The use of academic libraries in turbulent times

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin de Jager ◽  
Mary Nassimbeni ◽  
William Daniels ◽  
Alexander D’Angelo
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Data Warehouse ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
Final Examination ◽  
University Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Examination Period ◽  
Library Use ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how an innovation in the University Management Information System was leveraged to incorporate library data by an initially sceptical strategic management team. The rationale was to extract evidence of correlations between library use and student achievement. This kind of information is of particular interest to the institution, which is at present dealing with crises popularly summarised in the slogan “#FeesMustFall” among students who suffer from the effects of poverty and exclusion in higher education. Comment is offered on some of the relationships between student library behaviour before, during and after the nationwide disruptions that destabilised universities and threatened their survival at the end of 2016, just before the final examination period. Design/methodology/approach Data were extracted from the data warehouse from the comparative demographic perspectives of students’ degrees of disadvantage in an effort to uncover any hitherto hidden patterns of library use. Findings The use of the library as expressed by footfall and loans was mapped against students’ pass rates and their collective GPA, indicating that increased library use correlates positively with better academic performance. Some of the initial correlations between student library behaviour before, during and after the nationwide disruptions that destabilised universities and threatened their survival at the end of 2016 just before the final examination period are explored. The effects that library closures (under threat of damage) at a critical time in the academic year might have had on library use and on student performance are interrogated. Practical implications Students on financial aid, which was used as an indicator of disadvantage, come from schools and environments where access to information technology and libraries is very limited, so that library habits are either poorly established or not at all. At the University of Cape Town (UCT), considerable support is in place for students to encourage the development of library habits. An analysis of available data indicates that students who have acquired library habits regardless of unfavourable financial circumstances do not exhibit behaviour and academic outcomes markedly different from that of their more privileged peers. Originality/value Combining library data with data from the university data warehouse is a new approach in South Africa. It is an approach that is of value both to the library and the institution at large and has brought meaningful insights into the role the academic library might be seen to play in promoting student academic achievement.

First steps for a library publisher

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somaly Kim Wu ◽  
Heather McCullough
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Electronic Publishing ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Journal Publishing ◽  
Digital Scholarship ◽  
Publishing Services ◽  
Communication Policies ◽  
The University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to presents the very recent development of e-journal publishing services at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Charlotte. In 2011, the J. Murrey Atkins Library at UNC Charlotte created a new unit in the library, the Digital Scholarship Lab (DSL), which partners with faculty and graduate students in the use of digital and networked research tools to create, disseminate and store new knowledge. E-journal publishing and hosting are among the suite of services offered by the DSL, and we currently publish three journals (https://journals.uncc.edu/). Design/methodology/approach – This report provides an overview of the context of our library’s decision to begin publishing journals, including a discussion of our university’s becoming more research-intensive, our university system mandating increased efficiencies and sharing research with the state citizens, and the library’s own goals of raising awareness of and supporting open access. Also outlined are the technical and procedural choices made, important activities undertaken to develop, define and publicize the new services, campus response to the service and next steps. Findings – This report provides detailed accounting of how a large academic library implemented an electronic publishing service to support open access scholarship. Important activities such as marketing communication, policies development and technical/procedural activities are defined and results described. The report provides observation and lessons learned for academic libraries in development and support of electronic journals. Originality/value – Library as the publisher is a new concept. This report will be of interest to many libraries who are considering offering publishing services and to libraries that currently offer publishing services.

Communicating value through strategic engagement

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 154-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Walter
Keyword(s):  
Academic Library ◽  
First Century ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Campus Engagement ◽  
Library Assessment ◽  
Culture Of Assessment ◽  
The University ◽  
Library Value ◽  
University Setting

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore ways in which “library value” may be communicated in a university setting through more effective engagement with strategic planning and a broader array of campus partners. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a case study of an academic library in which alignment with the university mission and strategic plan and alignment of library assessment efforts with the broader culture of assessment at the university have resulted in positive gains for the library in terms of campus engagement and recognition of library value. Findings This paper provides insights into successful strategies for improved communication of library value to senior leadership, new investment in library facilities, and enhanced opportunities for collaboration across the university on strategic initiatives including student success, innovation in teaching and scholarship, and community engagement. Originality/value This paper provides library leaders with new approaches to engagement with campus partners and senior academic leadership in promoting the library as a strategic resource worthy of investment in the twenty-first century.

