Library Practice Research Articles

The Fifth Scientific and Practical Conference “The letter and digit: The libraries on the way to digitalization” (“BiblioPiter-2024”)

The authors review the work of the Fifth Scientific and Practical Conference “The letter and digit: The libraries on the way to digitalization” (“BiblioPiter2024”) held on April 9–11, 2024. The conference subject scope comprised the following topics: The role of libraries in information support of science and education; training staff for specialized, academic and public libraries; AI tools development and use in education; status of and prospects for modern information, computer and Internet-based technologies in library practice; modern library functional transformation. The conference discussions are summarized.

When library cares: mining insights from LibQUAL+ to determine university students’ priorities

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate students' satisfaction with university library services in southern Punjab, Pakistan, emphasizing their perspective on service quality (SQ).Design/methodology/approachA LibQUAL+® survey with 22 core items was conducted within university settings using convenience sampling. In total, 345 usable responses were returned through Google Forms. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, ordinal logistic regression test, Pearson and Deviance statistics and chi-square test to assess the satisfaction status of library users.FindingsThe study found that libraries generally meet SQ standards. However, there were minor gaps in information control (IC) and library as place (LP).Practical implicationsThe study provides library administrators with actionable insights to enhance services, encouraging stakeholders to adopt optimal library practices for heightened efficiency and user satisfaction.Social implicationsIt highlights the crucial role of libraries in shaping future societal progress by emphasizing the need for elevated user services. Librarians can use this knowledge to modify their planning and take impactful initiatives that align with the evolving needs of their users.Originality/valueWhile many studies have utilized LibQUAL, this research is unique for its focus on addressing university library services in underdeveloped regions facing economic challenges. It attempts to fill the information gap by offering a transferable approach for strategic priorities in similar settings.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as Catalysts of Educational Transformation in the Higher Education Sector of Sri Lanka: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review evaluates the transformative effects of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in Sri Lanka’s higher education and library services. It explores how MOOCs democratize education by broadening access to previously costly and limited educational infrastructure and integrating them into library practices for enhanced access and professional development. The review synthesizes various sources to assess MOOC utilization, challenges like low completion rates, inconsistent quality, and digital divides. Strategic improvements are proposed to align MOOCs with educational and socio-economic goals in Sri Lanka. The findings highlight MOOCs’ current uses, barriers, and potential as supplements to traditional education, aiming to optimize learning outcomes and support educational transformation in both academic and library environments.

At a Crossroads: Cataloguing Policy and Practice in Australian Libraries

ABSTRACT A survey of cataloguing and metadata policy and practice across Australian libraries was conducted as a follow-up on the author’s 2013 survey. Responses were collected from 86 libraries, including over half the country’s state and university libraries, as well as from 27 public library networks and 31 other types of library. On average, the libraries were spending 27 hours of staff time on cataloguing, although many more libraries reported a decline in cataloguing time than an increase. This trend was due to acquisitions being increasingly covered by record copy, and to competing demands on staff time, with retiring cataloguers not always being replaced. Nevertheless, large amounts of cataloguing, including original cataloguing, are still being performed by professional staff, with increasing attention being paid to making bibliographic access more culturally inclusive. On the other hand, libraries are presently relying on their bibliographic networks to publish their metadata as linked data, and hardly any are planning to move to BIBFRAME, while RDA’s ‘official toolkit’ is also proving problematic for some libraries. It is suggested that cataloguing in Australian libraries may be prioritised more if their metadata were made more discoverable and more usable by addressing the shortcomings of current systems and standards.

Stewarding Contextual Integrity in Data Services for Indigenous Scholarship

ABSTRACTThe CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance provide essential guideposts for the stewardship of Indigenous data. To put CARE into practice in libraries and repositories, resources are needed to support implementation and integration into current research data services (RDS). Based on analysis of case studies with scholars of Indigenous language and culture, this paper articulates specific Indigenous research and data practices to guide metadata work and other areas of responsibility in RDS. The cases surface the richness of relationships and the significance of accountability in the research process—demonstrating the “relational accountability” inherent in Indigenous research methods. Robust representation of relationality is essential to retaining integrity of context in metadata for Indigenous research data. We consider the practical implications of documenting relational context with current descriptive metadata approaches and challenges in achieving CARE adherent metadata, which we argue is the backbone for broader application of CARE for Indigenous RDS.

