Impact of continuing education programs (CEPs) on LIS professionals in academic libraries in Mumbai, India

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 117-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhura Deodhar ◽  
Sushama Powdwal
Keyword(s):  
Continuing Education ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Training Evaluation ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Kirkpatrick Model ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report the research findings of an evaluation of the impact of continuing education programs (CEPs) on library information science (LIS) professionals of academic libraries in Mumbai, India. The paper also introduces Donald Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation for Library Science research in the area of program evaluation. Design/methodology/approach The impact of CEPs was evaluated using Donald Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation using survey method. The impact was evaluated at four levels; reaction, learning, behavior and results. The population of the present study included 344 LIS professionals working at colleges libraries affiliated to University of Mumbai and Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women’s University in Mumbai, India. The data collected through questionnaire were supplemented by five specimen interviews of heads of institutions of the academic librarians who had attended more than five CEPs in five years, 2009-2013. Findings The findings of the study revealed that professionals were satisfied with CEP attendance; keen on gaining more knowledge and transferring the acquired knowledge and skills at their workplaces and interested in implementing the learning to achieve results. The reasons given by academic librarians on not implementing the learning in the library indicated that there were hindrances like lack of management support, lack of technical expertise, inadequate staff in the library, poor IT Infrastructure, etc. in transferring the learning at work. Research limitations/implications The study was based on self-perceptions of respondents. The limitation of self-perception was eliminated to some extent by supplementing qualitative data wherever required. CEPs included conferences, seminars, workshops, refresher courses, orientation programs and online courses. Pre-test and post-test recommended by the Kirkpatrick model could not be conducted as the researcher has not adopted experimental design. The data of feedback from the organizers and content of the CEPs attended by respondents were not analyzed in the study. Practical implications The paper describes the implementation of Kirkpatrick model to evaluate the CEPs, which can be used by the organizers or institutions to evaluate the impact of CEPs in future. This will help them to improve upon the contents of CEPs making them more relevant and effective. Social implications Evaluation of CEPs will be useful to ensure the effectiveness of CEPs and performance of LIS professionals. Originality/value This paper reports an original research initiative undertaken to evaluate the impact of CEPs attended by LIS professionals of Indian academic libraries in Mumbai, India. It fills the gap in LIS research. The application of Donald Kirkpatrick model of Training evaluation is also valuable for LIS research.

scholarly journals Academic libraries in COVID-19: a renewed mission for digital literacy

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantina Martzoukou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has placed online learning, blended or hybrid provision as the “new normal” in Higher Education. For most universities and their academic libraries, especially those with a less strong online presence, the pandemic has caused numerous challenges. However, it has also been a catalyst for change and resifting of priorities. For academic librarians involved in the delivery of information skills/literacy training, a renewed mission is emerging, addressing access and connectivity to resources, designing for online education and fostering the development of digital literacy of students.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper based on the author's personal experiences and subjective opinion as a Library and Information Science educator with considerable expertise in online distance learning in the UK. Reflecting critically on the impact of the pandemic from an educational point of view and on key changes experienced, the paper centres on the argument that academic librarians could emerge as strategic partners in Higher Education, towards the direction of enhancing students' digital competences development.FindingsThe complete and involuntary shift to online learning due to COVID-19 restrictions has opened the door to multiple challenges in Higher Education, which are complex and ongoing: the implementation of remote tools and practices en masse in online teaching and learning in a way that ensures accessibility and equity for all, issues connecting to online pedagogy and how to prepare students with the information and digital literacy competences required for the new online learning “normal”. As academic libraries move forward, they have a renewed mission to help learners in the online space to become both information rich and digitally competent. There is an opportunity to act as the connecting link that will help to move a step forward a strategic vision that places design for equity at the centre of education.Originality/valueThe impact of COVID-19 within Higher Education and academic libraries more specifically, is a theme that has not been yet sufficiently discussed, researched or critically debated as the world is still currently going through the pandemic crisis. This paper aims to initiate some early thoughts and conversation, as well as put forward the author's personal critical positioning on the issues, challenges and potential opportunities, emerging in the current educational climate for academic librarians, and to highlight areas of importance for the design and direction of information and library science curricula.

scholarly journals How Canadian librarians practice and assess individualized research consultations in academic libraries

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Fournier ◽  
Lindsey Sikora
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Evaluation And Assessment

