Library Field Research Articles

On the Expediency of Improving the System of Legal Regulation of Information Relations in the Field of Librarianship in the Context of Cyber Law

An attempt is made to analyze new institutional formations in the system of information law — «Internet law», «cyber law», «digital law». Based on the study of the approaches of various authors, the ratio of these categories is presented. It is proved that digital law is a priority for the legal regulation of fundamentally new public relations emerging over the use of end-to-end digital technologies, while improving the system of legal regulation from the standpoint of cyber law seems more promising as a direction for improving the legal regulation of traditional information institutions that are incapable of rapid digital transformation.According to the results of the study, the author concludes that one of the traditional information institutions, the improvement of the system of legal regulation of which it is advisable to consider in the context of cyber law, is the institute of legal regulation of information relations in the field of librarianship. It is argued that this approach will make it possible to adapt the legal regulation of library and information activities to the digital environment for the period of introduction of end-to-end digital technologies into library practice, while maintaining a balance of providing library and information services in traditional and electronic forms

Tytus Laskiewicz w służbie książki. Z dziejów bibliotek Politechniki Lwowskiej i Politechniki Śląskiej w Gliwicach

Tytus Laskiewicz (1884-1964) was the head of the library of the Lvov University of Technology. His contribution to the transfer of its collections to a new building and the organisation of library work there was exceptional. He published 4 catalogues presenting its collections. He performed the same function at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, where he built the book collection from scratch, dealt with the development of the collection and made it accessible. His duties also involved building issues. Furthermore, Laskiewicz collaborated with the local library community. For his accomplishments in the field of librarianship, he was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit and the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. The article was developed mainly on the basis of source documents, including materials previously unknown by the scientific community, such as Kronika Biblioteki c.k.Szkoły Politechnicznej we Lwowie (in the collection of the Stefanyk Library in Lviv).

Pandemic Professionals: Beginning a Librarian Career in a Crisis

Acculturation to a new profession is always challenging, but the COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique set of difficulties for new librarians. As librarian colleagues at a large research university, the authors of this column find that their early-career experiences of networking, training, and the promotion process during a pandemic have differed from those shared by more established librarians. These differences have affected our experiences of our positions and the field of librarianship, as well as our relationship to our careers. This conversational column explores the complexity of these experiences. We hope that it offers validation to other librarians who began careers during the pandemic, just as we have found camaraderie in the process of writing it.

Dateline 1977: The LHRT as Connective Tissue

Dateline 1977: The LHRT as Connective Tissue

The University of Wisconsin and the Development of Librarianship in the Philippines

ABSTRACT The Spanish-American War of 1898 ushered in an era of American rule over the Philippines that formally ended in 1946. An expansive colonial government developed with Americans filling most professional positions early on. There was a slow transition to Filipinos holding those positions, and this process can be seen in the field of librarianship. By the middle of 1924 library leadership and the teaching of library science was firmly in the hands of Filipinos. The University of Wisconsin and those associated with the institution, both Americans and Filipinos, played leading roles in the development of Philippine librarianship. This article explores this special relationship, focusing on the pre–World War II era.

Alethic Rights and Alethic Pluralism in Libraries

Abstract The concept of truth, although unavoidable, is very problematic from a philosophical point of view and, in the field of librarianship, it is even more disputed for various reasons: inapplicability to libraries’ collections and reference services; scarcity of resources necessary in the event of a possible application; conflict with the value of intellectual neutrality. The “alethic rights” proposed by D’Agostini in 2017, pertinent to truth claims in social contexts, can be interpreted in two ways: the “strong” way is not applicable to libraries because it would lead to the same problems caused by the research of the truthfulness of each document preserved by libraries and of any information provided by their reference services; the “weak” way would instead be applicable to libraries, but it is more appropriate not to apply this either, both because there would be the risk that it could be interpreted in the strong way, and because its application would still be redundant compared to what already happens in libraries and to what, if necessary, could be obtained in emergency situations by applying instead the principle of social responsibility. In the library field it would be more sensible and useful to apply, instead of alethic rights, the epistemological theory of “alethic pluralism” by Wright (1992). Truth and Objectivity. Cambridge: Harvard University Press and Lynch (2009). Truth as One and Many. Oxford: Clarendon, which defines the concept of truth in a way compatible with technical practices and with deontological rules currently more widespread in libraries.

