Libraries and Innovative Thinking in the Digital Age

2020 ◽  
pp. 165-188
Author(s):  
Abiola Bukola Elaturoti
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Innovative Thinking ◽  
Information Professionals

Librarianship, as is quite obvious, is changing very fast with the high rate of technological infusion in every aspect of the profession. Books and other information resources that are managed by libraries and information professionals are being transformed to electronic platforms. Also, the information users are becoming more technology savvy as well as sophisticated in their information needs and the quest to satisfy these needs. Users are vast in the use of search engines, and it is like they do not need libraries and the services of librarians anymore. All these and many more developments have put great strains on libraries and librarians. This chapter therefore discusses how librarians can provide services for 21st century users through innovative thinking.

Libraries and Innovative Thinking in the Digital Age

2021 ◽  
pp. 605-623
Author(s):  
Abiola Bukola Elaturoti
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Innovative Thinking ◽  
Information Professionals

Librarianship, as is quite obvious, is changing very fast with the high rate of technological infusion in every aspect of the profession. Books and other information resources that are managed by libraries and information professionals are being transformed to electronic platforms. Also, the information users are becoming more technology savvy as well as sophisticated in their information needs and the quest to satisfy these needs. Users are vast in the use of search engines, and it is like they do not need libraries and the services of librarians anymore. All these and many more developments have put great strains on libraries and librarians. This chapter therefore discusses how librarians can provide services for 21st century users through innovative thinking.

Wikipedia and libraries

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-68
Author(s):  
John Lubbock
Keyword(s):  
Media Literacy ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Wide Scope ◽  
Cultural Institutions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
And Training

As the quality, scope and usefulness of Wikipedia (and its sister projects) increases, the Wikimedia community are increasingly reaching out to academic, library and other information professionals. Through institutional partnerships and training, we show how using Wikimedia projects can bring extra value to the library as a place of digital study and media literacy. Libraries and Wikipedia both aim to bring knowledge to a wider audience, to create spaces where people can safely learn and find the resources they need, and we believe it is possible for us to reach those goals together. This article will describe the complex and wide scope of our work with libraries and explain how our work complements the work of libraries and other cultural institutions. It will provide paths and ideas for librarians to understand how to effectively use the resources provided by Wikimedia to imagine how libraries can serve the public in our digital age.

scholarly journals Assessing Information Needs of Final Year Diploma Students at Kitale Polytechnic Library, Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-49
Author(s):  
Ambrose Nayombe Museve ◽  
Ben Namande
Keyword(s):  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Information Services ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Library Collection ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Library Staff

This study assessed information needs of final year diploma students and the aspects explored were the adequacy, relevance, access and challenges faced in the use of the information resources. The study was limited to Kitale polytechnic library and the focus was the information that students seek to satisfy their information needs. The theory adopted for this study was the Principle of Least Effort that was developed by George Kengsley and explored in a study of library use of graduate students by Zao Lang. The independent variable was information needs and library user satisfaction was the dependent variable. Access and use of information resources, information literacy level and staff skills and competencies were the intervening variables. A descriptive research design was adopted to describe the level of students’ information needs and use of the library. Qualitative method was used to collect textual data and quantitative method was used to collect numerical data. The target population of 426 library staff members and final year diploma students based on the polytechnic management records was purposively sampled for study. A sample size of 68 participants was selected for study. The main data collection tools were a structured questionnaire and an interview schedule which targeted students and key informants (library staff) respectively. A pilot study was conducted at Eldoret National Polytechnic. This involved four library staff members and four diploma students who were in their final year of study. Validity was sought by use of expert knowledge in the field of information science to ascertain accuracy of the research instruments and the split half method was used to achieve reliability of the instruments and information collected. The researcher used interview to collect data from the library staff and questionnaires were employed to collect data from the sampled students. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically while quantitative data was analyzed to generate percentages, frequency distribution tables and charts. The results established that majority of students need information for academic purposes while others use it for other information related requirements. The study also revealed that the library collection does not adequately cater for the information needs of students and it was further established that most of the library information resources are rarely relevant to students’ information needs. The study concludes that most polytechnics are not keen on issues related to limited resources, staffing and the quality of information resources and services which negatively affect students in the library. The study recommended that polytechnic policy developers should formulate library policies that are not only academically inclined but also aimed at promoting other information related purposes. The study also recommended that the Institutional management should increase library allocation of resources to ensure improved equipping of a balanced library collection that addresses the diverse information needs of students. The study further recommended that polytechnic library management should enhance its acquisition policy to help acquire information resources from publishers that are more relevant to students’ education and courses of study. The study should be useful to TVET department of the Ministry of Education in their quality assurance programs to formulate policies for polytechnics that maintain high standards of libraries and quality information services for students. The study further recommended that another study should be undertaken to explore more on the use of Wi-Fi in the provision of information services for polytechnic students; an area that deems necessary based on the studies that have been highlighted in this research.