Purpose Though we live in a digital era, libraries offer significant hours of in-person reference services, in combination with online reference services. Nevertheless, an increase in requests for in-person, individualized research consultations (IRCs) over the last few years has been observed. IRCs between librarians and students are common practice in academic institutions. While these sessions can be deemed useful for patrons, as they are tailored to their specific needs, however, they can also be time consuming for the librarians. Therefore, it is important to evaluate this service, and assess its impact in order to ensure that the users are getting the most out of their sessions. The purpose of this paper is to gather information on the evaluation and assessment tools that Canadian institutions are using to obtain feedback, measure their impact and improve their consultation services. Design/methodology/approach A bilingual (French and English) web-based questionnaire was issued, with a generic definition of IRCs provided. The questionnaire included general demographics and background information on IRC practices among Canadian academic librarians, followed by reflective questions on the assessment process of such practices. The questionnaire was sent to Canadian academic librarians via e-mail, using professional librarian associations’ listservs, and Twitter was used for dissemination as well. Findings Major findings of the survey concluded that the disciplines of health sciences and medicine, as well as the arts and humanities are the heaviest users of the IRC service model. On average, these sessions are one hour in length, provided by librarians who often require advanced preparation time to adequately help the user, with infrequent follow-up appointments. It was not surprising that a lack of assessment methods for IRCs was identified among Canadian academic libraries. Most libraries have either no assessment in place for IRCs, or they rely heavily on informal feedback from users, comments from faculty members and so on. A small portion of libraries use usage statistics to assess their IRCs service, but other means of assessment are practically non-existent. Research limitations/implications The survey conducted was only distributed to Canadian academic libraries. Institutions across the USA and other countries that also perform IRCs may have methods for evaluating and assessing these sessions which the authors did not gather; therefore, the evidence is biased. As well, each discipline approaches IRCs very differently; therefore, it is challenging to compare the evaluation and assessment methods between each discipline. Furthermore, the study’s population is unknown, as the authors did not know the exact number of librarians or library staff providing IRCs by appointment in academic Canadian institution. While the response rate was reasonably good, it is impossible to know if the sample is representative of the population. Also, it needs to be acknowledged that the study is exploratory in nature as this is the first study solely dedicated at examining academic librarians’ IRC practices. Further research is needed. As future research is needed to evaluate and assess IRCs with an evidence-based approach, the authors will be conducting a pre-test and post-test to assess the impact of IRC on students’ search techniques. Originality/value Evidence-based practice for IRCs is limited. Very few studies have been conducted examining the evaluation and assessment methods of these sessions; therefore, it was believed that a “lay of the land,” so to speak, was needed. The study is exploratory in nature, as this is the first study solely dedicated at examining the evaluation and assessment methods of academic librarians’ IRC practices.

Impact of academic libraries on grade point average (GPA): a review

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-85
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Sterner
Keyword(s):  
Student Success ◽  
Grade Point Average ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Academic Impact ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Privacy ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the literature to determine how academic librarians are measuring their libraries' institutional level impact on student success as measured by grade point average, a metric commonly used in American education. This paper highlights a range of methods, outcomes and challenges in an initial scoping study.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology centered on a literature review of measuring the impact of academic libraries on student success as quantified by grade point average (GPA) from 2010 to present. Searches in ProQuest, EBSCO and Google Scholar were used to identify the relevant literature. Keywords searched in databases included various combinations of academic impact, student success, learning outcomes, library and higher education.FindingsThe analysis of 15 papers shows that academic librarians have demonstrated a small, nonnegligible positive correlation of library usage on GPA. The results of studies have highlighted that correlation does not prove the cause. Concerns and limitations of studies included using the GPA as a measurement of student success, differences between GPAs in subject areas, timeframes used, sample size collected, student privacy and the meanings of the results.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited to articles published in English measuring student success as quantified by GPA and focuses heavily on American sources.Originality/valueThe research can guide librarians through known challenges and highlight successful designs and study methods used by other academic librarians to measure the impact of the library on student success.

Investigation of challenges in academic institutional repositories

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 525-548
Author(s):  
Soohyung Joo ◽  
Darra Hofman ◽  
Youngseek Kim
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Relative Significance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Six Dimensions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the breadth of the challenges and issues facing institutional repositories in academic libraries, based on a survey of academic librarians. Particularly, this study covers the challenges and barriers related to data management facing institutional repositories. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a survey method to identify the relative significance of major challenges facing institutional repositories across six dimensions, including: data, metadata, technological requirements, user needs, ethical concerns and administrative challenges. Findings The results of the survey reveal that academic librarians identify limited resources, including insufficient budget and staff, as the major factor preventing the development and/or deployment of services in institutional repositories. The study also highlights crucial challenges in different dimensions of institutional repositories, including the sheer amount of data, institutional support for metadata creation and the sensitivity of data. Originality/value This study is one of a few studies that comprehensively identified the variety of challenges that institutional repositories face in operating academic libraries with a focus on data management in institutional repositories. In this study, 37 types of challenges were identified in six dimensions of institutional repositories. More importantly, the significance of those challenges was assessed from the perspective of academic librarians involved in institutional repository services.

