Medical library development at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria

While libraries of all kinds in Nigeria have many problems, some medical libraries are well established and are giving the services expected of such libraries anywhere. In current conditions of restricted finance and distance from metropolitan countries, consultation and cooperation in serials acquisitions together with union catalogs of serials would be of great value. Modern copying methods make this practical. Union catalogs of monographs would also be valuable. Two new major medical libraries are projected-one half-built, the other still at the planning stage. Each must be planned to give area services rather than purely local and internal services.     

Lecturers and Postgraduates Perception of Libraries as Promoters of Teaching,Learning, and Research at the University of Ibadan,Nigeria

Lecturers and postgraduates are among the users of the university libraries and their perception of the libraries has influence on utilization of the information resources, hence the need for this study. Survey method was adopted for the study and simple random sampling method was used to select sample size of 38 lecturers and 233 postgraduates. Data was collected through a questionnaire complemented by an interview schedule. Results revealed that the overall perception was not favorable as 62% of lecturers and 77.7% of postgraduates indicated that they were not satisfied with the resources and facilities in the library.     

Digitization of Journal Collections in Libraries: A Case Study of Kenneth Dike Library,University of Ibadan,Nigeria

Digitization of journal collections in libraries is inevitable with the advent of Information Communication Technology (ICT). There is a need to digitize journals in the academic library in order to preserve and to give wider visibility and accessibility to information resources for teaching, learning, and research. This article describes the processes of journal collection digitization in Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan. Underfunding and copyright clearance are the challenges encountered, among others. The study recommends adequate funding and concludes that the benefit of instant access to digital information is the most distinguishing attribute in this present information age.     

The role of academic journal publications in the UK Research Assessment Exercise

This article explores the evolution of the role of academic journal articles submitted to the UK's Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). By reviewing their role, it is possible to see how the changes from quantitative to qualitative assessment (and the resulting problems surrounding the definition of ‘quality’ journals) has impacted both on the journals selected by academics for publishing their research and the assessment of them. Although only one part of RAE submissions, the listing of published research outputs provides the primary evidence for research quality to most RAE panels, and is a significant driver of the final grade awarded, and thus the funding received by submitting institutions. The RAE, being a peer‐reviewed assessment exercise, mirrors in some ways the peer‐review process immured within scholarly publication. The developing role of journal publications as a vehicle for academic research output is examined via the chronology of the RAE, before assessing the current situation in which published journal output formed almost 70% of all output assessed by RAE panels in the latest exercise. The impact of this increased importance of academic journals in the assessment process is considered not only for academics but also for the wider community, i.e. publishers and libraries.     

Popular research topics in the recent journal publications of library and information science

Research topic studies have gained popularity in many disciplines, including library and information science (LIS). However, the lack of representation of library science and librarianship in literature indicates a research bias due to the preset methodology parameters, which are commonly based on impact factor scores in the Journal Citation Report of Thomson Reuters. In research, the authors utilize an improved selection criterion of journals and author-supplied keyword clustering and analysis technique to study the most recent ten years of LIS journal publications. This article presents a clear picture of popular research topics in seminal literature to help practicing librarians and library science scholars gain a better understanding and considerable prediction on the research trends in the LIS field.     

Predicting research excellence at the individual level: The importance of publication rate,top journal publications,and top 10% publications in the case of early career mathematicians

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between publication rate, top journal publications and excellence during the first eight years of the career, and how well publication rate, top journal publications and highly cited publications during the first four years of the career can predict whether an author attain excellence in the fifth to the eighth year. The dataset consisted of publication track records of 406 early career mathematicians in the sub-field of number theory collected from the MathSciNet database. Logistic regression and dominance analysis was applied to the data. The major conclusions were (1) publication rate had a positive effect on excellence during the first eighth years of the career. However, those who publish many articles in top journals, which implicitly require a high publication count, had an even higher probability of attaining excellence. These results suggest that publishing in top journals is very important in the process of attaining excellence in the early career in addition to publishing many papers; and (2) a dominance analysis indicated that the number of top journal publications and highly cited publications during the first four years of the career were the most important predictors of who will attain excellence in the later career. The results are discussed in relation to indicator development and science policy.     

Correlates of staff motivation,satisfaction, and job performance of library staff in selected Nigerian University libraries

Abstract

This study examined staff motivation, satisfaction, and job performance among the librarians and library staff in six selected university libraries in Nigeria. The target population for the study includes the professionals and nonprofessional library staff. A total enumeration sampling technique was used to select 180 respondents, which represent the sample for the study. Data was collected using a self-designed questionnaire titled “Staff Motivation, Satisfaction and Job Performance Questionnaire” (SMSJPQ). Six research questions were developed and answered by the study. The results indicate that librarian and library staff are highly motivated with regular pay while the least motivational factor is frequent interaction with their friends. Library staff are primarily satisfied with their jobs when they are in constant link with their friends. Professional library staff significantly experience better work motivation than their nonprofessional counterparts. Significant correlation exists between staff motivation and job performance and between job satisfaction and job performance. In addition, the two factors (motivation and satisfaction) exert significant contribution to the determinant of librarians and library staff job performance. Based on the findings, the study recommended improvement in the level of motivation of nonprofessionals so that the significant difference with the professional counterpart would not be so much pronounced.     

Collection development at the University of Agriculture library,Abeokuta, (UNAAB) Nigeria

This study focuses on collection development in the library of the University of Agriculture from 1983 through 1993. The metamorphosis through which the university has passed is highlighted to show the effects of policy instability on collection development efforts. Methods used for gathering facts and figures for the study included a questionnaire distributed to staff and students, interviews, and official records searches. The study showed that over the years, resources for collection development have been declining in real terms leading to a reduction in the student-book ratio from 1:40 in 1983 to 1:9 in 1993. Problems confronting collection development such as escalating costs of foreign currency, import restrictions, and the politics of resource allocation are also highlighted. Strict compliance with the National Universities Commission's (NUC) funding standard for university libraries is recommended.     

关于高校图书馆为扶贫工作服务的思考

结合参加农村扶贫工作实际,对高校图书馆如何从自身工作特点及业务长处着眼为扶贫工作服务作了研究与探讨.     

The Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database from the New York University School of Medicine

The Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database is a unique database created and maintained by the New York University School of Medicine, freely available to all on the Web. Focusing on the medical humanities, it provides annotations to over 2,000 works of art such as paintings, poetry, prose, plays, and film. The annotations are written by an eclectic group of scholars that includes physicians, scientists, poets, historians, and critics.     

Catalogue Use in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Library,Ogbomoso, Nigeria

This study examines use of the card catalogue by staff and undergraduate and postgraduate students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo state, Nigeria. The population sample was comprised of 1,200 library users randomly selected from 13,592 registered library users at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso. Results from questionnaires established that the library card catalogue was underutilized by the undergraduate students (44%), but more heavily used by postgraduate students (78%), academic staff (74%), and administrative staff (66%). Recommendations are suggested to improve catalogue use in the library.     

论电子出版物在图书馆中的地位和作用

电子出版物的出现和迅速发展,给图书馆的发展带来了新的挑战和机遇。本文试图通过对电子出版物产生、现状及发展的揭示,探讨在新技术条件下图书馆如何利用电子信息更好地为用户提供服务。