Training Of Library Staff Research Articles

The current state and prospects of library and information education in the Republic of Cameroon

The article is devoted to the goals and objectives of the national development of the concept of professional library education, reflecting the reform on the basic ideas of library and information education. It proposes priority solutions to support legal fields in libraries of the country. It highlights prospective directions to organize the system of professional training of library staff. From this analysis and international experience the author express the need for international norms and standardization of professional library and information education.

The application of information and communication technology for service delivery in the serial unit of Bayero University Kano

The use of information and communication technology has become widely acceptable globally. This is because its application to the day to day activities of individuals, institutions and organizations is making tasks and work easier and efficient. This study investigated the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for service delivery in the serial unit of Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. It examined the types of ICT facilities available, services rendered and method of application of ICT facilities as well as challenges of ICT application to user services. A qualitative research methodology was employed for the study. The population of the study comprises of eight (8) staff including the unit head, out of which four (4) were purposively selected using interview and observation methods for data collection, while thematic analysis was used to analyze the data generated. The findings revealed that various ICT facilities are available in the unit under study. Challenges ranging from inadequate ICT facilities, poor power supply, lack of internet access, etc. were identified. The study also recommends for: adequate ICT infrastructure, funding, training of library staff on ICT, provision of adequate electricity with back-up power plant, provision of internet access and institutional subscription to both print and e-journals among others.

Use of Smart Phone among Para-Professional Librarians in Olabisi Onabanjo University Library, Nigeria

This study attempted to investigate how para-professional librarians (Library Officers cadre and only Assistant Library Officers) in Olabisi Onabanjo University (O.O.U) Library, Nigeria used smart phone to embrace academic library services. A questionnaire and an interview schedule were used to collect data for the study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The study revealed that all the library paraprofessional staff had and used smart phones for personal, official and library services, but the use for library services and routines (across the items for library services) were on a lower side. The study further revealed that gender of para-professional librarians does not influence smart phone use amongst other findings. The study thus recommended provision of good telecommunication facilities, integration of full mobile library applications and services into academic library functions and services and training of library staff for effective deployment of phone use for library services amongst others. Keywords: Library Services, Mobile Phones Use, Nigerian Para-Professional Librarians, Smart Phone Use, Smart Phone Use for Library Services, New Media.

Contribution of the Federal Libraries of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation to the Continuing Professional Education of Library Staff

Economic and socio-cultural changes occurring in the life of Russian society make high demands to the professional competence of employees. The problem of improving, supporting and developing the system of additional vocational education (retraining and advanced training of library staff) is among the priority directions of State policy in librarianship in Russia. In the conditions of libraries modernization, the changes affecting the types of library activity are inevitable. In this regard, of particular importance are not only the development of new forms of customer service, acquisition, organization and preservation of library collections, the technology of maintaining library catalogue system and card files on traditional and machine-readable media, but also work aimed at skill improvement of specialists and strategy development of personnel potential. The activity of the Federal Libraries of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation in promotion and development of additional professional education of library personnel through qualification upgrading courses and other forms of continuing education is considered.

Problems of the Advanced and Continuous Training for Librarians and Information Workers in the Republic of Cameroon

The actual problems of the advanced training, retraining and continuous education for staff of Library and Information Science specialists in the Republic of Cameroon have been examined. Some suggestions for future improvements coming from advanced foreign experience have been proposed. The author exposes a series of contradictions characterizing the system for re-education and re-qualification of librarians in the Republic of Cameroon. The absence of an integral vocational training system with basic standards in defining the functions and significance of librarianship has been indicated. This current analysis solicits senior librarians in the Republic of Cameroon to specialize in different branches of their training. Considering the current situation, the author designates the future directorate of strategic development and continuous training in the country to undertake cardinal systematic transformations in this domain. Having made an analysis of foreign experience, the author indicates the need for training library staff with several levels of specialization, using progressive training teaching models, an opportunity that will create a specialized research centre in the domain of librarianship in the Republic of Cameroon. Priority tasks with guaranteed judicial standards in librarianship in the country have been defined. The author indicates the need for the creation of a practical and scientific professional publishing house that will publish documents focused on development of the various branches/orientations of information, library scientific and practical books, as well as documents that are conceptual and methodical in nature. Furthermore, the author suggests the creation of a unique network for continuous education at the national level.

How can the digital library contribute to employability?

