Assessment of user preference to information resources in agricultural libraries in north India

Through a survey, this study assesses the preference of users with regard to print and electronic information resources in agricultural libraries of north India and to identify the preferred mode of access thereof. The required data were collected, employing questionnaires and through telephonic surveys. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used for analysing the data. The level of association between the user preference and the corresponding variable was derived throughChi Squared (χ2) Test. It is found that the users of agricultural libraries in north India use information resources almost equally both in print and electronic forms, although online resources are favored over print as they are ‘easy to search and retrieve’, ‘easy and quick to access’ and ‘more up-to-date’ than their print counterparts

User Opinion About SPS Public Library: A Study Of Google Map Reviews

Nowadays, individuals tend to seek information about various entities through online platforms where other people share their experiences. Google Maps is one such platform that enables users to rate and review anything, including public libraries. This study aims to investigate the manner in which users of the SPS library utilize Google Maps to express their opinions about the library\u27s services and amenities. This study utilized Google Maps as a source of data, with a data extractor being used to extract reviews. The extracted reviews were then subjected to content analysis to categorize them into different categories. Following this, a sentiment analysis was conducted to identify positive, negative, and neutral opinions about the library. The study found that users of SPS library utilized Google Maps to express their opinions about the library, with most of the reviews coming from local guides. Out of the 220 comments obtained, facilities and general aspects of the library received the most attention. Of these comments, 56% were positive, 26% were negative, and 18% were neutral. The staff and technology were the most criticized categories. None of the reviews received a response from the library authority. The study concludes that the library should actively monitor user reviews on Google Maps and other online platforms to improve their services and facilities. By doing so, the library can enhance user satisfaction and maintain a good reputation in the eyes of its users

Library and Information Science Schools in Northern India: Present Status

The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalent scenario of Library and Information Science (LIS) education system in Northern Indian states to focus about the courses offered, intake capacity, faculty and other ingredients essential for imparting qualitative education in the discipline of library and information science. Design/Methodology/Approach: Questionnaire tool is employed to obtain data from the institutions imparting education atdifferent levelsin Northern India. Findings: The study reveals that the schools are having appropriate infrastructure; however have a scope for further improvement in areas like knowledge resources available in libraries, computer labs, faculty strength, teaching methodologies and teaching aids. Limitations: The research restricted to a limited number of institutions highlights different facets of library and information science education in Northern India only. Research Implications: Findings of the study will facilitate the concerned authorities at the national and local level to take appropriate measures in improving the standard of Libraryand Information Science education

Library & information Science Profession and professional competencies

Libraries ever since their beginning are engaged in the acquisition, processing and dissemination of knowledge, as knowledge is stock-in -trade for librarians. Because of modern technology applied in the libraries, nature of activities performed in lib-raries has changed to a f511?0t extent. With the passage oftime all/he thee ing-redients oflibmry viz. documents (in any formal), Users (in their behavior ) and staff (in their skills ) are changing. This paper analyses these change:; &lists the competencies being adopted by LlS professionals in order to perform effectively and efficiently

Curriculum of Graduate Courses in Library and Information Science Schools of Northern India: An Analysis

The aim of the study is to investigate the course structure in the curriculum of Library and Information Science (LIS) schools in Northern part of India at graduate level. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaire was designed to get the data from the institutions. When response rate was low, curriculum prevailing in the institutions was either downloaded from their respective websites or a hardcopy was collected from the departments personally. Thirteen institutions are included in this study. Findings: Data collected from the selected LIS departments when analyzed, reveals that there is disparity existing in the curriculum adopted by these schools. Same papers taught in these schools have different nomenclatures. Research limitations/implications: The research restricted to a limited number of institutions presents the pattern of Library and Information Science education in Northern India only. Originality/value: The research, leads to the fact that instead of heterogeneity, homogeneity in curriculum is the demand of the day in order to impart qualitative education in the field of LIS

A GLIMPSE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENABLED LIBRARY SERVICES

Libraries and information centers are existing in the societies from time immemorial. The basic functions of the libraries revolve around acquiring information sources and making these information sources available to those who are in need of information. Nature of these activities changed with passage of time. In the Pre-Gotenburg era, libraries were focusing on the collection of manuscripts and other such materials. Preservation of these manuscripts was the priority of libraries. But after the invention of printing press, focus of libraries shifted to the collection of printed materials like books, journals, newspapers etc. With the popularization of education among different sections of societies and democratization of knowledge, librarians shifted their focus from collection of materials to more and more accessibility of users to the library collection. Librarian in the Post- Gotenburg era were no more custodians of knowledge but were regarded as facilitators, who provide supporting services to users in accessing information sources with more convenience. Revolution brought about by information and communication technology (ICT) has influenced each and every facet of library and information centers

