Implementing a New Integrated Library Management System in a Public Library Consortium: A Case Study on Strategies for Effective Staff Training

This study seeks to answer the research question: What factors influence effectiveness of ILMS staff training in public library consortia? In addressing this question the research is done on a case study of a public library consortium in Australia. The study used qualitative research methods involving a semi-structured asynchronous survey questions. Survey questions were distributed via email to individual participants coordinated by the Consortium manager. This study is anonymous. Only the Consortium manager is known to the researcher. The Consortium manager has given consent to be attributed; however, the Consortium manager as well as the organization is not named in the study. This study is based on participants experience and it is supported by library literature. High quality responses were received from five participants. These responses were then analysed under the chapter headings: Goals for the ILMS implementation; Challenges experienced with ILMS staff training; and Strategies for effective implementation of ILMS staff training. Each chapter proceeds with analysis of the collected data, followed by a discussion that draws on supporting literature. The study has identified factors that influence the success of ILMS staff training. Some of these factors include: The need for library group members to compromise on their standards and work practices; and to work collaboratively for the benefit of the consortium; the need to get staff from member libraries involved at all stages of training; the need to involve competent and enthusiastic staff with training; the need to have a support mechanism for staff throughout the training; and the need to use an integrated training module of face-to-face, web based training and self-paced training to provide flexibilities for staff participation across the consortium; and the need for good planning. This study has identified the unique requirement of member libraries joining in a public library consortium and the advantages of such arrangement. The study has identified some of the challenges of training in a library consortium; and provides some insight into understanding strategies for managing those challenges

A study into the availability of and access to electronic journals for teaching and research by the academic staff at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zimbabwe

Includes bibliographical references.Researchers have relied on journals as a source of current research information for more than 350 years. In sub-Saharan Africa, researchers and libraries complain about a lack of access to subscription electronic journals despite an increase in electronic journals access schemes for developing countries. Furthermore, African researchers lag behind in publishing their work when compared to their counterparts in the developed world. Research was carried out in the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Zimbabwe, which sought to investigate electronic journal availability from the researchers’ perspectives; to discover how electronic journals are used for teaching and research; and how faculty use journals in their publications. To explore this multi-faceted objective, four key sub-objectives emanated from the main research objective. The first sub-objective was to determine to what extent the available electronic journal collections met faculty’s electronic journal teaching and research needs. The second was to establish journal usage through analysing journals cited in faculty research papers and reading lists given to graduate students. The third was to understand the problems if any, encountered in accessing electronic journals –establishing the nature and frequency of these problems. The last was to explore if academic staff desire and publish their research and in the process, to understand the obstacles they face. This study used methodological triangulation, and data was gathered through three main research methods. These were an electronic journal availability study, a 26 question- 7 survey, and a citation analysis. Each respective method addressed a respective sub-objective, with an overlap of methods for the fourth objective. The findings revealed that 85.5% of the required journals were available across the available electronic journals collections. Faculty members use electronic journals for their work; however, they need training to access and to be aware of what journal content is available. While faculty members aim to be published, evidence indicated that they use less recent journals in their published works. There was no evidence that suggested that access to electronic journals alone leads to increased publications

Access to and use of electronic information resources in the academic libraries of the Lesotho Library Consortium.

Doctor of Philosophy in Information Studies. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 2016.The study presents the findings of a survey regarding access to and use of electronic information resources in academic libraries of the Lesotho Library Consortium (LELICO). Nine institutions were studied, namely; the National University of Lesotho; Lesotho College of Education; Lesotho Agricultural College; Lerotholi Polytechnic; Centre of Accounting Studies; National Health Training College; Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre; Lesotho Institute of Public Administration and Management, and Institute of Development Management. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model by Venkatesh et al., (2009) underpinned the study, using the main variables or constructs of direct determinants of intention, being; Facilitating Condition (FC), Effort Expectancy (EE), Performance Expectancy (PE) and Social Influence (SI), also the direct determinants for use behaviour, User Behaviour (UB) and Behaviour Intention (BI). The study adopted the post-positivists paradigm and mixed methods were used; that is, qualitative and quantitative approaches. The self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the librarians (systems librarians, subject librarians and acquisition librarians), while the two semi-structured interviews were conducted with the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Directors and Rectors, University Librarian, and Library Directors. Response rate of 69.6% for librarians, 44.4% for PVC, Directors or Rectors and 56% for University Librarian and Library Directors were achieved. To analyse quantitative data, the SPSS Version 20.0 was used, while qualitative data was analysed by sorting, classifying and arranging data which were examined in relation to combined thematic content analysis. To ascertain reliability and validity of the instruments, pre-testing was done of both the instruments for librarians and the Library Director of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Library, in Pietermaritzburg. The research study was guided by the ethical protocol of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which was adhered to. It was established that the type of e-resources accessed and used by academic libraries of LELICO included: e-mail, search engines, websites, Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), e-journals, full-text databases, reference databases, institutional repositories (IRs) and Compact Disc-Read Only Memories (CD-ROMs). The study established that e-resources which were accessed and used mostly were e-mail, search engines and websites, followed by the OPAC, e-journals, full-text databases, IRs, reference databases. The study further found that main uses of e-resources were for communication, to support teaching and learning activities, such as professional research, assignments and lecture requirements. The findings showed that awareness of e-resources was mainly through formal engagement, such as library orientation and through informal engagement such as colleagues. The following strategies were in place: IRs, Open Access (OA), Information Literacy (IL) programme as well as library orientation sessions to improve on the access to and use of e-resources. It has been further revealed that challenges such as budget cuts, low internet bandwidth, lack of up-to-date Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, inadequate searching skills, shortage of staff and high cost of subscription fees posed many of the threats to access to and use of e-resources in the institutions libraries. The findings revealed lack of guidelines and e-resources collection development policies. The study concluded that access to and use of electronic information resources in the academic libraries were influenced by how e-resources were accessed, systems in place, effectiveness of the consortium, challenges facing libraries and strategies in place. The study recommended the establishment of e-collection development policies, guidelines and procedures for budget allocation, conducting of needs assessment to selection, collections maintenance, evaluation and resource sharing formulated to be implemented to enhance the efficient management of e-resource collection by providing selection procedures, requirements, standards and specifications in terms of Information and Communication Technologies(ICTs) infrastructure, equipment and human resource recruitment. The findings of the study influenced the formulation of e-resources collection development policies in academic libraries of the LELICO. The research is a strong platform for critical knowledge exchange and engagement and the presentation of results enhanced the understanding of the current realities and status in relation to access to and use of e-resources in the higher education setting particularly in the academic libraries. Furthermore, the study makes significant contribution in the areas of policy, theory and practice regarding access to and use of e-resources. The present study contributes to the body of knowledge, information and literature, especially in the context of Lesotho

Academic Library consortia in Vietnam: Historical Context, current state and the prospect for development

This research investigates whether Vietnam—a developing country with limited experience of library cooperation—is able to use consortia as a means of improving access to academic library content and services. The research uses a mixed methods approach, consisting of a questionnaire and interviews, to collect data addressing the research question: Are library consortia suited as a means of cooperation by Vietnamese academic libraries, and if so how can they be successfully developed and implemented