Academic Library Administrators Research Articles

Disaster Preparedness and Management Practices in Academic Libraries in Context

Academic libraries are faced with natural and man-made disasters that can affect service delivery and loss of life to staff and patrons. The study was done to discuss the disaster preparedness and management practices to be observed by academic libraries and identify the enabling and disabling factors towards the successful management of the experienced disasters. The study was conducted as a systematic literature review where articles were retrieved using relevant keywords from Emerald, Sage, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar where 8753 articles were identified, and 39 articles were reviewed after screening. Using the content analysis approach, the practices that should be factored in disaster preparedness and management plans were analysed. The findings showed that academic libraries were affected by fires, floods, digital disasters, earthquakes, cyclones, typhoons, storms, tornadoes, COVID-19, pest infestation, vandalism, theft, unstable electric power, war, and bomb threats. The disaster preparedness and management practices employed included risk assessment, emergency response planning, staff training, collection protection, digital preservation, backup and recovery, communication and outreach, and collaboration and partnerships. The enabling and disabling factors were funding, awareness, infrastructure, staffing, and collaboration. The authors recommend that academic libraries should have disaster preparedness plans, collaborate and establish partnerships, invest in technology and infrastructure, train both staff and users on dealing with disasters, and insure the library buildings and collections. The study would inform academic library administrators, policymakers, and disaster management professionals in academic institutions about effective strategies that can used to deal with disasters.

Administrators' Perceptions of Racial Equity Accountability Practices in Academic Libraries

abstract: This article examines racism and accountability practices within academic libraries from the perspective of academic library administrators, with attention to differences between BIPOC and White academic library administrators. The quantitative data collected via an online survey show White academic library administrators are more likely to believe leadership is accountable and proactive in addressing racism within the workplace than BIPOC academic library administrators. The data reveal a need for accountability to be better defined within libraries and for academic library administrators to work together to better align on commitments toward addressing racism within the library workplace.

From books to bytes: a systematic review of the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in academic library administration

The role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in administration is crucial as academic libraries transition from traditional repositories to dynamic digital platforms. This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) delves into ICT's impacts and applications in academic library management. The study focused on: the mechanisms and extent of ICT adoption in administrative functions, the discernible benefits and challenges associated with the deployment of ICT; and the prospective trajectories for ICT utilisation in academic libraries. Following a rigorous review methodology, twenty-six (26) peer-reviewed articles from 2020 to 2023, sourced from ScienceDirect and Web of Science, were reviewed. Findings highlight diverse applications of ICT, ranging from operational tasks such as cataloguing and analytics to strategic responsibilities like decision-making and planning. Significantly, the study uncovers latent research gaps, especially in emerging technologies, ethical ramifications, and geographical nuances, thereby delineating avenues for future academic endeavours . Additionally, the study sheds light on the variegated nature of ICT applications, pointing to success factors, challenges including digital divides, and security concerns. Thus, the study serves as a historical evaluation and prospective guide for scholars, administrators, and policymakers, delineating the intricate interplay between technological innovation, human factors, and strategic planning in academic library administration.

Investigating digitization and digital preservation strategies for theses and dissertations: a case study of Quaid-I-Azam university, Pakistan

Purpose The purpose of this study is to outline the process, procedures and techniques used for digitization and digital preservation of theses and dissertations (TDs) collection at the Central Library of Quaid-I-Azam University, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Since the phenomenon under investigation is exploratory in nature, a case study qualitative paradigm was used to conduct this study. Findings The findings of the study offer a brief overview of the cost-effective solution that leveraged in-house expertise for the digital preservation of TDs. This led to the establishment of a knowledge repository hosting a substantial collection of approximately 25,857 electronic theses and dissertations, accessible online since August 2023. This project digitally preserved approximately 9,387 TDs on CDs/DVDs, and scanned about 15,000 print TDs, comprising around 1,399,244 pages. The cost incurred per page, including labor and rent of a photocopy machine, was just Rs 0.548 making it a cost-effective technique. The total cost incurred for this process was just 0.768m Pakistani rupees (equivalent to $2,509.55). The findings revealed key challenges, including administrative, financial, technical and copyright issues, that impede the effective execution of the project. Research limitations/implications This case study is limited to one Pakistani public sector university library. This case study holds significance in terms of practical insights and implications for academic institutions and library administrators in other developing countries like Pakistan, which have similar economic, social and technical circumstances. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first-ever study conducted to elucidate the cost-effective strategy adopted for digitally preserved TDs without additional financial and human resources while creating a knowledge repository.

