Female Librarians Research Articles

INFORMATION SEEKING STRATEGIES AND FACTORS INFLUENCING INFORMATION UTILISATION BY FEMALE LIBRARIANS IN UNIVERSITIES IN KANO STATE, NIGERIA

The study investigated information seeking strategies and factors influencing information utilisation by female librarians in universities in Kano State, Nigeria. Preliminary observations showed that many female librarians do not seem to be using the library to seek required information, which may be due to lack of awareness and utilisation of library resources and services, searching skills, Internet connectivity and assistance from their male colleagues. Thus, the study set out to ascertain the information seeking strategies and identify the factors that influencing the utilisation of information resources of female librarians in universities in Kano State. The study employed qualitative methodological approach using a narrative-based design. The population comprised 10 female librarians with highest academic qualifications. The study found out that attending professional conferences, seminars and workshops, using shelf-guides to locate materials, searching e-databases, browsing Google, and seeking assistance from colleagues were the adopted strategies. It was also found that awareness of resources’ availability, conducive environment, proximity, accuracy and reliability, among others, facilitated the resources’ utilisation. Based on these findings, the study concludes that for female librarians to discharge their duties effectively and efficiently, there is a need to develop a good seeking strategies as a professional solely responsible for information processing and information services delivery to information users at different levels. Thus, the study recommended the need to provide adequate funds, organise seminars, conferences and workshops; providing solar energy as an alternative to epileptic nature of power sources, university managements should provide stable Internet connectivity.

Exploring topics of the female librarians

Background of the study: Female librarians often face limitations in their professional development and encounter various challenges. Previous studies have shown that while many articles focus on women librarians as a subject, few delve into the topics discussed. Purpose: This research aims to find out which topics are developing in the world of libraries, with a specific focus on female librarians. Method: This study uses topic modelling to explore abstracts from documents discussing female librarians, using BERTopic, scattertext, and VOSviewer to identify emerging topics from data obtained from Scopus. Findings: A total of 6 topics were determined, where Topic 0 and Topic 3 had the highest similarity. At the same time, keyword analysis did not reveal any particularly prominent keywords in the 2020s. Conclusion: The discussion on female librarians covers topics such as professional advancement, work-life balance, knowledge gaps in technology, stereotypes, and the correlation between these topics. This study provides an overview of text analysis that librarians can use to identify topics in a collection of texts, such as abstracts, and examine how different topics relate to each other, as a single document can reflect multiple topics.

Gender Perspectives on Job Satisfaction and Motivation Among Librarians: A Survey of National Library Services of Kenya

Job satisfaction is simply how a person feels regarding their work r job High sense of job satisfaction among librarians always results to higher productivity in Public libraries (Yaya, 2019). The study’s aim was to relate extensiveness of job satisfaction in Kenyan public libraries based on gender of the librarian. The study aims at finding out the gender perspectives on job satisfaction of librarians at Kenya National Library Service (KNLS). The study establish how pay, promotion, supervision and working conditions and gender affects job satisfaction and motivation between female and male librarians. Descriptive survey design method was adopted allow for an extensive review of the study phenomenon. Cluster sampling was used to select 8 KNLS branch libraries from the 8 regions in Kenya namely; Eastern, Western, Nairobi, Rift valley, Nyanza, North Eastern, Costal and Central region. Simple random sampling was applied to pick one library in regions with more than one KNLS branch libraries. The Sample size studied was made of 120 librarians; 69 female librarians and 51 male librarians. Primary data was collected using questionnaires from both female and male librarians at KNLS. Collected data was processed and analysed using descriptive and Pearson chi square was used to test the difference between female and male librarians’ perspectives on job satisfaction and motivation. The mean of job satisfaction on pay, promotion, supervision as well as working conditions were higher among the females (3.733, 3.9533, 39533 3.6286 respectively) than the males (3.6963, 3.8711, 3.9181 and 4.0357 respectively). The research findings indicate that there was no significant difference on job satisfaction between female and male librarians at Kenya National Library Service. The study also concluded that there is no significant difference in the overall job satisfaction. It is however essential that librarian are treated equally irrespective of their gender.

