Information In Public Libraries Research Articles

The Application of Artificial Intelligence Technology in Public Library Information Retrieval

With the continuous innovation and development of social science and technology, artificial intelligence technology has been the focus of attention and research in more and more industries. Public library, as an important place in the society to provide mass education for the masses, should fully seize the development opportunity with artificial intelligence technology as the core idea in the operation and development, carry out intelligent, automatic and digital reform and innovation of the library, and optimize the links of information retrieval, book borrowing, information service and access to the library. Through Internet technology, artificial intelligence technology and other advanced technologies, the whole science and technology content of public libraries and public service quality is improved so as to meet the specific needs of the public for the use of public education resources. Based on this, this paper first briefly describes the basic concepts of human intelligence technology and information retrieval technology, and then studies the specific application of artificial intelligence technology in public library information retrieval link and related service applications, hoping to provide some reference for professionals.

Designing of the Health Information Model in Iranian Public Libraries

Abstract This study aims to provide a health information model for public access to reliable and up-to-date information resources at public libraries. The study was based on a Sequential-Exploratory Mixed Methods Design and combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative method was applied for 12 library managers in the health domain as well as officials of the institution of public libraries for whom in-depth and semi-structured interviews were applied. The third group (475 managers of the Iranian public libraries) participated in the quantitative survey. Quantitative results indicated the libraries’ space needs to be extended and the librarians require training courses about health information. Qualitative results, after coding, lead to extraction of ground theory. From the library managers’ point of view, for implementation of this model, a coherent planning and structured memorandum of understanding between public libraries and ministry of health is required. Finally, using the quantitative and qualitative results, the model of health information through public libraries in Iran has been extracted and presented. The present model includes three parts: management actions, strengthen resources, and education. It could be concluded that paying attention on information resources, especially in the field of health information, will lead to an increase in the level of awareness in the society, and consequently health status and quality of life of the people will improve. Thus, considering the variations in the referred people to the libraries, presentation of a health model in the field of health information in public libraries could be promising.

Mediating effects on the relationship between perceived service quality and public library app loyalty during the COVID-19 era

The demand for using library apps to search for information has been increasing after the COVID-19 outbreak. To look into how the pandemic affects the users’ perception of the loyalty of using library apps, we designed this research by amalgamating the updated IS success model and S–O-R model to evaluate the service quality of a public library app under the Hong Kong Government mobile applications initiative. A third-order model is established to demonstrate the multi-faceted aspects of service quality and mediating effects of perceived brand image, satisfaction, and e-word of mouth. Using structural equation modeling, data collected from Hong Kong, a metropolis where mobile services empower its citizens, showed the interrelationships among service quality and possible outcomes (i.e., perceived brand image, user satisfaction, e-word of mouth, and user loyalty). Findings also indicate that the influence of perceived service quality on user loyalty could only be achieved through perceived brand image and user satisfaction. This is a timely study during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the lockdown and social distancing arrangements created challenges for citizens to search for information in public libraries in person. Our findings and suggestions reiterate the importance of considering the usability concepts when analyzing the service quality of each unique app. They also provide insights for practitioners in developing the next generation of apps for smart public information services and call for further investigation into the proposed hierarchical model and other potential factors related to service quality.

Analisa Proyek Pengembangan Sistem Informasi Perpustakaan Umum Menggunakan Unified Modeling Language

The library is an important facility as a source of information, especially in the world of education to support learning activities for students and knowledge seekers to add insight and knowledge. To facilitate and accelerate library services, a Library Information System is needed in order to increase productivity, effectiveness and efficiency in the library. For the development stage of the library information system using the Unified Modeling Language (UML) as a tool for modeling and documenting the Library Information System. With the Public Library Information System Development Project Analysis Using the Unified Modeling Language, it is hoped that it can improve service, productivity, effectiveness and efficiency in libraries to increase reading interest for students and facilitate and speed up the transaction process of borrowing and returning books to the library.

‘But What to Change?’: Moving Forward in Public Library Information Service Provision for People with an Invisible Disability

This project will explore the match between public library service provision and delivery and the needs of people with invisible disabilities in Australia. A mixed method approach will be applied, utilising interviews and surveys with people with an invisible disability and library service providers.