Quality assurance systems: enemies or allies of innovation in higher education institutions?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Ferreira de Mello Silva ◽  
Eduardo Raupp de Vargas
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
University Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Innovation In Higher Education

Purpose This study aims to examine the extant literature to analyze the relationship between quality assurance (QA) and innovation in the higher education context. Design/methodology/approach This study selected 63 articles through a systematic literature review in Scopus and Web of Science databases and performed a descriptive and thematic synthesis-analysis on the sample. Findings The research identifies several perspectives discussed on QA systems covering experiences, criticisms and practice implications. The literature review shows there is no clear consensus on whether innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs) is fostered or hindered by QA processes. However, it seems that the likelihood of innovativeness and positive QA outcomes are directly linked to how these processes are managed in universities. Research limitations/implications This review highlights the university management concerns that emerge with QA issues as it is not yet clear to what extent innovation is actually promoted in scenarios where QA is applied. Hence, this literature review could be considered comprehensive but not exhaustive. Further studies are recommended to improve the understanding of how HEIs can both innovate and ensure quality at the same time. Originality/value The paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by advancing the opportunities and challenges that HEIs face due to QA system features.

Virtual learning approach to biological engineering courses in Uruguay during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Simoes ◽  
Parag Chatterjee ◽  
Lucía Paola Lemes ◽  
Andreína Tesis ◽  
Franco La Paz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Global Education ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Considerable Change ◽  
Biological Engineering ◽  
Transdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The University

PurposeIn times when digitized and blended learning paradigms are getting more profuse, the COVID-19 pandemic substantially changed the dynamics of this program, forcing all the courses to migrate to virtual modality. This study highlights the biological engineering courses at the University of the Republic (Universidad de la República) in Uruguay pertaining to the adaptations to virtual learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzing its impact through the courses taught in the virtual setting.Design/methodology/approachGlobal education has seen a significant paradigm shift over the last few years, changing from a specialized approach to a broader transdisciplinary approach. Especially in life sciences, different fields of specializations have started to share a common space in the area of applied research and development. Based on this transdisciplinary approach, the Biological Engineering program was designed at the University of the Republic (Universidad de la República), Uruguay.FindingsThe new challenges posed by the virtual modality on the pedagogical areas like course design, teaching methodologies and evaluations and logistical aspects like laboratory-setting have sparked a considerable change in different aspects of the courses. However, despite the changes to virtual modality in this year, the student-performance showed an overall improvement compared to the last year.Originality/valueWith the changing direction of pedagogy and research in biological engineering across the world, it is quintessential to adapt university courses to the same, promoting an environment where the scientific and engineering disciplines merge and the learning methodologies lead to a dynamic and adaptive ubiquitous learning environment.

Measuring the academic library

2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 109-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Salisbury ◽  
Jennifer Peasley
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Outcomes ◽  
Service Data ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an Australian perspective of impact and value by examining how the broader international and national perspectives play out in practice in the Australian context and where adaption for local requirements is necessary. Design/methodology/approach This paper will explore the assessment of impact and value in academic libraries and the tools available to translate today’s inputs into future impact and value. It will focus on a range of methods and procedures, including international and national standards, frameworks and benchmarks. Findings The La Trobe University Library is presented as a case study to examine the challenges of leveraging tools to assess impact and communicate the value of the library across the university community. Originality/value Assessing the impact and demonstrating the value of the academic library in a digital environment is a constant challenge. While usage and service data are plentiful, traditional metrics no longer sufficiently demonstrate the academic library’s contribution to university learning, teaching and research outcomes.

Revamping the academic library use data capabilities: the Greek library science postgraduates’ perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 5-9
Author(s):  
Stavroula Sant-Geronikolou ◽  
Dimitris Kouis
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Student Progress ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Library Use ◽  
Collection Practices

Purpose As universities advance towards a new data-informed, intra-institutional collaboration paradigm, new roles and services are continuously added to academic library routines. This changing context that exerts considerable stress upon library organizations to prove their value and contributions to student progress is leading the community to start questioning the utility, scope and prospects of patron data collection practices. The study sought library science postgraduate students’ viewpoints about the adequacy and utility of current library use data collection practices in Greek academic libraries. It also aimed to investigate the value, relevance and priority of the integration of library usage data with the rest of university information systems (e.g. learning analytics) along with associated practical and ethical considerations, and advocacy aspects. Design/methodology/approach Mixed-methods, Web-based survey distributed to postgraduate students during a seminar designed to familiarize them with trends in academic library use data capabilities. Findings Participants acknowledged that neither policies nor procedures are currently adequate to expand and interconnect their data pools to campus information systems. They were opposed to disclosing personally identifiable patron activity data to faculty, while their opinions were divided as to the use of student activity monitoring technology. Nevertheless, they made several comments on how to mitigate the community's considerations around the implementation of this new data management philosophy in the library and were optimistic about the benefits this development could entail for library visibility and student progress. Originality/value Results of this first-time research in the Greek higher education context, revelatory of potential road blockers to upgrading the library use data collection practices, can be of significant value to both curricula developers and university decision-makers who seek ways to prepare the ground for the successful implementation of new operations.

