Professionalism in library and information science

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chinwe Nwogo Ezeani ◽  
Helen Nneka Eke ◽  
Felicia Ugwu
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
The South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Questions

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the current trends, needs and opportunities of professionalism in librarianship in Nigeria. The broad purpose of the paper was to investigate the level of professionalism in librarianship and to ascertain the current status, trends and opportunities within the profession among academic librarians in Nigeria. Five specific research questions were formulated which are: to examine how librarians value librarianship as a profession, to elicit the efforts made by librarians with regards to professional development, to ascertain methods of acquiring current competencies within the profession, to investigate the role of professional bodies in promoting professionalism and excellence within the library and information science (LIS) profession and to proffer strategies to enhance professionalism and excellence among librarians in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – Descriptive survey design was adopted in the study across both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The area of the study was the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State and the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Anambra State. Population of the study comprised a total of 63 librarians in the two universities. All librarians were sampled because of the small sample size. The instrument for data collection was oral interview and questionnaire which contained 53 items derived from the research questions and built on a four-point scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree, (A) Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD). The criterion mean was 2.50. Therefore, any calculated mean below 2.50 was adjudged a negative score, while any mean from 2.50 and above was regarded as a positive score. Findings – The study revealed the challenges facing professionalism and excellence within the LIS field as lack of funding for professional development, lack of sponsorship to workshops and conferences, lack of uninterruptible internet facility and a dearth of professional mentors in the South East zone. Other problems gathered from a scheduled interview with some senior professionals in the institutions revealed that most librarians are still facing the challenge of imbibing and utilizing emerging skills in the LIS professions such as digital archiving and data mining skills for their day-to-day activities. Originality/value – Recommendations arising from the study were proffered such as the creation of staff development programmes by management; collaboration and partnership by libraries within the zone; acquisition of training through workshops and conferences irrespective of sponsorship by the institutions; and teaming of academic librarians to enhance their visibility and publication output. International staff exchanges and opportunities for sabbatical leave, which hitherto was not common in the South East Zone, were recommended. Among other recommendations also were building of consortia with libraries in the country; LIS professional bodies helping to create visibility and prestige of the LIS profession; and, finally, to scale up the image of the profession the marketing of library products through profiling of patrons and furnishing them with required information has not only become necessary but critical.

Everyday life classification practices and technologies

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 957-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill McTavish
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Classification Systems ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Card Sort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Values And Beliefs

Purpose – Through the application of domain-analytic principles, the purpose of this paper is to explore how participants’ understandings of healthy eating are related to their grouping and classification of foods. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 30 food-interested people were asked to (1) sort a series of 56 statements about food, health, and eating on a scale from “most disagree” to “most agree”; (2)complete an open card sort of 50 foods; and (3) classify these 50 foods on a scale from “most unhealthy” to “most healthy”. Exercises (1) and (3) involved Q-methodology, which groups people who share similar understandings of a phenomenon. Findings – Participants’ understandings of healthy eating – revealed by the first Q-methodology exercise – were related to shared food priorities, values, and beliefs; these understandings were indirectly connected with food identities, which was not expected. This suggests that lay domain knowledge is difficult to capture and must involve other methodologies than those currently employed in domain-analytic research. Research limitations/implications – Although a small sample of food-interested people were recruited, the purpose of this study was not to make generalized claims about perspectives on healthy eating, but to explore how domain knowledge is related to everyday organizational processes. Originality/value – To “classify” in Library and Information Science (LIS) usually involves an engagement with formally established classification systems. In this paper the author suggests an alternative path for LIS scholars: the investigation of everyday life classification practices. Such an approach has value beyond the idiosyncratic, as the author discusses how these practices can inform LIS researchers’ strategies for augmenting the messages provided by static classification technologies.

Library software in Pakistan

2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadeem Siddique ◽  
Khalid Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
The Government ◽  
Principal Researcher ◽  
Theses And Dissertations ◽  
Standard Library

Purpose – This paper is the part of PhD research of the principal researcher. This paper aims to describe current status of library software being used in the libraries of Pakistan, role of national and foreign agencies in the development of library software in Pakistan, problems faced by the libraries in implementation and to highlight the recommendations by the experts in the field to overcome the problems. It also attempts to provide a bibliography on the topic to researchers in the field of library and information science. Design/methodology/approach – Available literature was reviewed. The articles were usually published in national and international journals of library and information science and contributed by Pakistani authors. Other sources consulted were books, conference proceedings, theses and dissertations and websites of libraries and professionals’ organisations. Findings – The situation in Pakistan regarding library software cannot be compared with the that in advanced countries. Lack of standard library software, the multilingual nature of the library collections, poor budgets, computer illiteracy, software piracy and unavailability of support from local vendors are the main hindrances in the effective implementation of library software. In the available literature, experts have recommended the formulation of a consortium or a body under the umbrella of the Government of Pakistan which could provide standard library software, along with technical support, innovation and upgrades of the software, to meet the needs of Pakistani libraries. Originality/value – This is the first paper that presents the current status of library software in Pakistan, problems faced by the libraries in implementation of library software and recommendations suggested by the experts to overcome the problems.

