Current Library Practices Research Articles

Augmented reality applications and the future library

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how augmented reality (AR) technology is adopted in the library to transform it into an immersive and interactive platform and highlights the future possibilities of the application of AR in libraries.Design/methodology/approachThe study examines the current applications of AR in the library by consulting related literature and analyzing different library websites covering diverse geographical areas.FindingsThe paper with examples summarizes the current library practices of using AR technology and focuses on the AR-supported major library initiatives – right from document tracking, inventory management, wayfinding, supporting innovation and research, developing information literacy skills, etc.Originality/valueThe paper explores the possibility of improving user experience in the library by introducing AR applications and engaging users in an interactive and captivating environment.

Information and creative activity of libraries: actuality of modern practices

The purposes of the article are to identify current innovative information and creative practices of library activities in Ukraine, which have proven their effectiveness, and to substantiate the concept of «information and creative activities of libraries». The methodology of the article is based on a set of general scientific methods of generalization, systematization and forecasting. Research methods are used: information analysis of current current innovative practices of libraries in Ukraine; semantic (semantic) analysis of the subject field of information and creative activity of libraries of Ukraine. The scientific novelty of the article is to summarize the current library practices in innovative information and creative activities of libraries, which after understanding and generalization can be scaled to other libraries of Ukraine and the author's definition of «information and creative activities of libraries» as a purposeful and specially organized system of action and cultural activities, aimed at promoting the improvement of educational and aesthetic and spiritual condition of users, identification and development of creative abilities of people of different ages, organization of their meaningful leisure and implementation of educational activities to access information resources and IT technologies by creating appropriate space for educational-consultant and creative activities. Conclusions. The empirical experience of libraries in the implementation of new forms and methods of information and leisure (recreational, creative) activities requires the delineation of best library practices that have a strong creative component, which in the long run will allow applying the potential of scaling as a process of transferring or expanding and algorithms for interrelated actions at different institutional and managerial levels. Keywords: information and creative activity of libraries, actual practices, innovative projects.

Our Libraries Are Colonial Archives: South Asian Collections in Western and Global North Libraries

South Asian collections in the West have complex histories. Usually started at the time of colonial rule and built on practices of acquisition, they often involved the removal of manuscripts and books from the subcontinent with little or no compensation to the owners. This in turn created gaps in knowledge locally. While following the founding of the independent, post-colonial nation-states, acquisition practices changed, a culture of coloniality continued through book exchanges and the classification system rooted in Western frameworks of knowledge and colonial mindsets. Moreover, for scholars outside the physical libraries, there are barriers to access the collections. Looking at current library practices, and with University of Wisconsin-Madison’s collections as a case study, this article outlines some historical problematics and points towards new directions in working toward decolonising the library.

McLuhan in the Library

‘A means or method of perceiving’ the library through a series of McLuhanite ‘probes’ presenting ideas reflecting current library practice supported by the theories of Marshall McLuhan. Often quoted and misunderstood, McLuhan during the 1960’s was criticized by many librarians for predicting the end of the book, however, deeper analysis of his theories and the writings of his supporters prove that he was somebody ‘who has, perhaps, a greater perception of the value of books and libraries for civilization, than many librarians.’ The theories of McLuhan provide a blueprint for libraries into the future and beyond, from library instruction and teaching, professional development, media ecologies and future technologies. Being McLuhanite in nature the sections of this article can be read in any sequence.

A Survey of Library Support for Formal Undergraduate Research Programs

Undergraduate research is defined by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) as “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.” This study serves as a snapshot of current library practices in relation to formal undergraduate research programs and identifies common elements of library support among different types of institutions. The results of this research fill a gap in both the library and education literature, provide critical background data for libraries wishing to build support for undergraduate research programs, and suggest a foundation for further research into an underexplored area.

Library 2.011 World‐wide Virtual Conference, “The Future of Libraries in the Digital Age”, November 2‐4, 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a conference report on the unique organizational features and the common themes found among the three keynote speeches of the Library 2.011 World Wide Virtual Conference held on the internet on November 2‐4, 2011.Design/methodology/approachThis report was generated based on the author’s personal participation and observation of a virtual conference and a descriptive method was used to report on and summarize the major subjects of three keynote presentations.FindingsThe paper finds that Library 2.0 is still a live practice among libraries, and the concept itself has become an inspiring theoretical starting point for re‐examining information profession, information literacy, and information management behaviours.Originality/valueThis article sorts out the theoretical directions of Library 2.0’s research, which will provide a reflective and guiding tool for evaluating current library practice and designing future innovative library services.