Public Libraries and Student’s Information Needs in Democratic Society

The goal of this research was to examine information needs of students in democratic society with the emphasis on their perception and use of the public library in satisfying democratic and civil rights. In the research were used quantitative methodology (printed questionnaires) and participants were students of information sciences in Osijek (Croatia). Although research results showed that students mostly never (41%) or rarely (40%) searched for the information regarding their civil and democratic rights, they found that these rights were mostly important to them (mean 3.28). Less than a half of the respondents had information needs for democratic and civil rights in the area of education (42%). As expected more than a half of the respondents informed themselves about civil and democratic rights over the Internet (57%), while only 6% of them looked for that information in public libraries. Students mainly agreed that public libraries should provide access to the civil and democratic rights information (mean 4.13) by preparing public lectures, discussions, workshops or appropriate materials such as brochures (63%). Research data can be useful for public libraries in organizing collections and services for the support of democracy and civil rights.

Knowing How to Help: Providing Health Information in Public Libraries

ABSTRACTPublic libraries offer multiple resources and programs to community members at all socio-economic levels. One area that public libraries struggle with is the provision of consumer health information. This article reports on a qualitative study examining the practices of 38 public library staff in 18 libraries in Oklahoma, highlighting their experiences and perceptions about providing health information. The results indicate that many staff were unsure of the overall health needs of their communities. Many staff found fielding health information questions to be challenging, including issues related to understanding questions, providing online resources, and the need for more training.

Project EARL (Electronic Access to Resources in Libraries)

Public libraries are facing significant challenges over the next decade and into the 21st century. The need for public libraries therefore to network their services is now increasingly becoming the focus of attention. Project EARL will examine the services, technical infrastructure, and application/communication software required to network public library information and resources services. It will also produce a networking strategy with associated costs for providing public libraries with access to the Internet. Following the workshop, 14 libraries agreed to fund a scoping study which would draw up recommendations and produce costed options for the future funding of major developments.

The First Amendment Right to Receive Online Information in Public Libraries

A decade after the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the Children's Internet Protection Act, which mandated Internet filters in public libraries, filtering problems have not been resolved, and the disabling of Internet filters upon the requests of adults does not seem to be as easy or automatic as the justices had presumed. In upholding CIPA, the Supreme Court seemed to misunderstand the parameters of the disabling provision, ignored the right-to-receive doctrine, and missed the opportunity to update public forum doctrine to include the Internet. This article concludes that the Court needs to reevaluate public forum doctrine in the context of twenty-first century technology and designate Internet access in public libraries as a metaphysical public forum.

Library experiences of Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans flood survivors

Abstract More than one million residents were displaced by Hurricane Katrina and the New Orleans Flood. Uprooted from their lives and dispersed across the country, survivors found themselves hundreds of miles away from home. Some found comfort and much needed information in public libraries. This article discusses the library experiences of survivors as revealed through an online survey and in-depth interviews. The study, conducted from August to October of 2006, found that nearly one-half of survey respondents and 40% of interviewees used libraries following the disasters. The reasons for their visits included Internet access, information and technology assistance, mental escape, and refuge. Participants also discussed how the destruction of libraries added to their sense of loss and how the restoration of libraries gave them a sense of hope. Keywords: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans Flood, Evacuees, Public Libraries, Information Needs, Disasters, Disaster Communication Introduction Hurricane Katrina and the New Orleans Flood1 destroyed more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses, and scattered over a million people throughout the United States (CNN, 2005; Louisiana Recovery Authority, 2006a). Evacuees who thought they would be home within a matter of days instead found themselves in shelters and hotel rooms for months. A year after Hurricane Katrina and the Flood, fifty percent of residents still had not returned home (Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, 2008). These disasters caused the most massive and prolonged displacement of American citizens in recent memory (Nigg, Barnshaw, & Torres, 2006). For the people living through these catastrophic events, accessing information and communicating with others became difficult. Survivors often could not contact family, friends, neighbors, or employers (LRA, 2006b). Desperate to reach loved ones and find vital information about the status of their hometowns, many people visited the one place that is open to everyone, offers free services, and exists in almost all communities-the public library. This article reports the library use and library experiences of survivors following the Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans Flood (the Flood) disasters as discovered by a study in 2006 comprised of an online survey and in-depth interviews. The study finds that libraries played important roles in assisting survivors find and access information, and in helping to provide a refuge and an escape. The article advocates for librarians to take an active interest in discovering ways to assist in disaster situations. It also suggests that libraries should be considered a vital source to citizens and the disaster planning community before, during, and after natural and man-made disasters. Several key points regarding how librarians can help disaster survivors are provided. Literature Review At the time of this study the library literature contained numerous articles which focused on how librarians provided services during and after Hurricane Katrina and the Flood. Fletcher (2006) discussed how medical librarians quickly organized, sent requests for donations, selected materials, and delivered them to doctors working at shelters in the Baton Rouge area. She found that resources for use in shelter clinics should be print based and portable, brief, prescriptive, and of course current. Librarians in Louisiana and surrounding states reported how they issued library cards, assisted with completion of disaster relief forms, gave referrals to government agencies, and provided books and local information to evacuees (Albanese, Blumenstein, Oder, & Rogers, 2005). Dickerson (2007) discussed how he, as director of the Jefferson Parish Library (JPL), reorganized the library, removed barriers to access, and served thousands of residents from neighboring parishes. In the months following Katrina, JPL distributed more than 3,600 library cards and co-sponsored programming sessions such as chainsaw and mold safety, and medical and psychological awareness. …

