An Exploration of Canadian LIS Programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-66
Author(s):  
Astrid Faith Ramos

It is well known that there is a lack of diverse professionals within the field of library and information science (LIS). As the entry point for future LIS professionals, university library programs are in a unique position to proactively address this issue. Websites serve as digital representations of Canadian LIS programs and are several programs’ main recruitment tool. This project adds to the growing body of Canadian focused data on diversity within LIS, and it is the first study to exclusively observe Canadian LIS higher learning institutions. Through a content analysis of Canadian LIS program websites, this project seeks to explore the following research questions: (1) How are Canadian LIS programs addressing issues like diversity, inclusion, and equity?; and (2) How do the LIS programs’ diversity initiatives relate to their recruitment of students? Emergent themes drawn from literature related to diversity efforts in higher education were analyzed alongside data collected from websites of LIS programs in order to frame the larger discussion of how issues like diversity, inclusion, and equity are addressed within higher learning institutions.

Author(s):  
Judith Mavodza

The library and information science (LIS) profession is influenced by multidisciplinary research strategies and techniques (research methods) that in themselves are also evolving. They represent established ways of approaching research questions (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative methods). This chapter reviews the methods of research as expressed in literature, demonstrating how, where, and if they are inter-connected. Chu concludes that popularly used approaches include the theoretical approach, experiment, content analysis, bibliometrics, questionnaire, and interview. It appears that most empirical research articles in Chu's analysis employed a quantitative approach. Although the survey emerged as the most frequently used research strategy, there is evidence that the number and variety of research methods and methodologies have been increasing. There is also evidence that qualitative approaches are gaining increasing importance and have a role to play in LIS, while mixed methods have not yet gained enough recognition in LIS research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 161-170
Author(s):  
Yuliia Shevtsova ◽  
Hanna Shemaieva

Content analysis of 28 library and information science journals of the leading European countries has been conducted in the context of the current research. The thematic focus of these journals has been the priority of the research. Several thematic groups of library and information science journals have been identified. They include the journals that cover the following topics related to: 1) digital information; 2) development of information and communication technologies and their application in library practice; 3) library and information with the key topic of library and information management; 4) various types of communication. The conclusion has been made that scholarly interdisciplinary communication is expanding in the context of information society development. The analysis provides means for taking into account the trends in the leading European countries that help to evaluate and compare the performance of Ukrainian libraries and increase the level of professional knowledge and communication of library and information science professionals.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-210
Author(s):  
Rully Agung Yudhiantara ◽  
Ade Yeti Nuryantini

The purpose of this study is to investigate instagram use among English pre-service teachers (EPST) to support their language learning in a particular course. This study sought to explore the following research questions: (1) How do EPST explore instagram to accomplish Online Task-Based Language Learning (OTBLL)? (2) What contents are created and shared by EPST to accomplish OTBLL? To collect the data, this study applied observation and content analysis. In addition several tasks were designed to be accomplished by EPST. The findings shows that EPST were able to integrate both the ability to use instagram and the ability to integrate it for OTBLL. The contents that EPST created and shared met the requirement of OTBLL. The contents included several types: creating video to explain topic assigned, writing phonetic transcription, and other tasks. The results of this study are expected to contribute in improving EPST language skills and their ability to explore social media use for language learning. Being able to seize social media to support language learning is a necessary skill to be nurtured for future language teacher in the 21st century.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Darren Ilett

Historically, much of the Library and Information Science (LIS) literature on first-generation students (FGS) framed them using deficit thinking, emphasising what they lacked to be successful in higher education. In contrast, recent scholarship has turned to asset-based pedagogies, shifting the focus onto the strengths that FGS bring to college. Further, LIS research on FGS has examined how students engage with information solely in academic contexts, such as completing research papers or navigating higher education procedures. The current study contributes to the discussion of asset-based pedagogies by using a funds of knowledge approach to explore the ways in which FGS at a mid-sized university in the US engage with information, and it expands the scope of inquiry to several everyday contexts, including students’ households, workplaces, and communities. The findings reveal a variety of funds of knowledge concerning participants’ information literacy (IL) and lay the foundation for IL instruction that meets FGS where they are, thus serving them more equitably.


Author(s):  
Vusi W. Tsabedze

The dependency by foreign countries institutions such as South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia for library and information science (LIS) training and development of staff members, to acquire higher education, has become expensive and complex for Eswatini government to handle. The expensive nature and complex situation of sending employees out of the country for training has paralysed most of the organisation due to their absence from operations in the office. This study therefore seeks to investigate, developing open distance e-learning curriculum for LIS programme in Eswatini. The University of Eswatini (UNESWA), which is one among other institution of higher learning in the country, does not offer any programme in LIS. Considering this situation in Eswatini, this chapter proposes a framework for developing the ODeL curriculum for LIS. Such a programme could be offered through the UNESWA to accommodate students within and outside the country. Thus, ensuring Eswatini becomes a player in LIS space within the African continent.


Author(s):  
Adel Ismail Al-Alawi ◽  
Arpita A. Mehrotra ◽  
Sara Abdulrahman Al-Bassam

The internet has revolutionized the way people communicate, how they manage their business, and even how they conduct their studies. Organizations can conduct meetings virtually and store all their data online. With this convenience, however, comes the risk of cybercrime (CC). Some of the world's most renowned organizations have found themselves having to incur huge recovery costs after falling prey to CC. Higher learning institutions' databases are increasingly falling victim to CCs, owing to the vast amounts of personal and research data they harbor. Despite this, the area of CCs in learning institutions remains understudied. This chapter seeks to identify how CC is manifested in such institutions and the specific cybersecurity measures that stakeholders could use to minimize their exposure to the same. The qualitative case study was designed to explore the research questions, and collected data through semistructured interviews. The findings showed hacking, phishing, and spoofing as the most common manifestations of cybercrime in higher learning institutions.


Author(s):  
Josiline Phiri Chigwada ◽  
Josephine Dinar Phiri

Access to information for all is a major component of library and information science in this digital era. Libraries in institutions of higher learning are mandated to provide information to all the patrons regardless of their ability to deal with the issue of inclusivity and social justice. A study on the innovations was conducted specifically for patrons with special needs in academic libraries. Different assistive technological types of equipment were outlined as well as the challenges encountered when using the assistive technology tools and applications. The observation was done at one of the academic libraries, and it was discovered that the library has a disability center that is used by patrons with special needs and manned by a trained librarian. The authors recommend the introduction of such services in all the academic libraries to cater to patrons with special needs.


Author(s):  
Justina B. Babatunde ◽  
Adeyinka Tella

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.


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