The potential of e-reserves for the Main Library, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

This article presents the perspective of an academic library in Trinidad and Tobago that looks to implement an e-reserves service. To provide such a service, the background preparation involves a survey of the subject literature and current library practices to assess the benefits and challenges of e-reserves. Other factors considered include increased access to local content and local copyright legislation. The implementation of the e-reserves pilot is discussed, followed by the pilot’s preliminary findings and lessons learned from the pilot experience. The article ends with a list of recommendations aimed at moving the project forward, given the service’s importance regarding increased availability and accessibility of core teaching materials.

The Kovacs Guide to Electronic Library Collection Development: Essential Core Subject Collections, Selection Criteria, and Guidelines. 2nd ed

The Kovacs Guide to Electronic Library Collection Development may become the most dog-eared reference work on my desk. As a solo hospital librarian, I entered electronic collection development during the time when purchasing a print journal entitled one to the online access. Those simple days are gone, but Kovacs is here to help librarians plan, create, manage, and grow electronic libraries. This impressive work serves as an excellent resource for new librarians, but also a useful guide for those of us in the trenches. The first part of the book deals with general collection planning, organization, and the basics of licensing. The second part, divided into eleven chapters and covering different subject areas, includes medical, business, legal, biological, engineering, art, and more. For example, the engineering section includes computer sciences and mathematics, and the art section covers humanities, fine arts, languages, philosophy, and history. Each chapter begins with these questions: “What purpose will your collection serve?”; “For whom are you collecting?”; and “How will it be organized?” Kovacs answers the questions with suggested encyclopedias, directories, websites, email discussion lists, and titles of books and journals that review electronic resources in that particular field, making the layout of the book easy to use. The only thing that could improve use of this book would be colored tabs to locate each section, but sticky notes work well. One possible problem with a book covering e-resources is the expectation that the content will quickly become dated. Kovacs has my admiration for addressing this in a way that takes a snapshot of the times. Each section is surveyed with questions that ask, “What are the top three essential print and e-resources that you could not work without in both free and fee-based categories?” Most of the resources revealed in the medical section were what I expected, but I also would not be surprised if the fee-based e-resources were different in a few years. Moreover, the book speaks to the changing role of the librarian and the complexity of provided services. A quote by Genco and Kuzyk states, “Our focus in libraries for too long has been on managing the container holding the information, not on managing and presenting the content within” (p. 85). I would add to this that as librarians move to deciding in what container the content will reside and where, we are also seeing more e-resources tailored for particular medical specialties, an area where librarians can perform a valuable service. For example, I now purchase yearly subscriptions to special databases for the pathology, radiology, and emergency room departments. Increasingly, I see my role as facilitator to needed information. Again, this underlines the concept of library/librarian as a service. At a time when hospitals are closing libraries or cutting library staff, Kovacs clearly illustrates that librarians are needed now more than ever. Creating and maintaining an e-library is every bit as work intensive as running a physical library. Furthermore, at the risk of sounding old-fashioned, I still believe a physical library space is needed. As Kovacs points out, a library is a service organization whether physical or virtual (p. 7). Just as a library user works alone searching a database or an electronic journal or works with others on email discussion lists or wikis, a physical library allows a place for community or solo endeavors. Finally, I think the work is an excellent overview of not only resources, but of current library practices. Though I have no pressing need for astronomy directories, reading and knowing about them is great. In addition, whether intended or not, the work provides gratuitous advocacy for librarians. If you are thinking about updating your position description, this book is filled with skills and competencies that should educate and impress administrators who do not know what a librarian does.

