within LIS (Library and Information Studies/Science) schools in Africa to investigate the following: (i) the extent to which IE is necessary; (ii) who should offer IE and why; (iii) who should be taught IE (and at what level); (iv) how long IE education should take; and (v) what should be included in an IE course. This was accomplished through a literature review and a case study conducted via email with purposely selected LIS experts from around Africa. Overwhelmingly, the LIS experts agreed that information ethics should be offered by LIS departments in courses that account for the multidisciplinary nature of the subject and that it should be made available to all students at all levels. The content should be objective and outcomes-based or outcomes-driven. The challenges and opportunities enumerated in this study could potentially be used to set the agenda for further research and professional engagement.     

提升大学学术资源的社会服务功能——以博硕士学位论文数据库为例

以大学图书馆特色馆藏数据库为例,分析了网络时代利用大学学术资源开展社会服务的需求及可行性,并通过实例介绍了国内外利用学术资源开展社会服务的应用情况。     

4I模型对高校图书馆阅读推广的启示——以四川大学图书馆阅读推广系列活动为例

[目的/意义]探索Web 2.0时代高校阅读推广工作的创新思路和模式。[方法/过程]引入营销学4I模型为指南,以四川大学系列阅读推广活动为例,用案例研究的方法逐一论证4I模型理论对于高校图书馆阅读推广的实践意义。[结果/结论]4I模型作为互联网时代的新型营销理论,用于指导当代高校阅读推广工作,可以带来工作思维和方法的创新并取得良好收效。     

From principle to practice: community consultation regarding access to Indigenous language material in archival records at the State Library of New South Wales

In the context of Indigenous languages, archival science in Australia continues to move from a theoretical framework of considering record subjects as third parties to a ‘participants model’. In a participants model framework record subjects are considered co-creators and custodians of the intellectual property of the record. However, the shift from theory to practice is still an under-described challenge currently facing archival professionals. This article reports on an experience of applying guidelines developed by First Languages Australia (FLA) and National and State Libraries of Australasia (NSLA) aimed at enhancing the rights of Indigenous Australians over records that contain Indigenous language material. A team of researchers from the State Library of New South Wales (SLNSW) Indigenous Services branch and Western Sydney University engaged with four Indigenous language groups to evaluate records containing Indigenous language material held at the SLNSW. On viewing the archival records of Indigenous language material members of community groups expressed a diversity of opinions and suggestions. This feedback was grouped by the authors into the following themes: painful remembrance of the provenance of the archival record, evaluations of the value of the documents, custodianship and use of the language material, and access to the SLNSW records. The authors found that participants in the study substantially shaped the process of implementing the protocols.     

Welcome to the Neighborhood: The Merger of Interlibrary Loan with Access Services

In March 2006, the Interlibrary Loan unit was physically merged with the Access Services Department (circulation) at the University of Denver, Penrose Library. Consolidating the units into one service desk resulted in a more distributed and efficient workflow. This article describes the process and the impact of the consolidation.     

The Role of the University Library in Supporting International Students: A Survey of Practices Across UK Universities

Abstract

The recruitment of international students continues to be an increasing priority for higher education institutions concerned with strengthening their approach to internationalization. As numbers have continued to grow, the university library has been required to self-evaluate how it supports such a diverse student population. The University of Chester’s Learning and Information Services department in the United Kingdom undertook sector-wide research within higher education libraries to try and identify examples of best practice in relation to international student support prior to reviewing its own provision. The results from a survey of sector-wide best practice formed the basis for a series of recommendations considered by the University of Chester to develop the library service aimed at improving the performance and engagement of international students.     

Acceptance of digital library among female students and effects of limited access of digital library on their performance in research work: A case of International Islamic University

This study investigates the acceptance and importance of digital library among female students of International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan. The study also highlights the problems that are confronted by the female students in completing their research work after limited access to digital library in the female campus of the University.

Survey was administered personally to collect data from 315 female students of eight faculties of the female campus of the university. The convenient sampling technique was used to collect data from the subjects of the study.

The access to digital library is indispensable to the students to complete their research work. With limited access to the digital library the students were unable to meet their information needs from the Internet and the libraries of other universities. The quantity as well as quality of their research work were affected due the restriction of digital resources. Also the limited access affected adversely to improve insight of the respondents regarding technological developments in their respective area of research. The lack of informational literacy program, IT training workshops, IT literate staff and the electricity failure were the main hindrance to access digital library as well as Internet.

This study was limited only to female students of the International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan.     

