E-Government and Citizens: An Empirical Study of Interaction on the Official Portal in St. Petersburg

This article examines the conformity of e-government theoretical aspects with practical outcomes of interaction between executive authorities and citizens while governance optimization. The empirical part of this study evaluates the current level of communication between local authorities and citizens via electronic resources based on the portal “Our Saint Petersburg” data. Citizens capacities and claims causes are revealed as well as portal functioning problems over the past two years.

Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Libraries

Artificial intelligence (AI) has brought about new prospects for expanding research in all areas. The presence of artificial intelligence technologies in all spheres of work has made the future promising. The application of AI has contributed immensely to the provision and use of library information resources and has helped to achieve the goals and objectives of the library. Librarians need to be innovative in their thinking to stay relevant in their jobs because AI has found numerous applications in libraries ranging from book filing to book delivery. Its application brought about several new possibilities in the library such as connecting physical library information resources and electronic resources, and also associating video help with physical information materials and objects. The chapter discussed some components of AI, library services it can be applied to, the benefits of its application, as well as the challenges libraries face in the application of artificial intelligence in the library.

DOCUMENTING THE CATALOGING PRACTICES AND POLICIES AMONG SELECTED LIBRARIES IN KAZAKHSTAN

Objective. A survey was conducted among selected librarian catalogers in Kazakhstan to determine the current cataloging practices and policies being employed in their respective libraries. Methods. Responses suggested that cataloging is still one of the important aspects of the library work even with the emergence of electronic resources. Results. While many were still applying traditional standards such as MARC, AACR, LC and DDC in their descriptive cataloging and authority works, catalogers were interested in new standards such as RDA and BIBFRAME. Conclusions. Finally, interests in having a unified online catalog as well as more trainings on the field of cataloging and metadata librarianship in the future has also been considered by these libraries to improve the quality of their cataloging work.

Local Historical E-resources in the Educational Process

Digitization and mediatization of information raise the issue of user access to electronic information resources. Given the need to form and strengthen the regional and national identity, study and promote historical and local lore information and providing access to it, the integration of such information into educational practices to master it by young people has become more important. The article is devoted to the coverage and substantiation of effective approaches to using local lore electronic resources in the educational process. During the research, the descriptive method, methods of comparison and generalization concerning the experience of use in the field of education of local lore electronic resources of libraries were used. The methods of included observation and periodic monitoring, applied during the development and maintenance of the functioning with the participation of the author of the local history resource "Kraeved" (kraeved.od.ua) (starting from 15.03.2020), proved to be effective. An analytical and survey method was used to analyse the available theoretical work on the research topic. The novelty of the obtained results lies in the coverage and substantiation of the specifics of the use of electronic local history information resources in the educational process in different countries, in particular during the study of students of historical specialties, and some countries – students majoring in cultural studies and art history. The most comprehensive electronic local history information resources are used in the United States, where their historical and local history content attracts not only teachers and students but also a wider range of users: genealogists, writers, engineers, urban planners, architects, realtors and documentary filmmakers. The obtained results of the research testified to the tendency to use library local lore electronic information resources in the educational process. Their creation, interest of users in the information presented on them and its use during training testify to the importance of local lore content designed to promote the formation of the historical and cultural identity of the region in the context of national history and the formation of national historical memory in combination with historical thought. The generalization of foreign experience and perspective domestic practices of using local library electronic resources in the educational process allows substantiating effective approaches to the organization of such activities, intensification of involvement of domestic library local lore electronic information resources in solving information problems related to educational activities. The intensive development of digital library projects in the educational environment will open additional ways to implement the tasks of libraries to ensure wide access of users to local history information sources and the maximum disclosure of their information potential.

The Project of Communicative Educational Resource in Russian as a Foreign Language with the Use of V-Learning Technology

The article describes the project structure of an electronic educational resource in Russian as a foreign language which is based on a system of social interaction including a component of virtual simulation of the Russian language environment. The relevance of the study arises from modern trends in the development of communicative language learning and computer technology that provides the need to study and develop new efficient approaches improving the theory and practice of distance learning of Russian as a foreign language. The purpose of the study is to make a theoretical research on drawing up the structure of an electronic educational resource in Russian as a foreign language with the use of a virtual simulator of the Russian language environment as its component. The main methods are observation of modern trends in the development of electronic resources, analysis of research literature, generalization of the authors' empirical experience in the development of prototypes of learning systems based on the technology of virtual worlds and educational and game applications in the Russian language. The research materials are the works of Russian and foreign researchers devoted to the use of virtual reality technology in language learning. In the course of the study, the modern trends in the development of electronic resources were analyzed, and on this basis the basic principles and practical approaches to the formation of an electronic language environment were identified. The study resulted in theoretical and practical provisions considering an electronic educational resource in Russian as a foreign language as a living and self-developing virtual ecosystem. The results can be used to create a communication-oriented electronic educational resource on Russian as a foreign language.