Faculty Incentive Programs for Open Educational Resources: A Scoping Review

This scoping review examines the characteristics and reported outcomes of faculty incentive programs used to promote the adoption, adaptation, or creation of Open Educational Resources (OER) by academic libraries at higher education institutions. The study uses the PRISMA protocol for scoping reviews. The authors reviewed 1901 records: 1499 were from database searches and 402 from the grey literature. Twenty-three records met the inclusion criteria for this study. This study aims to contribute useful insights to academic library administrators for the development of future OER faculty incentive programs.

Overview of cultural capital theory's current impact and potential utility in academic libraries

Overview of cultural capital theory's current impact and potential utility in academic libraries

Linking Library Use to Student Engagement

Library deans are expected to demonstrate their library contributes to student success, especially in a time of scarce resources. This article describes one such effort to link student success to students’ use of the library. Student success is, in a large part, the result of student engagement, of which academic and social engagement are two prominent components. For the purposes of empirical research, academic and social engagement are suitable proxies for determining how various university programs and services, including libraries, contribute to student engagement and, thereby to student success. However, in the library and information science literature, very little qualitative research is available about the contribution of library space to student engagement. To fill this gap, a qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study, using semi-structured, in-depth interviews, was conducted at a medium-size public university in Southwest Florida to collect and analyze data on student perceptions of the relationship between their academic and social engagement and the way they used academic library spaces. Study participants agreed that using library spaces contributed to their ability to study independently and to interact with their peers on group projects and assignments, depending on the types of spaces available. This study has implications for academic library administrators who must demonstrate the value of library services and resources, including library space, to university administrators who are focused on student retention and success. By using the interview protocol from this study, library administrators will be able to collect valuable data that may be used to persuade university administrators when requesting funding to renovate existing library spaces, to build new library spaces, or to advocate to retain existing spaces.

Information Inputs and Influencing Factors in Administrator Decision Making: A Scoping Review

This scoping review analyzed the literature on decision making by academic library administrators. The authors reviewed 756 records retrieved from three databases and 627 additional records from citing and cited references; 33 articles met the inclusion criteria. Library administrators make widespread use of internal and external inputs in decision making. Six categories of inputs were identified, along with seven groups of influencing factors. This research contributes to the profession by identifying types of information that reduce uncertainties related to operational decision making and planning. Further research is needed on the relationship between inputs and complexity and levels of decision making.

Post Covid-19: Expectations for Academic Library Collections, Remote Work, and Resource Description and Discovery Staffing

This paper discusses the results of a 2021 survey in which 402 academic library employees shared their expectations for post-pandemic collections, remote work arrangements, and staffing and hiring in cataloging, electronic resources, and metadata—areas involved in resource description and discovery work. Their responses indicate that, during the next several years, some pandemic trends are expected to continue in academic libraries including an acceleration of the trend to phase out physical resources for electronic ones as well as trends in remote work options. The majority of participants also expect staffing levels for cataloging, electronic resources, and metadata to remain the same with about one-fifth of participants expecting increases in electronic resources staffing and smaller numbers expecting permanent decreases in cataloging staffing due to lack of either funding or need. Moreover, participant responses shed light on expectations for the hiring of faculty and staff positions in cataloging, electronic resources, and metadata. In sum, the study provides insights into aspects of academic libraries which may be of interest to academic library administrators, graduate students and programs in library and information science, publishers and providers of educational content, and academic library employees working in related areas. • Some pandemic trends are expected to continue in academic libraries including an acceleration of the trend to phase out physical resources for electronic ones and trends in remote work options. • Most participants indicated that they expect special collections acquisitions to remain at current levels during the next several years while approximately 12% expect the acquisition of these materials to increase. • Most participants expect staffing levels for cataloging, electronic resources, and metadata to remain the same with about one-fifth of participants expecting increases in electronic resources staffing and smaller numbers expecting permanent decreases in cataloging staffing due to lack of either funding or need. • Participant responses shed light on expectations for the hiring of full-time and part-time faculty and staff positions in cataloging, electronic resources, and metadata. Their responses suggest that, among U.S. academic libraries, job seekers are likely to see more staff positions available—including the availability of more part-time staff positions than either non-tenure or tenure-track faculty positions.

