LIS pre-professionals’ perspectives towards library user education: A comparative study between three universities in Greater China

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 832-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Allard ◽  
Patrick Lo ◽  
Qianxiu Liu ◽  
Kevin K.W. Ho ◽  
Dickson K.W. Chiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
General Context ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Greater China ◽  
Library User ◽  
User Education

Although the perceptions of library user education of academic libraries has been studied in a general context, specific studies on perspective of library and information science students are relatively few, especially in the context of Asia. Filling this research gap is particularly important because it affects the experiential learning of these pre-professionals, and shapes future library user education directions. As such, this study aims at understanding and comparing the views and perceptions of library user education programs in Greater China from the perspective of library and information science students. A total number 305 questionnaire survey responses were collected from three different universities in Greater China, namely: The University of Hong Kong (HKU), National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), and Peking University (PKU). Results from this survey study reveal high evaluations of library user education programs and library user education librarians as a whole, as well as possible ways for librarians to better promote such programs. Such ratings are attributed to findings from previous studies on why students choose librarianship as a career, as well as the importance of experiential learning embedded in the Library and Information Science programs at each university. Findings of this study also suggest that as pre-professionals (soon-to-be professional librarians), these student respondents recognize the values behind library user education as an important part of their overall learning practices. Results from this study will be useful in identifying how future library professionals in Greater China perceive library user education programs, and librarians – therefore potentially helping librarians improve the delivery of these services.

Students’ academic reading preferences: An exploratory study

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noa Aharony ◽  
Judit Bar-Ilan
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Electronic Materials ◽  
Relative Advantage ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Science Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Academic Reading ◽  
Personal Variables ◽  
Printed Materials

The e-book reader revolution is already here. The questions we asked ourselves were: What are the reading preferences of Information Science students at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century? How do different variables, such as relative advantage, comprehension, and learning strategies affect students’ reading preferences? The research was conducted in Israel during the first semester of the 2015 academic year and encompassed 177 Library and Information Science students in an Information Science Department in Israel. Three questionnaires were used: personal details, relative advantage, and learning strategies, and two further questions that focused on reading habits. The study showed students’ preferences for printed materials. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of two personal variables that may affect students’ will to read electronic materials: relative advantage and comprehension.

Usage of Facebook by Library and Information Science Female Undergraduate Students in Selected Nigerian Universities

2015 ◽  
pp. 230-249
Author(s):  
Justina B. Babatunde ◽  
Adeyinka Tella
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Power Supply ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Female Undergraduate ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Survey Approach

The chapter examines Facebook usage among female undergraduate students of library and information science. Through a survey approach, the study drew on 154 female undergraduate Library and Information Science students from four universities. Questionnaire was used to gather data. Four research questions were developed and answered. The results revealed that the majority of the respondents (female undergraduates) use Facebook on a daily basis. Female undergraduates use Facebook to socialize, connect, and chat with friends, making it the highest purpose of using Facebook. While majority of female students use Facebook on a daily basis, the negative aspects of it were also revealed, including consumption of ones' precious time; the time they should use for other productive academic work is being channeled to Facebook, thereby making Facebook time consuming. Finally, erratic power supply was identified as the major problem of using Facebook by female LIS undergraduate students.

scholarly journals Information transparency: How do Department of Library and Information Science students at South Valley University perceive the state’s dealing with the novel coronavirus outbreak?

2020 ◽  
pp. 096100062096568
Author(s):  
Essam Mansour
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Information Transparency ◽  
The Government ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

This study proposes to investigate the knowledge and perception of students in the Department of Library and Information Science at South Valley University in Upper Egypt about the state’s dealing with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 that has been detected in Egypt in February 2020. A quantitative research approach was adopted in the form of a survey. The target population of the study included students ( N = 295) of the fourth year of Department of Library and Information Science at South Valley University, of which 253 responded to the study questionnaire, representing 85.8% of the total number. The study found that there is no significant relationship between the students’ gender and other variables of the study according to the statistics used. It also showed that the most popular information sources mentioned by Department of Library and Information Science students to get information related to the coronavirus were social media and the Internet/Web. The publication/dissemination of information and its availability were badly perceived by the students. About one-third of them questioned the government’s ability to deal with the novel coronavirus. They highly believe in the role of information transparency in fighting both administrative and human corruption. The students emphasized the citizens’ right to criticize the government when it does not comply with the transparency, as well as the right to access any information owned by it in any formats at any time. They were dissatisfied with the government’s ability to retrieve information, organize, store, have legislations, and own a good database of citizens, as well as its capabilities, in terms of transparency, competence, benevolence, honesty, accuracy, efficiency/effectiveness, practicality, and confidence, in relation to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Finally, the study indicated that barriers, such as the spread of administrative and human corruption, security restrictions, and the fragility of the freedom to disclose government information, were highly significant by the surveyed students.

Recruiting Under-represented Groups to Librarianship

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Black
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Predominantly Black ◽  
Unique Role ◽  
Black Institutions ◽  
Community Access

Abstract Librarianship is a profession that facilitates individual and community access to information. The profession is committed to the belief that librarians should reflect the communities that they serve. However, librarianship struggles with the lack of racial and ethnic diversity among its practitioners. Much of the responsibility to diversify the profession has been given to Library and Information Science education programs that produce practitioners. The need to diversify the profession, strategies that have been used to diversify profession and the unique role that Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) can play in diversifying the profession is described.

scholarly journals Library and Information Science Education: Preparing Librarians for a Multicultural Society

1999 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia J. Gollop
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
The United States ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Multicultural Society ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Major Shift ◽  
Self Examination ◽  
Racial Ethnic

For more than a decade, the demographic prognosticators have been saying that the racial, ethnic, and cultural makeup of the United States is on the verge of a major shift; and that not long after the turn of the new century, segments of the population that had previously been in the minority will collectively become the majority, with Hispanics being the largest minority group. The implications of such an unprecedented event have prompted private- and public-sector institutions to question whether they will be equipped to work with their “new” constituencies. Schools of library and information science (LIS) are not exempt from such self-examination and must make every effort to prepare all their graduates to work in larger multicultural environments. However, such preparation may mean altering several courses in a school’s curriculum. These kinds of changes are likely to meet with greater success when all parties involved, both inside and outside the classroom, hold a committed and vested interest in the reorganization efforts. This article discusses issues of diversity in LIS education programs and how these efforts can be addressed positively to better serve students and their future users.

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