Electronic Resource Management and Usage in Academic Libraries: The Ghanaian Context

<p>Electronic resources (ERs) in academic libraries have become a global phenomenon, and as libraries rely more on these resources managing them effectively becomes crucial. Electronic resource management (ERM) has consequently become a core function which many academic libraries around the globe appear to find challenging to implement effectively. Challenges of managing ERs are particularly pronounced in developing countries such as Ghana where the introduction of ICTs has typically been characterised by inadequate resources. Although there is an extensive literature on both the management and use of ERs, little research has studied how the two aspects could affect each other. Ineffective management of ERs could negatively affect their use; likewise, low usage of ERs could negatively impact on the management of these resources. Studying the concepts of management and usage of ERs together would result in better recommendations to inform practice and eliminate the challenges. In addition, the literature on the management of ERs is predominantly centred around libraries in the developed country context. Moreover, academic libraries in Ghana do not appear to be effective in managing ERs. There is a lack of understanding on how academic libraries in Ghana are managing ERs, and the ways in which this is affecting their usage and vice-versa. The study therefore fills the gaps by exploring the connection between the management and usage of ERs in academic libraries in a developing country context. Placed within a post-positivist worldview, this mixed-methods research employed a multiple case study approach, involving two public and two private universities in Ghana. Stakeholders included in the study were library staff, faculty, students, and consortium executives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with library staff and members of the governing council of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH) concurrently with surveys of faculty and postgraduate students of the institutions investigated. These were supported by document analysis. To guide data collection and analysis, the Techniques for Electronic Resource Management (TERMS) framework (Emery & Stone, 2013), and an initial conceptual model of factors developed using constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis 2003) and the literature underpinned the study. The interview findings revealed inadequate planning for ERs in the case institutions owing to operational challenges including inadequate policies for ERs, inadequate funding, and understaffing. Although efforts were being made to follow standard procedures some components of ER workflow were absent in both public and private case libraries, whereas other aspects of the workflow were responsibilities of parties external to the libraries. The document analysis showed that, the total average completeness of collection development policies of case libraries was 25% which indicated the lack of vital elements in these policies. The survey findings showed a generally low awareness and usage of ERs by faculty and students due to inadequate promotional efforts by the case libraries, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of relevant content. Consequently, respondents had a negative perception on the usefulness of the ERs which may have caused the observed low usage. The study also found three main factors as affecting the management and usage of ERs in academic libraries in Ghana which were governmental, organisational and individual factors. Governmental factors such as regulations on staffing, inadequate funding, and nationwide rationing of electricity supply were hindrances. At the organisational level, an enabler was collaboration with stakeholders, whereas obstacles included inadequate policies, staffing challenges, resource-related factors, lack of investment for sustainability, centralised management structure, low institutional commitment, poor communication, and low usage of ERs. Enabling individual factors consisted of religious beliefs, social influence, oral information, and interest in IT. Hindering individual factors comprised negative effects of oral information, resistance to change, fear of speaking against authority, reluctance to submit contents to institutional repository, negative perception on the ERs and lack of time. The findings also established various ways in which the management and usage of ERs affected each other. Low user input in the selection of ERs, access related challenges, inadequate publicity, training, and evaluation of ERs negatively affected the usage of ERs. However, case libraries that occasionally allowed users to schedule training sessions observed increased attendance to training with a corresponding increase in ER usage, which provided a basis for institutional budgetary support. On the other hand, failure of users to attend training programmes after signing up, low referral of students to the ERs by faculty and low usage of ERs of the library negatively affected ERM particularly in the areas of budgeting for ER subscription and sustainability. However, faculty and students facilitated the management of ERs of the library in terms of creating awareness of the ERs among their colleagues and peers, and also accessing the resources using mobile devices to supplement the library’s inadequate computers. The TERMS framework and initial conceptual model of factors were revised based on the findings. The study adds to the Library and Information Science research relevant to the understanding of the management and usage of ERs, factors affecting both concepts and how these two concepts are related. In addition, the study contributes to practice by recommending strategies for effective ERM to encourage increased usage of ERs. It is also hoped that academic libraries in other developing countries can draw lessons from the findings. The study also provides advanced countries with a deeper insight to guide them in providing support to developing countries. The findings also have implications for policy and decision makers in terms of prioritisation and allocation of resources for effective ERM and usage in academic libraries as contemporary issues are revealed. Keywords: Academic institutions, Academic libraries, Electronic resources, Electronic resources in Africa, Electronic resource management, Electronic resource usage</p>