scholarly journals Inclusive Library Service to Individuals with Mental Illnesses and Disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Green
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Mental Health Issue ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
And Function ◽  
National Alliance

What does it mean to have a mental illness? According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, it is a condition affecting a person’s mood, emotions, or thinking and can interfere with a person’s ability to relate to others and function in their daily life. Mental illness of any kind affects approximately 18% of the United States adult population—around 45 million people, as of 2016. Why does this matter to librarians and other information professionals? Librarians are likely to unknowingly encounter someone with mental illness, as one cannot simply look for violent or disruptive behavior in every case. This article briefly examines the literature to highlight what is being done in both public and academic libraries to meet the information needs of individuals with mental illness or any type of mental health issue. It suggests ways to improve service to and advocate for the information needs of these invisibly disabled patrons.

Classification of means and methods of the Web semantic retrieval

2017 ◽  
pp. 030-050
Author(s):  
J.V. Rogushina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Search Engines ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Web Search ◽  
User Interaction ◽  
Query Languages ◽  
Semantic Search ◽  
Semantic Retrieval ◽  
The Web

Problems associated with the improve ment of information retrieval for open environment are considered and the need for it’s semantization is grounded. Thecurrent state and prospects of development of semantic search engines that are focused on the Web information resources processing are analysed, the criteria for the classification of such systems are reviewed. In this analysis the significant attention is paid to the semantic search use of ontologies that contain knowledge about the subject area and the search users. The sources of ontological knowledge and methods of their processing for the improvement of the search procedures are considered. Examples of semantic search systems that use structured query languages (eg, SPARQL), lists of keywords and queries in natural language are proposed. Such criteria for the classification of semantic search engines like architecture, coupling, transparency, user context, modification requests, ontology structure, etc. are considered. Different ways of support of semantic and otology based modification of user queries that improve the completeness and accuracy of the search are analyzed. On base of analysis of the properties of existing semantic search engines in terms of these criteria, the areas for further improvement of these systems are selected: the development of metasearch systems, semantic modification of user requests, the determination of an user-acceptable transparency level of the search procedures, flexibility of domain knowledge management tools, increasing productivity and scalability. In addition, the development of means of semantic Web search needs in use of some external knowledge base which contains knowledge about the domain of user information needs, and in providing the users with the ability to independent selection of knowledge that is used in the search process. There is necessary to take into account the history of user interaction with the retrieval system and the search context for personalization of the query results and their ordering in accordance with the user information needs. All these aspects were taken into account in the design and implementation of semantic search engine "MAIPS" that is based on an ontological model of users and resources cooperation into the Web.

scholarly journals JUSTIFIED BELIEF IN A DIGITAL AGE: ON THE EPISTEMIC IMPLICATIONS OF SECRET INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES

Episteme ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boaz Miller ◽  
Isaac Record
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Epistemic Responsibility ◽  
Modes Of Operation ◽  
Internet Technologies ◽  
Justified Belief ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Justificatory Status

