Chinese Academic Libraries Serving International Students and Scholars: A Three-case Assessment

The authors of this study assess the attitudes and perceptions of academic librarians at three university libraries in China regarding library services for international students and scholars. The study directs particular focus on librarians at Shaanxi Normal University in Xi’an, Fudan University in Shanghai, and Wuhan University of Technology, China, and follows logically upon a study conducted in 2008 that explored the perceptions of international students at two Chinese universities regarding the effectiveness of library services and collections for their research needs. In particular, this study documents information about Chinese academic librarian perceptions regarding services for international students and attitudes toward future outcomes. The ultimate goal of the study is to lay a foundation for developing strategies for improving library services and resources for international students and scholars in Chinese academic libraries in particular which in turn can serve to improve services for international students world-wide. The results support the assumption that academic librarians in China are strongly interested in improving services for international students and scholars while continuing to face challenges and trying to find ways to fulfill the information needs of international students and scholars

Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat (SWOT) Analysis of the Adaptations to Anatomical Education in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in Response to the Covid‐19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has driven the fastest changes to higher education across the globe, necessitated by social distancing measures preventing any face to face teaching. This has led to an almost immediate switch to distance learning by higher education institutions. Anatomy faces some unique challenges. Intrinsically, anatomy is a three-dimensional subject that requires a sound understanding of the relationships between structures, often achieved by the study of human cadaveric material, models and virtual resources. This study sought to identify the approaches taken in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland to deliver anatomical education through online means. Data were collected from 14 different universities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and compared adopting a thematic analysis approach. Once themes were generated, they were collectively brought together using a strength, weakness, opportunity, threat (SWOT) analysis. Key themes included the opportunity to develop new online resources and the chance to engage in new academic collaborations. Academics frequently mentioned the challenge that time constrains could place on the quality and effectiveness of these resources; especially as in many cases the aim of these resources is to compensate for a lack of exposure to cadaveric exposure. Comparisons of the actions taken by multiple higher education institutions reveals the ways that academics have tried to balance this demand. Discussions will facilitate decisions being made by higher education institutions regarding adapting the curriculum and assessment methods in anatomy

Unveiling the Influence of TikTok Dependency on University Students’ Post-COVID-19 Health Protective Behavior

In the post-COVID-19 era, Chinese university students have become more reliant on TikTok for health information, which has shaped their health-related behavior. In order to investigate how university students’ reliance on health information on TikTok influenced their health protective behaviors in response to COVID-19, a survey questionnaire was designed to measure the following four constructs: TikTok dependency, health information seeking, TikTok trust, and health Protective behavior. A total of 426 respondents in China participated in the survey and the data was analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings indicate that respondents who have higher TikTok dependency tend to have higher post-COVID-19 health protective behavior. Study results also found that health information seeking and TikTok trust partially mediate the relationship between TikTok dependency and post-COVID-19 health protective behavior separately. To conclude, the results highlight the important role of TikTok as a social media platform for university students’ post-COVID-19 health protective behavior in Wuhan of China

Assessing Users’ Satisfaction with Electronic Resources in University Libraries in Punjab, Pakistan

The purpose of the study was to assess users’ satisfaction with electronic resources available in university libraries in Punjab, Pakistan. The study adopted the quantitative research method to achieve its objectives. The quantitative data were collected through the questionnaire from library users in eight public universities by employing the convenience sampling technique. The findings of the study reveal that the libraries lacked adequate electronic resources. The respondents were satisfied only with the internet resources. They did not seem satisfied with the rest of the resources as they did not give their opinions about them. The findings of the study will be helpful for the library administration and university authorities to take necessary measures to develop library electronic collections keeping in view users’ requirements and expectations in order to meet their information needs in an effective manner

E-Procurement and Performance of Service Organizations in Uganda

Aiming at establishing the relationship between E-procurement on the performance of selected service organizations in Uganda; researchers used survey design on 202 employees and found that there is a significant relationship between E-procurement and performance of the organizations. This proposition comes as a result of penetration of IT in all aspects of life to the effect that today everything tends to rotate around use of technology. Also to note is that competition compels one to devise means to beat others and technology is the way to go. The researchers thus recommend: i) Government to support service organizations in regards to regulating cyber related vices; ii) Other organizations, other than service organization, should invest wisely in IT to reap its potential profitability; and iii) The whole procurement process should involve as many people as possible as a potential means to human resource planning in an effort to overcome future embarrassments of retrench and labor turn over