Structured Interviews Reveal That Reference and Liaison Librarians—as Engaged, Proactive Partners—are Vital to the Academic Enterprise

A Review of: Johnson, A.M. (2020). Reference and liaison librarians: Endangered species or “vital partners?” Views of academic library administrators. Journal of Library Administration, 60(7), 784-799. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2020.1786979 Abstract Objectives – To investigate the current state and prospects of reference and liaison librarianship. Design – Structured interviews consisted of 10 questions that lasted between 30 and 75 minutes. Setting – Fourteen medium-sized, urban universities geographically spread across the United States of America. Subjects – Fifteen library administrators with at least 10 years of experience. Methods – The author contacted academic library leaders from 17 benchmark institutions and head librarians from other R1 institutions whose libraries were members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) or whose campus size and characteristics mirrored the author’s institution in that they were medium-sized urban universities. The study examined five primary questions and included an appendix with the 16-item survey instrument. The structured interviews included 10 questions about the current state and prospects of reference and liaison librarianship, along with questions related to demographics. The author transcribed the interviews and removed all identifying information. Since the interviews were structured and thus thematically similar, coding software was not used. The author compiled and analyzed the responses to the questions. Main Results – The concepts of connecting, discovering, listening, and partnering were inherent in the definition of being a liaison librarian. In general, the library administrators, all of whom had been in the profession for 10 years or more, felt that liaison librarians should be active in furthering scholarly activities in such areas as grant-writing, generating scholarship, or data curation. There was an emphasis on outreach, being proactive, and engaging with faculty, which raised an important question for administrators: Is this skill set too broad for any one person, and if so, how can the library profession collaborate to draw upon each other’s strengths? There was a consensus that while the work of reference and liaison librarians is vital to the academic enterprise, this work need not be situated at a central reference desk. Rather, librarians would be physically embedded or electronically linked to students and faculty, helping them to formulate answerable questions, locate high-quality, evidence-based information in specialized databases, or provide support in such areas as open educational resource development, augmented reality, or scholarly communications. Conclusion – In the view of current library administrators, being a reference and liaison librarian means partnering proactively with students and faculty to ensure a deep understanding of their teaching, learning, and research needs while also maintaining a thorough knowledge of the libraries’ collections and resources. To accomplish this, the librarian must be visible to their constituencies, tell memorable, authentic stories of what they have to offer, and build lasting relationships. Reference and liaison librarians require traditional knowledge of library functions and systems and teaching skills and possess qualities such as collaboration, communication, and flexibility. Overall, library leaders believe that liaison librarians will continue to be vital partners and that without a central reference desk, there will be a deeper integration within the academic enterprise.

Relationship Between Academic Library Workers’ Outlooks on Life, Personality, and Goal-Setting Behavior and Achievement