The DEFF project, E-learning, Information literacy and Library services, supports the education policy ambition of enhancing links between education and employment. The project consortium includes libraries from all Danish universities, university colleges and one business academy. Timeframe for the project is 2014-16.The project understands employability as:In close cooperation with study programmes libraries will strengthen students’ abilityto perform independently and critically in a professional context by being able to identify, collect, evaluate, organize and present information via digital platforms.A partnership is made between the digital library (partner libraries involved) and the virtual learning environment (educational institutions), based on the above definition of employability. This is done within the framework of Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The libraries and academic programmes will collaborate to create e-learning objects based on the relevant digital library systems and information resources.Departments from three Danish universities will contribute by strengthening the project participants’ skills in e-didactics and the development of e-learning objects (SDUUP, University of Southern Denmark), developing a range of flexible concepts for the integration of the virtual library into learning environments (IVA, Copenhagen University) and evaluating the project’s activities (E-Learning Lab, Aalborg University).Sustainable results include the training of library staff to work together with academic programmes via the virtual learning environments, the development of flexible concepts for integrating the virtual library with study environments and knowledge on how inputs, created by the project for each study programme, should function.

Information-methodological support on regional library sites

The article is devoted to research of library sites implementing methodological support at the regions. The author analyzes special headings structure, purposes of the regional methodological centers, main directions, forms and methods of library activities. The paper shows efficiency of regional sites and their special headings on different directions of libraries methodological support. A priority is the library staff training and retraining. The model site is proposed, which reveals components and functions of special headings for libraries methodological support.

Library Support for Indigenous University Students: Moving from the Periphery to the Mainstream

Abstract
 
 Objective – This research project explored the models of Indigenous support programs in Australian academic libraries, and how they align with the needs of the students they support. The research objective was to gather feedback from Indigenous students and obtain evidence of good practice models from Australian academic libraries to inform the development and enhancement of Indigenous support programs. The research presents the viewpoints of both Indigenous students and librarians. 
 
 Methods – The research methods comprised an online survey using SurveyMonkey and a focus group. The survey was conducted nationally in Australia to gather evidence on the different models of Indigenous support provided by academic libraries. The survey explored the nature of support services such as specialized study spaces and resources, information literacy education, and liaison services for Indigenous students. The survey also asked respondents to comment on 
 the challenges they encountered and improvements they would recommend in 
 providing Indigenous student support.
 
 To provide a student perspective, a small cohort of Indigenous students at a small university in South East Queensland was interviewed in a focus group about their library experiences. The focus group explored Indigenous students’ perceptions of the library, their frequency of use and where they go for help with their studies. 
 
 Results – The survey found that 84% of academic libraries provide some specific support for Indigenous students with 89% of those support services being conducted in a place other than the library. Across the sector, Australian academic libraries have a strong commitment to the success of Indigenous students and considerable engagement with Indigenous issues.
 
 The focus group found that Indigenous students’ needs and concerns about using the library were not differentiated by their cultural background. Rather their concerns were similar to issues being raised in the broader student population.
 
 Conclusion – The survey results indicated that the main areas in which support for Indigenous students might be improved are greater inter-departmental communication and collaboration within the university, increased training of library staff in Indigenous cultural sensitivity, and the employment of Indigenous library staff members. The focus group was valuable in opening the communication channels between Indigenous students and library staff and highlighted the importance of engaging with students using both formal and informal channels.

Usos, prácticas y consumos culturales de nuevos medios en la Biblioteca Mayor de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Un estudio de caso

In this work the cultural consumption, uses and practices of new media were studied in the Biblioteca Mayor of the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba in 2012-2013. The impact and changes in librarianship projection services were weighted from its update to technological convergence and the subsequent incorporation of new media in the field of the library. This investigation was interdisciplinary with a dual quantitative and qualitative methodology that implied two moments: empirical and critical-hermeneutical. Fieldwork was conducted by applying various techniques within the ethnographic method of case study through: surveys, interviews, participant observation, triangulation of sources and recovery of institutional documents. It is concluded that due to the implementation of converging technologies at the Biblioteca Mayor, it appears to be practices and uses of cultural consumption of new media in need of clear policies on access, dissemination and socialization of information established from the library management and the promotion of a constant training and development of library staff to develop new services and new users interaction. This requires from the institution a constant weighting of the human capital in terms of cost-benefit in relation to the projection of the library services.

