scholarly journals Challenges and Strategies for Educational Virtual Reality

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 25-48
Author(s):  
Matt Cook ◽  
Zack Lischer-Katz ◽  
Nathan Hall ◽  
Juliet Hardesty ◽  
Jennifer Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Digital Collections ◽  
University Of Oklahoma ◽  
Library Community ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
3D Data ◽  
New Research ◽  
The University

Virtual reality (VR) is a rich visualization and analytic platform that furthers the library’s mission of providing access to all forms of information and supporting pedagogy and scholarship across disciplines. Academic libraries are increasingly adopting VR technology for a variety of research and teaching purposes, which include providing enhanced access to digital collections, offering new research tools, and constructing new immersive learning environments for students. This trend suggests that positive technological innovation is flourishing in libraries, but there remains a lack of clear guidance in the library community on how to introduce these technologies in effective ways and make them sustainable within different types of institutions. In June 2018, the University of Oklahoma hosted the second of three forums on the use of 3D and VR for visualization and analysis in academic libraries, as part of the project Developing Library Strategy for 3D and Virtual Reality Collection Development and Reuse(LIB3DVR), funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This qualitative study invited experts from a range of disciplines and sectors to identify common challenges in the visualization and analysis of 3D data, and the management of VR programs, for the purpose of developing a national library strategy.

Cyfrowa przestrzeń jako narzędzie organizacji, udostępniania i promocji oferty bibliotek akademickich

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (50) ◽  
pp. 50-73
Author(s):  
Anna Mierzecka ◽  
Andrius Suminas
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Internet Usage ◽  
Digital Collections ◽  
Business Card ◽  
Amount Of Information ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The University

The aim of the study was to answer the question about the effectiveness of academic libraries’ Internet usage to meet the needs of the users. Based on previous research we established what the main functions fulfilled by libraries’ websites are and subsequently we verified the extent to which the website of the University of Warsaw Library (UW Library) fulfilled those functions in students’ opinions. The empirical part of the research we conducted using the eyetracking method. The results indicated that the location of the various elements on the page, in many cases, caused the problems for users. Students attach great importance to digital collections and to information which supports the efficient use of library resources, meanwhile the large amount of information on the UW Library website was associated with the creation of its digital business card - defined the institution itself. To conclude, analysis of the content on the UW Library website indicates that the site is used both as a tool for the promotion of the Library, as well as space for users’ services. The results show the need for further work on improving the second of these functions.

scholarly journals Web-scale Discovery Service Adoption in Canadian Academic Libraries

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Sandra Wong
Keyword(s):  
Mergers And Acquisitions ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Service Adoption ◽  
Library System ◽  
Discovery Service ◽  
The University

This study presents an overview of web-scale discovery service adoption in Canadian academic libraries. Web-scale discovery services (WSDS) have been widely embraced in Canadian academic libraries. EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) is the most adopted system for colleges and institutes while Primo Central from Ex Libris dominates the university market for web-scale discovery services. Bundling web-scale discovery services with library services platform (LSP) implementations are increasing in Canada. This study shows that Canadian academic libraries that have migrated from a traditional integrated library system (ILS) to an LSP have also opted for their LSP vendor’s corresponding web-scale discovery service. As more Canadian academic libraries implement an LSP bundled with a web-scale discovery service, there may come a time when web-scale discovery services are no longer separated from discussions on LSPs. The choices available for LSP and web-scale discovery services are shrinking due to vendor mergers and acquisitions in this area.  

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.

scholarly journals Working together: library value at the University of Nottingham

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 41-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Creaser ◽  
Susanne Cullen ◽  
Ruth Curtis ◽  
Nicola Darlington ◽  
Jane Maltby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Research Staff ◽  
Teaching And Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Working Together ◽  
The University ◽  
Library Value

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to bring together the findings of two studies investigating the value of academic libraries to teaching and research staff in higher education institutions. The Working Together (WT) project was an international study, funded by SAGE Publishing, investigating the value of academic libraries for teaching and research staff in the USA, UK and Scandinavia. The Raising Academic Impact (RAI) project was an initiative of the University of Nottingham (UoN) aimed at increasing the impact of academic librarians in departments across the university by assessing perception and awareness of current library services and future needs of academic staff. Design/methodology/approach – The WT project was conducted during Spring 2012, comprising a series of eight case studies and an online survey exploring the case study experiences and findings within their wider regional and academic context. One was conducted at the UoN, and included the RAI project. The RAI project was originally a four-phase initiative conducted by academic librarians at the UoN. The first phase, which is reported in this paper, consisted of a survey of teaching and research staff, distributed in summer 2012, investigating awareness, uptake and value of existing services, as well as demand for new library services. Findings – Determining the value of academic libraries is a challenging task as very little evidence (beyond the anecdotal) is collected. Perceptions of library value vary greatly between what librarians think the value of their library is to academic staff and how academic staff actually value their library. Information literacy and study skills teaching are greatly valued by academic staff. Despite current efforts, research support is still limited, owing to a cultural barrier hampering greater collaboration between libraries and academic staff in this area. Communication and marketing are keys to increase the value of academic libraries to teaching and research staff. Originality/value – This paper presents the key findings from the two studies in parallel. It is anticipated that these discoveries will be of interest to the wider library community to help libraries develop services which are closely linked to the needs of teaching and academic staff.

