E-books in academic libraries

This paper provides an analysis of the current state of the art in e-books, and attempts both to set the scene and provide reasons for their low uptake. Publishers, e-book providers and aggregators, academics and intermediaries (i.e., librarians and information specialists) should concentrate on raising awareness of what is available and what are the advantages related to e-books for specific categories of users. At the same time e-book suppliers should make e-books easier to find and purchase

Assessment of Environmental Consciousness among Patrons in Selected Academic and Public Libraries in Lagos Metropolis

The study examined environmental consciousness patterns among patrons in academic and public libraries. Using the survey method, data was collected from 383 patrons who were conveniently selected from six libraries in Lagos metropolis. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to determine the internal consistency and reliability of the multiple item scales. The least Cronbach’s Alpha value returned for the variables in the questionnaire was 0.79. Q uantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Waste disposal was found to be the most disturbing environmental issue. Respondents from both academic and public libraries agreed that there is not enough useful information on adopting pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs). Further findings showed that respondents from both academic and public libraries demonstrate similar pattern of motivation towards environmental consciousness. It is recommended that libraries should include services that will foster eco-friendly behaviour among library patrons

Beyond books: the concept of the academic library as learning space

© 2016, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Purpose: The paper aims to explore the issues surrounding the user conceptualisation of academic libraries. The paper will solidify the role of academic libraries as learning spaces and problematise how libraries are conceptualised by users. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is a literature-based conceptual paper and draws on a wide range of literature to challenge the concept of academic libraries and presents how they are becoming reframed as different spaces. Findings: The paper argues that the concept of a library is at risk. While libraries have undergone substantial changes, the concept of a library has lingered. This paper demonstrated that libraries need to proactively engage users in this debate. Originality/value: The spatial approach taken by this paper demonstrates the complicity behind the user conceptualisation of libraries. Developing an understanding of this process is an important foundation for libraries to develop their user engagement

Electronic Security Systems in Academic Libraries: A Case Study of Three University Libraries in South-West Nigeria.

This study examines the effectiveness of electronic security systems in academic libraries with a focus on selected university libraries in South-West Nigeria. The study is to find out what electronic security systems are in use in academic libraries, how library materials are removed illegally, and to ascertain the effectiveness of the electronic devices in the libraries. A survey method was used for the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics of frequency counts and percentages were used to analyze data gathered through the survey. One hundred and nine (109) copies of the questionnaire were distributed. Eighty-one (81) copies (74%) were duly completed and retrieved from the respondents. A participant observation method was also employed to measure how effective the electronic security devices are. The study unveils that academic libraries have suffered adversely from security issues and other anti-social menaces and that the installation of electronic security devices would drastically curb the situation

Implications for academic libraries

This paper may present a more restricted view of the academic library interface with collective bargaining than might have been anticipated, primarily for three reasons. First, I am more familiar with the Canadian academic library situation than with the American, although I have studied the pattern which appears to be emerging in American libraries. In addition, I am convinced that if academic library administrators had realized at any point within the past ten years that library management is a unique and demanding scientific discipline and had borrowed some of the techniques and methodologies being practiced in the business community, they could have been in a position of bargaining from strength rather than from weakness. Finally, I am firmly committed to the belief that academic librarians should achieve their status and any ensuing rights and privileges through their own merit, and not by accepting a system designed for another profession with similar, but not identical, objectives and requirements.published or submitted for publicatio

Framing Collaboration: Archives, IRs, and General Collections

Collaborative collecting highlights the opportunity for liaison librarians and archivists in academic libraries to develop an integrated and holistic approach to the successful collection of library materials. Yet as academic libraries become the central location for general collections, institutional repositories, university archives, manuscript collections, and other special collections, the world of collecting in academic libraries becomes more siloed. The profession stands to benefit from a stronger realization of shared collecting practices. Liaison librarians have the potential to provide critical information to archivists in support of faculty collecting and research. Archivists have the opportunity to provide liaison librarians with context about university units and the organization’s broader history. Shared information can result in more robust collecting policies and practices across the library

Towards a Conceptual Map of Academic Libraries\u27 Role in Student Retention

Academic libraries, like other academic departments, are developing strategies to retain students given the high cost of withdrawing to both students and institutions. The relatively few empirical studies of college libraries and retention efforts cite comfortable library facilities, student employment in the library, and inter-departmental partnerships as effective library strategies to prevent attrition. Much of the professional literature on libraries and retention extrapolates what libraries could be doing based on general studies of retention. These empirically-based and theoretical strategies are presented in the form of conceptual map at the end of this review along with a map of institutional stakeholders in a holistic retention strategy

Finding the Middle Ground in Collection Development: How Academic Law Libraries Can Shape Their Collections in Response to the Call for More Practice-Oriented Legal Education

To examine how academic law libraries can respond to the call for more practice-oriented legal education, the authors compared trends in collection management decisions regarding secondary sources at academic and law firm libraries along with law firm librarians’ perceptions of law school legal research training of new associates