Customer satisfaction with sommelier services of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 532-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommy Lau ◽  
Man Lai Cheung ◽  
Guilherme D. Pires ◽  
Carol Chan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The abolishment of the wine tax in Hong Kong has led to increased wine consumption and increased demand for wine-related professionals, such as sommeliers. Yet the importance of sommeliers’ value-adding performance in the context of upscale Chinese restaurants has not been examined. To address this gap, the SERVQUAL framework is adopted to examine the influence of sommeliers’ service quality (SQ) on customer satisfaction (CS) and loyalty in the context of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach The survey method is used to collect data from 302 units of the population of interest, partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to test the links between constructs. Findings Four of the seven dimensions of sommeliers’ service quality, namely, empathy, tangibles, credibility and assurance, have a significant positive impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, whereas the impact of perceived value and responsiveness on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty is positive but only marginally significant. Reliability has a weak and non-significant impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications Examining a small number of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong limits generalisation of the findings to other contexts. Replication of the research in different contexts will enhance generalizability. In terms of implications, the discussion highlights the importance of sommeliers’ service performance on customers’ SQ perceptions SQ, CS and loyalty, all of which are important variables for restaurateurs. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of the influence of the quality of sommelier’s SQ on CS and loyalty in upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Given the lack of attention to this service role in the literature, the study contributes theory from which further understanding can develop.

scholarly journals User agreements and makerspaces: a content analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 358-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Michele Moorefield-Lang
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
The Body ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Learning Space ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Qualitative Data Analysis Software

Abstract – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the user agreements of makerspaces in public and academic libraries. User agreements, also known as maker agreements, user forms and liability forms, can be very important documents between library patrons, staff and faculty. User agreements are similar to the earlier creation of acceptable use policies for technology use in libraries. The author of this study will delve into the user agreements created for public and academic libraries across the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The researcher used content analysis to investigate 24 different user agreements written for public and academic library makerspaces. NVivo qualitative data analysis software was integrated into this research to aid in the breakdown of commonalities across terms, themes and purpose within the user agreements. Findings – Although makerspaces are a very exciting topic in the field of library science at this time, the implementation of a maker learning space is still new to many libraries. Creating a user agreement for a makerspace is newer still. Most user agreements in this study were six months to a year old. Some consistencies found across makerspace user agreements include liability waivers, permissions for minors, safety, copyright and technology replacement costs. Originality/value – At this time, most publications on makerspaces are held in the realm of popular publications (blogs, magazines, zines, etc.). The body of peer-reviewed and scholarly research on makerspaces is growing. Makerspace user agreements are new to this growing field of interest, and a content analysis of these documents will pave the way for the writing of future forms.

scholarly journals The intelligent library

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Cox ◽  
Stephen Pinfield ◽  
Sophie Rutter
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Resource Discovery ◽  
Library Directors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Literacy ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Learning Challenges ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The last few years have seen a surge of interest in artificial intelligence (AI). The purpose of this paper is to capture a snapshot of perceptions of the potential impact of AI on academic libraries and to reflect on its implications for library work. Design/methodology/approach The data for the study were interviews with 33 library directors, library commentators and experts in education and publishing. Findings Interviewees identified impacts of AI on search and resource discovery, on scholarly publishing and on learning. Challenges included libraries being left outside the focus of development, ethical concerns, intelligibility of decisions and data quality. Some threat to jobs was perceived. A number of potential roles for academic libraries were identified such as data acquisition and curation, AI tool acquisition and infrastructure building, aiding user navigation and data literacy. Originality/value This is one of the first papers to examine current expectations around the impact of AI on academic libraries. The authors propose the paradigm of the intelligent library to capture the potential impact of AI for libraries.