How the Literature Acquired the Role of a School of Librarianship — the Case of Kosova: A Study of Works That Contributed to the Development of the Librarianship Profession

ABSTRACT This article conveys an attempt to sketch the development of librarianship in Kosova over the past two decades through detailed scrutiny of the three major activities established by the National Library of Kosova in order to support education in the field of librarianship: Library Week in Kosova, the BIBLIOletra journal and the National Conference of Librarianship. Given that for more than half a century Kosova still lacks a specialized school for librarianship, these mediums, as well as the literature that sprang from them, proved to be a watershed for the development of librarianship in Kosova.

A Decolonialidade no campo da Biblioteconomia a intersecção com a biblioteca universitária

This essay aims to contribute with aspects, reflections and theories related to decoloniality in the field of Librarianship, more precisely in the field of university libraries, verifying existing decolonial actions regarding culture and practices through the integration of the library and itsusers. The context of decolonial relations in the academic scenario is verified, covering educational, social and cultural areas and information. It is also verified how the librarian, through histraining, can work with aspects related to decoloniality. Finally, the issue of diversity in academic libraries is seen both in the theoretical and practical aspects, related to the best actions of promotion and social equity.

A Novel RFID Localization Approach to Smart Self-Service Borrowing and Returning System

The misreading problem of a passive ultra-high-frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is a frequent problem arising in the field of librarianship. Unfortunately, existing solutions are something inefficient, e.g., extra resource requirement, inaccuracy, and empiricism. To this end, under comprehensive analysis on the passive UHF RFID application in the librarianship scenario, a novel and judicious approach based on RFID localization is proposed to address such a misreading problem. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed approach can outperform the existing ones and can be an attractive candidate in practice.

Enhancing Your Teaching Methods: An Information Literacy-Based Approach to Developing Course Assignments

As information becomes more abundant and accessible, today’s workers will find it critical to develop the soft skills of information literacy. Prior to graduation, students need regular practice evaluating the credibility of common business information sources. To support these goals, we propose and describe a teaching methodology that borrows from the field of librarianship and uses concepts, mindsets, and practices from the study of information literacy. In addition to providing an information literacy-based framework for use when developing course assignments, we offer an extended example that makes use of this approach.

СОЦИОКУЛЬТУРНАЯ СОСТАВЛЯЮЩАЯ СВЕТСКИХ И ПРАВОСЛАВНЫХ АСПЕКТОВ НАРОДНОГО ПРОСВЕЩЕНИЯ В РОССИЙСКОЙ ИМПЕРИИ В КОНЦЕ XIX – НАЧАЛЕ XX ВЕКА

The purpose of the article is to analyze the socio-cultural activi-ties of the Russian public and the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in the field of public education in the Russian Empire in 1890-1917. The author considers popular education in the context of knowledge and education extension among the Russian population. The activities of secular and Orthodox periodicals, popular publishing houses are given. The libraries of primary schools, primarily parish and rural schools, as well as monastic book and manuscript collections are studied. The author proves that the public, local self-government bodies and the Russian Orthodox Church are the main actors of public educa-tion. Special attention is paid to the Yaroslavl Diocese, as one of the typical ones in the Russian Orthodox Church, and its contribution to the socio-cultural component of public educa-tion in Volga Region. A quantitative and meaningful analysis of the socio-cultural activities of the Yaroslavl Diocese in the field of librarianship and the development of the Central Library is given. As a result, the author concludes that at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, Russian society, secular and spiritual persons made great efforts to spread knowledge and education among the population of the Em-pire through the development of publishing and library busi-ness, central schools and zemstvo schools, secular and Orthodox periodicals, cinematography and public readings. (The study is funded by the grant No. 22-28-01231 from the Russian Science Foundation, https://rscf.ru/project/22-28-01231/).

Research Work in the 1960s — 1980s as a Factor in the Creation of Library System

The authors analyse the basic principles and nature of research work (R&D) in the library sphere in the 1960s-1980s. During that period, O.D. Golubeva, Deputy Director of the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public Library (GPB), the main research and coordination centre in the field of library science, bibliography and book studies in the RSFSR, was engaged in organizing scientific activities. The article considers the regulatory framework defining the organization of R&D in the field of librarianship, the nature of interaction of GPB with provincial, regional, republican (ASSR) libraries of Russia, as well as with institutions of other agencies. The authors show the importance of consolidated and coordination plans of research in library science, bibliography and book studies in the RSFSR as the most important tools of joint work. The authors characterize the main problems investigated during the study period and the principles of the formation of scientific work plans, as well as establish the role of centralized and regional studies. The paper presents information about the manuals prepared by the GPB on the methods and tools of library research. The authors consider the organization of work on the implementation of R&D results, as well as identify and present the sources characterizing the flow of scientific publications of the GPB of that period. The article systematizes and formulates the basic principles of the organization of R&D work. The authors consider the reasons for the creation of library system in the modern conditions as implementation of the task set in the “Strategy for the development of librarianship in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030”. The article concludes on the usefulness of taking into account the work experience of O.D. Golubeva in the solution of this problem.