Information Literacy Education in University Libraries: A Comparative Study in Taiwan and South Korea

ABSTRACTThis study aims to compare the information literacy education practices of university libraries in Taiwan and South Korea using the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (ACRL, 2016). The result shows that while Taiwanese institutions demonstrate comprehensive coverage across all six frames, South Korean university libraries lack some frames. The identified gaps will be analyzed thoroughly with ongoing research. This research will contribute to understand the shortcomings in the information literacy education provided by university libraries and suggest how we can further research and improve in the future.

Expanding LGBTQ+ Inclusivity: An Ecological Model of School Library Practice in Addition to Collection Development

This research explores the critical need for a holistic approach to LGBTQ+ inclusivity in school library services, moving beyond the traditional focus on collection development to address underexplored areas such as cataloguing practices, purchasing procedures, programming, policies, and community outreach. The school libraries often become a place of social stigma for LGBTQ+ students, and availability of fewer resources and institutional biases typically discourage them from accessing information and support from such libraries. For this purpose, this study will carry out research using a qualitative research design with the help of content analysis and case studies to identify the best practices and policies of selected school libraries in regard to addressing such matters. It sets much importance on cataloguing in such a way so that these LGBTQ+ resources, materials, etc. should be visible and accessible besides discussing budget limitations and community force behind acquiring the LGBTQ+ resources as a part of the library collection. This also emphasizes the requirement of an LGBTQ+ inclusive program with efficient community outreach that builds safe spaces for the student population LGBTQ+. The study further stresses the need for library policies and how librarians can become great advocates of LGBTQ+ rights and representation. A careful consideration of any aspect of library services described in this paper will help guide principles for making school libraries more inclusive and equitable. The implications are considered crucial for future research and practice, toward further development of library services to support the needs of LGBTQ+ students completely, which will enhance their well-being and academic success.

Applying Universal Design for Learning to library peer professional development: a case study acknowledging adults as learners

PurposeThis paper tracks the literature through narrative progression from defining accessibility and inclusivity to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and disability justice. This review culminated in the development of a check list of best practices for librarians who create online learning objects to consider. Then we turn to a case study of presenting these findings to professionals through the framework of UDL with a focus on multiple means of representation and engagement. We conclude with a reflective discussion on process and the potential for broader impact and future directions.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a case study of informing praxis with existing research while experimenting to address gaps in the literature through practice.FindingsThis paper presents a strong argument for using UDL frameworks beyond primary, secondary and higher education to contexts where professionals may be learning.Originality/valueThe research surrounding UDL beyond standard educational contexts does not currently exist, inside or outside of the library literature. This paper presents a new paradigm in expanding accessible and inclusive learning practices to include less formalized learning spaces.

Responsible AI Practice in Libraries and Archives

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to positively impact library and archives collections and services—enhancing reference, instruction, metadata creation, recommendations, and more. However, AI also has ethical implications. This paper presents an extensive literature and review analysis that examines AI projects implemented in library and archives settings, asking the following research questions: RQ1: How is artificial intelligence being used in libraries and archives practice? RQ2: What ethical concerns are being identified and addressed during AI implementation in libraries and archives? The results of this literature review show that AI implementation is growing in libraries and archives and that practitioners are using AI for increasingly varied purposes. We found that AI implementation was most common in large, academic libraries. Materials used in AI projects usually involved digitized and born digital text and images, though materials also ranged to include web archives, electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), and maps. AI was most often used for metadata extraction and reference and research services. Just over half of the papers included in the literature review mentioned ethics or values related issues in their discussions of AI implementation in libraries and archives, and only one-third of all resources discussed ethical issues beyond technical issues of accuracy and human-in-the-loop. Case studies relating to AI in libraries and archives are on the rise, and we expect subsequent discussions of relevant ethics and values to follow suit, particularly growing in the areas of cost considerations, transparency, reliability, policy and guidelines, bias, social justice, user communities, privacy, consent, accessibility, and access. As AI comes into more common usage, it will benefit the library and archives professions to not only consider ethics when implementing local projects, but to publicly discuss these ethical considerations in shared documentation and publications.

