Mobile Library Service in Key Chinese Academic Libraries

Mobile Internet applications and service innovations are changing people's way of life. At the same time, they are also changing the way that people communicate and access information. People who visited libraries to find specific information in the past are now able to find the same information online. As the spectrum of human need grows, the opportunities for librarians to meet these needs are also growing. Libraries will need to be designed to accommodate the changing needs of their users. Mobile library services can meet users' information needs in a fast-paced society. In this investigation we identified 39 university libraries supported by the Ministry of Education's “Project 985” and evaluated their status as mobile library service providers.     

Factors affecting users' intention to use mobile health services of public libraries

Mobile health services are a new direction for public libraries development. However, it is unclear which factors affect users' intention to use the mobile health services of public libraries (MHSPL). Integrating the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology theory along with trust and privacy concerns. This study proposes a conceptual model to investigate factors that affect users' intention to use MHSPL. The conceptual model is empirically examined, and the hypotheses are tested using a survey sample (N = 415). The findings indicate that users' intention to use MHSPL is directly influenced by performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and trust. Trust also mediated users' intention to use MHSPL, leading to an indirect effect of social influence and privacy concerns. Additionally, people with different experiences using MHSPL have significant differences in their intention to use MHSPL. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of users' behavior of MHSPL and can help facilitate and improve health services provided by public libraries.     

Open data outcomes: U.S. cities between product and process innovation

U.S. cities, among the vanguards of open data globally, are investing in renewed efforts to support Open Government with the creation of open data portals that are used to provide machine-readable administratively collected data sets. Transparency of the public sector is still widely seen as the main outcome of these efforts. Such a simplistic view, however, misses the rich variety of innovations resulting from open data use. We conceptualize these innovation outcomes across two dimensions: internal/external and product/process. Interviews with 15 city managers in the U.S. who are responsible for the implementation of open data policies were conducted to compare policy intentions, perceived innovation outcomes as well as actual ones. The findings show that product-centric outcomes are predominant and relate mainly to external innovation, including applications, websites and new services. Process-centric outcomes constitute rather internal innovation, such as procedural changes and the revival of innovation culture in government. We close with a set of recommendations for open data efforts in government that include structural, procedural, as well as cultural changes for successful open data initiatives.     

Promoting the use of open government data: Cases of training and engagement

In the last decade, governments around the world have created open government data (OGD) repositories to make government data more accessible and usable by the public, mostly motivated by values such as improved government transparency, citizen collaboration and participation, and spurring innovation. The basic assumption is that once data are more discoverable, accessible, available in alternative formats, and with licensing schemes that allow free re-use, diverse stakeholders will develop innovative data applications. Despite OGD's potential transformative value, there is limited evidence for such transformation, particularly due to scarce data use, which is partly attributable to the lack of technical skills and user training. To advance the dialogue around methods to increase awareness of OGD, improve users' skills to work with OGD, and encourage data use, the paper compares and contrasts how three training interventions in Spain, Italy, and the United States have sought to increase awareness of OGD, improve users' skills and potentially engage them in their use of OGD. We report three main findings. First, introduction and analysis skills are taught in combination to encourage use of open data. Being aware of OGD and its benefits is insufficient to promote use. Second, OGD training seems to be more effective when complemented with knowledge about context and interactions with government. Finally, embedding the training interventions in the specific contexts and considering the unique characteristics, interests, and expectations of different types of users is critical to success.     

Attachment Style and its Influence on the Activities,Motives, and Consequences of SNS Use

This study employs a uses and gratifications approach to explore how social network sites (SNS) users' attachment style influences SNS motives, SNS use, and related psychological outcomes, as well as the interrelationships of these factors. By modifying preexisting attachment styles, users were classified into four styles: (1) fearful-avoidant, (2) dismissive-avoidant, (3) secure, and (4) anxious-ambivalent. Findings show SNS use and SNS-related outcomes differ across attachment style groups, although SNS motive does not; and attachment style moderates the influences of SNS motive and SNS use on psychological outcomes. These findings imply potential consequences of SNS use can substantially differ depending on users' attachment style.     

