Marginalia in the digital age: Are digital reading devices meeting the needs of today's readers?

For centuries, readers have added marginal commentary to books for a variety of personal and public purposes. Historians have mined the marginalia of important historical figures to observe their sometimes raw, immediate responses to texts. Now, reading and annotation practices are changing with the migration of content to electronic books. A survey of reader attitudes and behavior related to marginalia for print and electronic books reveals that the majority of readers write in their books and want e-readers to support this feature. However, many readers report that annotating electronic books is too difficult, time-consuming, or awkward with current technology. In addition, the way readers annotate books depends on whether they are reading for pleasure or for work or education. These findings can guide the development of future devices to better satisfy reader needs.     

Microform—Not extinct yet: Results of a long-term microform use study in the digital age

This paper presents results taken from 2008 to 2010 of an ongoing microform use study. The number of titles used is evenly distributed over time with microfilm being the most used format and newspapers accounting for half of all usage. When publications are available electronically, users may still use the microform version. This study illustrates how microform and electronic collections are complementary—electronic materials provide better access but microform is better for preservation. Users prefer electronic materials but will also use microform when there is no online version available or when the online version is not an exact copy of the original.     

Research complexity increases with scientists’ academic age: Evidence from library and information science

With the continued aging of the scientific workforce, the impact of this trend on scientists’ research performance has attracted increasing attention. The literature has predominantly focused on the productivity, impact, and collaboration pattern of scientists of different ages. A research gap is found in investigating the differences in the research topics studied by junior and senior scientists. This study focuses on the complexity of a scientist's research portfolio (RPC). Based on the concept of economic complexity, RPC was measured to characterize the capability of scientists to study complex research topics. An economic algorithm was adopted to estimate RPC on heterogeneous author-topic bipartite networks using bibliographic data from the field of Library and Information Science between 1971 and 2020. Through comparisons among scientist groups, RPC shows promise in distinguishing outstanding scientists from peers who have similar values of other indicators (e.g., citations and H-index). The change in RPC was further probed across scientists’ careers and an increasing trend with academic age was found, even after removing the accumulated advantages of senior scientists. Moreover, top-ranked scientists distinguish themselves from their peers by a higher RPC in the first year and a greater growth rate during their careers. While many researchers have their highest RPC in the first year, most top-ranked scientists reach their peak RPC later in their careers. The results provide helpful references for studies on the aging effect in academia.     

Parents’ information seeking during adolescent career development: a test of the theory of motivated information management

Parents are an important source of advice when adolescents are faced with decisions about postsecondary education and career planning; however, parents often need to seek information to facilitate their child’s career development. This study applies the theory of motivated information management (TMIM) to evaluate the decision-making process parents undergo in this context and tests the boundaries of TMIM by considering how individuals use face-to-face (FtF) and online sources to alleviate uncertainty-related anxieties. A community sample of parents (N?=?937) completed a survey regarding their information seeking behaviors surrounding their adolescent’s career development. Parents reported using both FtF and online sources to seek information about their child’s postsecondary plans, and they engaged in different evaluative processes depending on the source of information. Theoretical implications related to TMIM and practical implications related to parents as sources of information in adolescent career development are discussed.     

What type of leader am I?: a training needs analysis of health library and information managers

Background: Leadership is a necessary facet of professional practice for health library and information managers (HLIMs). Several training needs analyses (TNA) in the health library and information services field have been conducted in recent years, all identifying a need for professional development in leadership skills. However, these previous TNAs have not focused on specific elements of leadership skills required by health library and information managers. Objectives: The National Library for Health (NLH) commissioned the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) at the University of Sheffield to conduct a TNA where HLIMs assess their current leadership skills and identify any future development needs in this area. The results would inform a programme of influencing skills workshops. Methods: HLIMs in the UK were invited to complete a self‐assessment online questionnaire. The questionnaire utilised items from Manning and Robertson’s Influencing Skills Style Profile (ISSP). This allowed the results to be characterised by influencing ‘style’. Results: HLIMs considered themselves to have strengths in the leadership areas of influencing, negotiating, managing change and delivering presentations to decision‐makers. They identified significant development needs in communicating with stakeholders, conflict resolution, using body language and being assertive. Most HLIMs demonstrated two collaborative styles identified by the ISSP, namely strategic collaborator and opportunistic collaborator. Conclusions: In difficult times, HLIMs may need to adapt to more of an ‘opportunistic‐battler’ influencing style. It is important that HLIMs not only assess their own leadership skills but also that they take opportunities to employ 360^° feedback, comprising assessment from subordinates, peers and supervisors.     

Research note: Research in library and information science in a developing country—Nigeria

Factors that inhibit the advancement of research in library and information science in Nigeria include, for instance, the poor dissemination of research findings, noncollaborative research with those in other fields, academic and professional ineptitude, inadequate funding, societal indifference to research, and inefficient use of the knowledge and skills gained from doing research. This article discusses the implications of these shortcomings to the profession and to information services, as well as offers recommendations.     

“The information superhighway is a ‘quivering oxymoron’” and other musings on government information policy in an era of rapidly evolving information technologies

In this JGI interview, futurist Paul Saffo discusses a wide variety of information technology topics ranging from the respective roles of government and private-sector involvement in the Internet to privacy, wireless communications, and the role of information technology in future military conflicts. Throughout the interview, Saffo notes the probable impacts that rapidly evolving information/communication technologies will play in government, business, and personal lives.     

