The coronavirus pandemic in the Caribbean academic library: Jamaica's initial interpretation of strengths, biggest impact, lessons and plans

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasekea Yoneka Harris
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Business Continuity ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Pandemic Preparedness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper examined the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic (known as COVID-19) on Jamaican academic libraries, during the first six months, with an emphasis on revealed library strengths, biggest impact, lessons learned and plans for library business continuity.Design/methodology/approachThe local academic libraries in higher education in Jamaica (also referred to in this paper as university libraries) were surveyed.FindingsThe coronavirus pandemic revealed strengths in the areas of staffing and library modality and had the biggest impact on the latter. Lessons were learned in preparedness, communication, documentation, collaboration, staffing, library modality, and infrastructure/systems, which together shaped plans for library business re-opening/continuity.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper captures the initial response of Jamaican Academic Libraries (JAL) to the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on COVID-19 is rapidly evolving, and the preliminary initial response of Jamaica is neither the final nor complete response to the pandemic. As such, a follow-up survey of months 7–12 would be useful. Also, a survey of all English-speaking Caribbean academic libraries would be of value to library evidence and practice.Practical implicationsThe COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a gap in the literature on library disaster management in general but also specifically on pandemic preparedness and management, and library business continuity during a pandemic. Using JAL' response, this paper proposes: “A Pandemic Preparedness Business Continuity Planning Checklist for Jamaican Academic Libraries”, which can be adopted/adapted in other Caribbean/developing country academic libraries, as well as other library types in Jamaica, which currently look to the understudied university libraries for leadership.Originality/valueThis paper is the first scholarly paper on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university libraries in the Jamaican / English-speaking Caribbean, with a focus on revealed strengths, biggest impact, lessons learned, plans for library business re-opening/continuity. As the scholarly literature on pandemic management in Caribbean academic libraries is non-existent, this paper seeks to fill this gap, albeit incrementally. Additionally, the findings can inform the Latin America and Caribbean section of international library papers on COVID-19 impact on academic libraries globally.

Covid-19 impact on the Caribbean academic library: Jamaica's preliminary response to people, place, product and services

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasekea Yoneka Harris
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper examined the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on people, place, product and services in Jamaican academic libraries. It also compares the Jamaican academic library’s COVID-19 experience with US academic library’s COVID-19 preliminary experience.Design/methodology/approachThe local academic libraries in higher education in Jamaica (also referred to in this paper as university libraries) were surveyed.FindingsGovernment mandates, university mandates and the absence of a vaccine influenced academic library response. The measures implemented, though unplanned and developed on-the-go, constituted a behavioural change model (BCM). COVID-19 has had a positive-negative impact on library people, place, product and services and has created a new normal for Jamaican academic libraries.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper captures the preliminary response of Jamaican academic libraries to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on library people, place, product and services. As such, a follow-up survey on changes, challenges, strengths, impact, lessons and plans would be a useful complement to this paper. As COVID-19 information is rapidly evolving, this preliminary response of Jamaica is neither the final nor complete response to the pandemic.Practical implicationsThe COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a gap in the literature on disaster management generally and pandemic management in particular, and on the management of health disasters in academic libraries; this paper seeks to fill this gap, albeit incrementally, through Jamaica's preliminary response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/valueThis paper gives voice to the Caribbean academic library’s COVID-19 experience, through the voice of Jamaica. It is the first scholarly paper on the impact of COVID-19 on university libraries in the Jamaican / English-speaking Caribbean, and so presents the elements of the BCM implemented by Jamaica, which provides an important guide to Caribbean academic library leaders. The findings can also inform the Latin American and Caribbean section of international library papers on COVID-19 impact on academic libraries globally.

The power of partnerships

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-202
Author(s):  
Christy Groves
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
College Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Formal Assessment ◽  
The Impact

Purpose A large, predominantly undergraduate university in Tennessee partnered with a local magnet school aiming to assist high school seniors with their college-level research assignment. The partnership began as a pilot, but quickly expanded to include other high schools as a result of initial successes. This paper aims to describe the development of the partnership and its importance in fulfilling a key component of college preparedness for gifted high school students. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes how the Library partnership commenced as a service to a local high school that required its students to access college-level research materials. The paper details how both the Library and the high school recognized the impact of collaborating to expose these students to the information literacy skills needed for college readiness. Findings The paper presents the challenges encountered when attempting to provide college-level information literacy instruction to large groups of students visiting a college campus. It concludes with best practices and lessons learned, as well as plans for formal assessment and future initiatives. Originality/value The author has presented at Library Instruction West, July 2018. A review of the professional literature demonstrates that other academic libraries have partnered with local schools for a variety of library-related initiatives. Therefore, the concept of partnerships between the Library and local high schools is not unique. However, this paper aims to describe challenges encountered, best practices, lessons learned and suggestions for future directions, including formal assessment, all of which could be adapted by other academic libraries as applicable.

scholarly journals The assessment of quality maturity levels in Nigerian university libraries

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 399-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Halima Egberongbe ◽  
Barbara Sen ◽  
Peter Willett
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Maturity Assessment ◽  
Nigerian University