Developing a model for supply chain agility and innovativeness to enhance firms’ competitive advantage

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 1511-1534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Jou Chen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Agility ◽  
It Integration ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Developing agility and innovativeness as dynamic capabilities are important for firms to sustain their competitive advantage in today’s global economy. The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a framework to investigate how the supply chain agility and innovativeness are achieved through IT integration and trust in members of supply chain and how these, in turn, can enhance firms’ competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach This research employs a survey method and data are collected from senior managers working in the supply chain or IT area. The model and hypotheses are tested utilizing data from 204 usable Taiwan manufacturing firms via structural equations modeling methodology. Findings The study demonstrates that both IT integration and trust in supply chain members significantly enhance supply chain agility and innovativeness, which in turn positively affect firm’s competitive advantage. The results indicate that IT integration and trust are antecedents and major joint partnership resources for improving supply chain agility and innovativeness. Research limitations/implications Data are collected from manufacturing industry in Taiwan and single respondent from each firm, the generalizability of current findings to other industries or countries should require additional investigation. Practical implications The study suggests that a firm should focus on IT integration and trust in supply chain members to achieve supply chain agility and innovativeness. To take advantage of supply chain agility and innovativeness, through maximizing firm’s competitive advantage, firms should continually adapt to the fast changing business environment and search for creative ways to satisfy new market needs. Originality/value Given the attention paid to supply chain agility and innovativeness in terms of importance to responding to business uncertainty and competitiveness, and more recently, as important capabilities in managing supply chain management, this paper investigates how IT integration and trust can contribute to supply chain agility and innovativeness. Provide evidence regarding the impact of IT integration and trust on agility of supply chains, innovativeness and competitive advantage.

scholarly journals Individualized Research Consultations in Academic Libraries: A Scoping Review of Practice and Evaluation Methods

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Fournier ◽  
Lindsey Sikora
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Manual Search ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction – Librarians in academic institutions have been providing personalized services to the student population by offering individualized research consultations (IRC) for decades. These consultations usually consume many hours of librarians’ busy schedules, and yet the impact of these consultations is unknown. Therefore, it’s worth asking the question: what assessment methods have been used in academic libraries to evaluate the impact of IRC? Methods – A retrospective scoping review of the literature was performed using the following databases: Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA), Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), Library and Information Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Scopus, and Web of Science. Additionally, a manual search of the included papers reference lists was conducted to locate additional relevant papers. Articles that mentioned a format of evaluation or assessment and were based within a library setting were included. Articles that discussed group instruction that were not in a library setting, or that did not include any form of evaluation or assessment, were excluded. Results – Researchers located 578 articles and reviewed titles and abstracts. 523 titles were eliminated, while full text sources of the remaining 55 were examined to check inclusion and exclusion criteria. 20 articles remained for qualitative synthesis. Specific methods of assessment were reviewed and three overall assessment methods were identified: 1) usage statistics, 2) survey, and 3) objective quantitative methods. Conclusion – Many articles using a usage statistics method stated that they wanted to further their assessment of individual consultations. Several authors using a survey method described the value of the information gathered by surveying their users for improving their service, but also mentioned that this method is subjective in nature. They mentioned that objective assessment methods would provide a better understanding of the impact of IRCs. The few articles using objective quantitative methods obtained mixed results. Overall, more research in the assessment of IRCs is needed, particularly those with objective quantitative methods.

Evaluating impact of entrepreneurship education programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 781-796
Author(s):  
Seyedeh Khatereh Daneshjoovash ◽  
Mirza Hassan Hosseini
Keyword(s):  
Direct Effect ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Applied Science ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Direct ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of Entrepreneurship Education Programs (EEPs) from students’ and educators’ viewpoint to improve the quality of EEPs. Design/methodology/approach This research applies a qualitative-quantitative methodology. Its sample is included 291 students were selected randomly and 35 educators were chosen by convenience technique from universities of Applied Science and Technology of Iran. Findings The results revealed that essence of EEPs had a positive direct effect on objectives and content of EEPs; objectives and content of EEPs had a positive direct effect on methods of EEPs; essence of EEPs had a positive direct effect on impact of EEPs; and essence of EEPs had a positive indirect effect on methods through objectives and content based on students’ and educators’ perspective. Moreover, as opposed to educators’, students believed that methods of EEPs have not a positive direct effect on impact, while educators were opponent to students approach about the positive direct effect of essence of EEPs on methods. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to Applied Science and Technology universities were selected by convenience sampling method. Similar studies in other universities are needed to be conducted by simple random sampling to evaluate EEPs. Practical implications The study recommends policy-makers to be aware of students’ needs of EEPs’ methods, as well inform educators about effective and initiative methods. Originality/value Evaluating impact of EEPs based on demand and supply-side viewpoint is the first study conducted in Applied Science and Technology universities of Iran.

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