Cover Me,I’m going in: Exploring the needs of student veterans

Abstract

The number of military veterans taking advantage of post-911 educational benefits has increased significantly, and institutions of higher education have responded by creating veteran-friendly campuses. Accordingly, academic librarians have engaged in proactive, ongoing conversations about providing services to this unique student population. The authors went on reconnaissance to assess the needs of student veterans and their response to a recently created veterans lounge space in the library. The information gathered from this survey can help provide insight and possible strategies to improve library outreach and services.     

Addressing territorial digital divides through ICT strategies: Are investment decisions consistent with local needs?

Governments around the world are investing a great amount of resources on the development of an information society. These investments are particularly important as an attempt to close digital divides among countries and regions within countries. However, there is no clear evidence that suggests that current Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies are helping align investments with the actual needs of the local contexts. Based on data about the allocation of 2014–2020 EU Funds, this paper analyzes the relationship between local needs and investment decisions aiming at bridging territorial digital divides. The results identify four different regional strategies developed around four policy goals: broadband, digital inclusion, digital government services, and the use of ICTs in enterprises. The results also show that unlike the past 2007–13 period, the allocations to these goals appear to be consistent with the ICT local context, i.e. funding for a given goal is higher in the regions that need it the most. Therefore, our main recommendation for the European Commission and Member States is to keep existing requirements for developing evidence-informed “Digital Growth” strategies for the next 2021–27 period. We also suggest to strengthen existing support tools for regional governments.     

Congress’ legislative information systems: THOMAS and the LIS

Information about the legislative activities of the United States Congress is widely available to the public and to the Members themselves through the THOMAS/LIS system 〈http://thomas.loc.gov〉. This article describes the origins of this system and the way in which it integrates distributed legislative data into a single searchable system. It discusses planned enhancements and a number of technical and policy issues that such systems raise.“What a terrific site!!! I’ll be here often!!! I hope this is my tax dollars at work and I support that!! Thank you all!!” Email from a THOMAS user“Just wanted to say THANKS! This is a big help for my 11th grade honors US History course!! Our teacher is really great but he makes us look for documents relating to the various issues that we study.” Email from a THOMAS user“[The LIS and THOMAS were] one of the most remarkable successes LC has had in digital information management systems” (National Research Council, 2000).     

Empirical research on archivists’ skills and knowledge needs in Chinese archival education

This article reports on a survey of archivists from 20 provinces and municipalities in China to investigate their professional skills and knowledge needs. It analyzes their responses concerning the educational advantages and disadvantages archivists face and the relationship between their skill levels and knowledge needs. In conclusion, it points to several solutions to these problems: preprofessional curriculum design better addressing actual archivists?? needs, increasing continuing education to address archivists?? needs to maintain professional skills, and archivists?? desire for custom-built training to specific technical requirements.     

The Global South’s Participation in the International Community of Communication Scholars: From an Eastern European Point of View

In this paper, we present the Eastern European (EE) region as part of the Global South with all its disadvantages, and we will argue that “Sovietization” of the region is, in many respects, similar to the colonization of different world regions. We also show that the disadvantages of the region still exist after the transition, and EE has an especially low contribution to communication and media studies (CMS). With a brief bibliometric analysis in CMS, the paper demonstrates that a strong bias holds against EE authors and editorial board members in leading periodicals in CMS, and at least 95% of EE research remains unnoticed by international scholars. We further argue that this phenomenon is obviously harmful to the field of CMS. This paper not only points out the general difficulties Eastern European communication scholars might face when trying to make their research internationally visible, but it also snatches at the chance to introduce a novel, a respected but internationally yet unnoticed Easter European (Hungarian) communication theory, namely, the Participation Theory of Communication.     

Developing a Reading Community: Involving LIS Students in Planning a Readers’ Advisory Event

Graduate students in an elective Readers' Advisory class created a variation of a one book–one community event. The event provided a forum for discussing issues related to technology and the future and how it relates to the evolving mission of the public library. Students gained experience in project management and reflected on how they expanded their readers' advisory skills. Future events could be improved with more careful task assignment, better marketing, and better timing.     

The operational component of information culture of a tourism bachelor’s degree

This article analyzes the issues of training tourism specialists, describes the results of the formation of the operational component of the information culture of tourism bachelor’s degree.     

What’s in a Word: Coming to Terms With Reference

Information literacy has gained ascendency in the reference world to the detriment of the practice of reference librarianship itself. Libraries seem more interested in having librarians teach with technology than in having them engage in thoughtful reference work. Major library associations seem more interested in touting the benefits of information literacy than in supporting traditional reference work, and they define reference in overly simplistic, tautological terms as the practice of answering reference questions rather than attributing to it the subtlety and expertise that make it so valuable. These associations need to rethink the hierarchy and give reference its due.     

Bridging the digital divide in Sub-Saharan Africa: The rural challenge in Uganda⋆

A study was conducted in 2002/2003 to investigate and assess the strategies of bridging the digital divide in Uganda. Data were collected qualitatively using semi-structured interviews. The study focused in depth on a relatively small sample of people concerned with the digital divide. Data was analysed using the grounded theory approach. Three categories of players in the digital divide emerged from the data, namely information workers, business entrepreneurs and policy makers. Finally the concept that emerged from the analysis pointed directly to the information workers, which suggests that the National Library and other information centres are valuable in bridging the digital divide in Sub-Saharan Africa. Some implications of the study areas for further research are highlighted.