An Assessment of e-Book Collection Development Practices among Romance Language Librarians

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to describe the collection development practices regarding e-books among librarians who manage French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish (Romance) materials. The authors aim to describe factors that influence acquisition of e-books for Romance language collections to confirm librarians’ perception that humanities researchers prefer print and library administrators’ attitudes toward e-books. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY APPROACH: This study collected data using a mixed-method approach of a survey and focus groups. FINDINGS: This study confirms that user preference is the primary consideration of Romance librarians in selecting e-books. Contrary to librarians’ perceptions, this study found that humanities faculty and students are not averse to using e-books for specific purposes such as searching, targeted reading and course materials. While restrictions on lending e-books are a concern, Romance librarians are focused primarily on serving the needs of their core constituencies. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The practice of adding call numbers to individual e-books varies among institutions. Individual e-book titles in large packages do not necessarily get added to the catalog, thus making it very difficult to compare e-book collections between institutions. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study endeavors to unify the anecdotal narratives and factors that influence the acquisition of e-books by Romance librarians

An examination of technology and its influence on reading in struggling students and an autoethnography of a preservice teacher

Educators have never had the possibility of incorporating technology into the classroom like they do today. Although technology can have its difficulties, it can truly help the development of reading for struggling students. Reading research is providing more and more clarity about how to use technology effectively within our school communities to support and enhance the academic performance of today\u27s students (i.e. Gallagher, 2009; Isazadeh, 2004; Rice, 2011). A review of studies conducted by the CEO Forum (2001)emphasizes: technology can have the greatest impact when integrated into the curriculum to achieve clear, measurable educational objectives. This meaning that with the help of technology and all of the resources it provides, if used within the curriculum correctly teachers can reach their learning goals better. Technology can aid the growth of reading development in students with, or without, a learning disability. The beginning chapter will define students who are struggling readers and outline the effects technology will have on these students. Following, will be a present case study of a student who struggles with reading in order to frame the research in a contemporary setting. There will also be a personal experience with technology,focusing primarily on the IPAD, and a self-reflected journey within each chapter in a quest in becoming a technology savvy teacher. The next chapter will present the use IPADs within the classroom. It will then describe ways teachers can spark their students\u27 interests in reading with alternative practices. With the help of a local, technology savvy teacher, there will be a real-life circumstances that have aided struggling readers at any specific grade level

El desarrollo de colecciones en bibliotecas universitarias bajo el enfoque de la teoría de la complejidad y del análisis de dominio

Objetivo. Pesquisa que propôs pensar o Desenvolvimento de Coleções em bibliotecas universitárias inspirado na Teoria da Complexidade e na Análise de Domínio. Buscou aporte teórico na Teoria da Complexidade de Morin e no paradigma social da Ciência da Informação, mais especificamente na Análise de Domínio de Hjørland, para pensar como poderiam ser tecidas diretrizes para o Desenvolvimento de Coleções em bibliotecas universitárias de forma a enfrentar os desafios da contemporaneidade.Método. Estabelece como caminho metodológico os pressupostos da Teoria da Complexidade e a perspectiva qualitativa para a abordagem do problema. Para tal, conta com quatro dimensões de análise: epistemológica, do pensamento registrado, do pensamento institucionalizado e do pensamento vigenteResultados. Os resultados indicam que o Desenvolvimento de Coleções engloba inúmeros elementos e enfrenta dificuldades, é orientado ao atendimento das demandas da instituição e usuários, requer a participação da comunidade acadêmica, inclusive na elaboração da política, que deve ser alinhada à missão da instituição e atualizada constantemente.Conclusão. Conclui que pensar sobre as diretrizes para o Desenvolvimento de Coleções, adotando a perspectiva social da Análise de Domínio e baseado no anel tetralógico de Morin, contribui para o desnudamento de questões que envolvem esse processo em bibliotecas universitárias.Objective. This study proposed a reflection on collection development for university libraries inspired by the Complexity Theory and Domain Analysis. A theoretical contribution was sought in Morin's Complexity Theory and in the social paradigm of Information Science, more specifically in Hjørland's Domain Analysis, to think about how guidelines could be woven for the Collection Development in university libraries in order to face the challenges of Contemporaneity.Method. . It establishes the Complexity Theory assumptions and the qualitative perspective to approach the problem. To do so, it relies on four analysis dimensions: the epistemological,  the published thinking, the institutionalized thinking and of the current thinking.Results. The results indicate that collection development includes innumerous elements and faces difficulties, it is guided by institutional and users demands, it requires the participation of the academic community, including in drafting the policy, which should be aligned to the mission of the institution and constantly updated.Conclusions. It concludes that thinking about the guidelines for Collection Development, adopting the social perspective of the domain analysis and based on Morin’s tetralogical ring, contributes to the denudation of issues surrounding that process in university librariesObjetivo. Analiza la propuesta de abordar el Desarrollo de colecciones en bibliotecas universitarias bajo el enfoque de la Teoría de la Complejidad y en el Análisis de Dominio. Busca el aporte teórico en la Teoría de la Complejidad de Morin y del paradigma social de la Ciencia de la Información, más específicamente en el Análisis de Dominio de Hjørland, para idear cómo podrían ser elaboradas las directrices para el desarrollo de colecciones en bibliotecas universitarias afrontando los desafíos de la contemporaneidad.Método. Se establece como metodología los presupuestos de la Teoría de la Complejidad y la perspectiva cualitativa para el abordaje del problema. Para ello, cuenta con cuatro dimensiones de análisis: epistemológica, del pensamiento registrado, del pensamiento institucionalizado y del pensamiento vigenteResultados. Los resultados indican que el desarrollo de colecciones engloba incontables elementos y enfrenta dificultades, estando orientado a la atención de las demandas de la institución y del usuario, requiere de la participación de la comunidad académica, inclusive para la elaboración de la política, que debe ser alineada a la misión de la institución y actualizada constantemente.Conclusión. Concluye que pensar en directrices para el desarrollo de colecciones, adoptando la perspectiva social del Análisis de Dominio y basado en el Anillo Tetralógico de Morin, contribuye en hacer evidente diversas cuestiones que envuelven ese proceso en bibliotecas universitarias