A quasi experiment on how the field of librarianship can help in combating fake news

This study experimented how fake news could be combated through social media literacy skills training. A quasi-experiment in one public university's library was conducted and 470 participants were randomly split into equal parts to form a control and experiment group. The respondents in the experiment group were exposed to 8 weeks of training to improve their social media literacy skills to fight fake news. We realised that social media literacy skills training is effective in increasing social media knowledge, users' recognition of fake news, tendency to verify information and reduce the inclination to share false news. Implications for research and practice were discussed.

Profesionalisme Tenaga Kepustakaan dalam Penguasaan Teknologi Informasi di Sman 12 Banda Aceh

This research is motivated by the lack of professional librarian in their field. There is only one librarian who actually comes from the library science department. The professionalism of the librarian is the implementation of library activities based on the ability of knowledge, experience, skills in managing and developing the implementation of work in the field of librarianship and other related activities independently. This research is entitled "Professionalism of Librarians in Mastering Information Technology at SMAN 12 Banda Aceh." This study aims to determine the professionalism of librarian in mastering information technology, obstacles faced by librarian professionalism in mastering information technology, and efforts of librarian professionalism in mastering information technology at SMAN 12 Banda Aceh. This type of research is a qualitative research. The research subjects were the head of the library, librarian and 2 students. Collecting data using the methods of observation, interviews, and documentation. The collected data is then analyzed through data collection, data reduction, data display, and drawing conclusions. To ensure the validity of this research data, using triangulation techniques sources and methods. The results of this study indicate that the professionalism of the librarian in mastering information technology at SMAN 12 Banda Aceh can be seen from the characteristics of the professionalism of the librarian. Barriers to the professionalism of the librarian in mastering information technology at SMAN 12 Banda Aceh, namely when the computer application started to crash and the wifi network had problems. Then the professionalism of the librarian in mastering information technology at SMAN 12 Banda Aceh is by working together in solving problems, especially in using computers.

Contributors’ Notes

Contributors’ Notes

To Lead Science and Understand People: To the 70th Birth Anniversary of Vladimir R. Firsov

The article analyses contribution of V.R. Firsov to the development of librarianship and library science. V.R. Firsov formed and continues to develop the new direction in library science — regulatory support for the activities of libraries; he is one of the main creators of the existing regulatory framework for the development of libraries in Russia. V.R. Firsov took an active part in the development of the most important legislative acts related to the library sphere: Federal Law of December 29, 1994 No. 78-FZ “On Librarianship”, the Concept of Part II of the “Model Library Code of the CIS Countries”, the Model Law “On Public Library”.Under the leadership of V.R. Firsov, the Russian Library Association (RLA) adopted many legal documents, including “Priorities for the Development of the Russian Library Association for 2011—2015”, “Code of Professional Ethics of the Russian Librarian”, “All-Russian Program for Preservation of Library Collections. The Second Stage: 2011—2020”, “Model Standard for Public Library Activity”, “Model Standard for the Activity of Special Library for the Blind of the Subjects of the Russian Federation”, “Guidelines for Public Libraries of Russia on Services for Young Adults”, etc.V.R. Firsov is the main developer and author-compiler of documents defining the status and development of the National Library of Russia (NLR): the Charter of the National Library of Russia, the Strategy for the Development of the National Library of Russia for the period up to 2020, the Concept for the Development of the National Library of Russia for 2018—2025. Thanks to his efforts, the role of the NLR as scientific and methodological centre of Russian libraries and modern scientific institution has increased; there have been created conditions for the development of the NLR as institution of additional professional education.V.R. Firsov is the author of more than 400 scientific publications (monographs, reference books, articles in the leading professional periodicals); a number of his collections on international acts in the field of librarianship, cultural policy in Europe and reading problems have been published. He took part in the creation of the “Library Encyclopaedia” (2007). V.R. Firsov is rightfully one of the leading scientists and organisers of library science, who has significant impact on the development of librarianship and library science in Russia and the CIS countries in the late 20th — early 21st century.