The development of users' mental models of MedlinePlus in information searching

This study investigated the dynamic process of people constructing mental models of MedlinePlus, a medical information web space, during their interaction with the system. Thirty-eight participants participated in the study. Their mental models of MedlinePlus were measured by a concept listing protocol and an interview method at three time points: after they freely explored the system for 5 min (T1), after the first search session (T2), and after the second search session (T3). The analysis revealed that participants constructed their mental models of MedlinePlus based on the schemas that they have of information-rich web spaces. The model construction process involved changes and development in three parallel dimensions: cognition, emotion, and behavior. The development is enabled and coordinated by three mental activities: assimilating new concepts, modifying existing concepts, and phasing out previously perceived concepts. Furthermore, mental model construction is not only a function of users' internal cognition, but also affected by external cognitive structures, including the system, system feedback, and tasks. Mental model construction is also a process distributed over time. The results suggested that mental models could serve as a framework for guiding user research and system design. The dynamic nature of the mental models indicated that an iterative approach needs to be adopted.     

I “Like” That: Exploring the Characteristics That Promote Social Media Engagement With News Photographs

While business models and technological innovations continue to disrupt journalistic practice, global image culture has never been stronger. Developed society is inundated daily with a torrent of images. Yet some of these are barely seen, while others almost instantly accrue scores of likes, shares, and comments. What, then, are the factors that constitute engaging, social photojournalism? Using Q methodology, which bridges qualitative and quantitative approaches, 30 participants ranked photos published on Instagram by news organizations or photographers and shared insight through interviews on what factors affect their engagement. In this way, the users' and the images' characteristics were both studied to shed light on why certain photos accrue more engagement and why certain types of people “like” certain types of content. The findings identify three types of users—feature lovers, newshounds, and optimists—and describe their motivations for interacting on the platform. Insights on how the number of people in the frame, the visibility of facial features, the presence of watermarks, and the post type affect user engagement were also gathered and discussed.     

Information privacy in e-service: Effect of organizational privacy assurances on individual privacy concerns,perceptions, trust and self-disclosure behavior

The increasing use of the Internet for service delivery has paralleled an increase of e-service users' privacy concerns as technology offers ample opportunities for organizations to store, process, and exploit personal data. This may reduce individuals' perceived ability to control their personal information and increase their perceived privacy risk. A systematic understanding of individuals' privacy concerns is important as negative user perceptions are a challenge to service providers' reputation and may hamper service delivery processes as they influence users' trust and willingness to disclose personal information. This study develops and validates a model that examines the effect of organizational privacy assurances on individual privacy concerns, privacy control and risk perceptions, trust beliefs and non-self-disclosure behavior. Drawing on a survey to 547 users of different types of e-services – e-government, e-commerce and social networking – in Rwanda, and working within the framework of exploratory analysis, this study uses partial least square-structural equation modeling to validate the overall model and the proposed hypotheses. The findings show that perceptions of privacy risks and privacy control are antecedents of e-service users' privacy concerns, trust and non-self-disclosure behavior. They further show that the perceived effectiveness of privacy policy and perceived effectiveness of self-regulations influence both perceptions of privacy risks and control and their consequences; users' privacy concerns, trust and non-self-disclosure behavior. The hypotheses are supported differently across the three types of e-services, which means that privacy is specific to context and situation. The study shows that the effect of privacy assurances on trust is different in e-government services than in other services which suggest that trust in e-government may be more complex and different in nature than in other contexts. The findings serve to enhance a theoretical understanding of organizational privacy assurances and individual privacy concerns, trust and self-disclosure behavior. They also have implications for e-service providers and users as well as for regulatory bodies and e-services designers.     

LibQual+® as a predictor of library success: Extracting new meaning through structured equation modeling

The LibQUAL+ instrument serves as an indicator of user satisfaction. While offering clear insights into user satisfaction levels, it lacks interpretability when seeking to judge overall library success. This study aims at adopting LibQUAL+ as a measurement tool to predict library users' intention to patronize the library more in future. A theoretical model is presented to measure the relationships among the three LibQUAL+ service dimensions and the overall library user satisfaction. We estimate the effects of the three service dimensions on two indicators of students' attitudes and beliefs (Overall Satisfaction and Perceived Academic Success) and, in turn, the effects of those two variables on students' anticipated library use. We tested the research model using structural equation modeling. Our study results reveal that the three dimensions, Library as Place, Affect of Service and Information Control have considerably different impact on Satisfaction and Perceived Academic Success. Similarly, the two mediating variables, Satisfaction and Perceived Academic Success, have different impact on the Intention to Use [the] Library More in future. Our work is meant to explain how an effective and widely used measurement tool can become more effective and informative through SEM analysis and to provide a broader model to predicting library success.     