Physically Challenged Undergraduates" Satisfaction with Library and Information Services in Kwara State Higher Institutions

Despite the fact that academic libraries put their effort to satisfy the needs of their users, they however still neglect some group of users (physically challenged) in the information and service provision. This study was therefore undertaken to find out the physically challenged undergraduates satisfaction with library and information services in Kwara State higher education institutions. Survey research design was adopted to give in-depth information about the study while data was collected through questionnaire. Five research questions were answered by study. The results revealed that information needs of the physically challenged undergraduates in the various higher institutions are the same. The level of availability and accessibility of information materials and services to these groups of users was also revealed in the study. Limitations such as non-inclusion of the physically challenged students in the decision making process of the library as well as unavailability of specific information materials that suits the disability of the physically challenged students in the library was also identified. Based on these findings, the study recommends training of library staff to meet the needs of physically challenged users and inclusion of these special group of users in the decision making process of the library concerning their collection development.

Consumer Health Reference Revisited: Transforming Reference Services in the Affordable Care Act Landscape

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) landscape offers a prime opportunity to explore the transformation of consumer health reference services. This article focuses on a number of key areas in which consumer health reference work is revisited in the context of the ACA. In particular, library staff training opportunities, service philosophies, and strategies for conducting consumer health reference interviews must evolve and expand. Overall, revisiting consumer health reference is timely and needed to ensure that libraries remain responsive to community health information needs.

Improving Services for Patrons with Print Disabilities at Public Libraries

AbstractThis article describes a project at Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL) that aims to improve access for people who are blind or who have low vision. As public libraries move toward providing more digital-based resources, this is an opportunity to provide access for patrons who need resources in an alternative format. This project focused on website accessibility, digital databases, physical library accessibility, staff training, and marketing. The article describes the steps that BCPL will take to turn these research findings into practice.

From Dialup to Digital Inclusion: Leading the Way in Library Data

Over the past twenty years, public libraries in the United States have been undergoing some of the most extensive changes in their identity, services, and programs since assuming their modern form. The introduction of digital services as part of the mission and purpose of the library’s contract with their communities has impacted the physical structures, the technical infrastructure, the funding models, and the training and education of library staff—virtually the entire library/community system. Throughout this transformation, we have been fortunate to have the work of John Carlo Bertot as a reference point—the data and analysis that have come from his research have provided ðand will continue to provideÞ us with insights and direction to help guide the infusion of technology into our library systems and communities. His research trajectory has grown in parallel with the issues that emerged as libraries and our communities moved from print to digital in their services and offerings, and it offers both a historical record of those changes and a reference point for those who have been working to understand and communicate the changes both to the library community and the broader policy arena. It is also instructive to see what a tremendous collaborator and colleague John has been with the researchers, policy makers, funders, libraries, and library organizations he has worked with since the start of his career. The breadth and reach of John’s work is remarkable, and he has provided us with an important foundation both through the research he has done and by the collaborations he has facilitated in the library community and beyond. Three major areas of John’s work with libraries have been instrumental in the work of those interested in the effect of technology on libraries and our communities: ð1Þ documentation of the changing technology landscape and its impact on libraries, librarians, and their communities; ð2Þ the development of suitable methodologies and the analysis of the data collected through those methods, which is the underpinning of the documentation; and ð3Þ exploration of the changes in store for professional library education necessary to produce leaders who will shape the future of libraries in this new landscape.

The Development of Czech Libraries, 1990–2013

In the last twenty years, libraries in the Czech Republic have undergone extensive changes, which were evoked by a transition to a democratic society and market economy. At the beginning of the millennium, the development of libraries was gradually stabilized; this process culminated in the adoption of the new library act in 2001. The role of the Ministry of Culture is characterized in relation to libraries and grant programs in support of libraries. This paper studies the changes and trends in the individual areas of library activities, such as library collections and information resources, the construction of libraries, the automation of library processes, the retrospective conversion of Czech library catalogs and portals, the digitization of library collections, the training of library staff, and the activities of library societies and associations. An emphasis is placed on the transformations connected with the development of information technologies. The paper is complemented by selected statistical data on the development of libraries.

Successful Scholarly Communication at a Small University: Integration of Education, Services, and an Institutional Repository at Valparaiso University

Beginning in 2011, the Christopher Center Library Services (CCLS) unit at Valparaiso University (VU) started implementing new scholarly communication services utilizing two different components: (1) the education and training of library staff in scholarly communication trends and issues; and (2) the implementation of ValpoScholar, VU's institutional repository (IR) and its associated services. These components allowed for new skills to be developed, new services to be delivered, and the library's digital collections to grow with minimal impact to existing services. This model may provide a framework for other small institutions interested in adding scholarly communication services to their existing library services.