A Review of: Lo, L.S. & Anderson, A.M. (2020). Personal goal setting behavior and professional outlooks of academic library employees. Journal of New Librarianship, 5, 204-236. https://doi.org/10.33011/newlibs/9/21 Abstract Objective – To identify a correlation between academic library employees who set New Year’s resolutions and goal-setting behavior in professional contexts, and to explore practices, personal attitudes, and outlooks that influence goal-setting and goal-achievement Design – Non-experimental multiple choice questionnaire Setting – Online Subjects – 308 adult participants (over 21 years old) who work in academic library settings including staff, librarians, and administration Methods – The authors designed an online, non-experimental multiple choice questionnaire through Qualtrics. The authors distributed study invitations to multiple professional library listservs, though it is unclear which listservs were included and what geographic location was covered. The survey was available for roughly a month from February 1-26, 2016. The survey screened participant demographics to omit those under 21 years of age and all identifying information was removed in order to protect participant privacy. All participation was voluntary and participants who were interested in contributing to a follow-up research study were asked to share their contact emails. Main Results – Most participants (n=182, 59%) set no New Year's resolutions in 2015 and half (n=155, 50%) set no resolutions in 2016. When asked to explain, 23% noted that they hadn't considered setting resolutions in 2016, 9% did not prioritize setting goals, and 5% felt that they could not achieve their goals. Additionally, over 50% articulated other reasons including not prioritizing goal-setting for New Year’s, noting that setting goals around the academic year was timelier, and that some participants already had enough goals to achieve. In 2016, half of participants (n=153, 50%) set New Year’s resolutions. By far the most common resolution was physical fitness and healthy eating (n=64, 42%). About 19% set occupational goals including skill building, and 15% set emotional goals including cultivating optimism and mindfulness. When asked about goal-setting practices, 36% of the 2016 resolution setters described writing or typing out their goals, 59% shared their goals with others, and nearly 90% enacted changes in their daily routines in order to achieve their goals. 26 participants used all of the goal setting practices above. This group prioritized their top goals and felt confident about reaching those goals. Four participants did not practice goal-setting techniques, and also felt less confident about achieving their goals. 49% of 2016 resolution setters had somewhat optimistic outlooks, and 24% had very optimistic life outlooks. Of those with pessimistic life outlooks, nearly all believed it would be difficult to accomplish goals. Respondents who claimed to be very ambitious were likely to set occupational goals as their top goal. 81% of those in dean and director positions reported being very ambitious and 85% also reported being optimistic. All deans and directors felt confident about accomplishing their goals. For middle managers, 75% felt ambitious and 72% felt optimistic. Professional librarians were 66% ambitious and 72% optimistic. Conclusions – This study's findings align closely with United States national averages about the percentage of Americans who set New Year’s resolutions and achieve their goals. Data suggests some relationship between academic library workers’ outlooks on life and confidence in achieving their goals, as well as a correlation between goal setting strategies and achieving goals. The authors express optimism that 20% of participants who set New Year's resolutions chose to list occupational goals as their top goals, especially considering that resolution-setting comprises an incredibly broad array of options. The authors suggest that data can be used by academic library administrators to increase worker job performance, improve worker wellness, establish mentorship programs, and train workers to set attainable goals.

Considerations for creating library learning spaces within a hierarchy of learning space attributes

University libraries struggle to keep up with rapidly changing technology and the associated change in teaching strategy. Most administrators and librarians are often not trained to assess space needs and struggle to reassign library spaces for non-traditional library use. As such, they often embark on expensive and time-consuming feasibility studies, using (typically) hard-earned monies to complete the research or to pilot a new space. What academic research library administrators and staff lack is guidance for discovering and planning needed renovations and improvements in aging library facilities. The purpose of this research project was to develop a set of considerations that can be used by library staff to self-analyze existing academic library spaces and identify areas that can be effectively improved for student benefit. The end result is a series of hierarchical self-analysis space considerations with a structured framework based on Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The results of this research use evidence-based design to facilitate important conversations, and provide an organized quick reference checklist of various considerations for library administrators and facility managers as they navigate the world of twenty-first century pedagogy and student learning.

Interrogating Shortcomings in Instructional Librarianship Preparation: A Comparison of Perspectives of Employers, LIS Educators, and Instructional Librarians

This study compares the perspectives of academic library administrators, library school educators, and academic librarians with respect to academic instructional librarianship. A nine-item questionnaire was administered to 14 educators, 10 library administrators, and 13 instructional librarians. The survey included items related to important qualities/traits of instructional librarians, job preparation, library school training, job duties, assessment, and challenges. Responses indicate a general agreement among the three populations regarding desirable skills/traits, but some disagreement exists between administrators and others regarding assessment. Results also suggest that further consideration is needed about the role and necessity of instructional librarian training in graduate library schools.