Unjust: Publishing Black and African American Children’s Books and School Availability

Traditional book publishing has a pronounced and unjust deficiency of Black and African American voices. White culture, thoughts, and rules are the standard in traditional publishing. Black and African American authors are not typically picked up by white-dominated publishing companies. In traditional publishing, mostly white literary agents are gatekeepers and acquisition editors shut the doors too frequently to non-white authors. Aspiring Black authors then resort to hybrid or vanity press companies that often use unscrupulous practices, charge exorbitant fees, accomplish little or low-quality work, and deny authors’ agency and full rights in the final disposition of a book. Because a majority of traditionally published children’s books featuring Black or African American stories or characters are written by or illustrated by non-Black people, the wide possibilities of adventure, celebrations, discovery, and friendship stories are not published for Black children. Instead, publishers favor stories about slavery, the civil rights movement, famous Black people, and hair tales as well as racially ambiguous characters. Regrettably, Black and African American culturally relevant stories written and illustrated by Black or African Americans are not readily available to children in school and library settings consistent with schools’ community or student demographics. This article shares research findings and viewpoints of Kathy Anderson and Karen Bowlding, two Black children’s book writers and publishing consultants who are also parents. Black and African American students encounter education and cultural injustice because of the practices of traditional publishing companies, educators, and librarians. Parents and guardians can ameliorate these issues with discernment and action. Foremost, publishing company decision-makers must acknowledge their own racial biases that deny representation and authenticity to all children in our US classrooms.

Finding the Holy Grail of Library Value: Characteristics of Academic Libraries at Universities with High Retention Rates

Objective – What are the characteristics of academic libraries at schools with high retention rates? To help libraries tell the story of their impact, we sought to determine which academic library practices were linked to high retention rates. Methods – The investigators created a survey for the United States Great Lakes region library deans and directors in the Spring of 2022 with 19 questions about their library services and staffing. The survey was sent to 226 schools and had a response rate of 31%. We compared the resulting information to publicly available data on student retention from ACRL Metrics and IPEDS to look for correlations and associations. Results – Statistical analysis used the Chi-squared test and the Pearson correlation to calculate association and correlation. This found six attributes of student connections with library staff and with unique local collections that were associated with statistically significant differences in retention rates and institutions. These attributes were institutions who: used students as archives student workers, used students to staff reference desks, conducted multiple library instruction sessions with the same class, had a staffed archive or special collection space, had an institutional repository that included student work, or had an Instagram account. Conclusion – The survey results gave a clear profile of academic libraries with above average retention, particularly in terms of student focused initiatives and the curation of unique collections. Additionally, the survey gave a foundation, with recommendations, for future researchers to build upon.

IFLA Green Library Award from 2016 to 2023: an Examination of the Best Practices

ABSTRACT The main goal of this study is to examine the IFLA Green Library Award, which is given to green libraries and projects that have implemented a green strategy contributing to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Fifty-one libraries from 31 countries worldwide received awards during this examination (2016 – 2023). The results found that Europe had the highest proportion, with 15 countries winning the award 23 times (45.10%). Public libraries received the highest percentage of awards (60.78%), followed by university and national libraries at 11.76%. Regarding the best practices adopted by the winning libraries, the findings revealed that “education and outreach” as a best practice was prioritized by libraries in their awards with 31.37%, followed by “energy efficiency” (15.69%) and “green spaces” (13.73%). This study will probably contribute to enhancing the awareness among libraries regarding the IFLA Green Library Award. Additionally, the result of this investigation may encourage various libraries in developing countries to adopt the best practices of libraries that won the award by developing their strategy to be green based on their capabilities.

Analyzing the Practice of Applying the LBC Medium Tables: Results of a Questionnaire Survey of Libraries

The article presents the goals, objectives and results of the questionnaire survey of the country’s libraries that use the Library and Bibliographic Classification (LBC) Medium Tables in their work. The revealed information about various aspects of LBC use, trends in the development of practical cataloguing will help to ensure the effectiveness of the modernized LBC tables in library practice. The need to strengthen methodological support for specialists who use the tables in practice was revealed. Suggestions of cataloguers will form the basis for the development of a scientific concept of further development and improvement of the LBC. In general, the results of the study will allow to ensure the creation and publication of the second edition of the LBC Medium Tables in book and digital versions, scientific and methodological support for the introduction of modified LBC tables into library practice.