Describing the Stereotype Lift efforts of librarians: A case study of female librarians

Purpose. This research delves into the stereotype-laden environment faced by female librarians and the efforts undertaken to counteract these stereotypes. In situations where the worth or ability of an outgroup is questioned, stereotype lift makes people perform better.Methodology. This study utilized qualitative research with a single-case study approach. The participants of the study were five female librarians working within the Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines. The interview guide questions were used to gather their responses alongside observation and some documents. Permission from the school president was secured first before going to the library, which was also similarly done for online participants. The librarians were in terms of their physical characteristics, emotions, and how they catered to the patrons and researchers. In addition, ocular visits were conducted in which researchers took photos of what could help support the observation. After having the necessary data, Category Construction was utilized to analyze it.Results and discussion. The findings revealed the stereotypes the respondents received: stern and sedentary workers. These stereotypes unveiled how it affects their work performance by remaining unaffected and becoming more approachable. With these effects encountered, the female librarians were able to come up with two strategies for dealing with the stereotypes: remaining calm and positively changing oneself. The librarians also promoted equity, diversity, and inclusion by providing equal treatment to all and organizing a club for book lovers.Conclusions. The effect of stereotypes on librarians was not manifested since some of them perceived it as usual, while some let it change them to better librarians.

Analyzing Strategies for Improvement of Job Satisfaction Among the University Librarians of Karachi: A Quantitative Study

Introduction: Job satisfaction among university librarians is crucial but under-researched, especially in Karachi. This study aims to identify factors influencing job satisfaction and its relationship with employee retention rates, providing strategies to improve satisfaction and reduce turnover. Methodology: A Quantitative survey was conducted across 39 university libraries in Karachi, including both public and private institutions. A structured questionnaire collected data from librarians, which was then analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques. Results/Findings: Key findings indicate that job satisfaction is influenced by various factors such as salary, working conditions, autonomy, and professional relationships. There is no significant difference in job satisfaction levels between public and private universities or between male and female librarians. Future Direction: Further research is recommended to explore the impact of faculty status on job satisfaction, the effects of job satisfaction on librarian performance, and a comparative analysis of job satisfaction across different types of libraries. Additionally, the relationship between management styles and librarian involvement in decision-making should be investigated.

Workplace learning tendencies of university librarians: A gender perspective

This article reveals the workplace learning tendencies of librarians working in state universities in Turkey in terms of gender variable. Workplace learning tendencies of librarians were categorized under three headings: interests and needs for learning, learning styles and obstacles encountered in learning processes. The research was conducted by comparison type relational survey model. In the data collection stage, a 5-point scale questionnaire consisting of 30 statements with proven validity and reliability was used. Through SPSS 22.0 program, central tendency and dispersion measures were applied in the analysis of the data process. The research population consisted of 525 librarians working in state universities in Turkey. From this population, 245 librarians were reached through simple random sampling method. The findings of the study show that compared to male librarians, female librarians think that librarianship requires continuous learning. Furthermore, while female librarians are willing to receive in-service training on professional and technological innovations, male employees tend to maintain these processes in self-directed and heutagogical approaches, and they prefer to receive in-service training in the fields of personal development and actuality. Finally, female employees state that they allocate less time for learning processes in the workplace than male employees due to the workload and obstacles they face in the workplace. The fact that the number of female librarians is higher than that of male librarians did not create any change in the context of gender. Researchers suggest applying workplace learning tendencies questionnaire to different occupational groups for future studies. This study is multidisciplinary research that deals with librarians' workplace learning in the framework of gender differences. It is anticipated that this research will contribute to the literature, since there are few studies in which the librarianship profession is handled by different disciplines.

Exploring the Role of Techno-stress in Job Performance of Academic Librarians of Lahore Pakistan

Rapid changes in technology have affected all walks of life. Role of Techno-stress in job performance of academic librarians is the facts and impact on employees with higher stress levels. This paper studies four dimensions of techno-stress among academic librarians of Public and Private Colleges of Lahore in Punjab Province. Quantitative approach for this study was used with survey method and non-probability sampling technique was employed on population. Those 50 public and private colleges in Lahore were chosen, from which 180 academic librarians were the part of study. Online survey questionnaire was conducted. Frequencies, percentage, mean, standard deviation, correlation, t-test and regression was used for data analysis through SPSS. Results of this research carried out to study techno-stress, it described college librarians experienced moderate level of techno-stress in their job performance. There was particular difference found between male and female college librarians in terms of techno stress. The findings, however, show that techno-overload and techno uncertainty has negative effect on job-performance of female librarians.