Electronic Resource Management and Usage in Academic Libraries: The Ghanaian Context

<p>Electronic resources (ERs) in academic libraries have become a global phenomenon, and as libraries rely more on these resources managing them effectively becomes crucial. Electronic resource management (ERM) has consequently become a core function which many academic libraries around the globe appear to find challenging to implement effectively. Challenges of managing ERs are particularly pronounced in developing countries such as Ghana where the introduction of ICTs has typically been characterised by inadequate resources. Although there is an extensive literature on both the management and use of ERs, little research has studied how the two aspects could affect each other. Ineffective management of ERs could negatively affect their use; likewise, low usage of ERs could negatively impact on the management of these resources. Studying the concepts of management and usage of ERs together would result in better recommendations to inform practice and eliminate the challenges. In addition, the literature on the management of ERs is predominantly centred around libraries in the developed country context. Moreover, academic libraries in Ghana do not appear to be effective in managing ERs. There is a lack of understanding on how academic libraries in Ghana are managing ERs, and the ways in which this is affecting their usage and vice-versa. The study therefore fills the gaps by exploring the connection between the management and usage of ERs in academic libraries in a developing country context. Placed within a post-positivist worldview, this mixed-methods research employed a multiple case study approach, involving two public and two private universities in Ghana. Stakeholders included in the study were library staff, faculty, students, and consortium executives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with library staff and members of the governing council of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH) concurrently with surveys of faculty and postgraduate students of the institutions investigated. These were supported by document analysis. To guide data collection and analysis, the Techniques for Electronic Resource Management (TERMS) framework (Emery & Stone, 2013), and an initial conceptual model of factors developed using constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis 2003) and the literature underpinned the study. The interview findings revealed inadequate planning for ERs in the case institutions owing to operational challenges including inadequate policies for ERs, inadequate funding, and understaffing. Although efforts were being made to follow standard procedures some components of ER workflow were absent in both public and private case libraries, whereas other aspects of the workflow were responsibilities of parties external to the libraries. The document analysis showed that, the total average completeness of collection development policies of case libraries was 25% which indicated the lack of vital elements in these policies. The survey findings showed a generally low awareness and usage of ERs by faculty and students due to inadequate promotional efforts by the case libraries, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of relevant content. Consequently, respondents had a negative perception on the usefulness of the ERs which may have caused the observed low usage. The study also found three main factors as affecting the management and usage of ERs in academic libraries in Ghana which were governmental, organisational and individual factors. Governmental factors such as regulations on staffing, inadequate funding, and nationwide rationing of electricity supply were hindrances. At the organisational level, an enabler was collaboration with stakeholders, whereas obstacles included inadequate policies, staffing challenges, resource-related factors, lack of investment for sustainability, centralised management structure, low institutional commitment, poor communication, and low usage of ERs. Enabling individual factors consisted of religious beliefs, social influence, oral information, and interest in IT. Hindering individual factors comprised negative effects of oral information, resistance to change, fear of speaking against authority, reluctance to submit contents to institutional repository, negative perception on the ERs and lack of time. The findings also established various ways in which the management and usage of ERs affected each other. Low user input in the selection of ERs, access related challenges, inadequate publicity, training, and evaluation of ERs negatively affected the usage of ERs. However, case libraries that occasionally allowed users to schedule training sessions observed increased attendance to training with a corresponding increase in ER usage, which provided a basis for institutional budgetary support. On the other hand, failure of users to attend training programmes after signing up, low referral of students to the ERs by faculty and low usage of ERs of the library negatively affected ERM particularly in the areas of budgeting for ER subscription and sustainability. However, faculty and students facilitated the management of ERs of the library in terms of creating awareness of the ERs among their colleagues and peers, and also accessing the resources using mobile devices to supplement the library’s inadequate computers. The TERMS framework and initial conceptual model of factors were revised based on the findings. The study adds to the Library and Information Science research relevant to the understanding of the management and usage of ERs, factors affecting both concepts and how these two concepts are related. In addition, the study contributes to practice by recommending strategies for effective ERM to encourage increased usage of ERs. It is also hoped that academic libraries in other developing countries can draw lessons from the findings. The study also provides advanced countries with a deeper insight to guide them in providing support to developing countries. The findings also have implications for policy and decision makers in terms of prioritisation and allocation of resources for effective ERM and usage in academic libraries as contemporary issues are revealed. Keywords: Academic institutions, Academic libraries, Electronic resources, Electronic resources in Africa, Electronic resource management, Electronic resource usage</p>