Decision-making processes in academic libraries: How did academic librarians purchase e-book products?

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 102252
Author(s):  
Mei Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Decision Making Processes

scholarly journals Determinants of Evidence Use in Academic Librarian Decision Making

2015 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Koufogiannakis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Evidence Use ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
Academic Librarian ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Main Determinants

The objective of this qualitative study was to identify and explain challenges encountered by academic librarians when trying to incorporate evidence into their practice. The findings resulted in the identification of five main determinants that act as either obstacles or enablers of evidence use. The identification of these determinants provide librarians with a greater understanding of the complex processes and individual as well as organizational factors that impact decision-making processes within academic libraries.

scholarly journals Creating an Outreach Plan That Accounts for the Seen and Unforeseen

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-40
Author(s):  
Zoe Bastone
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Academic Year

Outreach is a necessary component of an academic library’s operations and often requires extensive time for the planning, approval, execution, and assessment depending on the personnel involved and the scope of the event. Recent literature has started to examine how academic libraries are planning outreach to align strategically with the goals of their larger institutions, but not how they balance these efforts when new opportunities arise throughout the academic year. This article will provide a brief analysis of the literature which addresses issues that academic librarians who plan outreach face. The second half of this article will provide a case study of how the author planned, created, and implemented an outreach plan at her academic branch library. This case study will detail the process of how she used an outreach plan to establish outreach that was efficient and impactful with limited staffing, while also aligning strategically with the goals of her library and the larger institution. In addition, this case study will detail how she used this outreach plan throughout the 2019-2020 academic year to guide decision making when new outreach opportunities would arise. This article will conclude with lessons learned from this process.

scholarly journals Library Councils and Governance in Canadian University Libraries: A Critical Review

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 60-79
Author(s):  
Eva Revitt ◽  
Sean Luyk
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Educational Administration ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Administrative Positions ◽  
History Of ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Collegial Governance

Despite the nearly 40-year history of library councils in Canadian academic libraries, scholarly literature regarding library governance and decision-making processes within the context of Canadian university libraries is almost non-existent. Nevertheless, there is evidence of a general disenfranchisement of librarians from significant decisions affecting library operations, resources, services, and the appointment and evaluation of senior administrative positions. Furthermore, it is evident that library councils in Canadian academic libraries, where they do exist, function primarily as information-sharing forums rather than as the collegial decision-making bodies they were originally intended to be. Through a close examination of the CAUT Bulletin, this paper traces the development of library councils in Canadian academic libraries. Within the framework of institutional theory and drawing from librarianship, management, and educational administration literature, the paper proceeds to critically discuss systematic barriers to collegial governance in academic libraries. Historical and anecdotal evidence suggests that administrative resistance is a continued and key obstacle to the democratization of decision-making processes in Canadian academic libraries.

scholarly journals McClure and Samuels’ Study on Information Sources Used for Decision Making and the Connection to Organizational Climate Still Resonates Today

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Denise Koufogiannakis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Information Use ◽  
Democratic Governance ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Sources Of Information

A Review of: McClure, C. R., & Samuels, A. R. (1985). Factors affecting the use of information for academic library decision making. College & Research Libraries, 46(6), 483-498. Abstract Objective - To investigate the use of information sources for decision making within academic libraries; specifically looking at what sources of information are used, whether information use is related to organizational climate, and what organizational factors lead to optimal information use in decision making. Design - Cross-sectional survey on a random sample of libraries. Setting - 18 medium to moderately large academic libraries from across the United States. Subjects - 356 academic librarians holding a variety of positions and levels of responsibility within their organizations. Methods - A questionnaire was mailed to participants in order to measure relationships between four main variables: information acquisition, information dissemination, information evaluation, and library climate. All instruments were validated and tested for reliability. Participants were given 10 library decision situations to consider, together with a list of potential information sources to inform the decision, and then choose which information source they would use primarily in each situation. Participants’ perception of their library climate was measured with five scales covering innovation, support, freedom, democratic governance, and esprit. Main Results - The study found that academic librarians prefer internal sources of information, such as interpersonal communication with library staff, and library committees, for making decisions. However, paraprofessional staff members were not seen as meaningful sources of information within this grouping. The participants rarely chose to consult external information sources, such as other professionals outside of the library, or library users. Information sources such as conducting research, continuing education, past experience, or personal opinion were not found to be important to the participants’ decision making. Written documents such as articles, books, and brochures were also seldom used. Democratic governance was the organizational climate dimension found to be most closely linked to information dissemination. Conclusion - The authors conclude that the study suggests that academic librarians are not using a full complement of information sources to assist with their decision making, and that the “information that is used tends to be ‘opinion-based’ rather than empirically based” (p. 495). Proximity of information plays a role, with information that is closer and easier to obtain being used more frequently. The authors strongly stress, with concern, that, “current academic library decision-making processes encourage ineffective activities since they preclude or limit clientele input, empirical research, and additional environmental input” (p. 495).