The shape and form of the 21st century academic library in South Africa : the case of the University of Cape Town libraries

This study sought to ascertain the shape and form of the 21st century academic library in South Africa, using the case of UCT Libraries. The objective was supported by sub-objectives, namely: to ascertain, via a rigorous review of literature, how far along academic libraries worldwide are with incorporating technological advances in their services; to identify the progress of UCT Libraries in establishing itself as a 21st century academic library; to ascertain how readily staff adapt to changes and new technology in the library; and, to ascertain user expectations of a modern, digital era academic library. A qualitative design with a case study approach was employed by the study. The study was supported by organizational learning theory. Themes emanating from the literature include, inter alia, open access, MOOCs, digital humanities and research data management. Further data was collected via interviews and a questionnaire survey of purposively sampled library staff. Stratified random sampling was used to extract samples from the targeted user population (UCT undergraduates, postgraduates and, academics and researchers) for surveying by means of online questionnaires. The study concludes that academic libraries, the world over, are adapting their services according to user demands and users’ use of current technology; that UCT Libraries is currently in the process of establishing itself as a 21st century academic library and that the progress and procedures currently in place to encourage new developments, holds UCT Libraries in good stead towards establishing itself as a 21st century academic library service; that the prevailing culture of organizational learning in UCT Libraries bodes well for constantly adapting to new technologies; and, that users are generally satisfied with the services they are receiving from the Library. Although the case of UCT Libraries was used in this study, in many ways this case is typical of academic libraries in other parts of South Africa as well as in other parts of the world and hence this study of the shape and form of the 21st century academic library has relevance to other academic library contexts as well

Attitudes towards and use of ebooks at the University of Canterbury

Research Problem: There is a contradiction surrounding ebooks in that they are becoming more and more common in academic libraries but evidence often suggests that users still prefer print books to ebooks. The purpose of the study is to examine how users at the University of Canterbury are using the Library’s ebooks and what their attitudes towards ebooks are. The study also looks at what role age, gender, academic status and college affiliation play in shaping attitudes towards and use of ebooks. Methodology: The study used an online survey to discover how ebooks were used and viewed by users at the University of Canterbury. The survey was largely quantitative but included several comments sections where users could give more qualitative answers. The population sampled was the academic staff and PhD students of the University of Canterbury. Results: The results show that the participants are mostly aware of and using ebooks. Opinion is still divided on ebooks with some user still preferring print and many users preferring access to both print and ebooks. Age, gender, academic status and college affiliation all have some effect on attitudes towards and use of ebooks. Implications: Academic libraries need to take note of the opinions their users have about ebooks so as to better meet their needs. Some of the problems around ebook use can be solved by increased user education but others are the result of restrictions placed on ebooks by publishers and vendors. Other problems are inherent to the ebook format and cannot be ignored. Academic libraries can best meet their users’ needs by providing both print and ebook collections were possible

Situación actual del acceso a los libros electrónicos en la educación superior universitaria pre COVID-19