scholarly journals Adding Value to the University of Oklahoma Libraries History of Science Collections through Digital Enhancement

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Maura Valentino
Keyword(s):  
History Of Science ◽  
Digital Object ◽  
Rare Book ◽  
Digital Collections ◽  
University Of Oklahoma ◽  
History Of ◽  
The University

<p>Much of the focus of digital collections has been and continues to be on rare and unique materials, including monographs.   A monograph may be made even rarer and more valuable by virtue of hand written marginalia.   Using technology to enhance scans of unique books and make previously unreadable marginalia readable increases the value of a digital object to researchers.  This article describes a case study of enhancing the marginalia in a rare book by Copernicus.</p>

The role of social networks in enhancing the library profession and promoting academic library services: A comparative study of the University of Jordan and Al-Balqaa’ Applied University

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faten Hamad ◽  
Dina Tbaishat ◽  
Maha Al-Fadel
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Organizational Settings ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
University Of Jordan ◽  
Library Staff ◽  
The University

This paper investigates how academic librarians perceive the role of social networks in enhancing the professional skills of library staff, and how they can be used to promote library services. It is based on case study design in real organizational settings, which are two academic libraries in Jordan, namely the University of Jordan library and Al-Balqaa’ Applied University library. The authors used questionnaires to collect the required data in order to investigate the perceptions of library staff in relation to social networks and how they used social networks to promote library services. The results indicate high awareness and extensive use of social networks for professional development. However, it appears that social networks were not fully exploited to promote library services. It was noted that “job title” (staff position) was the only factor that affected the results, while other factors such as gender, experience, frequency of use and age had no effect on the results. It is concluded that academic libraries in Jordan should make better use of social networks to promote library services.

Virtual reality services in academic libraries: deployment experience in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 843-858
Author(s):  
Rosalinda Lok Ting Suen ◽  
Dickson K.W. Chiu ◽  
Jeff K.T. Tang
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
Technical Capability ◽  
The City

Purpose Virtual Reality (VR) has become a popular topic recently, and the quality of immersive experience nowadays is beyond our imagination. While VR applications for entertainment are common, it is a new and popular trend in academic libraries. Although many academic libraries in the West have started to provide VR services to catch up with the trend, the deployment is not quite popular in the East. This research aims to identify the reasons behind such phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach This research explores this phenomenon by studying two selected cases through interviews, site visits, and website/document analysis: the CAVE of the City University of Hong Kong Library and the VR Experience Zone of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Library. Findings The findings indicated that VR library services are well-received and meeting user needs. However, the major limitations of using VR in academic libraries are technical capability, space and budget, causing libraries to hesitate in introducing and developing VR services. Originality/value Scant studies focus on the development, management and user feedback of VR services in academic libraries, especially in the East. Based on the findings, possible solutions for academic libraries interested in taking part in this trend are suggested.

Let Them Eat King Cake

2015 ◽  
pp. 179-199
Author(s):  
Cristina Caminita ◽  
Emily P. Frank ◽  
Rebecca Kelley ◽  
Marty Miller
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Positive Response ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
House Committee ◽  
Outreach Services ◽  
The University ◽  
Goals And Objectives ◽  
University Community

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the planning, promotion, implementation, and assessment of the first LSU Libraries open house event. A review of the literature suggests that academic libraries that promote their services through open houses reap positive benefits, such as increased student awareness of library services and resources. Even though the Libraries has had an operating outreach services program since 1997, an event that comprehensively provided opportunities for the University community to interact with various Libraries departments and staff had not been attempted. An ad hoc open house committee formed to plan, promote, and recruit Libraries departments, University units, and volunteers for the event. The positive response to the open house exceeded the committee and the administration's expectations. Issues during planning and implementation were identified that are now serving as goals and objectives for future open house events.

MATERIAL HANDLING MACHINES AND SYSTEMS – UMI-TWINN PROJECT CONTRIBUTION

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-20
Author(s):  
Péter Telek ◽  
Béla Illés ◽  
Christian Landschützer ◽  
Fabian Schenk ◽  
Flavien Massi
Keyword(s):  
Material Handling ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Flow Process ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Scientific Excellence ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
New Research ◽  
Eu Project ◽  
The University

Nowadays, the Industry 4.0 concept affects every area of the industrial, economic, social and personal sectors. The most significant changings are the automation and the digitalization. This is also true for the material handling processes, where the handling systems use more and more automated machines; planning, operation and optimization of different logistic processes are based on many digital data collected from the material flow process. However, new methods and devices require new solutions which define new research directions. In this paper we describe the state of the art of the material handling researches and draw the role of the UMi-TWINN partner institutes in these fields. As a result of this H2020 EU project, scientific excellence of the University of Miskolc can be increased and new research activities will be started.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document