Students’ choice and evaluation of information sources at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 279-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl Kean ◽  
Godfrey Walker ◽  
Maureen Kerr-Campbell ◽  
Faith Mckoy-Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Original Research ◽  
The West ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
The University

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the kinds of resources used by students at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus, to start their research and to find out their perception of the quality of the resources they use. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was distributed manually to undergraduates, and the responses were collated and analysed using Excel software. Findings – The findings revealed that Google was the resource most likely to be used by respondents to start their research, and the resource least used was the librarian (ask a librarian). Originality/value – This represents original research for the Mona Campus. It is important in helping the library to understand an aspect of the research habits and preferences of the undergraduate community it serves and will help the library in further decision-making, as it seeks to build awareness among the undergraduate population, of the library resources available to them.

Training cataloguing professionals at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine: part 2

2011 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 748-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yacoob Hosein ◽  
Portia Bowen‐Chang
Keyword(s):  
Trinidad And Tobago ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The West ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Effectiveness Of Training ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of cataloguing training for professionals at the St Augustine Campus Libraries of the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, with emphasis on the cataloguing of special formats and the overall importance of continuing education.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology is based on a questionnaire which involved the use of a rolling survey for the periods 2005‐2007 and 2007‐2010, and utilized a five‐point Likert scale.FindingsThe findings clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of cataloguing training in the quest for professional development amongst librarians and also serve to highlight the need for greater collaboration between libraries, library schools and library associations.Practical implicationsThe paper considers effectiveness of training in cataloguing and thus of the skills adopted in practice.Originality/valueThe study brings to the fore the importance of structured training for cataloguing professionals over a five‐year period. It also provides further insights into bridging the gap between entry level and working cataloguers in a developing country.

Refocusing mobile makerspace outreach efforts internally as professional development

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erich Purpur ◽  
Tara Radniecki ◽  
Patrick Tod Colegrove ◽  
Chrissy Klenke
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Digital Design ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
The University ◽  
Powerful Mechanism

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to uninitiate new and non-traditional library resources, such as those commonly found in a makerspace, can often seem abstract, intimidating, or even unrelated to the library mission. The University of Nevada’s DeLaMare Science and Engineering Library set out to engage its on-campus library colleagues to increase awareness and understanding of the new technologies being offered in support of active learning and discovery. Design/methodology/approach – The science and engineering library is experimenting with an ongoing series of inreach/outreach workshops that enable other library faculty and staff from across the greater library organization to experience their non-traditional services and resources. A first pop-up maker technology workshop took place in June 2015 and was composed of three sessions including an introduction to 3D printing and modeling, digital design literacies, and lendable technologies. A survey was distributed to attendees for feedback. Findings – Anecdotal evidence suggest the event was successful, offering a potentially powerful mechanism for engaging and informing library staff about non-traditional resources and technology. Originality/value – This outreach approach may prove valuable for other academic libraries to similarly create awareness of non-traditional resources and technologies among its colleagues.

scholarly journals Health-Related Quality of Life in Stroke Survivors at the University Hospital of the West Indies

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 46-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodian A. Pinkney ◽  
Francene Gayle ◽  
Kathryn Mitchell-Fearon ◽  
Jasneth Mullings
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
West Indies ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
The West ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The University

scholarly journals QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ACCREDITATION OF ENGINEERING PROGRAMMES AT THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, ST. AUGUSTINE CAMPUS, TRINIDAD

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edwin Ekwue
Keyword(s):  
West Indies ◽  
High Standard ◽  
Recent Attempt ◽  
Accreditation System ◽  
The West ◽  
Western Education ◽  
Engineering And Technology ◽  
International Body ◽  
The University

The quality of engineering education is challenging and is of paramount importance in today’s globalised world. The Faculty of Engineering at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus, inherited a western education system and the accreditation systems in the five departments within the Faculty are based on the British accreditation system. The aim of this paper is to describe how this accreditation system is utilised in the Faculty of Engineering to ensure that the quality of the delivery of its programmes is at a high standard. The paper was derived from a survey carried out by the author. It describes the quality systems available in the Faculty and fully describes the steps involved in the accreditation process. The paper reveals the recent attempt at introducing the Caribbean Accreditation Council for Engineering and Technology (CACET) but concludes that until it is fully established and internationally recognised through its membership in the Washington Accord or any other comparably recognized international body, there will still be room for the international accreditation by the British institutions or other comparative international institutions at the Faculty of Engineering at UWI.