Consortia as an Organizational Form of Cooperation in Library and Bibliographic Activities: Foreign Experience

Cooperation at the national and international levels is a promising direction of libraries’ activity. One of the modern forms of such cooperation is library consortia that have been created around the world since the 1960s. The activities of such library associations have been successfully carried out in Russia for many years, but for the more complete understanding of the such organizations’ work character, it is necessary to examine the foreign experience of library consortia creating. Considering the activities of the largest national, regional and international library consortia since the 1960s, one can find out the transformation of such institutions from organizations performing strictly defined functions, such as automating routine library processes or facilitating access to information and exchange of it, into a significant tool for strengthening cooperation in the field of librarianship and bibliography. The article presents the most common definitions of the term «library consortium», defines the main goals and objectives of such organizations, and considers the activities of the largest library consortia of the following types: consortia that unite libraries according to the technological principle and consortia uniting libraries of a certain type. The author pays attention to the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC), which is a special type of consortium – an association of associations.

Técnicas Biblioteconómicas aplicação dessas técnicas no Centro de Multimeios Poeta Alberto de Moura, da cidade de Ipaumirim-CE

The research carried out in this article focuses on an ever-recurring theme in discussions about library techniques in the school library, specifically in the state of Ceará, through the Ceará Department of Education (SEDUC), according to its document, hasbeen adopting the replacement of this environment for the Multimedia Centre, whose discussions are involved in the form of organization and access to the information contained in its collection for the needs of its users. This project aims to investigate the application of library techniques in the Alberto de Moura Poet Multimedia Center for the dissemination and accessibility of information in developing the school community. The opportunity to work at the Poeta Alberto de Moura Multimedia Center has helped to broaden our knowledge and practices in the field of librarianship. The implementation of this project benefited both the educational institution that hosted the research and the community involved, as it concerned the participation of the entire school community and resulted in positive outcomes that will contribute to the development of both the schooland the community in educational, social and, cultural terms.

Значение создания региональных энциклопедических изданий по библиотечному делу в развитии библиотечной политики в Украине

The article deals with a new direction of research and publishing activities in Ukraine, such as the creation of regional branch encyclopedic publications. The author, focusing on the fact that this is mainly a local history direction and more than 70 editions have already been prepared, emphasizes that this work is gradually developing in the field of librarianship. Тhus, an important event in generalizing the experience of the development of the theory and practice of librarianship in Ukraine is the preparation and publication in electronic format of the nationwide “Ukrainian Library Encyclopedia” (UBE), which since 2010 has been created largely by the staff of the Yaroslav the Wise National Library of Ukraine. Leading librarians and practitioners of many scientific, public and specialized libraries, specialized universities and research institutes take part in the implementation of this project. Every year, the preparation of the UBE finds an increasing resonance in the professional circles of library specialists. Thanks to the work on the creation of this branch encyclopedia, new information about many outstanding figures in librarianship is introduced into the historical and scientific circulation; new directions of studying the history of libraries are developing, new terms of library science, new directions of library activity are characterized. To date, UBE has already published about 900 articles.

Measuring the efficiency of library activities: foreign experience

The article discusses various criteria for evaluation the efficiency of library activities. Foreign experts have developed various methods for measuring the efficiency of libraries: ServQUAL, LibQUAL, method of Data Enveloped Analysis, method of Total Quality Management, Best Value. Particular attention is paid to documents prepared with the assistance of IFLA. R. Poll and P. Bockhorst made a significant contribution to the development of indicators that allow a multidimensional assessment of the activities of libraries. The Balanced scorecard was used to develop indicators for assessing the efficiency of libraries in the Republic of Belarus. The use of benchmarking based on a comparative analysis of results of library activities for certain parameters or of the same type of libraries is of interest. It is important to assess
 the activities of libraries by the population. The decisive role is
 played by the «social effect» – the satisfaction of cultural,
 social, educational, information needs of the population with
 the assistance of libraries. Russian specialists I. Pilko and
 S. Mukhamedieva proposed a composite index of the efficiency of library activities – a set of indicators of social, economic, organizational, technological efficiency. The experience of foreign specialists in the field of librarianship was useful in conducting the scientific research «To develop qualitative indicators of the efficiency of the activities of cultural organizations of the Republic of Belarus, taking into account international experience».