A mixed‐methods analysis of stereotypical female librarian representation in memes

AbstractThis essay is a mixed‐methods analysis of stereotypical female librarian representation in memes.BackgroundLibrarianship has been a female‐dominated field since the 19th century. Because of the influx of women, the field has been seen as feminized, which means that it was seen in a negative light and less important than other jobs. Feminization led to two predominant female librarian stereotypes: the spinster librarian and the sexy librarian. Under the pretext of humor, internet memes of stereotypical librarians are damaging to women in librarianship.ObjectiveThe purpose of this essay was to explore how female librarians were stereotypically represented in memes and why they were characterized thusly.MethodsQuantitative information concerning how female librarians were represented in memes was compiled through a content analysis, entered into the input form, and tallied using Microsoft Excel. The extent of the representation was also measured through quantitative means by assessing the number of available memes. Finally, the reasons why female librarians were represented as such was explored using a feminist theory framework.ResultsThe memes from the sample stressed certain traits of female librarians such as tight clothing, rigid postures, and stern expressions. The images framed these traits as the most important qualities of female librarians. The sexy librarian stereotype was much more common than the spinster. More importantly, perhaps, was the crossover of representation, which created a new version that blended the spinster and sexy librarian trope. Images must be read in terms of the context; the images in the memes showed mainly objectification and gender stereotyping.ConclusionThe memes from the research sample demonstrated that there was still a significant amount of stereotyping and perpetuation of the feminization of librarianship. Representing female librarians in such a way indicated that her contributions were marginal, that she was only in the library to be objectified. The humorous text of the memes acted as an attempt to make light of the stereotyped imagery, but instead of being ironic and or intellectual, it served to propagate the stereotype. By treating female librarians in this manner, feminization of the profession continued and was maintained in the meme world.

Technostress and information and communication technology usage among librarians in Nigerian universities

Purpose This paper aims to investigate technostress and information and communication technology (ICT) usage among librarians in Nigerian universities. Design/methodology/approach Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. Questionnaire was used for data collection. The data generated were analyzed using mean, frequency count and percentage. Findings A moderate extent of psychological, emotional and physical technostress was found among the librarians. The findings further revealed that technostress among the librarians could be reduced through organizational and technical support and the involvement of librarians in the ICT implementation process. The hypotheses tested revealed that there was a significant relationship between technostress and ICT usage among the librarians; female librarians exhibit a higher extent of technostress than male librarians, and there is no difference in the extent of ICT usage between male and female librarians in Nigerian universities. Practical implications Librarians cannot effectively use ICTs if they exhibit technostress. Originality/value The work is a creative attempt to know the difference in the extent of technostress and ICT usage among male and female librarians in Nigerian universities.

Challenges and strategies to attain leadership positions for female library professionals: A narrative review

This literature review analyzes the literature on female librarians, focusing on the workplace challenges and issues they face and the skills and strategies required to create a workplace conducive to learning and scholarship and seizing leadership opportunities. A narrative review of the relevant literature was undertaken. Publications from five major scholarly databases (Scopus, Web of Science, LSA, LISTA, and LISA) were chosen for this review. A comprehensive search query was performed and all pertinent records were downloaded and imported into Endnote Software. Finally, the relevant 23 studies were selected for this review. The included articles were published between the range of 1996–2021 and most of the articles were published in 2021 (n = 08). The findings revealed that the fundamental challenges for female library professionals were related to administrative, financial and skills issues, gender discrimination, societal and cultural norms, lack of research and scholarly contributions, and harassment in the workplace. The skills and strategies needed to create a better and congenial workplace for the female library professionals were a positive workplace culture, financial benefits, empowerment and gender equality, mentoring and skills development, work-life balance, and active involvement in research and scholarship. The practical, policy and social implications are presented.

The Relationship between Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Job Burnout among University Librarians

Background. One of the important factors affecting human health that may reduce their efficiency and effectiveness in various organizations, including academic libraries, is job burnout. This negative phenomenon may deprive libraries of experienced manpower, disrupting the educational and information needs of library users, ultimately leading to the failure of the library and its organization in achieving the intended goals and missions. This study, with the aim of optimizing the performance of human resources, set out to identify the relationship between work-related musculoskeletal disorders and burnout in an effort to help in planning to reduce the rate of burnout. Methods. The study is descriptive in nature and correlational and applied in terms of purpose. It was done by census method on 126 librarians of Ahvaz public universities (Jundishapur and Chamran universities). The Cornel questionnaire was used to measure the amount of physical injury caused by work and the Maslach questionnaire was used to measure the degree of burnout. Data analysis was performed in two parts: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The significance level is considered to be equal to 5 percent. Results. The findings indicated that the total rate of musculoskeletal disorders (32.96) and total job burnout (1.72) were lower than the population average. The highest rate of musculoskeletal disorders was in the neck area (78.9%) and the lowest rate was in the lower leg (37.8%). No significant difference was observed between male and female librarians of Ahvaz public universities in the variables of musculoskeletal disorders caused by work and job burnout. Conclusion. In general, musculoskeletal disorders have a positive relationship with all dimensions of job burnout except for individual performance, and there is an increase in musculoskeletal disorders, there is also a corresponding rise in the rate of job burnout.