Memoriam: Lynn C. Westney (1947-2021)

References Davis, Ruth. 1987. ”Where will Technology Put the Library of the 21st Century.” Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 75, no. 1: 1-6. Chicago Tribune. 2021. “Dr. Lynn C. Westney.” Legacy Obituary. Accessed on 23 April 2021. Retrieved from https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/lynn-westney-obituary?pid=197494288. Howard, Heather, Meara Habashi, and Jason Reed. 2020. “The Gender Wage Gap in Research Libraries.” College and Research Libraries 81, no. 4: 664-675. Irvine, Betty Jo. 1985. “Difference by Sex: Academic Library Administrators.” Library Trends 34, no. 2: 235–258. Kamalski, Judith. 2011. “The Woman Formerly Known As. Research Trends.” Research Trends. Accessed on 24 April 2021. Retrieved from https://www.researchtrends.com/issue21-january-2011/944/. Lynch, Clifford and Edwin Brownrigg. 1986. “Conservation, Preservation, and Digitization.” College and Research Libraries July: 379–382. Pellack, Lorraine and Lori Kappmeyer. 2011. “The Ripple Effect of Women’s Name Changes in Indexing, Citation, and Authority Control.” Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 62, no. 3: 440–448. Noordewier, Marret, Fremke van Horen, Kirsten Ruys, and Dierderik Stapel. 2010. “What’s in a Name? 361.708 Euros: The Effects of Marital Name Change.” Basic and Applied Social Psychology 32, no.1: 17–25. Ruhig DuMont, Rosemary. 1985. “Introduction: Woman and Leadership in the Library Profession.” Library Trends 34, no. 2: 163–169. Swisher, Robert, Rosemary Ruhig DuMont, and Calvin Boyer. 1985. “The Motivation to Manage: A Study of Academic Librarians and Library Science Students.” Library Trends 34, no. 2: 219–234. Tescione, Susan. 1998. “Research News and Comment: A Woman’s Name: Implications for Publication, Citation, and Tenure.” Educational Researcher 27, no. 8: 38–42. US Department of Labor. 2021. “Affirmative Action.” Accessed on 23 April 2021. Retrieved from www.dol.gov/general/topic/hiring/affirmativeact. Westney, Lynn. 2007. “From Courtesans to Queens: Recipes Named for Women.” Names 55, no 3: 277–285. Westney, Lynn. 2009. “E-journals Inside Out: The First Decade.” Journal of the Association of History and Computing 12, no. 1. Accessed on 24 April 2021. Retrieved from https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jahc/3310410.0012.105/--e-journals-inside-and-out-the-first-decade?rgn=main;view=fulltext;q1=westney.

Do they really understand us?: Comparing instructional librarian, administrator, and educator perspectives about instructional librarianship preparation, duties, and needs

This study examines whether differences exist among the perspectives of academic instructional librarians, academic library administrators, and library and information science educators as to the important skills/traits, job duties, educational needs, and challenges of the instructional role in academic librarianship. A web-based questionnaire was completed by 378 participants, including 286 instructional librarians, 36 administrators, and 56 full-time or adjunct LIS educators. The results indicate that while there is general agreement about many of the needs and shortcomings in instructional librarians' preparation and job duties, there is some disagreement about the extent to which library schools help students prepare for instructional roles as well as the methods of assessment used by instructional librarians and the major challenges they face in their role.

Training and Practice of Instructional Librarians: Cross-Population and Longitudinal Perspectives

ABSTRACT This study examines the perspectives of instructional librarians, academic library administrators, and library school educators regarding the training and practice of instructional librarians. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with n = 37 participants from the three populations within the US and Canada. Inter-group responses were compared to explore similarities and differences between the groups. Responses were also compared to those from a similar study conducted in 1993. Findings indicate that training and practice related to instructional librarianship have changed over time. Compared to observations from 1993, librarians, administrators, and educators today observe that the demand for instruction has increased in the academic library workplace, fewer librarians enter the workplace with previous teaching experience, and library schools do a better job at providing instructional training than before. However, all respondent groups today placed increased responsibility on library schools to provided instructional training. Participants from all three populations today believe that library schools should continue to train students in instructional skills, although alternative modes of training were also recommended.