美国五所大学图书馆残疾读者服务介绍与思考

通过网络调查了美国五所大学图书馆残疾读者服务的内容,总结其特点,并据此提出了几点建议,作为提高我国大学图书馆残疾读者服务水平的参考。     

Demand-Driven E-book Program in Tallinn University of Technology Library: The First Two Years of Experience with the EBL Platform

ABSTRACT

The ease and effectiveness of patron-driven (demand-driven) acquisitions has helped to optimize many academic libraries’ acquisitions budgets. Libraries are increasingly turning to e-books as an alternative to purchasing multiple copies. Academic libraries have for years been forced to purchase large packages of e-books that are of questionable financial value because so much of the content is not used. The number of content units downloaded from large e-book packages by university patrons is not growing. At the same time, the number of checkouts of print books is declining. Advantages of e-books over print are discussed. Also mentioned are a few drawbacks, particularly the fact that European Union countries impose a higher level of value-added tax (VAT) on them than on print books. The author presents a case study analyzing the first two years of experience with the Ebook Library (EBL) platform at the Tallinn University of Technology Library, giving an overview of the advantages and successful measures of demand-driven acquisition in the form of short-term loans.     

Providing census tabulations to government security agencies in the United States: The case of Arab Americans

In the summer of 2004, it was revealed that the U.S. Census Bureau had provided tabulations in 2002 and 2003 on Arab Americans to the Department of Homeland Security that included detailed information on the number of people of Arab backgrounds living in selected ZIP codes. Although not a violation of law, the Census Bureau realized that this perceived breach of confidentiality would have a negative impact on public trust, and within a few months following the news of the Arab American tabulations it announced that it would no longer assist law enforcement and intelligence agencies with tabulations on ethnic groups and other sensitive populations. In spite of this damage control, we believe that the Bureau's tabulation of Arab Americans provides momentum to a process that adversely affects data quality by increasing both non-response and the cost of obtaining survey and census data. We argue that there are no “methodological fixes” that can repair the damage, and further that public relations campaigns and internal administrative changes are not optimal solutions because of the governing structure within which the Bureau currently operates. Ultimately, the best way to limit the damage already done is to effect a political solution. Toward this end we describe short- and long-term actions. In the long run, we recommend removing the Census Bureau from the Executive branch of government and re-structuring it under a permanent and non-political oversight panel similar to either the Federal Reserve Board or the Congressional Budget Office. Such a move would make a strong statement that the Bureau is non-partisan federal statistical agency.     

Connecting social media use with gaps in knowledge and participation in a protest context: the case of candle light vigil in South Korea

This study sheds light on the recent use of social media for protests, with the 2016 South Korean candle light vigils as the case study. An extensive amount of literature has explored social media’s potential for informing and mobilizing the public to engage in protest activities. Previous research has mainly focused on the direct effect of social media on protest engagement. Moving beyond the direct effect, this paper sought a better understanding of social media’s role in the democratic process by examining how social media affects political knowledge and protest participation, depending on an individual’s political interest level. To test these relationships, this study used survey data collected in South Korea during the mass candlelight vigils in South Korea in 2016 (N?=?922). Findings suggest that the knowledge gap narrowed amongst those with high social media use, mainly due to a greater knowledge drop for those with high political interest. On the other hand, when it comes to participation, the participation gap widened amongst those with high social media use, largely due to a greater increase in participation for those with high political interest. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

The Slavist in the Digital World: Creating Scholarly Resources in Partnership with Librarians at the University of Virginia

ABSTRACT. This article offers a brief discussion of two projects—the creation of a set of digital images of Russian art and an exhibit of modern Russian children's books—developed in collaborative partnership between a Slavist and librarians at the University of Virginia. Both of these projects were designed to create shareable, flexible, and sustainable resources for research and educational use. The challenges and benefits of collaborative partnerships between scholars and librarians are discussed, and models for conceptualizing the relationships are also proposed.     

以信息资源建设助推大学图书馆"十四五"知识服务能力提升——以中国人民大学图书馆为例

[目的/意义] 通过中国人民大学图书馆(简称“人图”)“十四五”发展规划中信息资源建设及知识服务相关内容介绍,分享人图在大学图书馆信息资源建设对知识服务能力的推动与支持方面的做法。[方法/过程] 概括“十三五”期间信息资源建设成果;分析图书馆当前面临的发展环境;探究“十四五”信息资源建设重点;介绍人图“十四五”发展规划中有关信息资源建设和知识服务相关内容。[结果/结论] “十四五”期间,要持续加强高校图书馆信息资源建设,它是提升图书馆学科知识服务能力的助力与支撑。     

清末北洋大学堂学生的首次留美之路——以上海图书馆馆藏盛宣怀档案中盛宣怀与傅兰雅的通信为例

在清末尝试官派学生出洋的背景下,1901年夏,盛宣怀向美国柏克莱加州大学教授傅兰雅提出带领北洋大学堂学生赴美学习的委托。经过多次协商,两人最终达成一致,派遣学生进入柏克莱加州大学学习。在留学期间,由傅兰雅担任学生们的监督,负责管理他们的学习和生活。北洋大学堂学生的此次留美尝试,也是清末留学运动初兴时期的一个缩影。