Censorship or recklessness? Obligations and legality regarding controversial materials in libraries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the nature of the debate in terms of a recent consultation in England on guidance for public libraries in selection of controversial materials. Also discussed is the issue of censorship in terms of how it relates to the practice of librarianship.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides a reflective and critical overview.FindingsThe laws that limit thought are potentially dangerous and to criminalise ideas is a notion that is anti‐democratic. Librarians must always be wary of censorship from the state and any self‐censorship they feel obliged to undertake through fear of unclear laws.Practical implicationsThe paper discusses a pertinent topic in current library practice and should be of interest to practitioners who are debating the issues on the front line.Originality/valueThe paper concentrates on a current issue of practice in the UK, and also wider issues facing professional librarians throughout the world.

A comparative study of two automatic document classification methods in a library setting

In current library practice, trained human experts usually carry out document cataloguing and indexing based on a manual approach. With the explosive growth in the number of electronic documents available on the Internet and digital libraries, it is increasingly difficult for library practitioners to categorize both electronic documents and traditional library materials using just a manual approach. To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of document categorization at the library setting, more in-depth studies of using automatic document classification methods to categorize library items are required. Machine learning research has advanced rapidly in recent years. However, applying machine learning techniques to improve library practice is still a relatively unexplored area. This paper illustrates the design and development of a machine learning based automatic document classification system to alleviate the manual categorization problem encountered within the library setting. Two supervised machine learning algorithms have been tested. Our empirical tests show that supervised machine learning algorithms in general, and the k-nearest neighbours (KNN) algorithm in particular, can be used to develop an effective document classification system to enhance current library practice. Moreover, some concrete recommendations regarding how to practically apply the KNN algorithm to develop automatic document classification in a library setting are made. To our best knowledge, this is the first in-depth study of applying the KNN algorithm to automatic document classification based on the widely used LCC classification scheme adopted by many large libraries.

New Strategies for Delivering Library Resources to Users: Rethinking the Mechanisms in which Libraries are Processing and Delivering Bibliographic Records

The focus of this paper is to examine the current library practice of processing and delivering information and to introduce alternative scenarios that may keep librarians relevant in the technological era. In the scenarios presented here, the authors will attempt to challenge basic assumptions about the usefulness of and need for OPAC systems, Web OPAC's, OCLC (as one of the major bibliographic utilities), and consortia. The authors then identify ways in which libraries can leverage their resources and available technology to create cost-effective ways of delivering improved services.

Scenario planning for libraries

Scenarios are plausible stories about alternative futures. They draw on stories, which are most natural and powerful ways of representing, and understanding, sets of events. Scenarios look at the past and present, and offer insights into a future where things are generally uncertain. They are used by many organisations as part of strategic planning and as a way of forecasting what core competencies the organisation needs to develop for survival and competitive advantage. These ideas are applied to current library practice.

Charging for on‐line services: Current library practices

Examines the contentious area of charging for on‐line services. Covers both the theoretical aspects and the practical application of the services through a review of library practice, looking in detail at three libraries (two academic, one public) operating in Liverpool. Despite growing financial concerns, on‐line services are necessary. Competitors in the form of information brokers will corner the market if libraries do not extend their service by providing an on‐line facility. A compromise must be reached which benefits the user of the library and maintains the freedom of access to information.

Greek public libraries: An assessment

To many foreigners Greece evokes an image of endless beaches, ancient ruins, and a rich past where western civilization began. It is also where the classical ideal of libraries and library organization as we know it started and education was held in the deepest respect by a literate populace. The first public library in Athens was established in 330 B.C. when the orator Lycurgus carried a decree providing for its establishment.’ Although Greece is a very different country today, her libraries are still a reflection of the society in which they exist. This paper seeks to give an overview of the current library practices in modern Greek public libraries. From 28 March to 2 July 1986, WC surveyed public libraries in Grcece.2 Where previous studies have concentrated primarily on the Greater .4thens area, this assessment attempts to cover a broader geographical area representative of the entire country. Libraries were surveyed on both the mainland and the islands.3 We found that Greek public libraries encompass three basic types: (1) Dimosies, which function as county libraries under the control of the Ministry of Education; (2j Dimohkes, which function as municipal libraries, under the control of the respective mayor and city council; and (3) Pedikes, which function as children’s libraries, presently under the control of either the Ministry of Agriculture or the municipality. There are two sociological factors which impact greatly upon the development of libraries (and education in general) in Greece, and libraries cannot be examined unless considered within this context. The first has been the slow reconstruction of the country after four centuries