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>

Khotyn battle 1621. Іgnored source in ukrainian historiography

The article offers a historiographical consideration of the description of the Khotyn battle 1621with an emphasis on the historical value of M. Kostin's “Chronicle of the Land of Moldova” in the coverage of theevent. The relevance of the study is dictated by the 400th anniversary of the battle. The purpose of the study is to clarify the historical significance of thechronicle in revealing the theme of the Battle of Khotyn in 1621. Methodology describes the work of M. Kostin, its source base, comparison with other historical sources, review of its use. Conclusions. “Chronicle of the Land of Moldova” by Myron Kostin, being the only source for studying the history of Moldova in the early and mid seventeenth century. at the same time it is a true description of the events of the Khotyn War (1620–1621). Although the chronicler is not a contemporary of the events, his account of the Battle of Khotyn is based on serious Polish sources of the relevant era, oral information from contemporaries of the fighting, the traditions of the princely family of Movileshty, and so on. The work is positively characterized by a deep and detailed description of events, impartiality, clear analysis of military operations of a participant in many battles, education of the author and his broad outlook, which allowed him to understand the causal links of actions, actions of the parties, unconditional literary talent M. Kostin. His disregard for the events of the Khotyn War of 1621 by a number of Ukrainian historians shows a reluctance to consider the event comprehensively, using all sources. Moreover, we see a focus on showing only one fragment of this historical event, the participation of the Ukrainian side in it. The language barrier to the use of the Chronicle is no more a problem than a political motive.

Correction of Impaired Sound Pronunciation in Senior Preschoolers with Phonetic-Phonemic Speech Underdevelopment

The research featured senior preschoolers with phonetic-phonemic speech underdevelopment. The authors described the peculiarities of speech development in such children and analyzed related publications. As a rule, impaired sound pronunciation includes low tempo and weak voluntary regulation. The study featured substitutions, distortion, or absence of various sounds. The authors tested a set of measures aimed at correcting speech disorders in senior preschool children with phonetic-phonemic speech underdevelopment. The experiment revealed a combination of incorrect pronunciation with sounds that were partially consistent in a certain context. Cognitive parameters included difficulties in memorizing verbal information and poor auditory memory. The subjects failed active speech tests and could not remember oral information. The article also introduces data on the specifics of speech therapy of phonemic hearing.

Recording of Testimony during the Preliminary Investigation: Some Problematic Aspects

The article considers the problem of designing the text of the descriptive part of the record of interrogation during a preliminary investigation. The investigator, acting as the author of the record, edits the received oral information, which can give rise to errors: inconsistency between the text of the testimony and the interrogated person; problems in assessing the reliability of the study of testimony in court. We highlight the problem of identical texts of interrogation records drawn up during the investigation. We formulate recommendations on writing down the testimony in the record of the investigative action and proposals for improving the reliability of interrogation records: the possibility of supplementing the record with one’s own hand, developing and explaining the position of the highest court on the inadmissibility of using identical texts of testimony obtained during the preliminary investigation in the process of proving.

The Ability in Converting Verbal Information into Non-Verbal Information in Grade XI Students of SMKN 4 Padang Sidimpuan

Verbal and non-verbal communication plays a vital role in delivering messages. Therefore, this study examines the level of students’ ability to convert oral information into non-oral information. The type of this study was quantitative research using a descriptive method. The population was all students in SMKN 4 Padangsidimpuan, while the samples were grade XI students of SMKN 4 Padang Sidimpuan, totaling 75 students. The applied data analysis techniques were tests and documentation. The results of student learning outcomes showed a mean value of 89.67, indicating that students could convert verbal information into non-verbal information, as evidenced by the percentage of students’ abilities in the “capable” category greater than that of students in the “incapable” class. The percentage of students in the capable category was 77.14%, while students in the incapable class were 30%.