Factors contributing toward student performance in a distance education accounting degree

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Papageorgiou ◽  
Abdel K. Halabi
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
First Year ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Aptitude ◽  
One Year ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Measures Of Performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of five determinates of performance in students (N = 677) who completed three years of financial accounting to obtain a Bachelor of Accounting Science (BCompt) degree by distance education through the University of South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – Regression analysis is used on three yearly measures of performance with five independent variables (age, gender, prior accounting knowledge, mathematics background and academic aptitude). Findings – Results show that mathematics background and academic aptitude are both significantly associated with student performance, throughout the financial accounting subjects. Prior accounting knowledge is also important in the first year of study but not thereafter. Research limitations/implications – Prior research has found that other factors may influence student performance, and future studies which include these variables will add to these findings. Practical implications – The results of this study have important implications for instructors, students and career advisers, particularly as research linking various factors with performance in accounting subjects over the length of a degree is limited. Originality/value – The current study considers the determinants of student performance over three financial accounting years (rather than one year or one subject) and from a distance education perspective. As distance education becomes a more important delivery method of study in the future, these results have important implications.

The issues and challenges facing a digital library with a special focus on the Taylor Family Digital Library at the University of Calgary

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 335-355
Author(s):  
Bennett Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Digital Library ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Of Calgary ◽  
The University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how a new academic library works. Design/methodology/approach – The author used statistical data and anecdotal evidence. Findings – The findings were that digital library materials have dramatically changed how libraries operate. Originality/value – The library featured in this story is the University of Calgary’s main library which is called the Taylor Family Digital Library, which is meant to be a library with digital technology as its main focus.

A conceptual model of Open Access Institutional Repository in Indonesia academic libraries

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 168-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Farida ◽  
Jann Hidajat Tjakraatmadja ◽  
Aries Firman ◽  
Sulistyo Basuki
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
Global Access ◽  
Knowledge Content ◽  
Collaboration Process ◽  
The University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to attempt to build a conceptual model of Open Access Institutional Repositories (OAIR) in Indonesia academic libraries, viewed from knowledge management (KM) perspective. Design/methodology/approach – Literature-based conceptual analysis of previous studies related to open access, institutional repositories viewed from KM perpective. Findings – The conceptual model of OAIR emphasizes three variables – people collaboration, process, and technology functions. These variables, with their many elements, are integrated together in order to help the university or Higher Education (HE) institution in capturing its own scholarship produced as a whole. Besides, that integration aims at facilitating knowledge sharing so as to enrich knowledge content and to enhance global access. A process chart of OAIR based on the conceptual model is built to illustrate knowledge content recruitment in Indonesia academic libraries. Research limitations/implications – The conceptual model proposed in this paper is not yet formally tested. It needs more research to understand the Indonesian context of OAIR to build a more accurate model, based on the experiences in developing and implementing OAIR in Indonesia HE institutions. Originality/value – Many academic libraries in Indonesia develop OAIR to increase the visibility of the scholarship of the parent HE institution. It is significant to view the practice of OAIR in academic library from the KM perspective. KM implementation is almost unheard of in Indonesia universities. However, The OAIR phenomenon in Indonesia academic libraries can be viewed as a KM initiative.

A case for open, viable print accounting

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 515-526
Author(s):  
Michael Kalochristianakis
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Over The Counter ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Combine Management ◽  
Level I ◽  
The University

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the design and business characteristics of the system pertaining to efficient and viable public services, the technical perspective and also usage results from the productive prototype. When the academic library of our institution turned to consider cost-effective solutions that would combine management and accounting for both printing and photocopying, it was realized that there are no open-source or enterprise platforms that can support such characteristics. Instead of relying on commercial solutions, the construction of a service was planned by means of integrating community-based projects and developing any missing components. Design/methodology/approach – The implementation of the system was based on the identification of appropriate open-source modules and on the development of ones that do not exist but are necessary to realize business procedures for credit reception, control and billing. Thus, the system integrates software for the management of printers and print tasks, for accounting for printing tasks, for user catalogues, for authentication modules and for the control of low level I/O operations. The aforementioned systems were integrated along with the following new modules that were developed to create a complete service. Findings – Our prototype has been operating at our University since May 2011. The system was installed at four sites in reading rooms of the library. Three of them are located in different departments within the University campus, while the fourth is located in the last reading room that has not yet moved within the campus. In two years, more than 28,000 pages were printed and charged. The steady rise in the number of served requests leads us to the conclusion that the system can cope with the heavy use of photocopying machines. Originality/value – The prototype described in this paper is a complete productive platform that is capable to accept money or credit over the counter or by using money receivers and provide billing and management for printing and photocopying. The system does not depend on any vendor technology, offers control, monitoring, receipts and reports and because it relies on open source can minimize the total costs of ownership. Scrutiny of the bibliography and market did not find any systems that could meet the aforementioned characteristics.

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