Capricious opinions: A study of polarization of social media groups

Experts claim that the world is increasingly polarized by emerging social media platforms. The political actors amplify the polarization through their agents' user-generated content. The extreme political ideologies sway the people sitting on the fence on these social media platforms. Using tweets on a recent policy change on identity in India, the present study seeks to perform a scientific analysis of the polarization of the debates within ordinary citizens' groups from a theoretical lens. We further highlight some of the crucial trends that triggered these polarized discussions in general. Through the lens of Echo chambers and Herd behavior, this study provides valuable insights surrounding the influencers and individuals involved in this discussion where the polarization of preferences is witnessed. Proposing a novel design of a root-level influencer, this study establishes them as polarization actors on a social media platform (Twitter). Through various engagement metrics, we also identify the role of targeted communication (hashtags) and similarity in the users' discussion across the political domain as potential behavioral explanations for opinion polarization on Twitter.     

Understanding channel choice in users' reporting behavior: Evidence from a smart mobility case

Public service producers are heavily investing in the development and implementation of more efficient new digital channels to engage users in citizen sourcing efforts, such as the reporting of public service-related issues. Nevertheless, user-reporters have continued to favor earlier implemented channels including traditional (e.g., phone, office) and e-government channels (e.g., web, email) over new digital channels such as m-government channels (e.g., mobile applications). Drawing on channel choice literature and theories, this study aims at explaining users' reporting behavior by examining the role of users' personal factors, including digital divide determinants, users' service experience, and channel satisfaction. We use a combination of survey and log data on actual reporting behavior among smart bike-sharing users to explain users' channel choice. Using a multinomial logistic regression, we found that the digital divide predicts user-reporters' channel choice. Moreover, user-reporters with a longer service membership favor traditional and e-government channels, over the newly implemented m-government channels. Finally, user-reporters' satisfaction with the mobile application is negatively associated with the user-reporters' choice of traditional and e-government channels. Our results expand and update the empirical evidence on channel choice at the user level, and provide insights for public service producers who aim at enhancing public service delivery through digital users' engagement.     

Communication message cues and opinions about people with depression: an investigation of discussion on Weibo

A content analysis was conducted of the posts generated by mass media organizations and public opinion leaders on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo to investigate the associations between several communication message cues and opinions about people with depression (N = 102). The study revealed that the posts of the influential users were more likely to be stigmatizing when they communicated stereotypes, but less likely to be stigmatizing or more likely to be supportive when they made personal, genetic and medical, and social and environmental cause and responsibility claims. The posts were also more likely to be supportive if the influential users presented treatment and recovery information. In addition to finding out what communication cues activate the influential users' stigmatizing or supportive opinions, the study also examined and found the impact of the influential users' opinions on their followers' opinions on this issue (N = 8261). The findings showed that the public opinion leaders were more likely than the mass media to express support for people with depression. This support then translated into supportive responses among their followers toward those living with the disease.     

Does an image facilitate the sharing of negative news on social media? An experimental investigation

Negative news on social media is always disseminated promptly and widely which leads to negative economic and social outcomes that render a practical research agenda necessary to understand user sharing decisions. Moreover, news posted on social media usually includes images, but little is known about the role of such images in shaping user decisions to share negative news. To fill this gap, the humans' affective–cognitive model of information processing (HACIP) was developed to explore the effects of images on the sharing of negative news and to investigate the contingent role of images in the sharing decision. To test the model and hypotheses, a scenario-based online experiment was conducted, which yielded 285 valid responses. Analysis results indicate that images in negative news induce users' negative emotion and arousal, which influence their sharing decision. Further, the presence of images strengthens the effect of negative emotion and weakens the effect of information uniqueness. Thus, this study contributes to the literature by identifying the distinct role of images in information processing and by proposing a brand-new framework to explore user sharing of negative news.     