Purpose Organizations constantly evaluate their activities to ensure that they are attaining their management goals. Maturity assessment enables organizations to examine their capabilities, support innovation and evaluate development. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the maturity statuses of a selection of Nigerian university libraries in a study to investigate their quality management (QM) approaches. The study provides recommendations for means to attain the required statuses in academic library development. Design/methodology/approach The study involved a multisite case study in which interviews were conducted with 15 university librarians (or their representatives) and ten focus groups were conducted with non-management library staff. The resulting qualitative data were analyzed using an aspect of framework analysis – charting, while a maturity model from the field of project management (Prince 2 Maturity Model, P2MM) was used to assess maturity in QM of the libraries. Findings The results of the maturity assessment indicate a basic knowledge of the concept of QM implementation among the libraries. The scores obtained on the P2MM capability scale placed the libraries studied mainly on Level 1 (awareness level) of the model. Practical implications This paper demonstrates that the culture of QM in academic libraries in Nigeria is at a low level with considerable potential for development. It is suggested that future adoption of quality maturity models to assess performance and organizational effectiveness would aid improvements for value-added services. Originality/value This is the first study to attempt the assessment of quality maturity levels in Nigerian academic libraries for identification of the organization’s positioning in QM and strategy.

Initiatives towards formation of academic library consortium in Malaysia

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 102-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafsah Mohd ◽  
Rosnah Yusof ◽  
Rohaya Umar
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Databases ◽  
Year 2000 ◽  
Ministry Of Higher Education ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to report on several initiatives towards formation of national consortium among academic libraries in Malaysia. The consortium focused on subscription of online databases. Design/methodology/approach – In July 2004, CDC on behalf of PERPUN members made several initiatives towards formation of national consortium of Malaysian academic libraries. Proposal paper on the formation of the consortium has been submitted to the Ministry of Higher Education. Through “loose consortia” formed, CDC and later known as Malaysian Online E-Resources Consortium (MOLEC) succeeded in negotiating for subscription of online databases and was able to get financial aid from the Ministry of Education to subscribe several databases since 2002. Findings – A commercial databases committee (CDC) was formed in year 2000 as a platform for academic libraries to evaluate, select, negotiate and manage the online databases. Complications involved in online databases subscriptions such as cost increase, license agreement, various formats of usage statistics, merger and takeover of publishers have made PERPUN (Malaysian Standing Conference of National and University Libraries) realize that there is a need for a formal consortium to be formed. Research limitations/implications – An improved service was established for the benefit of the academic libraries in Malaysia. Practical implications – A more coordinated approach to consortial dealings is being established in Malaysia. Originality/value – This is a report on the process and outcomes.

Digitizing the intellectual output of Ghanaian universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 69-75
Author(s):  
Patience Emefa Dzandza
Keyword(s):  
Asset Management ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
Digital Asset ◽  
Asset Management System

Purpose With the emergence of ranking of universities by organizations, one major factor considered in the rankings is the intellectual output of the universities. For universities to remain part of the global academic competitive society, intellectual output of universities can no longer be stored on shelves in libraries. Academic libraries have engaged in digitization of the intellectual works of their institutions which is a core mandate of any academic library. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the state of digitization initiatives among university libraries in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted. Nine top universities in Ghana were selected to participate in this study. Interviews were conducted with heads of libraries. Findings The findings of the study revealed that seven out of the nine libraries studied have embarked on some sort of digitization initiative, and all libraries studied are using the same digital asset management system (Dspace). Major challenges reported by the participants that are common to all the libraries studied are lack of adequate and modern equipment, lack of trained personnel and lack of cooperation from faculty members. Originality/value This study brought fore the initiatives undertaken by academic libraries in Ghana to establish and maintain institutional repositories (IRs) amidst a number of challenges. It is a major contribution to the literature from West Africa as not much literature on IR is found from this part of the world.

Leadership in challenging times of academic libraries

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-149
Author(s):  
Mohammad Aslam
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leadership Challenges ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Library Leadership ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the key challenges of academic libraries in times of changing nature of higher education system and how library leaders can manage the challenges when effective leadership is highly required for academic libraries today. As the time is changing, the kinds of challenges that library leaders face have also changed. Author of this study explores the methods and approaches, which are more effective ways of managing challenges in the reshaping environment of academic libraries. At the same time, change has become a permanent part of academic libraries and they need leaders who are able to lead and manage change efficiently, bring theories into practices, find innovative solutions to challenges, creative thinkers, effective communicators, collaborative mindset and self-motivators. Design/methodology/approach The selective publications have been reviewed to find the best ways to leading changes and managing challenges in academic libraries. The approaches and methods in this study are based on personal experiences of author as director of the university libraries and experiences of library leadership worldwide are conversed. Findings Academic libraries are facing similar challenges around the world. The author found that academic library leadership needs innovative skills and competencies, effective communication abilities and a new way of thinking to deal with challenges and create willingness to adapt the changes. Kotter’s leadership manage change model may apply for creating and implementing organizational change in academic libraries. Originality/value Literature on this topic is comparatively limited. Consequently, this manuscript adds value to the publications of library and information sciences and offers the literature in the field of leadership challenges and manage change in the academic libraries. It also provides guidelines to academic library leadership universally, and how can leaders work with change effectively.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on the Use of Academic Library Resources