“What could go wrong?”: An evaluation of ethical foresight analysis as a tool to identify problems of AI in libraries

Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered libraries in various ways and raised concern about its potential ethical consequences therein. A number of approaches have been developed to encourage ethical AI and audit the ethics of specific AI applications, but very few approaches have been applied or tested, especially in a library setting, and so it remains unclear which, if any approaches are suitable or useful for encouraging ethical AI in libraries. We applied Ethical Foresight Analysis as an approach to identify possible ethical risks of an AI project for (semi-)automated subject indexing in a large research library. Specifically, to identify risks we conducted a two-round ethical Delphi study wherein experts on AI development, library practices, and AI ethics sought consensus on potential risks and their relative importance. The experts' post-test reflections on the procedure were then collected to inform an evaluation of the approach's feasibility. A variety of ethical risks of the specific project and of general AI indexing were indeed identified, most notably discrimination and under-representation stemming from attributes of the bibliographic training data provided by the library (e.g. varied historical contexts and gaps left by unindexed items). However, we identified some drawbacks of the approach tested: (1) it is time-consuming, which is likely prohibitive for many libraries, and (2) the identified risks were mainly well-known issues of AI and its training data rather than the subtle, application-specific, and human-centred issues that ethical foresight analysis might be employed to identify. Thus, although libraries should continue to model ethical AI through careful planning and auditing, alternative development and auditing approaches may be more practical to undertake and more effective at identifying novel or application-specific issues.

Academic librarians’ Twitter practices and the production of knowledge infrastructures in higher education

This short paper describes the use of infrastructural theory to interrogate data gathered for an ongoing study on the Twitter practices of academic librarians at one research-intensive university in the United Kingdom. In tandem with wider changes in networked technologies and ways of producing scholarship, academic librarians’ roles have shifted increasingly to knowledge production, particularly in the area of research support. A related shift has been academic librarians’ adoption of social media, particularly Twitter, to disseminate information and encourage community and collaboration. The few existing studies of librarians’ Twitter practices, however, frame such activity as service promotion, overlooking the relationship between technology and professional practice entwined and concomitant social effects in the university. The theoretical framework devised for this study was woven from research in anthropology and Science and Technology Studies about the nature of infrastructure. Instead of viewing infrastructure as separate and monolithic substrates supporting the circulation of goods and information, such theory posits infrastructure as relational and contingent, constituted of political decisions and having broad and co[1]constitutive social effects on knowledge, subjectivities and agencies (Jensen & Morita, 2017). The study’s theoretical framework particularly draws on the notion of knowledge infrastructures defined as “networks of people, artifacts, and institutions that generate, share, and maintain specific knowledge about the human and natural worlds” (Edwards, 2010). The framework therefore emphasises the invisible labour of infrastructure — often dubbed infrastructuring — and related socio-political practices of design and maintenance that embody promises for the future (Larkin, 2018). In this picture, infrastructure is fragile and contingent, shaped by its installed base, and remarkably complicated, unfixed and open to contestation. Based on preliminary findings, the study argues that academic librarians' Twitter practices constitute knowledge infrastructures in higher education. Using an infrastructural framework helped foreground the material conditions of librarians’ knowledge production in terms of entanglements of technology and professional values, shifts in professional subjectivities and performative effects within the university. A tentative implication for studies of technology and learning is that, by insisting that infrastructure and social activity are intertwined, learners and teachers are not framed in opposition to infrastructure and are thus better able to contest totalising narratives surrounding infrastructural learning technologies such as VLEs or MOOCs. In this picture, therefore, infrastructure is not simplistically background bulwark or sinister force. Appreciating the invisible labour involved in creating and sustaining infrastructure is therefore important for understanding contemporary learning contexts.

Canaries of Democracy: The Role of Public Libraries in Times of Political Turmoil

ABSTRACT This article reports conclusions from a three-year research project on Swedish public libraries. The focus of the project is on librarians experience of libraries mission to promote democracy when democratic norms and values are challenged politically by radical right populism. Results of a longitudinal survey point to stability and lack of political interest over time, but increased societal polarization causes several ethical dilemmas for librarians. Examples of illegitimate political influence and librarians adapting to changes in the political climate call for renewed discussions on the professional role and understandings of democracy in library practice.

