Expanding outward: libraries broaden their impact

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 407-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Massis
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Real World ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Library Users

Purpose The purpose of this column is to describe several examples of libraries providing services to their patrons to broaden their impact beyond their four walls. Design/methodology/approach Literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners. Findings Mobility substantiates the claim that library users have certain expectations from their libraries, not the least of which is to maintain a currency with the latest technological advances through its services. Therefore, younger generations brought up on high-tech access to their library materials via an array of services outside the building itself is paramount to a public expecting its links to services anywhere, anytime. Originality/value The value in exploring this topic is to examine several real-world scenarios where libraries have provided exceptional services beyond the building to satisfy the ever-expanding expectations of their users.

Mergers and acquisitions in the hightech industry: a literature review

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Rossi ◽  
Shlomo Yedidia Tarba ◽  
Amos Raviv
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Mergers And Acquisitions ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Development ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Start Ups

PurposeAs a result of the impressive wave of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in recent years, operations that were traditionally considered to be extraordinary have become common business development options. M&As have produced mixed results for their stakeholders, which resulted in extensive economics debate, albeit without a systemic vision. As a result, the M&A literature has not yet developed a paradigm and the purpose of this paper is to present a review of the existing literature.Design/methodology/approachThe authors carried out a review of literature on M&As in technology‐driven sectors.FindingsThe critical examination of the innovation and value creation processes in M&As in hightech industry provides new insights for incumbent executives and can better plan and implement M&As deals.Originality/valueSince 1990 there has been a major expansion of M&As in high‐tech sectors, many involving the acquisition of small and young start‐ups. To address this important topic the authors present here a review of literature on M&As in technology‐driven sectors.

Privacy in the library

2017 ◽  
Vol 118 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 210-212
Author(s):  
Bruce Massis
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
American Library Association ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Content Type ◽  
American Library ◽  
Library Users ◽  
Privacy Breaches

Purpose The purpose of this column is to offer a snapshot of privacy in the library today. Design/methodology/approach Literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners. Findings It is significant that library users understand the disruptive nature of the online environment and its impact on privacy. Library users should welcome the controls and protections put in place while working in an open access environment, so that one does not fall victim to privacy breaches. After all, many years ago, the American Library Association codified that privacy is a “fundamental human right”. Originality/value The value in exploring this topic is to communicate that privacy in a library is of paramount concern, and constant vigilance is needed to ensure a library user’s right to privacy.

Library computing services going back to the future: a thin client approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-47
Author(s):  
Anthony McMullen
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Staff Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Thin Client ◽  
Computing Model ◽  
Computing Services ◽  
Library Users ◽  
Desktop Computing

Purpose This study aims to provide insights and commentary into issues encountered in providing computing services to library users in an era of shrinking budgets, reductions in staffing and increased utility costs. Design/methodology/approach The study uses examples and illustrations from a real-world deployment of thin client technologies to illustrate efficiencies achieved in not only maintenance and continued upkeep but also consumption of power. Findings Although thin client technologies were largely displaced with the proliferation of inexpensive and powerful desktop computing, great savings in both staff time and electricity can be achieved with a phasing out of desktop computing in favor of a thin client model. Originality/value This paper describes the benefits of a test of the viability of a thin client computing model in a highly utilized academic library computing facility. The consumption of power of the thin client model is compared and contrasted with the desktop systems that were displaced.

Towards a taxonomy of intergenerational knowledge transfer practices

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-91
Author(s):  
Kerstin Kuyken ◽  
Mehran Ebrahimi ◽  
Anne-Laure Saives
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Younger Workers ◽  
Intergenerational Knowledge

Purpose This paper aims to develop a better understanding of intergenerational knowledge transfer (IKT) practices by adopting a context-related and comparative perspective. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study design involving 83 interviews and non-participative observation in German and Quebec organizations has been chosen. Findings Two distinctive archetypes of IKT emerge from both national contexts: “we-individualizing” (Germany) and “I-connecting” (Quebec), leading to an eightfold taxonomy of IKT practices. Research limitations/implications This research is limited to young and senior workers and to high-tech sectors. Originality/value Comparative and inductive study of IKT, adaptation of IKT practices to national contexts, retaining younger workers. This inductive and comparative study allows a better adaptation of IKT practices to national contexts and therefore a better retention of younger workers.

Rethinking bibliographic utilities for library consortia

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (8) ◽  
pp. 7-9
Author(s):  
Israel Odede
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Distributed Network ◽  
Network Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library Consortia ◽  
Individual Ownership ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The paper aims to critically examine the bibliographic utility as a roadmap to increase library consortia and provide an insight into a new library consortia strategy that integrates librarians into a system of sharing both resources and knowledge. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a literature review approach with a focus on bibliographic utility as a necessary prerequisite for effective library consortia, which is a paradigm shift from the concept of individual ownership to a collective access of distributed network resources and knowledge. Findings The reviewed literature indicated that significant bibliographic utilities and integrated library systems are factors that shaped and developed consortia activities in libraries. Originality/value The bibliographic utility has limited literature, and a few published scholarly studies have combined bibliographic utility and library consortia as strategies to share resources and knowledge

scholarly journals The concept of neutrality: a new approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 333-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Macdonald ◽  
Briony Birdi
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Normative Framework ◽  
Contextual Awareness