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Sara Connell ◽  
Lisa Wallis ◽  
David Comeaux
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Interlibrary Loan ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Time Frames ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted higher education, including academic libraries. This paper compares the use of library resources (including interlibrary loan, website and discovery tool pageviews, database use, patron interactions, etc.) at three university libraries before and after the pandemic. The latter part of the 2019 and 2020 spring semesters are the time frames of focus, although two control time frames from earlier in those semesters are used to determine how the semesters differed when the coronavirus was not a factor. The institutions experienced similar patterns of use across many metrics.

Web 2.0 use in academic libraries of top ranked Asian universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 528-549
Author(s):  
B. Preedip Balaji ◽  
Vinay M.S. ◽  
Shalini B.G. ◽  
Mohan Raju J.S.
Keyword(s):  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Resource Discovery ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Design Elements

Purpose This paper aims to explore recent trends of how Web 2.0 applications were used in 75 academic libraries in Asia through their library websites. Design/methodology/approach The Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2016 was considered for this study and out of 200 top universities ranked, 75 universities were selected for data collection. Using a multi-method approach, this study evaluated key design elements, library service platforms and website content of each academic library website, examining their site features, Web 2.0 types and applications. The criteria for selecting the websites were first the website was in English and second had Web 2.0 applications integrated into the main website. For the ranking of websites, a library web service index was developed, benchmarking from these groups – resource discovery tools, Web 2.0 applications, e-resources, mobile applications, library guides, digital reference services and digital inclusion – as indicators. Findings The authors found that over two-thirds of Asian university libraries have deployed one or more Web 2.0 applications, though their popularity and implementation vary greatly. Most widely used Web 2.0 applications are Facebook (61.3 per cent), RSS (53.3 per cent), Twitter (46.7 per cent) and YouTube (37.3 per cent). Instant messaging (5.3 per cent) and podcasting (4 per cent) were least applied. With an average of 44 per cent, the diffusion rate of Web information is moderately high among the majority of the Asian university libraries. Originality/value Many studies explored Web 2.0 applications from developed countries. However, this study attempts evaluating the use of Web 2.0 applications through content, sites and features of academic libraries in Asia, from developing countries perspective.

If you build it, will they sort it? Compost collection in the academic library learning commons

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 340-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uta Hussong-Christian
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Commons ◽  
Assessment Techniques ◽  
The Right ◽  
Working Out

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share one uncommon way that an academic library moved toward more sustainable library operations and to share lessons learned in the implementation of a compost collection program in an academic library. Design/methodology/approach Case study. Findings The right collaboration is critical to successfully implementing a library composting program and challenges like working around supply purchasing hurdles, reducing contamination in the collection bins, and working out appropriate assessment techniques may be encountered. Practical implications Academic libraries can implement compost collections program if the proper infrastructure exists and the appropriate partnerships are established. Social implications Academic libraries can be leaders in sustainable building operations and provide learning opportunities for the entire campus and surrounding community. Originality/value Very little published literature exists on implementing composting program in libraries of any kind. This case study helps to build that body of literature.

The current influential factors in adoption of innovations in university libraries of Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sania Awais ◽  
Kanwal Ameen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Local Context ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adoption Of Innovations ◽  
Library Staff

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the salient factors in adoption of innovations in university libraries of Pakistan. The topic is important because academic libraries need to be innovative for meeting the new vision/mission of higher education. A previous study conducted by the same researchers concluded an inappreciable state of a large majority of university libraries in Pakistan (Awais and Ameen, 2018). It is, therefore, necessary to examine and investigate the ground realities and important factors influencing in the local context.Design/methodology/approachQualitative design is used to explore the important influencing factors. Data are collected through conducting a series of semi-structured interviews from 15 academic library leaders belonging to traditional and 15 with a better status of innovations.FindingsMajor factors like behavioral issues of library staff, lack of trainings, lack of budget and leadership skills are causing hindrance in leading to adopt new trends and innovations. Vision of higher authorities, library team with new skillsets, funding by the Higher Education Commission, etc. favor adoption of innovations. All leaders of the academic libraries need to have a positive strong attitude, vision and planning to overcome the barriers in the path of adoption of innovations to survive and thrive.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is conducted in local context of Pakistan. Only viewpoints of librarians at top level are taken. Viewpoints of higher authorities, library staff and users are not taken for this study. Similarly, viewpoints of only 30 library leaders are taken, which is also a limitation of this study.Practical implicationsTraditional-type library leaders can overcome the barriers by going through the findings and conclusion. They can get ideas from the discussion of innovative-type library leaders.Social implicationsUniversity libraries can be improved by the help of policy makers and higher authorities. Eventually, users would get better learning, teaching and social environment.Originality/valueThe study is conducted in a local context of Pakistan. It may provide a guideline for some future planning and development of university libraries. The research will be also useful in creating awareness among professionals of other developing countries.

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