Community Information Needs of the Urban Population in Israel

The community information needs of the urban Israeli population were studied using a telephone survey of 304 residents of a medium-sized city in central Israel and interviews with community officials in the city's social system. The purpose of the study was to identify the information needs of the urban community and its preferences, in order to establish the first formal public library's information centre in Israel. Approximately 60% of the problems cited by the subjects are concentrated in five categories: neighbourhood matters; studies; transportation; government matters; and entertainment, leisure and recreation. In most of the categories the percentage of local topics exceeds the percentage of general topics (i.e. topics not necessarily related to the community where the subjects live). Of all the problems (1,067) raised by the subjects, the percentage consulting dedicated information sources was 41.2%, and the percentage consulting general information sources was 29.6%. The findings of the survey show that the subjects clearly prefer information channels that offer personal contact (e.g. by telephone or face-to-face meeting with professionals). In contrast to the findings of many other studies, informal personal contacts (e.g. family members, friends) was ranked last place. In the interviews, community officials admitted that they receive numerous requests for information or assistance in solving problems on a wide range of topics that are not in their sphere of activity. The analysis of the data from both methods indicated a lack of sufficient and accessible information sources and underscored the importance of public libraries as major community information centres. Following the results of this study, the first official community information centre in Israel is currently being established by the librarians at the public library in the city where the data were collected.

The effects of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in public libraries and its implications for research: A statistical, policy, and legal analysis

AbstractIn upholding the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the U.S. Supreme Court has forced public libraries to face difficult issues about filtering Internet content. The implementation of filters creates a range of practical issues for libraries and also raises myriad research issues related to the effects of CIPA on public library services and on access to Internet‐based information in public libraries. Using a multimethod, iterative research strategy, this article explores selected areas related to filtering that may affect the provision of Internet content and services in public libraries. This study presents preliminary data about the impact of CIPA on public libraries and offers a perspective of what research is necessary to provide a better understanding of the impacts of CIPA and to determine what research would need to be conducted for potential future legal challenges to the application of CIPA in public libraries.

Helping the public 'Discover Health' in their local library. Providing health information in public libraries: a partnership approach in Scotland.

A partnership between the Specialist Health Promotion Service of NHS Tayside and Dundee City Council developed a project, 'Discover Health', to bring health information to the public. The two main formats used were traditional leaflets and Internet access via the People's Network, both available in public libraries. The steering group for the project was made up of staff from both organisations. The NHS side secured the funding; the Council side provided the accommodation and information and communication technologies. The partnership worked well, and the project is continuing, with expansion in the pipeline for other areas within Tayside. The various aspects of the functioning of the partnership are discussed. A literature review of similar initiatives is included.

The Website of the Public Library Information Technology as an Agent of Change: Case Study of “Mateh Asher” Regional Library, Israel

ABSTRACT In the information society, the public library has an opportunity to strengthen its status and exploit the skills of its librarians with the help of the new information technology. One of the main means for doing this is the library website. The present article analyzes the website, called “Library at Home,” of the Mateh Asher Regional Library in Israel. This special site constitutes a fascinating example of the integration of needs and activities. The site enables lending books by e-mail and bringing them into the home itself. It exposes the residents to search engines, as well as community and social sites in the world and in Israel, and offers guidance on how to make use of them. With the help of the site the library has also opened a virtual reference department, where residents can turn to the expert librarian with specific questions. With the site's help the library has become a community center for supplying specialized information, as well as a tool of social and cultural integration for the whole region.