Analyzing Service Divide in Academic Libraries for Better Serving Disabled Patrons Using Assistive Technologies

Academic libraries invest thousands of dollars in assistive technologies (AT) for enhancing the delivery of information services to disabled patrons. However, offering AT might not result in their use by the patrons who need them, thereby leading to a service divide. The analysis of qualitative responses, including more than 1,400 quotations, elicited from academic library administrators and librarians in 186 public universities across the United States, reveals that academic libraries encounter 51 challenges related to the knowledge and skills of librarians, hardware and software concerns, institutional factors, finances, and external actors, when serving disabled patrons with AT. Finally, the researchers propose 15 solutions for bridging this service divide.

Reference and Liaison Librarians: Endangered Species or “Vital Partners?” Views of Academic Library Administrators

Reference, liaison, subject librarianship: all of these terms traditionally describe a combination of research assistance, instruction, and collection management. This study used structured interviews with 15 librarians at 14 geographically dispersed, medium to large academic institutions to investigate the current state of reference and liaison librarianship. Library administrators’ views are important to understanding the future of this work since they advocate for resources if they see the necessity. Findings included agreement on the goals of the work and the urgent need to communicate its value in the current higher education landscape; however, the specific means of communication and the types of work that being a partner could include varied.

Relationship between Organizational Culture and Knowledge Sharing: A Study of University Librarians

AbstractThis paper aims to examine how librarians construe organizational culture based on employees’ satisfaction, good leadership, and organizational support with knowledge sharing practices relationships. The quantitative research method, using a structured questionnaire comprised of three constructs of Organizational Culture (OC), including employees’ satisfaction, good leadership, and organizational support, and six constructs of Knowledge Sharing (KS) (innovation, collaboration, communication channel, trust, loyalty, and ethics), was considered as the most suitable for this study. Correlation research design and Pearson correlation test were used for examining the relationships between OC and KS with respect to academic librarians. The findings disclosed significant relationships between OC and KS among the study participants. Organizational support followed by good leadership style and employees’ satisfaction are the strong predictors of knowledge sharing practices in the context of this study. This study has some practical implications for academic library administrators to consider the role of effective organizational culture in promoting knowledge sharing practices among LIS professionals. This paper is the first attempt to explore the relationship between OC and KS in library perspective.

Toward Effective Planning and Management Using Predictive Analytics Based on Rental Book Data of Academic Libraries

Large scale data and predictive analytics are the most challenging tasks in the field of academic data mining. Academic libraries are a great source of information and knowledge to provide a wide range of services to meet end-user requirements. Due to the rapid changes in the educational environment and availability of huge library rental book data, it is required to utilize data mining and machine learning techniques in the context of the academic library to extract and analyze underlying knowledge from rental book data, which is important to facilitate library administration to drive better future decisions to improve and manage library resources effectively. These are the following resources, such as managing future demands of the library books, selection and arrangement of the books, operational efficiency, and also improve the quality of interaction between the library and end-users, etc. This work uses and analyzes a real dataset collected from the library of Jeju National University, the Republic of Korea. The dataset contains 2,211,413 rental book records including 173671 unique book records, 57203 unique number of the rental user, and 78 data parameters. In this paper, we propose a novel model to analyze and predict library rental book data to facilitates library administration in order to plan and manage library resources effectively and provide better services to end-users. The proposed model consists of two different modules; library data analysis and prediction modules. Firstly, we use data mining techniques to analyze and extract useful underlying patterns from library rental book data, which can lead to plan and manage library resources effectively. Secondly, a novel prediction model is proposed based on Deep Neural Network (DNN), Support Vector Regressor (SVR), and Random Forest (RF) to predict future usage of the academic libraries rental books. The performance results of the implemented regression models are evaluated in terms of MAE, MSE, and RMSE. In this paper, it is found that the DNN model performs significantly better than SVR and RF. The experimentation results show that the proposed model improves the future usage of library books to facilitate library administration to plan and manage library resources effectively. Based on the proposed model results, the academic library administration can easily plan and manage resources effectively to provide quality services to end-users.