Scientometric Portrait of Joan C. Durrance, a Respected Researcher in the Community Focused Library Services

The present study attempted to prepare the scientometric portrait of Joan C Durrance, a respected researcher in the community focused library services and a pioneer in the field of community informatics. The study focused on the aspects like Year and age wise publication output, Authorship pattern, Document types, Ranking of Collaborative authors, Preferred journal for communication of research results, Distribution of citations, and Ranking of top cited papers. She has contributed 165 publications including 39 seminar presentations since 1977 to 2011. Year wise growth indicated that she contributed the maximum number of scholarly output in 1996 at the age of 58 years. The pattern and other measures of authorship displayed its strength upon single authored publication. Among the document types most of the documents were Books/ Book Chapters followed by Journal articles. The most preferred journal by Durrance for the publication of her research results was Public Libraries with 7 publications. The top ranked co-author of Joan C Durrance is K. E. Fisher who co-authored 40 papers in 10 years of contributing ages. 61 publications (48.41%) received 2595 citations with an average of 20.6 citations per paper, 65 publications (51.58%) still remained uncited. The most cited paper of Durrance is a journal article published in 2004 and received 434 citations till date. The findings of this study will be beneficial for the researchers of LIS and Scientometric domain

Social capital: a fresh vision for public libraries in South Africa

The article argues that the construct of social capital offers South African public librarianship fresh vision – urgently needed if it is to fulfil its potential role in social inclusion. Social capital refers to the stocks of social trust, norms and networks that a community can draw on to solve common problems. A wide body of research in Southern Africa bears witness to its role in the success of development projects. Restrictive economic policies, coupled with new demands, have put pressure on public libraries and research points to a prevailing low morale among their staff, who, it is suggested, find themselves caught in the transition towards new models of service. Government’s acceptance of social capital as a crucial tool in the developmental state and the news of its intervention to transform South African public libraries suggest the need to articulate the library as “a place for all”. In reaction to neglect in the literature of social capital, internationally, librarians have documented their building of social capital through their education, information and community programmes. This work offers South African librarians a rich resource to draw on in their search for new direction and visionDepartment of HE and Training approved lis

QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF A POLYTECHNIC LIBRARY AS A LEARNING & SOCIAL HUB

Abstract The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a polytechnic library as a social and learning space for the institution. The Republic Polytechnic library is the first library in Singapore to conceive and utilize physical space based on the Problem-Based Learning pedagogy. The study provides insights as to how this library functions as an integrated hub for work, life and play; which may be useful for library managers interested in designing library spaces to encourage socialisation, relaxation and discussion. The study was conducted in 2007 with a sample size of 15 students and staff. A qualitative survey research method, involving the Critical Incident Technique, was used to evaluate the library's performance as a social hub. Results from the study revealed that the top three positive values perceived by respondents were Library Atmosphere, Design, and Function of the library respectively. Majority of the respondents agreed that the library's living-room concept suited the problem-based learning environment well. Through this study, the authors created an evaluation tool useful for the library to conduct future assessments. By implementing this framework evaluators can gain insights to user perceptions and aid them in future decision-making process. In addition, learning points were suggested from the experiences of Republic Polytechnic which used library space in an unconventional manner. Background At the Republic Polytechnic (RP) library, the use of space is essential. It is the first library in Singapore to conceive and use physical space differently from other academic libraries. Based on the Problem-Based Learning pedagogy that it has adopted, spaces in the library are intentionally designed for group work and discussions. The choice of furniture, the library provides numerous large tables and chairs to allow students to gather and engage in group discussions. Shelves are designed to be movable so that they can double-up as space dividers to facilitate small group discussions within the same space. The library also provides unconventional facilities such as X-Box consoles, card and board games, pool tables, electric instruments (piano and guitar) for students to freely utilize during their information search. It has recently launched its new website 1 and is working on the library blog as well. In fact, the library hopes to suppress silence rather than noise. Therefore, the library aims to support its problem-based learning community through ensuring that the use of its space is designed to allow users to experience new things, create new discoveries and gather in groups for conversations and discussions just as they would in their own living room space. As such the study hopes to evaluate the library's success in its usage of space to construct an environment suitable for the institution. The research moves away from traditional assessment of quantitative assessment of library's success and impact through designing a qualitative evaluation approach. Research Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the Republic Polytechnic library as an important social and learning space for its school community. The study evaluates how well the library performs its role as 1 RP library website can be found at http://www.rp.sg/lib 27

Community Analysis Methods and Program Performance

Community analysis techniques have been proposed as ways that public libraries can assess the information needs of their communities. Despite the need for community assessment or analysis, very little research has been done to compare the various techniques used by public libraries for gathering information about the service population. Using the libraries participating in the Building Common Ground initiative, this study attempted to see if there is a correlation between techniques used and the performance of subsequent programming. While failing to meet standards of statistical significance, the quantitative and qualitative data gathered through the study suggests that certain techniques, as well as the use of several techniques together, are associated with increased program performance.Master of Science in Library Scienc

Lighting the Fuse: Building regional identity through public library services in rural Central Appalachia

