Teamwork in Libraries: 1R and 3Cs

This research paper examines the dynamics of teamwork in library settings, with a particular focus on addressing challenges related to cultural diversity through effective communication and collaboration. The study explores cross-cultural communication within library teams and proposes strategic solutions. Introducing the 1R (Respect) and 3Cs (Communication, Cooperation, Collaboration) framework, the author provides a guide for fostering successful teamwork. The paper offers practical insights and emphasizes the continual significance of these aspects to shape positive and collaborative work environments in libraries, ensuring the delivery of optimal services

The Impact of Transformative Agreements on Publication Patterns: An Analysis Based on Agreements from the ESAC Registry

"Transformative agreements" are agreements made between publishers and institutions that were intended to transform the traditional subscription-based scholarly publishing system to open access. Some publishers and institutions have argued that these are the best option, yet, they are increasingly being called into question. Not only does the transition remain incomplete, they create negative effects on researchers without access to an agreement or funding to pay an article processing charge. This research project sought to address the question of whether transformative agreements increase the number of open access publications. In April 2022, we retrieved 370 transformative agreements from the ESAC Transformative Agreement Registry, of which 72 met our inclusion criteria. At that time, agreements in the ESAC Registry were heavily weighted towards Europe. We retrieved publications from the Web of Science Core Collection, and screened these to ensure that they were authored by researchers at participating institutions and published in hybrid open access journals covered by the agreement. Using the Unpaywall API, we determined the open access status of each item. Through this process, we identified 156,053 publications that met inclusion criteria. In this article, we examine changes in publication patterns at an aggregate level and per agreement

ChatGPT: Unleashing the Power of Conversational AI for Library Reference Services

Purpose-Explore the impact of AI and ChatGPT on library information services; Design/methodology/approach-A sample of twenty-two reference questions are fed to ChatGPT and the answers are evaluated for quality and accuracy; Findings-ChatGPT are excellent in information retrieval in some areas, but it is not comparable to a reference librarian in others; Research limitations/implications-The findings may not be conclusive due to small sample size; Practical implications-Understand AI and ChatGPT and their behavior; Social implications -The knowledge from the study can assist librarians to adjust their services to better serve users; Originality/value-No research has been done in this area

Barriers in LIS Scholarship in India: Some observations: Some Observations

Although LIS research output, globally, has increased in recent years, why is there a dearth in LIS research from countries like India in the Global South? What barriers and challenges impede LIS researchers’ active participation in scholarly communications? Is there a bias against research output from the Global South? These are some of the questions that the author investigated with the help of ACRL’s Research and Scholarship Grant (2019 - 2020). The author collaborated with a librarian colleague in India at a second stage of the project to collect supplementary data. The second phase of the research was supported by the Marcia Tuttle International Travel Grant from NASIG (2020 - 2021). Important findings include the need for Open Access and training in academic writing standards which could help resolve some of the challenges. Learning from our Global South colleagues may assist with our work with international students and students from multiple backgrounds

An Activity Theory Study of China’s Rural Book House Project: Two Dialectical Dynamic Mechanisms

This study explores why China’s rural information projects tend to be inefficient by identifying the dynamic mechanisms driving the construction and development of China’s Rural Book House Project (RBHP). A qualitative survey was used to collect data from 35 participants in the RBHP and to analyze the data through the lens of activity theory. Two dynamic mechanisms were found, namely power coordination and benefit protection, with the former characterized by compulsion, self-interest, and inefficient punitive measures and the latter by the participants’ differing objectives when pursuing benefits. The interaction of these mechanisms drove the RBHP forward. The findings of the study suggest the development process of the RBHP and other similar projects need to be reanalyzed from an integrative, dynamic and connected perspective. By way of concluding, insights concerning the measures the Chinese government could take to resolve the issues confronted in rural information service development as well as the need for information professionals to take a critical stance toward their community practice are offered

Co-designing an Institutional Repository in Kosovo: Soliciting Student Feedback in a Repository Launch

An institutional repository (IR) launched at the University for Business and Technology in Pristina, Kosovo in 2019. Students from 2018 and 2019 enrolled in an Information Systems course at the University provided ideas and feedback on the repository development. Their suggestions are captured here by focus group sessions held in mid-2019 in Kosovo and subsequently shared with University Administration and the IR platform company. This case study from the field advocates for continuous feedback from stakeholder groups and an expansion of the underlying data collection methods at other institutions

Making Open Resources Discoverable: Collaborative Approaches for Enhanced Access

This article explores collaborative efforts to enhance the discoverability of open access resources. It highlights the pivotal role of librarians, educators, library system platform vendors, and publishers in improving access to these valuable resources. Through collective expertise and cooperation, these collaborative approaches aim to unlock the potential of open resources, benefiting researchers, students, and the broader academic community. By working together and leveraging their collective knowledge, these collaborative efforts promise to tap into the wealth of open resources, making them more accessible for professors, students, and the broader academic community

Organizers of Museum History: Honoring the Labor of Librarians and Archivists in the Bureau of American Ethnology

In 1879, the United States funded care for the records of government-funded geological, ethnographic and archaeological explorations in the American West, in what later became known as the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) within the Smithsonian Institution. But who was doing the organizing of library and archival sources so integral to this scientific mission? This article highlights eight women working in the Bureau of American Ethnology library and archives in the early 20th century, including head librarians and archivists Jesse Thomas, Ella Leary, Miriam Ketchum, Carol Jopling, Mae Tucker, and Margaret Blaker, as well as library assistants Louvenia Russell and Ella Slaughter, who were classified as laborers but also conducted library work for the Bureau. We suggest that each of these women served as “glass shoulders,” creating an administrative and scholarly infrastructure that enabled the work of others, even as they advocated for their own value within the Bureau and the wider museum structure. In focusing on how librarians and archivists care for museum collections, we also examine how their work remains almost invisible in museum circles. Telling these stories enables us to honor the work of librarians and archivists in creating and curating museum histories, and to consider how this labor and expertise can be recognized and highlighted

“Once Again, From the Beginning:” Re-inventing the Museum Library at the University of Pennsylvania

As university museums and academic programs struggle with issues of relevancy and harmful legacies, the libraries that are embedded within these institutions must reckon with similar challenging issues because of their own histories, collections content, museum-adjacent programs, and assumed authority in the supported disciplines. Such departmental libraries already occupy uncomfortable positions within complex institutions, often functioning as minor players in the university’s library systems, but only tenuously linked through location or subject matter expertise to the university’s museums and affiliated departments. Offered as an instructive example is the Museum Library at the University of Pennsylvania, affiliated with the sometimes embattled Penn Museum. This “Report from the Field” essay describes the Museum Library’s methods for participating in a rapidly evolving museum’s strategic initiatives and supporting the sincere investment of its dedicated staff in making meaningful changes. I also discuss the Museum Library’s own complicated history and our reflections as we remake the library in the face of local and global challenges

Museum Libraries in Germany: Ambassadors for Standardized Data, Building Bridges between Archives, Libraries and Museums

This article is going to give an overview of the continuously developing world of standardised data and its use in German cultural institutions. It will provide an introduction into Germany’s federated library system and explain how libraries developed standardised data more quickly than other cultural heritage institutions. We argue that this head-start in using and creating standardised data means that museum librarians are best suited to support both their institutions and others, which want to implement standardised data. They can also take an ambassadorial role for standardised data produced from the museum environment, because museum librarians have the professional background to ensure the quality of such data