To the 90th Anniversary of the I Library Congress of the RSFSR

The article, based on the research of the transcripts of the First Library Congress of the RSFSR, analyzes and summarizes the views of the participants of the congress on such issues, as the targets of library work, the acquisitions development, organization of library network and mobile libraries, the forms of mass library work, training and re-training of library staff. The article stresses the importance of the library congress for the development of library theory and practice, both, in the Soviet times and today.

Libraries, librarians, and library system of the American state of Illinois

Abstract The article presents the library system of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, structure and functioning of the library system of Illinois, education and training of library staff and academic librarians` status and promotion. The author points out also some current dilemmas of public and school libraries in Illinois, which are connected with the problem of intellectual freedom and free access to information, as that of internet filtering, free access to information for minors, library acquisition policy, library buildings and premises, etc.

전문도서관 운영평가의 분석 및 진단에 관한 연구 - 2012년도 운영평가 결과를 중심으로 -

이 연구의 목적은 우리나라 전문도서관의 2011년 한 해 동안의 운영실적을 평가한 결과를 분석하여 전문도서관 발전을 위한 정책대안 및 시사점을 도출하기 위한 것이다. 39개 세부지표의 종합 평가점수는 100점 기준으로 볼 때 51.8점으로 나타났다. 5개 평가영역별로 살펴보면 시설환경 영역의 100점 환산점수가 77.3점으로 가장 높았고, 다음으로 인적자원 영역(53.5점), 도서관 경영 영역(51.0점)으로 나타났다. 정보자원과 정보서비스 영역은 각각 49.3점, 45.4점으로 50점을 넘지 못하는 것으로 분석되었다. 세부지표별로 살펴보면 평가점수가 가장 높은 지표는 시설환경 영역의 ‘이용자 편의시설’(96.7점)이었고, 가장 낮은 지표는 인적자원 영역의 ‘도서관 직원의 장기 교육훈련 참여실적’(13.0점)으로 나타났다. 이 연구는 2012년 전국의 전문도서관 운영평가의 결과를 분석하여, 설립주체별로 도서관 운영의 현황과 문제점을 진단한 것이다. 국내 전문도서관은 주로 중앙행정기관, 공기업, 준정부기관, 정부출연연구기관, 지방자치단체 및 교육청 산하 기관, 기업체, 민간단체, 병원, 언론기관 등 모기관의 성격에 따라 매우 다양하기 때문에 분석결과는 향후 전문도서관 유형별로 차별화된 정책수립을 위한 기초자료로 활용될 수 있다.

Using secret shopping to assess student assistant training

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the results of three rounds of secret shopping conducted at the Hubert Library of Florida International University, and how the results affected and were affected by changes made to circulation desk student training programs.Design/methodology/approachVolunteers from the campus community asked circulation desk work‐study students preformulated questions, in person or by phone, and recorded both the answers and service quality perceptions for analysis.FindingsAnalysis of the results revealed that the program did what it was designed to do: highlight customer service strengths and weaknesses. A majority of shoppers reported favourable experiences, but identified problematic areas and situations to be addressed in student worker training.Research limitations/implicationsSome of the most valuable data came from secret shoppers' comments, which made clear the need to revisit some of the questions. In some instances shoppers' desires to highlight the positive and deemphasize the negative indicated apparent bias.Originality/valueThis study shows how a secret shopping program can guide and fine‐tune a library student training program as opposed to a librarian or library staff training program.

Dundee College’s Literacy Information Skills Project

In 2009, Dundee College libraries had no formal literacy skills program despite having trained library staff with a variety of abilities and backgrounds. At the same time, the curriculum manager for Special Programs was keen to improve the information and digital literacy skills of specific groups within this area, but was unsure where to find support. Through open discussion with the library team, the possibility of using specialist library skills to develop an information literacy program was considered, with the official launch of the Literacy Information Skills project in the same year. 
 
 The project has been very successful in both discrete areas and across the student population. The development of materials for the course has provided a bank of information literacy materials for the College and led to the development of further sessions on a variety of study and soft skills. Outcomes of the project have included both improved literacy skills and improved confidence and social skills.