Survey of occupational stress among urban school librarians in Nigeria

Occupational stress is becoming increasingly common in all categories of workers. Due to the overwhelming demands of library customers, librarians are likely to suffer occupational stress as well. The objective of this study is to assess the occupational stress of urban school librarians in selected Nigerian public secondary schools. A descriptive survey was conducted and the Occupational Stress Scale (OSS) was used to collect data from 75 urban secondary school Librarians in South-East Nigeria. Means, standard deviations, and analysis of variance were used to analyze the results. Findings suggested that male and female secondary school librarians in the sampled urban secondary schools felt similarly about their occupation's level of stress. In addition, urban school librarians with bachelor's degrees reported higher levels of occupational stress. Another finding showed that urban school librarians who are married showed more occupational stress than those who are single, separated/divorced and widowed. Moreover, no significant differences were found between urban secondary school librarians who worked in mixed or single sex schools for occupational stress. In conclusion, occupational stress is present among urban school librarians in Nigerian public secondary schools. It was recommended that stress management interventions should be tailored to assist these school librarians in managing their level of stress.

LCHS DEI Statement and Action Plan

<i>LCHS</i> DEI Statement and Action Plan

Updated Integrated Framework for Making Clinical Decisions Across the Lifespan and Health Conditions

The updated Integrated Framework for Clinical Decision Making responds to changes in evidence, policy, and practice since the publication of the first version in 2008. The original framework was proposed for persons with neurological health conditions, whereas the revised framework applies to persons with any health condition across the lifespan. In addition, the revised framework (1) updates patient-centered concepts with shared clinical decision-making; (2) frames the episode of care around the patient's goals for participation; (3) explicitly describes the role of movement science; (4) reconciles movement science and International Classification of Function language, illustrating the importance of each perspective to patient care; (5) provides a process for movement analysis of tasks; and (6) integrates the movement system into patient management. Two cases are used to illustrate the application of the framework: (1) a 45-year-old male bus driver with low back pain whose goals for the episode of care are to return to work and recreational basketball; and (2) a 65-year-old female librarian with a fall history whose goals for the episode of care are to return to work and reduce future falls. The framework is proposed as a tool for physical therapist education and to guide clinical practice for all health conditions across the lifespan.

Non-Stereotypical Female Librarians in the Library Wars Film

This research discusses non-stereotypical female librarian in The Library Wars movie. This research will examine the scenes on which features non-stereotypical female librarian and their interactions with their daily work environment. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method based on a visual representation analysis framework of social actors where the framework shows distance, relation, and interaction between social actors represented by the audience. The results of this study indicated that female librarian was indeed portrayed as non-stereotypical figures who were close to military training. The female librarian is described as a library guard who is a smart person, determined to defend what she thinks is right, and has the courage to take a stand on what she believes. Even so, female librarians are still portrayed as weak figures and female librarians are sometimes portrayed as frivolous and arrogant.

The role of human environment in making a workplace congenial: a case of university libraries

PurposeOrganizations ought to provide a congenial workplace for employees, particularly females, to get optimum performance. This study aims to investigate the congeniality of libraries’ human environment for female library and information science professionals (LIPs). Regarding the human environment, the manager’s support, relationship with colleagues and informal communication have been studied.Design/methodology/approachFor this quantitative study, the researchers use a survey research method based on a self-constructed questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended questions, which were used to collect the data; however, the open-ended question entitled comments was also added to take the opinion of respondents. The sampling includes the female LIPs working in the university libraries of Punjab, Pakistan.FindingsThe results highlight that female LIPs were satisfied with the human environment at their workplaces. Participants not only appreciated the role and support of their immediate managers in terms of respect, feedback, task allocation and approachability but also recognized the role of colleagues and informal communication (social interaction) in making their workplace congenial and comfortable to work by establishing a positive relationship with supervisors, colleagues or subordinates at the workplace. However, some open-ended comments reveal that females face leg-pulling, favoritism, male colleagues’ indecent behavior and managers’ critical behavior at the workplace.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the sensitivity of the topic and limitedness of an instrument, the respondents might have been hesitant to give real opinions. This study was limited in terms of participants as data was collected only from one province of Pakistan.Practical implicationsWorkplaces for females in a male-dominated society like Pakistan impede their commitment to giving their best. Despite an increased number of females in the profession, it is surprising that so little empirical research has been conducted on the topic. Therefore, this study is an excellent addition to the dearth of literature on the subject. The findings may help in sensitizing the management and authorities to control the human environment at workplaces as this study will also bring into light the prevailing working environment for females.Originality/valueLibraries as a workplace have been studied internationally (Farler and Broady-Preston, 2012; Ocholla, 2002; Oud, 2008). From the local perspective, the only study concerning the workplace issues of libraries is by Yousafet al.(2013), which was limited to the managerial problems faced by female librarians working at the University of the Punjab. Hence, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study will be one of its nature.