This presentation will relate survey and interview data that explore the perceptions and beliefs of librarians concerning the role of public libraries in fostering regional identity with a focus on libraries in rural Central Appalachia. As public libraries across the nation work to strengthen their connections to the communities they serve, the role of the library is being refined and redefined in relation to local needs and interests. During the past decade, the archival branch of librarianship has come to terms with the notion that by denying the inherently subjective nature of core archival duties such as acquisition, description, and providing access, archivists have been complicit in excluding the narratives of marginalized groups by preserving and perpetuating dominant historical, social, and cultural narratives. Often described as the ‘people’s university’, public libraries demonstrate a similar diligence in ensuring that their resources and services reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. Especially in the Appalachian region, where some believe that established narratives have often been constructed to support corporate and government agendas and can result in stigmatization of the region and its people, the public library can provide an important counterpoint to stereotypical portrayals that distort the image of Appalachian communities

Assessing impact of digital library services. An exploratory study at the University of Camerino

Focus of this dissertation is the assessment of digital library services impact on academic library users. This is an academic work, whose eventual outcome will be used for the improvement of services and evidence-based practice. \ud Research started by reviewing international and Italian literature. It emerged that studies on impact and outcomes measurement of digital library services, as part of a user-centred and solely qualitative evaluation process, are sparse, because of the difficulty of translating qualitative criteria of impact into quantifiable measures and indicators, and partly because the process is very much time-consuming. \ud The aim of this research is to build an evaluation model, focused on impact assessment of digital library services offered to users by the Library System of the University of Camerino, workplace of the researcher, to produce recommendations for the organisation and hints for further research. The prototype-like model will be put to the attention of the local library management as assessment tool to become an eventual future reinforcement to the measurement activity already in place. \ud The study is roughly designed to go through these phases: \ud 1. Italian experts in digital library issues are called to give their opinions on the matter with the intent to devise evidence of impact on users; \ud 2. results are fed to a group of local library practitioners, whose task is to confront data against the context they work in and serve; \ud 3. collected data are, then, discussed in depth with local key-informants to possibly find further insight and finally validity of the model. \ud The research takes the form of an exploratory study. It exploits qualitative methods and techniques originated from the social sciences. \ud The evaluation model resulting from the analysis of data is exposed according to academic users activities and groups. It comprises both qualitative and quantitative measures and indicators and the suggested methods of data collection are in accordance. \ud Recommendations are made to the University Library System about how to start a DLS impact assessment activity

The Value of Values-Based Literature: An Exploration of Librarianship's Professional Discussion of Core Values

In an attempt to describe the nature of recent journal literature revolving around the eleven core values of librarianship, as articulated by the American Library Association, this exploratory study analyzed 114 articles from four peer-reviewed library publications over the past five years (2002-2006): College & Research Libraries, Library Trends, Library Quarterly, and portal: Libraries and the Academy. This content analysis noted the levels of complexity with which the core values were discussed, the frequencies of the eleven core values (access, confidentiality/privacy, democracy, diversity, education and lifelong learning, intellectual freedom, preservation, public good, professionalism, service, and social responsibility), and the types of library environments found in the journal literature. The results are intended as a catalyst for the library profession to examine the way it discusses core values and uses them to guide and inform professional practice

Lighting the Fuse: A Survey of How Librarians Are Building Regional Identity through Public Library Services in Rural Central Appalachia

This study explores librarians' perceptions of the presence, absence, and importance of regional identity building activities in public libraries in rural Central Appalachia through the results of a survey distributed to and interviews conducted with library directors who serve these areas. Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data suggests many libraries are promoting regional identity building through programming, collection development, and outreach and that a majority would be interested in complementing their current offerings with Appalachian-focused services if barriers such as lack of funds and limited staff availability were mitigated. Further research might focus on creating a set of best practices and a resource list for designing region-specific library services and determining library patrons' perceptions of these offerings as a component of library services. This study also addresses gaps in the library literature on rural public libraries in Appalachia and the role of libraries in promoting regional identity in their communities.Master of Science in Library Scienc

Effectiveness of Asynchronous Reference Services for Distance Learning Students Within Florida\u27s Community College System

The impact of distance learning on higher education and the need to provide equitable library services to students in the digital environment emerged as critical areas during the 1990s. Library services available to distance learning students included digital reference and instructional services, remote access to online research tools, database and research tutorials, interlibrary loan, and document delivery. Digital reference services appeared to be one of the more significant services proffered by academic libraries although these services were developed often without forethought to goals and assessment. The purpose of this study was to examine the adequacy of asynchronous e-mail reference services offered through Florida\u27s 28 community college libraries and the contribution of these digital reference service providers to the students\u27 online learning community. The researcher analyzed data obtained through an unobtrusive study of asynchronous digital reference services and interviews conducted with digital reference service providers. Studies existed for traditional and telephone reference service; however, the literature lacked studies addressing asynchronous digital reference service. Results from the unobtrusive portion of this study showed that the researcher received 240 of a possible 392 responses from the digital reference service providers. The researcher scored 24% as accurate with source information, 4% as accurate without source information, 20% as partly accurate with source information, and 7% as partly accurate without source information. The students scored 48% as accurate with source information, 12% as accurate without source information, 17% as partly accurate with source information, and 9% as partly accurate without source information. Responses took anywhere from 6 seconds to 20 days. The communication techniques exercised by the DRSPs were substandard. The study resulted in recommendations for the areas of digital environment, unobtrusive methodology, standards, accuracy, measurements, online relationships, training of digital reference service providers, student training, institutional responsibility, and marketing