Academic librarians as change champions: a framework for managing change

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 294-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennine A. Knight
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Anticipate Change ◽  
Academic Librarianship ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Future Direction

Purpose As is the case of all organizations, the academic library is a body reflecting the contribution of its core employees. As such, the roles performed by academic librarians are crucial to its development and existence. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of academic librarians as change champions in an information age that has been, still is, and is expected to be continuously pervaded by varying and widespread changes in librarianship and scholarship coupled with the ever changing and expanding user needs and expectations. The paper also identifies a framework to perform this role. Design/methodology/approach This paper is informed by opinion and draws on relevant literature to highlight the current climate and what is being perceived as valuable to the future direction of academic libraries in order to bring credence to its trajectory. Findings Academic librarians must readily accept, be responsive to, and anticipate change to maintain and justify their relevance to stakeholders. Yet, anecdotal evidence suggests that not all librarians are prepared to embrace change. Practical implications Academic librarians must understand how their roles influence the decision-making processes of the stakeholders and vice versa. Originality/value The paper advances five principles or 5As to guide the change process in academic libraries: alignment, accountability, agility, accessibility, and assessment. Very briefly, it discusses the relevance of a concept referred to as the competition-collaboration continuum to further academic librarianship. These notions serve to assist academic librarians in determining the appropriate actions to be taken now.

scholarly journals Agenda for Studying of Big Deal Cancellation Projects as Information Practice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asen O. Ivanov ◽  
Samuel Cassady ◽  
Catherine Johnson ◽  
Catherine Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
North America ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Prise De Décision ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Information Practice

This article introduces a conceptual framework and approach for studying the information and decision-making practices of academic librarians involved in big deal cancellation projects—a type of collection malmanagement projects that are today prevalent across academic libraries in North America. We describe the nature and dynamics of big deal cancellation projects and conceptualize the quantitative and qualitative evaluations they entail. Predicated on this account, we present a theoretical and methodological agenda for empirical research. This conceptual paper goal, thus, is to describe and conceptualize big deal cancellation projects as an object of empirical research and to offer a perspective on how they can be studied as a type of information practice. Cet article présente un cadre conceptuel et une approche pour étudier les pratiques d'information et de prise de décision des bibliothécaires universitaires impliqués dans d'importants projets d'annulation d'abonnements—un type de projets de mauvaise gestion de collections aujourd'hui répandu dans les bibliothèques universitaires en Amérique du Nord. Nous décrivons la nature et la dynamique des grands projets d'annulation et conceptualisons les évaluations quantitatives et qualitatives qu'ils impliquent. En s'appuyant sur ces observations, nous présentons un agenda théorique et méthodologique pour la recherche empirique. L'objectif de cet article conceptuel est donc de décrire et de conceptualiser les grands projets d'annulation comme un objet de recherche empirique et d'offrir une perspective sur la façon dont ils peuvent être étudiés en tant que type de pratique informationnelle.

scholarly journals Organizational Flexibility of Academic Libraries in a Vuca Reality: The Example of the Functioning of Libraries During the Covid-19 Epidemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 70-93
Author(s):  
Bożena Jaskowska
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Organizational Flexibility ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Unpredictable Environment ◽  
Research Analysis

Thesis / purpose of the article – The aim of the article is to present management solutions used in academic libraries in a changing and unpredictable environment, on the example of the functioning of units during the lockdown period caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, which lasted from March 12 to the beginning of June 2020. Research method – Research was conducted among the directors of Polish academic libraries using an online survey as a research tool. Results and conclusions – The research analysis shows that academic libraries showed considerable organizational flexibility during the lockdown period, especially in terms of changing duties, forming plans “just in time”, extending the scope of services and organizing large-scale remote and rotational work. Some libraries have also changed decision-making processes. This is the first such study of the functioning of academic libraries during the lockdown period.

Cognitive Processing of Miscommunication in Interactive Listening: An Evaluation of Listener Indecision and Cognitive Effort

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Roche ◽  
Arkady Zgonnikov ◽  
Laura M. Morett
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Mouse Tracking ◽  
Computer Mouse ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Computer Mouse Tracking ◽  
Listening Task ◽  
Processing Effort

Purpose The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the social and cognitive underpinnings of miscommunication during an interactive listening task. Method An eye and computer mouse–tracking visual-world paradigm was used to investigate how a listener's cognitive effort (local and global) and decision-making processes were affected by a speaker's use of ambiguity that led to a miscommunication. Results Experiments 1 and 2 found that an environmental cue that made a miscommunication more or less salient impacted listener language processing effort (eye-tracking). Experiment 2 also indicated that listeners may develop different processing heuristics dependent upon the speaker's use of ambiguity that led to a miscommunication, exerting a significant impact on cognition and decision making. We also found that perspective-taking effort and decision-making complexity metrics (computer mouse tracking) predict language processing effort, indicating that instances of miscommunication produced cognitive consequences of indecision, thinking, and cognitive pull. Conclusion Together, these results indicate that listeners behave both reciprocally and adaptively when miscommunications occur, but the way they respond is largely dependent upon the type of ambiguity and how often it is produced by the speaker.

“It's Not Humanly Possible to Do Everything”: Perspectives on Intervention Decision-Making Processes of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erinn Finke ◽  
Kathryn Drager ◽  
Elizabeth C. Serpentine
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Individual Decision ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Interview Methodology ◽  
Communication Interventions

Purpose The purpose of this investigation was to understand the decision-making processes used by parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) related to communication-based interventions. Method Qualitative interview methodology was used. Data were gathered through interviews. Each parent had a child with ASD who was at least four-years-old; lived with their child with ASD; had a child with ASD without functional speech for communication; and used at least two different communication interventions. Results Parents considered several sources of information for learning about interventions and provided various reasons to initiate and discontinue a communication intervention. Parents also discussed challenges introduced once opinions of the school individualized education program (IEP) team had to be considered. Conclusions Parents of children with ASD primarily use individual decision-making processes to select interventions. This discrepancy speaks to the need for parents and professionals to share a common “language” about interventions and the decision-making process.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document