AbstractPeople increasingly form beliefs based on information gained from automatically filtered internet sources such as search engines. However, the workings of such sources are often opaque, preventing subjects from knowing whether the information provided is biased or incomplete. Users' reliance on internet technologies whose modes of operation are concealed from them raises serious concerns about the justificatory status of the beliefs they end up forming. Yet it is unclear how to address these concerns within standard theories of knowledge and justification. To shed light on the problem, we introduce a novel conceptual framework that clarifies the relations between justified belief, epistemic responsibility, action and the technological resources available to a subject. We argue that justified belief is subject to certain epistemic responsibilities that accompany the subject's particular decision-taking circumstances, and that one typical responsibility is to ascertain, so far as one can, whether the information upon which the judgment will rest is biased or incomplete. What this responsibility comprises is partly determined by the inquiry-enabling technologies available to the subject. We argue that a subject's beliefs that are formed based on internet-filtered information are less justified than they would be if she either knew how filtering worked or relied on additional sources, and that the subject may have the epistemic responsibility to take measures to enhance the justificatory status of such beliefs.

Why management models are crucial to the success of business models

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Denning
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Management Model ◽  
Digital Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Models ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The author posits that the management model of an organization determines what kind of business models can be pursued within that organization and that successful 21st century management models are very different from those that succeeded in the 20th century. Design/methodology/approach The author compares and contrasts successful 21st century management models with models that succeeded in the 20th century. Findings Success in the digital age requires a 21st century management model and mindset based on an obsession with delivering value to customers. Practical implications The management model incorporates the key ‘written and unwritten rules’ of the firm. The success of digital innovation can be threatened by 20th Century management assumptions that thwart Agile initiatives. Originality/value Article explains how Agile mindsets and practices are essential to the 21st century management model, and how they potentiate the firm’s focus on creating customers.

Analysis of the Information Needs of Volunteers: the Results of Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-111
Author(s):  
Elena Y. Mazarakii
Keyword(s):  
Russian Federation ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Volunteer Organization ◽  
Comprehensive Information ◽  
Volunteer Organizations ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
The Government

Volunteering is actively developing in the Russian Federation and around the world. Society that takes part in volunteer projects has a high level of civic identity, morality and forms humanistic values among young people. Volunteer movement is a tool to reduce the level of antisocial and extremist behaviour.Approximately 15% of the population of the Russian Federation is involved in volunteering activities at the present time. Thanks to the volunteer organizations created in educational institutions, the government creates positive image of a volunteer. At the same time, there is a problem of public distrust in this type of activity due to the lack of awareness of volunteer organizations and their projects. Organizers of the volunteer movement face the problem of lack of information about volunteering that entails the difficulties in setting goals and objectives of the volunteer organization. It is necessary to identify the information needs of volunteers, as well as to create an information field where they can meet these needs.There is no resource with comprehensive information about volunteering activity in Russia. Information needs of participants in such type of projects cannot be fully met. The main source of information is the portal “Volunteers of Russia”. It allows you to get e-book of a volunteer, register a volunteer organization, create an event and apply for participation in an existing project. However, the system has a number of factors that make it difficult to keep accurate records of volunteer activities; it is more designed to attract attention to projects.In 2018—2019, the study was conducted using the online survey (questionnaire). The survey involved volunteers (451 respondents) and their leaders (43 respondents) of the St. Petersburg Volunteer Movement “Our Future is in Our Hands”. The purpose of the study was to identify the information needs of volunteers and their managers. The survey results led to the conclusions: the availability of information resources on volunteering is not too high; the most interesting information is related to the experience of implementing volunteer activities, project development and management, the development of supra-professional skills. Volunteers prefer to use electronic documents.It is necessary to develop special programs and organize training courses on the formation of information culture of volunteers, to create a wider range of information resources for volunteers. One of the possibilities is to create a unified public resource that reflects different aspects of volunteering activities. It is important to form a comprehensive information support for volunteers.

Who is allowed to read and write?