Perception of Work-Life Balance among Married Female Librarians in University Libraries in South-East Nigeria

This survey study discusses the perception of work-life balance among married female academic librarians in university libraries in South-East Nigeria. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 90 married female academic librarians from a population of 150 female academic librarians working in the university libraries. The study examines the perception of family and organizational factors of work-life balance among the respondents. The results reveal that the married female academic librarians have a positive perception of family and organizational factors of work-life balance; however, perception of the organizational factor has a slightly higher mean score than the family factor. The study highlights strategies that could enhance work-life balance among the respondents and recommends the implementation of practices and policies such as flexible work schedule, cancellation of overtime and shift duties, and better remuneration to improve work-life balance among academic librarians.

Imposter Syndrome, Women in Technical Services, and Minority Librarians: The Shared Experience of Two Librarians of Color

ABSTRACT This article reviews and facilitates a better understanding of imposter syndrome, women in technical services, and minority librarians to fill gaps left by library programs. The Literature Review explores each topic discussing common ideas regarding imposter syndrome, women in technical services, and minority librarians. The Materials and Methods section depicts how we came to our Results in which we discuss the intersectionality of each issue. The Discussion presents two experiences of female librarians of color working in technical services.

Female librarians and male computer programmers? Gender bias in occupational images on digital media platforms

AbstractMedia platforms, technological systems, and search engines act as conduits and gatekeepers for all kinds of information. They often influence, reflect, and reinforce gender stereotypes, including those that represent occupations. This study examines the prevalence of gender stereotypes on digital media platforms and considers how human efforts to create and curate messages directly may impact these stereotypes. While gender stereotyping in social media and algorithms has received some examination in the recent literature, its prevalence in different types of platforms (for example, wiki vs. news vs. social network) and under differing conditions (for example, degrees of human‐ and machine‐led content creation and curation) has yet to be studied. This research explores the extent to which stereotypes of certain strongly gendered professions (librarian, nurse, computer programmer, civil engineer) persist and may vary across digital platforms (Twitter, the New York Times online, Wikipedia, and Shutterstock). The results suggest that gender stereotypes are most likely to be challenged when human beings act directly to create and curate content in digital platforms, and that highly algorithmic approaches for curation showed little inclination towards breaking stereotypes. Implications for the more inclusive design and use of digital media platforms, particularly with regard to mediated occupational messaging, are discussed.

Differences in Work/life Balance and Stress at Work Between Male and Female Academic Librarians

A Review of:&#x0D; Galbraith, Q., Fry, L., and Garrison, M. (2016). The Impact of Faculty Status and Gender on Employee Well-being in Academic Libraries. College &amp; Research Libraries, 77(1), 71-86. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.77.1.71&#x0D; Abstract&#x0D; Objective – To measure job satisfaction, personal fulfilment, work/life balance, and stress levels of male and female academic librarians.&#x0D; Design – Survey.&#x0D; Setting – ARL institutions.&#x0D; Subjects – Male and female librarians who work in ARL institutions.&#x0D; Methods – The survey was emailed to deans of 110 ARL libraries for completion by professional librarians. Participants were asked to rate their work/life balance, job satisfaction, stress at work, and personal fulfillment on Likert scales (1 low -7 high). Overall, 846 librarians from 25 ARL libraries responded to the survey. In total, 719 valid responses were analysed using a 2-tailed 2-sample t-test and multiple linear regression to explore variables.&#x0D; Main Results – Results of this study indicate that differences exist between male and female librarians’ well-being in academic libraries. Differences in work/life balance and stress at work were most significant. However, at non-faculty institutions this difference was smaller between male and female librarians than faculty institutions. Hours worked per week and the number of years worked at the library were found to have a statistically significant impact on work/life balance. Data analysis also suggested that there is no association between gender and job satisfaction and personal fulfillment. Tenure at faculty institutions also did not have a statistically significant impact on job satisfaction.&#x0D; Conclusion – The study concluded that support for workplace flexibility and well-being may make the most difference in reducing stress and promoting work/life balance by librarians at ARL institutions.