A library at the touch of a finger-tip: an analysis of mobile library services at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian St. Patrick Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
West Indies ◽  
The State ◽  
Library Services ◽  
The West ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the state of mobile library services available for students’ information needs at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. In addition, this study will determine the extent to which mobile services has helped the Mona libraries to have greater reach to students. Design/methodology/approach Surveys and content analysis were used to collect data. A comparative content analysis was used to highlight the strides made in mobile library services in universities across the world vis-à-vis the current reality in the Caribbean, specifically Jamaica. Findings The findings identified that there is a proliferation of mobile and internet users among university and college students and they are heavily using their devices for the furtherance of their educational attainment. Additionally, the findings indicated that libraries in the academic realm can benefit greatly from allowing their content to be accessible through these mobile devices, as it would also help with greater usage. Furthermore, this service is guaranteed greater support the distance programmes offered by these universities. Research limitations/implications This study will focus on assessing the state of mobile library services offered at the University of the West Indies, Mona Jamaica. This study will also determine the extent to which mobile services can help libraries to have greater reach to students and provide best practices for academic libraries implementing mobile service offerings to clients. This study will not attest to the financial feasibility of academic institutions to start such a programme. Practical implications The research excavated that the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, along with other academic libraries in the Caribbean are all not fully offering mobile library services to all their users. In addition, with the rise of technology and the proliferation of cell phones and other mobile devices, students (distance and onsite) expect a service that allows them greater access to the offerings of the university and their libraries. Originality/value This is the premier investigation of its kind into how the University of the West Indies Mona Campus has responded to the mobile library environment. The value of this research is in helping academic and university libraries in the Jamaica to identify the importance of leveraging the benefits of the dynamic technological era, allowing greater and wider reach through mobile library services proliferation and access to services. In addition, this study showed that academic libraries need to enhance services in a bid to provide greater support the teaching component of the university or college they serve.

An assessment of the usability of the University of the West Indies (Mona, Jamaica) Main Library’s website

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 590-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian St. Patrick Duncan ◽  
Fay Durrant
Keyword(s):  
User Satisfaction ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Web Site ◽  
International Standards ◽  
The West ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Usability Tests ◽  
Master Of Arts ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to provide an assessment of the usability of the University of the West Indies, Mona, Main Library’s Web site by Master of Arts students of the Department of Library and Information Studies (D.L.I.S.) for the identification of major strengths and weaknesses of the site and to incorporate the results and participant feedback into a redesign that reflects users’ intuitions rather than those of the site developers and library staff. Design/methodology/approach – One method was used to collect data; Observation. Its instruments included a list of activities executed by students followed by a checklist, which reflected day-to-day usage of the Main Library’s Web site by Master of Arts students in the D.L.I.S. In addition, both usability heuristics and International Standards Organisation (ISO) guidelines were used to assess effectiveness, learnability, usefulness, functionality, navigability and user satisfaction. Respondent strategies used a sample size of five participants in the focus group sessions. Experimental strategies combined observation of five individual participants who performed the usability tests. Findings – The findings identified challenges in the site’s navigation, user satisfaction and learnability. Research limitations/implications – There can be further assessment, as this study did not speak specifically to students with disabilities or took into consideration the views of the librarians. Additionally, more ethnographic approaches are required to elicit distinctive Caribbean user behaviors. Practical implications – The study concludes that usability training should be incorporated into the culture of the library organization as well as more usability testing needs to be done on a more regular basis and on a more student interactive basis. Originality/value – The paper presents issues of usability and the impact of technology on information access, memorability, learnability and functionality of an academic library’s Web site.

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