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 116-117
Author(s):  
Christian P Subbe ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Personal Health Records ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Serious Adverse Events ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Clinical Records ◽  
The Way

What makes us human? In 2015 Jeremy Vine asked this question to a selection of leading British thinkers and writers. The answers were as diverse as the people he interviewed. While you might have your own views about the complexity of being human I would suggest that being able to articulate thoughts and communicate them to others might be one of the characteristics that distinguishes us from other life forms. And if we think more about the achievements of human culture then being able to communicate thoughts in writing and reading other people’s thoughts is one of the unique abilities that humanity has acquired during its evolution: Young humans spend extensive time to learn how to read and write. They write on paper, they read books and they do the same on computers. They become adults. They read and write most days: they e-mail their telephone company, file online forms to the tax office and or write romantic notes to their partner. Then they get older and become unwell and enter large modern building full of the most state-of-the-art technology. But here, in hospitals, none of them are allowed to read or write. They are being asked questions by someone who is often younger and in a rush. That person usually speaks a different language called jargon and try their best to translate their jargon to normal language.1 Patients are not allowed to write their own records and access to read the records is cumbersome. And if this is how we structure communication in our clinical practice then why are we surprised about the hierarchical relationship between patients and healthcare professionals and the high rate of error due to miscommunication? There might be good reasons for the way we document in healthcare: historically only the educated few like doctors were able to read and write and therefore the way to record patient histories had to be by those who were educated to do so. Additionally professions have always defined themselves by their own professional language and jargon that allows their members to describe matters precisely and at the same time create a sense of identity. Things have however changed in the last 100 years and a large proportion of our patients is able to read and write and might be perfectly capable to document their own information (and subsequently read all information that relates to them). The paper from Renggli et al in this issue of Acute Medicine explores the feasibility of documentation by patients on admission to hospital in Switzerland by using a web-based platform: at least half of the patients who were admitted with an emergency to hospital could document important parts their own medical history. The study demonstrated that documentation by patients added additional new information over and beyond of that collected by doctors and improved completeness of records, especially for the increasingly important social history. The paper has three important implications: Good information needs time: Patients can add more information if given the questions and their own time – rushing through an unprepared face-to-face consultation is unlikely to bring out the most relevant information in a reliable fashion. Sharing with patients might improve work-efficiency. Up to 25% of the time of doctors and nurses working in hospitals is taken up by documentation2,3: at a time when so many employed in healthcare are overworked and burnt out it would be reckless not to consider changes in information flow through the lens of work-load and efficiency. Quality care needs joint ownership with patients: Patients participation in the co-design and delivery of new services and shared decision of patients and clinicians in making of complex decision has been challenging to say the least. Co-ownership of clinical records is potentially a key strategic lever to achieve better decisions and services. Patient organisations and policy makers are expecting for patients to access medical records. Personal health records are now compulsory in some countries with roll-out of access for all citizens completed in countries like Estonia since 20084 and Sweden since 2018.5 It is National Health Service (NHS) policy to make a “personalized healthcare” available to everybody by 2020.6 That is now. Despite this there is virtually no evidence for the usage of personal health records in hospital.7,8 There are significant caveats to the current study: Half of the patients approached declined to take part and it is unclear why this was the case. Maybe they did not want to take part in any research. Maybe they felt too unwell to write. And maybe they were unable to read and write. While most people reaching adulthood in European countries have gone to school there is also evidence that up to 7 million adults in England are functionally illiterate and not able to read and write beyond the most basic level9 and relying on friends and family members, signs and symbols to travel through modern life. There is also an increasing body of work about digital exclusion and concerns that those who are unable to navigate the online world are at risk of being left behind by society.10 There are additional questions about ownership: do patients own all data that relates to their care or is documentation by healthcare professionals their intellectual property. There are strong arguments for both perspectives. From a patient safety point of view their would seem to be a strong imperative to come to pragmatic agreements. Research suggests that the majority of serious adverse events was flagged by patients and relatives at a time when they could have been predicted and potentially prevented by clinical teams.11 But safety critical information is often hidden from those who are most affected by it, the patients. The paper by Renggli et all does therefore provide important evidence for the development of a more co-operative and democratic way of providing acute care by using something that is a key part of being human: the ability to read and write.

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