تطبيق طريقة سوروكان في تعليم كتب التراث

This research started from learning at Al-Badriyah Islamic Boarding School which since established applying Sorogan Method in some lesson kitab turats, the students and the graduates proved to have the ability to understand the Qur'an and religious books needed in the community, therefore the graduates of Al-Badriyah Islamic Boarding School have a role in religious field in society, and some graduates have successfully established educational institution, this proves that the study of book in Al-Badriyah Islamic Boarding School done well, one way learn kitab turats in this Islamic Boarding School using the Sorogan Method. This study aims to know and analyze: 1). the implementation of Sorogan Method in Al-Badriyah Islamic Boarding School Sundak Rarang East Lombok. 2). the students ability in reading kitab turats by using Sorogan Method at Al-Badriyah Islamic Boarding School Sundak Rarang East Lombok from 2014 until 2017. This research is a case study research using qualitative research approach, that is research which have characteristic that its data is natural phenomenon and oral information. Data collection techniques use observation, interviews, and documentation. Based on the results of the research can be concluded that: 1). The implementation of the Sorogan method is realized with two ways. (a). One student called to go forward to become readers and mean while other friends listening then explained by teacher, all students get turn to progressing to become a reader and not all students get a turn in a meeting of learning but usually the reader 2 to 3 students because of time limitations, while the student who have not got a turn at the learning meeting will get a turn in the next week. The students read the book in his study in front of the teachers then on the sidelines of the reading student sometimes he was asked by his teacher about how to read nahwu and sharafnya, after then teacher give explanation about the discussion at that time. 2). While the ability of students in reading kitab turats with sorogan method is very good and continue to increase because the student continue to get improvements and additional knowledge in reading the kitab turats, but the number of students who follow lesson in particular lesson kitab turats with sorogan method less.

Skills and practices of pharmacy staff for dispensing of drugs with fiscalized substances in drugstores and pharmacies

OBJETIVE To evaluate the skills and practices of pharmacy staff during the dispensing of tramadol (drug with fiscalized substance) in drugstores and pharmacies in Medellin, Colombia. METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed. The simulated patient technique was used. The main outcomes included the information provided on the dispensed drug (tramadol), the use of tools to provide information, and the information provided on drug precautions and use recommendations. RESULTS We visited 305 drugstores and pharmacies. The average dispensing time was 2.3 min (SD 1.1 min). In nine drugstores and pharmacies (3.0%), tramadol was not dispensed because it was not in stock. In 17 drugstores and pharmacies (5.7%), the simulated patients were actively informed by the dispensing pharmacy staff; of these, 16 provided oral information and one provided oral and written information. Eight patients (2.7%) received information regarding tramadol use. However, 99% of patients were not informed about tramadol side effects such as dependence, sedation, or hypnosis, and none of the simulated female patients were informed on the precautions related to tramadol use during pregnancy or lactation. CONCLUSIONS Communication skills and appropriate practices of pharmacy staff are critical to patient self-care. However, this study shows their difficulty in counseling about precautions and use recommendations of drugs with fiscalized substances. These outcomes could inform future studies focusing on the rational use of these drugs in drugstores and pharmacies. It is necessary to improve the pharmacy staff competencies through continuing education programs, to facilitate access to information and training.

Community Perceptions, Attitudes and Behavior on The 3M Program to Avoid The Spread of Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic with its high existence and significant spread requires efforts to break the chain of distribution, including with 3M (washing hands, wearing masks and maintaining a distance). This study aims to examine the perceptions, attitudes and behavior of the community towards the implementation of the 3M program in avoiding the spread of covid-19 in Sutawinangun Village, Kedawung District, Cirebon Regency. Qualitative research was chosen as a method to explore and understand meanings ascribed to social or human problems, focusing on individual meanings, and translating the complexity of a problem. Descriptive data was developed from the results of obtaining a number of written and oral information from observations. After conducting the research, it can be concluded that after a member of the community was exposed and declared the red zone of Covid-19, then there was a plan to relocate Covid sufferers in Sutawinangun, just to grow awareness of implementing 3M. Community solidarity is an important factor as social capital to fight Covid-19. The community focuses on implementing 3M, a clean and healthy lifestyle and reducing crowd mobility in the community to avoid the virus.

THE TERMINOLOGY OF ORAL HISTORY AND ITS SOURCES IN NATIONAL HISTORIOGRAPHY

In this article the author attempts to trace the evolution of the terminology of oral history and its sources in national historiography, also to determine the most accurate definitions, reflecting features of the oral information transmission and features of oral historians’ activity in the process of establishing, documentation and storage of historical sources. On the basis of the views of domestic archivists, historians and sociologists of the Soviet and of the post-Soviet periods, the author comes to the conclusion that the unified terminology of oral history and its sources has not yet been established.