scholarly journals New Understandings of Current Information Literacy Instruction Practices: Informing our Scholarship and our Teaching

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Julien ◽  
Don Latham ◽  
Melissa Gross
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Recent Survey ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Current Information ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Teaching Responsibilities

This paper examines the implications of findings from a recent survey of academic librarians with teaching responsibilities in U.S. academic libraries, for what they can suggest to library and information science scholars in terms of research questions, and for how they can inform our preparation of future librarians.

Publication productivity and scholarly impact of academic librarians in Tanzania

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 527-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred Said Sife ◽  
Edda Tandi Lwoga
Keyword(s):  
Research Productivity ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Publish Or Perish ◽  
Scholarly Impact ◽  
Number Of Publications ◽  
Scientometric Study

Purpose – The purpose of this scientometric study was to conduct an analysis of the research productivity and scholarly impact of academic librarians in Tanzania for a period of 30 years from 1984 to 2013. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained using the Publish or Perish software which uses Google Scholar to retrieve scholars’ publications, citations and related metrics. For each librarian, the retrieved metrics were the number of papers, papers per author, citation counts, average citations per paper, average papers per author, average citations per year, average citations per author and four indices, namely, the h-index, g-index, Hc-index and the HI-norm. Findings – The study findings indicate that 434 publications were recorded for all librarians, giving an average of 14.5 publications per year. The year 2008 had the most (9.9 per cent) publications followed by 2010 (7.8 per cent), while the years 1985 and 1987 had the lowest (0.2 per cent) number of publications. About 43 per cent of the publications were single-authored and the degree of collaboration was 0.57. The top-ten ranked librarians contributed more than half (53.2 per cent) of all publications, although they showed considerable variation among different metrics. Only three journal articles had 25 or more citations. Originality/value – Previous studies on the topic are scarce, and, therefore, this paper provides useful recommendations to library and information science (LIS) schools, libraries and universities to improve research productivity of their academic librarians in Tanzania and other countries with a similar setting.

scholarly journals Interdisciplinary librarians: self-reported non-LIS scholarship and creative work

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 547-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan E. Thomas ◽  
Anne E. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Creative Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Promotion And Tenure ◽  
Qualitative Survey ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The University ◽  
Perceptions Of Administrators

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to interpret and discuss survey results of a study of academic librarians’ scholarship and creative work outside of library and information science in order to reveal some librarians’ motivations to perform such work as well as their perceptions of administrators’ attitudes toward it. Design/methodology/approach – The authors published a link to a qualitative survey instrument on COLLIB-L and ULS-L, the e-mail lists for the college libraries section and the university libraries section of American Library Association, asking that only academic librarians engaged in scholarship and creative work outside of library and information science participate. This paper is an exploratory analysis of the survey results. Findings – Librarians reported that they produce such work for many reasons, including personal satisfaction, dynamic and successful liaison work, and ongoing commitment to scholarship and creative work. Academic librarians who produce non-LIS work do so with varying levels of support, and the recognition of such work is inconsistent among institutions. Originality/value – The authors are the first to query American academic librarians specifically about their scholarship or creative work outside of library and information science. Managers and administrators will glean much about academic librarians’ attitudes toward such work and how it adds value to the library operation and institution. Findings could affect criteria for reappointment, promotion, and tenure.

Skills in the market: an analysis of skills and qualifications for American librarians

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 21-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michalis Gerolimos ◽  
Afrodite Malliari ◽  
Pavlos Iakovidis
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Content Analysis Method ◽  
Academic Librarian ◽  
Job Advertisements ◽  
American Academic

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to create a profile of the modern American academic librarian through the content analysis method of job advertisements. Design/methodology/approach – One hundred thirty-four advertisements were analyzed in various ways, e.g. salary, skills, qualifications, duties, followed by a multivariate analysis. Findings – Most significant findings include the importance of communication skills for all academic librarians, the significance of the Library and Information Science (LIS) degree and that applicants should expect a salary of $40,000-60,000. Originality/value – This paper builds on the previous studies in the field to verify that communication skills are among the most, if not the most, desired skills for a modern librarian, and that an LIS degree is still an asset.

scholarly journals Are electronic theses and dissertations (still) grey literature in the digital age? A FAIR debate

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Schopfel ◽  
Behrooz Rasuli
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Electronic Theses And Dissertations ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Theses And Dissertations