Purpose Neutrality is a much debated value in library and information science (LIS). The “neutrality debate” is characterised by opinionated discussions in contrasting contexts. The purpose of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature by bringing these conceptions together holistically, with potential to deepen understanding of LIS neutrality. Design/methodology/approach First, a literature review identified conceptions of neutrality reported in the LIS literature. Second, seven phenomenographic interviews with LIS professionals were conducted across three professional sectors. To maximise variation, each sector comprised at least one interview with a professional of five or fewer years’ experience and one with ten or more years’ experience. Third, conceptions from the literature and interviews were compared for similarities and disparities. Findings In four conceptions, each were found in the literature and interviews. In the literature, these were labelled: “favourable”, “tacit value”, “social institutions” and “value-laden profession”, whilst in interviews they were labelled: “core value”, “subservient”, “ambivalent”, and “hidden values”. The study’s main finding notes the “ambivalent” conception in interviews is not captured by a largely polarised literature, which oversimplifies neutrality’s complexity. To accommodate this complexity, it is suggested that future research should look to reconcile perceptions from either side of the “neutral non-neutral divide” through an inclusive normative framework. Originality/value This study’s value lies in its descriptive methodology, which brings LIS neutrality together in a holistic framework. This framework brings a contextual awareness to LIS neutrality lacking in previous research. This awareness has the potential to change the tone of the LIS neutrality debate.

Improving recommender systems’ performance on cold-start users and controversial items by a new similarity model

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masoud Mansoury ◽  
Mehdi Shajari
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Cold Start ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Real World Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
User Similarity ◽  
Active User ◽  
Similarity Model

Purpose This paper aims to improve the recommendations performance for cold-start users and controversial items. Collaborative filtering (CF) generates recommendations on the basis of similarity between users. It uses the opinions of similar users to generate the recommendation for an active user. As a similarity model or a neighbor selection function is the key element for effectiveness of CF, many variations of CF are proposed. However, these methods are not very effective, especially for users who provide few ratings (i.e. cold-start users). Design/methodology/approach A new user similarity model is proposed that focuses on improving recommendations performance for cold-start users and controversial items. To show the validity of the authors’ similarity model, they conducted some experiments and showed the effectiveness of this model in calculating similarity values between users even when only few ratings are available. In addition, the authors applied their user similarity model to a recommender system and analyzed its results. Findings Experiments on two real-world data sets are implemented and compared with some other CF techniques. The results show that the authors’ approach outperforms previous CF techniques in coverage metric while preserves accuracy for cold-start users and controversial items. Originality/value In the proposed approach, the conditions in which CF is unable to generate accurate recommendations are addressed. These conditions affect CF performance adversely, especially in the cold-start users’ condition. The authors show that their similarity model overcomes CF weaknesses effectively and improve its performance even in the cold users’ condition.

Return to relevance

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-6
Author(s):  
Robert Fox
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Library Science ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Web Presence ◽  
Design Philosophy ◽  
Information Professionals

Purpose – In order to continue to respond to patron needs in a relevant way, it is necessary to continuously reevaluate the central message that the library website is intended to convey. It ' s necessary to question assumptions, listen to user needs, and shift our paradigm to make the library web presence as effective as possible. Design/methodology/approach – This is a regular viewpoint column. A basic literature review was done prior to the column being written. Findings – The library Web site remains, in many respects, the “first face” of the library for patrons. To remain relevant, traditional methodologies used in library science may need to be set aside or catered to the needs of the patron. Originality/value – Various methods regarding design philosophy are explored which may be of use to information professionals responsible for the design and content of the library Web sites.

Dynamic capabilities vs. innovation capability: are they related?

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 368-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidija Breznik ◽  
Robert D. Hisrich
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Dynamic Capability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Innovation Capability ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Research ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the relationship between dynamic capabilities and innovation capabilities. It links dynamic capability with innovation capability and indicates the ways they can be related. Design/methodology/approach – The relationships between dynamic and innovation capability were investigated through a systematic literature review. Findings – The review indicates that common characteristics exist between of the both fields, which demonstrate six relationships. Additionally, findings show some inconsistencies and even contradictions. Originality/value – In this paper, the authors have compared dynamic capabilities, a relatively new approach in the field of strategic management, with innovation capabilities, a widely recognised crucial domain for sustained competitiveness. Since both areas address issues that are essential to today's environment, future research should seek to clarify both concepts, by undertaking some new research and developing comprehensive and unambiguous framework.

Existentialism and organizational behaviour

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Blomme ◽  
Kirsten Bornebroek‐Te Lintelo
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Behaviour ◽  
Important Input ◽  
Emergent Change ◽  
Organisational Behaviour ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis article aims to develop a conception consisting of insights from complexity theory and additional notions from Weick's sense‐making theory and existentialism for examining organization behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThis paper carries out a literature review of Karl Weick's theory of sense‐making and some notions from existentialism to discuss the possible contributions to complexity theory and with this a further comprehension of organizational behaviour.FindingsFour existential conditions, namely death, freedom, existentialism and meaninglessness, give a further comprehension of Weick's concept of equivocality. Equivocality is an important input for organizing processes. The complexity of organizing processes is an object for examining organizational behaviour from a complexity scientific standpoint. The authors argue that the concept of equivocality and with this the states of equilibrium in an organization can be approached with examining the states of the mentioned four existential conditions.Practical implicationsAn important point of application for change managers in an organization is equivocality. The increase of equivocality will lead to a shift in the state of equilibrium in which new themes will emerge and corresponding organisational behaviour. The level of equivocality is due to the presence of existential fears. Hence, change managers should focus on existential themes and anxieties in an organization to advance emergent change.Originality/valueNew in this paper is the usage of notions from existentialism to elaborate Weick's conception of sense‐making. Also this paper discusses the possible contribution of this elaboration to research of organisational behaviour from the perspective of complexity theory.

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