Effectiveness of Virtual Reference Services in Academic Libraries: A Qualitative Study Based on the 5E Learning Model

This study explores library users' perceptions and preferences of virtual reference services (VRS) in an academic library in Hong Kong and examines the impact of VRS on students' learning for the future improvement of the library's services. A qualitative semi-structured interview was conducted with ten students from different faculties of a comprehensive university in Hong Kong. Proceedings of the interviews were recorded using Zoom, transcribed, and analyzed into theme tables according to the 5E learning model. Results indicate that WhatsApp is the most preferred VRS due to its convenience, response immediacy, textual record, and minimal learning efforts. Phone, email, and Zoom are less preferred due to users' perceived embarrassment, formality, and time constraints. The findings demonstrate that VRS is vital in students' different learning stages. It arouses students' interest in learning and information search, allows the exploration of new learning resources, provides a good platform to solve learning problems, and offers efficient and instant help for learning. Unlike previous studies, this study identifies users' perceived impact of VRS on their learning process based on the 5E learning model. It provides important implications and suggestions to improve VRS and staff training to enhance the library's overall reference services.     

Paying for What? How Much? And Why (Not)? Predictors of Paying Intent for Multiplatform Newspapers

Propelled by the recent economic recession that caused substantial declines in advertising revenue, some major newspapers have renewed their efforts to find alternative revenue models. This renewed interest in paid content strategy triggered another round of debates on the viability of the “paywall.” To address the recurring industry debate, this study, based on a national survey of 767 U.S. online adults, systematically evaluated users' paying intent for different newspaper formats, the amount they are willing to pay, as well as users' responses to various payment models being considered by the industry. Results showed the print edition outperforms other formats (Web & “apps”) in terms of usage, preference, and paying intent; and is perceived as the most valuable platform. Paying intent for the online formats (Web & apps) was weak, and so was people's response to each of the 6 payment models under study. Therefore, how users are charged does not make much difference—whether they are charged does. The analysis also identified the predictors of paying intent for newspaper formats and different payment models. Although multiplatform news delivery has become a reality, paying intent for digital news content remains elusive.     

Library Space Assessment: User Learning Behaviors in the Library

As an essential department at a higher education institution and an informal learning space, little is known about how academic libraries contribute to student learning on campus. The Olin Library sought to learn the role of library space in our users' learning. We surveyed users about their learning behaviors in a specific space prior to a scheduled renovation and then in the same space after. We wanted to determine how the renovation changed users' perceptions of their learning behaviors in that space.     

Reading the least read? Indicators of users' intention to consult privacy statements on municipal websites

Though seldom read or consulted, privacy statements are often the only means for users to know how their personal data will be used by collecting organizations. While the length and the legalistic nature of most privacy statements are often blamed for people's reluctance to consult such documents, studies on the factors that influence users' intention to read privacy statements are still non-existent. For this survey, respondents from the Netherlands were presented with the situation of registering a child for a basic school through their municipalities' websites. The scenario was selected since it was assumed that it would be one that would require a significant amount of personal data from registrants, and not just the usual contact information. Results of the conducted online survey reveal that although not all users consult a privacy statement on a municipal website before they would disclose personal data, the availability and the ease of finding them on a municipal website strongly contribute to users' belief that a municipality can be trusted with their personal data whenever they are shared for a particular online transaction. This study also shows that users' perceptions of the risks involved in the online disclosure of their personal data influenced their intention to read online privacy statements on municipal websites. Older users were also more likely to consult privacy statements than their younger counterparts, while those with lower levels of education and internet experience expressed a higher tendency to read such online documents than those with higher levels of education and internet experience.     

Card Sorting in an Online Environment: Key to Involving Online-Only Student Population in Usability Testing of an Academic Library Web Site?

ABSTRACT

Based on in-person, task-based usability testing and interviews, the authors' library Web site was recently overhauled in order to improve user experience. This led to the authors' interest in additional usability testing methods and test environments that would most closely fit their library's goals and situation. The appeal of card sorting methods became evident: learning more than users' points of confusion interacting with the site, but learning users' preferences for grouping pages or concepts and naming various library links. The appeal of the online venue for card sorting was first that testing could incorporate input from a larger base of users than in-person testing alone, and, additionally, that testing could include the university's online-only student population.     

Resistance and support to electronic government,building a model of innovation

In several countries forces that resist e-government innovations apparently override those that support them. A first step is taken in order to identify organizational processes of resistance and support to e-government innovations. A multi-disciplinary and non-linear innovation model is proposed that is inspired by the Minnesota Innovation Research Program's Innovation Pathway-model. The proposed model grasps the whole process of adoption and implementation of e-government services. Observable indicators of resistance and support on the complete innovation pathway of electronic government are derived from the proposed model. Future research will have to conceptually refine and empirically test both model and indicators.