PurposeWhile distribution channels of theses and dissertations have changed significantly in the digital age, they are generally still considered grey literature. This paper aims to argue the applicability of the concept of grey to electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs).Design/methodology/approachThe paper is presented as a debate between two contradictory opinions on the application of the grey literature concept to ETDs.FindingsThe paper provides a definition of grey literature and then discusses its application to electronic dissertations and theses. In particular, it assesses the aspects of acquisition, quality, access and preservation. Some arguments highlight the “grey nature” of ETDs, such as the limited access via institutional and other repositories. Other arguments (e.g. the development of ETD infrastructures and the quality of ETDs) question this grey approach to ETDs. The paper concludes that “greyness” remains a challenge for ETDs, a problem waiting for solution on the way to open science through the application of the FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability reusability) principles.Research limitations implicationsLibrary and information science (LIS) professionals and scientists should be careful about using the concept of grey literature. The debate will help academic librarians and LIS researchers to better understand the nature of grey literature and its coverage, here in the field of ETDs.Originality/valueSome definitions from the print age may not be applicable to the digital age. The contradictory character of the debate helps clarify the similitudes and differences of grey literature and ETDs and highlights the challenge of ETDs, in particular, their accessibility and findability.

Access to translated fiction in Canadian public libraries

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 569-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keren Dali ◽  
Lana Alsabbagh
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bibliographic Records ◽  
Reference Librarians ◽  
Bibliographic Data

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the quality of access to translated fiction published between 2007 and 2011 in six large Canadian public libraries, answering the question about what public libraries can do to help acquaint their readers with international translated fiction. Design/methodology/approach – The article uses the method of bibliographic data analysis based on 2,100 catalog records. Findings – As the results demonstrate, enhanced bibliographic catalog records deliver a wealth of information about translated fiction titles and facilitate meaningful subject access to their contents. At the same time, promotional activities related to translated fiction have room for improvement. Practical implications – Despite the fact that the study focuses on public libraries, its findings will be of interest not only to public but also academic librarians, any librarian tasked with the selection and acquisition of translated fiction, reference and readers’ advisory librarians in any type of library, Library and Information Science students and anyone interested in access to translated fiction. Originality/value – While many recent studies have turned their attention to enhanced catalog records and their role in access, discovery and collection promotion, there are no studies dealing with translated fiction specifically. The article also contributes to seeing an in-depth understanding of bibliographic records and cataloging as part and parcel of reference librarians’ knowledge and skill set, which improves retrieval practices and access provision.

Models for collaborative professional development for teachers in mathematics

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Holmqvist
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Scientific Quality ◽  
Educational Design ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Collaborative Professional Development

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a review of the most frequently cited English articles of five models of collaborative professional development for mathematics teachers, aiming to describe the character of the development addressed and its quality issues. Design/methodology/approach The most frequently cited articles were chosen for their impact on the scientific discourse; they identify what aspects of the models are most focused and of interest. The research questions were: how is professional development described in the articles?, and what improvements are the models trying to increase or what problem are the models trying to solve? The review of these articles was also analyzed in relation to four quality indicators for praxis improvement (Holmqvist Olander, 2015): (A) ecological validation for predictive power, (B) generalization in theory, (C) cross-setting interventions, and (D) continuing professional development. Findings The result shows differences in focus. Educational action research focuses on solving the participants’ problem in the school environment while learning study tests different instructional designs to find the most powerful relationship between instruction and student learning. Lesson study and teacher research groups are collaborative professional development models integrated into the teachers’ ordinary work to develop everyday teaching and learning, and educational design research is mainly designed by researchers studying areas of interests, which can be shared by teachers. Research limitations/implications The articles used for the analysis are a selection, and not a total sample of everything published about the models. This can be both a limitation and strength. A very small sample of typical studies is used for the analysis, even though the models are used in several other situations and contexts as well, which can be seen as a limitation. However, as the selection of articles have the strongest impact on the research of each model, as they are the most cited articles and affect the way they are used. The contexts differ and this can be seen as a limitation as the models might be more efficient in some cultural settings than other. Practical implications Based on the articles’ findings, these five models can all be recommended to develop students’ mathematical knowledge as well as teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. The results of this review can be used to guide what model to use depending on the need for professional development. Social implications Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2015) and Hattie (2013) state that effective professional development is positioned as close to practice as possible, and that research questions should be raised and outcomes tested in teachers’ workplaces as a form of collaborative professional development. There is a contradiction between such claims and how we traditionally value research. Collaboration with teachers in research projects can, as well as aiming to have an impact on practice, sometimes be considered to be less scientific than a more objective standpoint that follows traditional indicators of scientific quality. This review shows how professional development can inform practice-based research and contribute with new knowledge of how to develop teaching and learning in the classroom. Originality/value The overview is different from an ordinary research review, as the focus is on the most cited articles. This is made to capture the main shape of how the models are presented in an international research context as the articles have an impact of how the models are understood and shared between contexts in different countries.

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