Assessing smart sustainable library practices in higher education: development and validation of instrument

A smart sustainable library is a new form of a library that blends sustainability and smart libraries with an emphasis on ethics. This study focuses on the need for thorough tools to assess the evolving concept of a smart sustainable library, especially within Malaysian higher education. This study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive tool that combines smart library, sustainability practices, and ethical values in libraries. Developed and conducted a pilot study to validate a new instrument designed to assess these intertwined aspects thoroughly. By distributing a survey to 30 librarians from different academic institutions in Malaysia, we used statistical measures such as Cronbach's alpha, omega, and corrected item-total correlation to assess the validity and reliability of the instrument. The results showed a high level of reliability with Cronbach's alpha at 0.929 and Omega at 0.918, suggesting that the instrument has strong internal consistency and could be effective for wider use. Our research indicates that the newly developed instrument effectively captures the complex nature of smart sustainable libraries, demonstrating its potential for future research and practical use in the field. This research significantly contributes to the library science field by offering a validated tool to evaluate smart sustainable library development.

Transforming Academic Libraries: Navigating Change and Embracing innovation in the Digital Era

Academic libraries are undergoing a profound transformation in response to technological advancements, changing user expectations, and shifts in scholarly communication paradigms, prompting a reevaluation of roles, services, and structures This study sought to explore the transformative processes within academic libraries prompted by the digital era, addressing the levels of technological integration, user experience, services, data management, open access, and resource allocation, investigating the influencing factors on the incorporation of change and innovation, and examining the lived experiences of librarians navigating change and embracing innovation. This mixed-method design study explored the challenges faced by academic libraries in the face of technological advancements. It revealed that while a moderate level of technological integration indicated a willingness to adopt technology, a strong commitment to data management and open access underscored modern library practices. However, areas for improvement emerged in User Experience and Services and Resource Allocation, prompting recommendations for a holistic strategy that integrated technology, prioritized user experience, and optimized resource allocation. Staff resistance is identified as the primary factor influencing change and innovation incorporation. The study also highlighted key challenges faced by librarians, such as budget allocation, staff adaptation, resistance to change, technological infrastructure issues, and user-centric concerns.

Exploring librarians' practices when teaching advanced searching for knowledge synthesis: results from an online survey.

There is little research available regarding the instructional practices of librarians who support students completing knowledge synthesis projects. This study addresses this research gap by identifying the topics taught, approaches, and resources that academic health sciences librarians employ when teaching students how to conduct comprehensive searches for knowledge synthesis projects in group settings. This study applies an exploratory-descriptive design using online survey data collection. The final survey instrument included 31 open, closed, and frequency-style questions. The survey received responses from 114 participants, 74 of whom met the target population. Some key results include shared motivations to teach in groups, including student learning and curriculum requirements, as well as popular types of instruction such as single session seminars, and teaching techniques, such as lectures and live demos. This research demonstrates the scope and coverage of librarian-led training in the knowledge synthesis research landscape. Although searching related topics such as Boolean logic were the most frequent, librarians report teaching throughout the review process like methods and reporting. Live demos and lectures were the most reported approaches to teaching, whereas gamification or student-driven learning were used rarely. Our results suggest that librarian's application of formal pedagogical approaches while teaching knowledge synthesis may be under-utilized, as most respondents did not report using any formal instructional framework.

The role of event management as a library innovation in increasing the attractiveness of public libraries: analysis of trends and successful practices

The purpose of this article is to study the changes in the activities of libraries in the digital era with a focus on the introduction of event management as a key tool for adapting libraries to new conditions and increasing their attractiveness The research was based on the methods of analysis and synthesis of literature sources, case studies of successful library practices. The described examples illustrate how well organized events can attract new visitors, increase interest in library services, and strengthen the connection between the library and the community. The scientific novelty of the paper is a comprehensive analysis of the impact of digital technologies on event management in libraries and the development of recommendations for the effective implementation of event management that take into account the current needs and interests of the target audience. The introductory part of the article provides an overview of these changes, emphasizing the need for libraries to adapt to new conditions and use various tools, among which event management occupies an important place. The article concludes with recommendations on how to implement event management in the work of libraries. They include tips on planning and organizing events, taking into account the interests and needs of the target audience, and using modern technologies to promote library events. The article also discusses the role of digital technologies in improving event management. An important component is the use of social media and online platforms for announcing events, registering participants, and getting feedback from the audience. The article emphasizes the importance of an innovative approach to the work of libraries in the context of rapid changes in the information environment and society, showing that event management is an effective means of increasing their attractiveness and relevance.