Excuse me, how do I commit suicide? Access to ethically disputed items of information in public libraries

Reports the findings of an investigation carried out in Slovenian public libraries, which was designed to determine whether librarians would be reluctant to provide information or materials on ethically disputed topics. The three topics used in the test were: suicide, necrophilia, and photographs or pictures of corpses. The conclusions were that the issue was a matter of quality of reference services,

The impact of social class and status on citizenship information need: the results of two national surveys in the UK

This paper reports the key results of the Citizenship Information research project funded by the British Library Research and Innovation Centre. This research comprised two large-scale surveys of the citizenship information needs of the UK public. The paper focuses upon the detailed analysis and examination of the results as they related to issues of social class and status. The research revealed that social class and status had an impact upon information need and information seeking behaviour, although the pattern emerging was not a simple one. Certain social classes and status groups were not exploiting public library information resources as effectively as they might; equally, certain groups were less willing (or able) to take advantage of new technologies to access information and participate in democratic activities. Those groups most willing to use a range of information sources were more conscious of disadvantage resulting from a lack of information. The paper concludes that there is a real danger of exclusion for certain groups of the UK population and that information policy must reflect an awareness of the most appropriate patterns of information dissemination in order to overcome barriers to access for each of these.

HIV/AIDS Information in Public Libraries

Despite well-publicized advances in the development of antiretroviral therapies, HIV infection remains an incurable condition. Worldwide, the disease threatens to gravely impact a wide range of developing nations, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia and South America. In the United States, the poor and particularly women of color are at great, and increasing, risk for infection. Public libraries, as trusted public institutions for the dissemination of information, can continue to play an important role in promoting public health information surrounding HIV/AIDS prevention and education. Public libraries are not immune, however, to the political and value-driven public discourse surrounding HIV infection. Through carefully identifying the issues, taking a nonjudgmental service approach, and building collaborations with community based organizations, public libraries can become common ground for providing proactive prevention-focused information services. This article examines the current state of epidemic HIV/AIDS infection, reviews the literature on public library responses, and identifies highly select consumer health and biomedical monographic, serial, audio-visual and Web-based HIV/AIDS information tools.

The provision of European information by public libraries in the UK

Describes a British Library Research and Innovation Centre‐funded project to investigate the provision of European information in public libraries in the UK, via the establishment of the Public Information Relay (PIR), a European Commission initiative to provide information about the European Union to the general public. Discusses the background to the PIR and the literature to date. Describes the project methodology and discusses the major findings of the project. The project found that libraries were making very positive efforts to develop their European information services, but that there were concerns about the future development and resourcing of membership of the Relay. While the support of the European Commission was seen as valuable by respondents, the majority of libraries served a wider community of need than was envisaged by the remit of the PIR, in particular being heavily used for educational and business related purposes.

Public Librarians' Views of the Public's Geospatial Information Needs

Public librarians often interact with patrons seeking geographic information. This project investigated those interactions with a sense-making (timeline) survey instrument. Content analysis of the librarians' responses reveals a limited range of situations for which patrons seek geographic information in public libraries compared with peoples' geographic queries outside the public library. Further, librarians' expectations of clarifying geographic questions with patrons often lead to frustration and inadequacy on the part of librarians, rather than reaching closure with their patrons as they expected. Expected and actual formats for geospatial information are highly correlated, and digital geospatial products such as electronic maps are rarely employed in public library settings. Additional results include the determination that public library patrons appear to ask librarians fewer cause and effect or interpretation questions compared with their actual information needs. Implications for altering reference interviews to evoke the broader geospatial information needs that bring people to the public library are explored, as is the potential role of digital geographic data to support resolving patrons' information needs. We also present a series of recommendations for practice stimulated by these research results.

Electronic public information and Europe: an electronic forum in support of transparency and openness in government

This article outlines the details of a British Library Research and Development Department funded project on the provision of European Union information in public libraries in the UK. It explains how European Union information is currently being provided to the public in the EU Public Information Relay and emphasises the issues involved in providing European Union information electronically.