IT Capability of Domestic Research Review

Information technology (IT) investment does not necessarily bring a corresponding value returns for enterprises, and the thing that can help enterprises to gain the core competitiveness is IT capability. Based on 78 articles related literature from CSSCI, we found that: 1) We have fruitful achievement, but the quality and quantity need to be increased; 2) Existing literature use a variety of methods in research, but we should pay more attention to empirical research especially case study and secondary data research; 3) we need to strengthen the research of before aspect, especially in combination with characteristics of Chinese enterprises and the enterprise\u27s situation characteristic so as to reveal the logic of thinking in Chinese enterprise; 4) effective local cooperation study is not enough, especially the need to strengthen the cooperation between native scholars and cross-regional cooperation research across institutions

Exploring Users’ Adoption of MOOCs from the Perspective of the Institutional theory

MOOCs, which stands for Massive Open Online Courses, have attracted millions of users around the world and it has a promise to be a very important part of future education. However, there is little research on users’ adoption of MOOCs. This paper aims to improve the understanding of users’ behavior intention to use MOOCs. The proposed research model is an extension of technology acceptance model with three factors from the institutional theory. And an empirical study with 247 subjects was conducted to test this model. The results indicate that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use directly affect users’ behavior intention to use MOOCs significantly. Another interesting finding is that mimetic pressures also have a significant positive influence on users’ behavior intention to use MOOCs

From CALIS and CASHL to the library consortium trend in China

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Includes: The Effects of a Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Auction on Produce Marketing and Distribution. Barbara James, Associate Professor; Thomas Blaine, Assistant Professor; and Randall James, Associate Professor: Ohio State University Extension. The Feasibility of Establishing a Fresh Packing Facility for Selected Produce Items in Delaware. Richard J. Bacon, Associate Scientist; Ulrich C. Toensmeyer, Professor; and Carl L. German, Extension Specialist: Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Delaware. Patronage at a Farmer's Market: An Analysis of Knoxville Area Residents: Perceptions and Trips to the Outlet. David B. Eastwood, Professor; John R. Brooker, Professor; and Morgan D. Gray, Computer Analyst: Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, University of Tennessee. Are Private Label Products Increasing in Strength at Supermarket Grocery Retailers in a Large Urban New England Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area? James J. Corbett, Associate Professor, Department of Marketing, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA. A Consumer Survey Concerning Their Attitude and Opinions of Products and Services Provided by Delaware Direct Market Operators. Ulrich C. Toensmeyer, Professor; Carl L. German, Extension Specialist; and Richard J. Bacon, Associate Scientist: Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Delaware. Analysis of an Educational Program on Attitudes Toward Irradiated Seafood. Roger Hinson, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness; Linda Andrews, Robert Grodner, and Anna M. Key, Department of Food Science, Louisiana State University. Seafood Consumption by Florida Residents. Dr. Robert L. Degner, Professor in the Department of Food and Resource Economics and Director of the Florida Agricultural Market Research Center, University of Florida; and Dr. Charles M. Adams, Professor in the Food Resource Economics Department, University of Florida. Using Supermarket Scan Data to Develop Product Specific Marketing Strategies: The Case of Flour. M. Gray, Professor; D. Eastwood, Professor; and J. Brooker, Professor: Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Tennessee. Retail-Wholesale Pricing Relationships: A Case Study with Selected Fresh Vegetables. John R. Brooker, Professor; Brian C. Carver, Graduate Research Assistant; David B. Eastwood, Professor; and Morgan D. Gray, Computer Analyst: Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. Competition from Latin America and the Caribbean for U.S. Fruit and Vegetable Markets Post-NAFTA. J. E. Epperson, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA. A Pilot Study of the U.S. Food Processing Industry's Plans for Participating in the People's Republic of China. R. R. Cangemi and R. H. Lopez, Pace University, White Plains, New York. Muddling Thru in the 21st Century; The United States Food Industry System. Jarvis L. Cain, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,