Describe y analiza la situación actual del acceso a los libros electrónicos en la educación superior universitaria, en el periodo pre COVID-19. Se realizó una investigación cualitativa, descriptiva y documental, basada en 123 fuentes bibliográficas. Las categorías fueron libros electrónicos y acceso a los libros electrónicos. Esta información fue complementada con el programa ATLAS.ti. La técnica utilizada fue el análisis documental y el instrumento, una tabla en programa Excel. Acerca de los resultados, los dispositivos electrónicos y formatos más utilizados en la educación superior universitaria, fueron el smartphone, la laptop, el PDF y el EPUB. Sobre la preferencia de uso según país, se encontró que en Estados Unidos el 61% prefiere la tablet; en Latinoamérica, el 50%, smartphone; en España, el 12%, e-reader. Acerca del acceso a los libros electrónicos, fue mediante título a título, suscripción a paquetes y Open Access. Se concluye que la situación actual del acceso a los libros electrónicos en la educación superior universitaria es diferente según la región geográfica. Los países desarrollados brindan un servicio eficiente y moderno, mientras que, en los países no desarrollados, a las bibliotecas universitarias les falta implementar y mejorar el servicio

Perceptions of E-books Among Students and Instructors in Higher Education

Research Purpose: Electronic books (e-books) have been predicted to have strong impact in higher education. But the adoption rate of e-books adoption in higher education has been slower than anticipated. A study of the perceptions of the perceptions towards e-books among students and instructors in higher education as well as the factors driving those perceptions might provide insights into the slow adoption rate. Research Questions: 1. What are the perceptions of College (CEGEP) and university students and instructors towards e-books? 2. How do respondents’ perceptions towards e-books differ demographically? 3. How do students and instructors’ perceptions differ among different types of reading materials (general news, professional information, scholarly information)? 4. Which characteristics drive students’ and instructor’s perceptions towards e-books? 5. Are participants aware of the terms and conditions of ownership of e-books? Literature review: The Technology Acceptance Model, which explains users’ decisions to adopt new technology, underlies this study. Technically, e-books refers to the hardware on which people read digital materials, the software that presents the material on-screen, and the content that users actually read. Development of e-books was first proposed in 1945, with the first successful commercial e-book hardware appearing in 2007. Previous studies of users’ perceptions of e-books have been mixed; some suggest users like them while others have found resistance. Perceptions vary among different demographic groups such as male and female groups, students and instructors groups, and younger and elderly groups. Specific factors that generate favorable impressions of e-books include their low cost, convenience (store many books on a single, portable, lightweight device) and special features, like searching and annotating functions. Specific factors that hinder interest include compatibility issues (books bought for one device cannot be used on others), technical glitches, and quality of reading (which is lower in online situations). Methodology: Online survey distributed to 869 participants distributed to students and faculty at one college and one university in Canada providing descriptive and inferential data. Statistical analyses such as t-test, one-way ANOVA and correlation are implied. Results: Participants generally have positive attitudes towards e-books, but males, and those with higher levels of education and previous experience with e-books tend to have more positive attitudes. But participants’ still see printed materials as more credible than e-books and online scholarly and professional publication. In addition, participants who were less likely to take notes when reading and who had fewer concerns about plagiarism had higher perceptions of e-books. Participants also lack awareness of the terms and conditions of ownership of e-textbooks. Implications: This study provides instructors, librarians, and book publishers more detailed knowledge about the factors that could influence adoption of e-books in higher education. It also demonstrates that the Technology Acceptance Model is a useful framework for exploring the adoption of this technology

O desenvolvimento de coleções em bibliotecas universitárias na perspectiva dos desafios da pós-modernidade: diretrizes sob o olhar da teoria da complexidade e da análise do domínio