Modeling Information Seeking Behavior of Scholarly Community

Abstract Purpose: A number of models have been designed from time to time globally by various authors and researchers relevant to information needs and seeking behavior of users in various academic institutions. The paper explores, introduces and discusses various information seeking models and explains various elements of each model with an aim to design a model showing the information seeking behavior of Research Scholars in Universities of Kashmir. Design/methodology/approach: Various online resources like database, research articles and other web tools were accessed to retrieve relevant information related to the select models. To explore the information seeking behavior of Research Scholars, a total of 200 scholars were selected from University of Kashmir using stratified random sampling. Besides, a well-designed questionnaire was used as a data gathering tool and was personally distributed among all the scholars pursuing research degree in university of Kashmir to examine their information seeking behavior. Findings: The main findings of the study are presented in the form of a model which reveals that the information seeking behavior of scholars is greatly influenced by the introduction of Information Technology in the university libraries. There is a transformation from the traditional way of seeking information by scholars towards the tech savvy mode. Some of the findings of the study includes that Research Scholars mainly use Laptops as compared to desktops for seeking their desired information. Internet and Newspapers are mostly to get updated with the latest information related to their research. The study also reveals that research scholars face a number of barriers while accessing the needed information from the electronic resources including slow internet connectivity, electricity disruption, limited internet access time provided by authorities. Originality/value: The paper shows the practical value of a new model of information behavior which was developed using insights from earlier models in the field of Library & Information Science. Such research paves new horizons in understanding the information needs and seeking behavior of researchers at University level. Keywords: Information Seeking Behavior, Information Seeking Models, Information Literacy, University of Kashmir, Universities of Jammu & Kashmir. Paper type: Research Pape

Modeling Information Seeking Behavior of Scholarly Community

Abstract Purpose: A number of models have been designed from time to time globally by various authors and researchers relevant to information needs and seeking behavior of users in various academic institutions. The paper explores, introduces and discusses various information seeking models and explains various elements of each model with an aim to design a model showing the information seeking behavior of Research Scholars in Universities of Kashmir. Design/methodology/approach: Various online resources like database, research articles and other web tools were accessed to retrieve relevant information related to the select models. To explore the information seeking behavior of Research Scholars, a total of 200 scholars were selected from University of Kashmir using stratified random sampling. Besides, a well-designed questionnaire was used as a data gathering tool and was personally distributed among all the scholars pursuing research degree in university of Kashmir to examine their information seeking behavior. Findings: The main findings of the study are presented in the form of a model which reveals that the information seeking behavior of scholars is greatly influenced by the introduction of Information Technology in the university libraries. There is a transformation from the traditional way of seeking information by scholars towards the tech savvy mode. Some of the findings of the study includes that Research Scholars mainly use Laptops as compared to desktops for seeking their desired information. Internet and Newspapers are mostly to get updated with the latest information related to their research. The study also reveals that research scholars face a number of barriers while accessing the needed information from the electronic resources including slow internet connectivity, electricity disruption, limited internet access time provided by authorities. Originality/value: The paper shows the practical value of a new model of information behavior which was developed using insights from earlier models in the field of Library & Information Science. Such research paves new horizons in understanding the information needs and seeking behavior of researchers at University level. Keywords: Information Seeking Behavior, Information Seeking Models, Information Literacy, University of Kashmir, Universities of Jammu & Kashmir. Paper type: Research Pape

Web Based Services Provided by University Libraries of BRICS Nations: A Comparative Study

The developments in information and communication technologies (ICT) and their subsequent absorption in library and information science (LIS) have forced information professionals to change the way they are functioning at present. Because of their popularity with the users, an overwhelming attention is being given to the web-based information services in libraries .The web 2.0 technologies have rapidly gained huge popularity and as such, the university libraries, being the heart of the highest seats of learning, need to equip themselves with all the possible web based, i.e. web 2.0 and allied services. The present study made an endeavour to study the various web 2.0 and allied web based services offered by select university libraries of BRICS nations. This study shows that the web based services in the university libraries of BRICS nations are quite better. The findings show that India and china universities are far behind as compared to Brazil, Russia and South Africa in employability of web 2.0 tools in librarie

Status of collection in agricultural libraries of Northern India with an overview of the trend in acquisition

Purpose – This paper of this study is to attempt to explore the status of collection in agricultural libraries of Northern India and assess the magnitude of impact of the advent of electronic information resources (EIRs) on the contemporary acquisition. Design/methodology/approach – While adhering to the survey method, the questionnaire was used as a data collection tool to collect data from university librarians. Telephonic interaction and e-mail correspondence were also used to clear doubts, remove ambiguities and obtain data of higher significance from the respondents. Findings – The majority of the agricultural libraries in Northern India have a sound collection of information resources in the print form, which may continue to act as a source of attraction for users in the future for a long time to come. Yet, the acquisition of information resources in the print form across the studied libraries continues at routine pace, and as such the advent of e-resources seems to have not yet laid any prominent impact on acquisition of resources in print form. E-Books have not yet been fully incorporated into the library collection and that e-journal collection “CeRA” (Consortium for Electronic Resources in Agriculture) seems to gratify the needs of users of these libraries, as no additional e-journals are seen to be subscribed to at present. Research limitations/implications – Only seven agricultural libraries have been taken as a sample. Moreover, the work is confined to only two aspects, i.e. current status and the impact of EIRs on acquisition of information resources. Other aspects like those of collection development, storage and accommodation, preservation, library functionality and library services need to also be studied. Originality/value – This is first work of its nature in Northern India with agricultural libraries as their domain. The findings will help the librarians and the library advisory committees decide on logical grounds about the proportion at which the print and electronic forms of information resources need to be acquired