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Educação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Informação, Florianópolis, 2017.Pesquisa que propôs diretrizes para o desenvolvimento de coleções em bibliotecas universitárias inspiradas na Teoria da Complexidade e na análise de domínio. Considera que a sociedade pós-moderna requer que as bibliotecas universitárias realcem o seu papel como centros do saber e desenvolvam suas coleções, como resultado do planejamento no desenvolvimento de coleções, para ampliar o seu escopo de atuação sem ofuscar sua missão tradicional de subsidiar as atividades de ensino, pesquisa e extensão desenvolvidas na instituição. Define como questão de pesquisa: Com base na Teoria da Complexidade e na análise de domínio é possível traçar diretrizes para o desenvolvimento de coleções em bibliotecas universitárias de forma a enfrentar os desafios da pós-modernidade? Buscou aporte teórico na Teoria da Complexidade de Morin e no paradigma social da Ciência da Informação, mais especificamente na análise de domínio de Hjørland, para pensar como poderiam ser tecidas diretrizes para o desenvolvimento de coleções em bibliotecas universitárias considerando os distintos fios para um olhar mais complexo, flexível e múltiplo para esse objeto de estudo. Estabelece como caminho metodológico para obtenção das respostas necessárias os pressupostos da Teoria da Complexidade e a perspectiva qualitativa para a abordagem do problema. Para tal, conta com quatro dimensões de análise, denominadas de epistemológica, guiada pela analogia entre os fundamentos da Teoria da Complexidade e da noção de análise de domínio; do pensamento registrado, tendo a pesquisa bibliográfica como fonte de dados para detectar o pensamento sobre o desenvolvimento de coleções em bibliotecas universitárias na literatura internacional; do pensamento institucionalizado com o emprego da pesquisa documental nas políticas das bibliotecas universitárias federais; e do pensamento vigente com a realização de entrevistas com os gestores desse processo nas bibliotecas universitárias federais brasileiras. Obtém como principais resultados a partir das dimensões analisadas: o desenvolvimento de coleções engloba inúmeros elementos e enfrenta dificuldades com as limitações orçamentárias que impulsionam a busca por alternativas, como os programas de doação, intercâmbio e compartilhamento de recursos; as coleções são formadas por diversos materiais; a seleção orientada pelo atendimento às demandas da instituição, considerando principalmente bibliografias e indicações de docentes; a participação da comunidade acadêmica é cada vez mais requerida, inclusive na elaboração da política, que deve ser alinhada à missão da instituição e atualizada constantemente; as decisões sobre os materiais incorporados às coleções são baseadas nos usuários e nas demandas; a avaliação da coleção é baseada principalmente no uso dos materiais, que tem sido considerado associado à falta de espaço físico para o desbaste de materiais. Propõe o pensar nas diretrizes usando o anel tetralógico de Morin, buscando levar à reflexão sobre as possibilidades e as diversidades de aspectos que podem interferir no desenvolvimento de coleções em bibliotecas universitárias brasileiras. Conclui que pensar sobre as diretrizes para o desenvolvimento de coleções, adotando a perspectiva social da análise de domínio e baseado no anel tetralógico de Morin, contribui para o desnudamento de questões que envolvem esse processo em bibliotecas universitárias, com base na interação de elementos provenientes da ordem/desordem/organização, mostra que o desenvolvimento de coleções pode refletir a identidade dessas bibliotecas, reforçar o seu papel como instituições do saber e como participantes ativas no processo de aprendizagem nas universidades, e que, ainda, possam corresponder aos anseios da comunidade e ao mesmo tempo preservar a herança cultural e científica da humanidade.Abstract : Research that proposed guidelines for the collection development in university libraries inspired by the Complexity Theory and domain analysis. It considers that postmodern society requires university libraries to enhance their role as knowledge centers and develop their collections as a result of planning in the collection development, to broaden their scope of action without overshadowing their traditional mission of subsidizing activities such as teaching, research, and extension that are developed in the institution. It is defined as a research matter: Based on the Complexity Theory and on domain analysis, is it possible to draw up guidelines for the development of collections in university libraries in order to face the challenges of post-modernity? A theoretical contribution was sought in Morin's Complexity Theory and in the social paradigm of Information Science, more specifically in Hjørland's domain analysis, to think about how guidelines could be woven for the development of collections in university libraries considering the different threads for a more complex, flexible and multiple look at this object of study. As a methodological way to obtain the necessary answers it establishes the Complexity Theory assumptions and the qualitative perspective to approach the problem. To do so, it relies on four analysis dimensions, called epistemological, guided by the analogy between the Complexity Theory foundations and the notion of domain analysis; of the published thinking, adopting the bibliographical research as a source of data to detect the reasoning on collection development in university libraries in the international literature; of institutionalized thinking with the use of documentary research in the policies of federal university libraries; and of the current thinking with the accomplishment of interviews with the managers of this process in the Brazilian federal university libraries. As main results from the analyzed dimensions it obtains: collection development includes innumerous elements and faces difficulties due to budget constraints that drive the search for alternatives, such as donation programs, exchange and sharing of resources; the collections are formed by several materials; the selection guided by catering to the institution demands, mainly considering bibliographies and indications made by teachers; the participation of the academic community is increasingly required, in policy making included, as it must be aligned with the mission of the institution and constantly updated; decisions about materials incorporated into collections are based on users and demands; collection evaluation is mainly based on the use of the materials, which has been considered associated with the lack of physical space for the weeding of materials. It proposes to think of the guidelines using Morin's tetralogical ring, seeking to lead to the reflection on possibilities and diversities of aspects that can interfere with the collection development in Brazilian university libraries. It concludes that thinking about the guidelines for collection development, adopting the social perspective of the domain analysis and based on Morin s tetralogical ring, contributes to the denudation of issues surrounding that process in university libraries. Based on the interaction of elements from order/disorder/organization, shows that collection development can reflect the identity of those libraries, strengthening their role as knowledge institutions and active stakeholder in the learning process in universities, and also can respond to community concerns while preserving the cultural and scientific heritage of humanity