LIS Departments Research Articles

Data Science Curriculum

With an increase in technology use and rapid generation of information and data, graduate-level programs with data science curricula have grown exponentially to match the demand for information professionals with data-related skills. However, a gap has formed between skills learned in school and skills information professionals need post-graduation. Previous research indicates a skills gap among data scientists who lack LIS training in areas like data curation, preservation, etc., which data science programs should address (Ortiz-Repiso et al., 2018). This study, as part of a broader project funded by IMLS (Grant # RE-250066-OLS-21), attempts to address current and future workforce demands in data librarianship and analytics, employer skill demand, and acquisition of skills.
 This poster reports on part of the larger project - content analysis of 294 distinct graduate program curricula involving significant data science coursework in 43 LIS schools and iSchools across North America. After collecting over 1,000 data science/librarianship-related courses from institutional websites, we coded them into seven categories using their titles and descriptions. Data analysis, curation, governance, and discovery were the most popular subjects, followed by data professions, miscellaneous courses, and data assessment. In conjunction with job ad analysis and surveys of stakeholders in data science and librarianship education by others, our study could serve as input for graduate programs/curricula design. Results from our study will increase understanding of the nature and structure of data science curricula in iSchools and LIS departments while giving students requisite skills to meet future needs as data science professionals/data librarians.

Media and Information Literacy Self-Efficacy of LIS Students in Bangladesh

Media and information literacy (MIL) is one of the crucial factors to sustain in the age of information explosion. Particularly, LIS students need to be literate regarding media and information around them to provide authentic information in their future workplaces. The study aims to identify the MIL self-efficacy level of LIS students and the influence of demographics on this. The study adopted a quantitative approach to identify the MIL level of LIS students using a structured questionnaire. The data was collected from 337 LIS students from different public and private universities in Bangladesh using a convenience sampling technique. The study reveals that LIS students in Bangladesh rated their level of MIL as moderate, but at the same time, they are confident regarding their competence in accessing relevant resources using different media. It is also observed that LIS students’ MIL level is comparatively less in creation than other dimensions like access, evaluation, use, and understanding. The research also found significant differences between the students’ demographics and their MIL level. This is one of the first attempts in Bangladesh to analyze LIS students’ MIL self-efficacy level. The study can be broadened in the future to understand the factors affecting the MIL level of LIS students in Banglaesh by adopting a qualitative research strategy. In addition, the problems can also be identified from future studies which will provide a guideline to the respective LIS departments on how to improve the MIL level of the students.

Nigerian LIS Academic and Scholarly Publishing Experience: Challenges and the Way Forward

AbstractThe study examined Nigerian Library and Information Science, LIS academics and scholarly publishing experience: challenges and the way forward. A purely qualitative method was adopted using interview as a data collection instrument. The population of study comprised LIS academics from two LIS departments in two universities at the South–south region of Nigeria. Four objectives were developed to guide the study. The results reveal that LIS academics publish mostly for promotion, to improve the knowledge in their chosen discipline, keep themselves abreast of the development in LIS discipline, LIS academics scholarly publication experience range from beginners up to twelve years with publications in various reputable LIS outlets. LIS academics face the challenges of heavy workload, inadequate experience, and lack of knowledge of relevant scholarly publishing outlets, and increasing rate of electronic journals due to advancement in ICT among others. To overcome the challenges, incentives should be provided to motivate LIS academics to engage in scholarly publishing, sponsorship of LIS academics to attend international conference to gain confidence, knowledge and experience on scholarly publishing, allocate money for staff to support their scholarly publishing, a compilation of a unified standard list of journals that should be a guide on where to get published.

Role of ranganathan's legacy in LIS education and research in India

The Department of Library & Information Science started at the initiative of S.R. Ranganathan was the first school in the country to offer Master's and PhD programmes in Library Science. This study explores the role of professionals graduating from the LIS Department of the University of Delhi in LIS education and research, an attempt has been made to present a state-wise picture of the pioneering role played by the alumni of the Department. The study finds that sixteen prominent LIS departments were setup in the country by the alumni of Delhi University.

Comparing Digital Library Job Requirements and Digital Library Course Curriculum: An Indian Perspective

The main purpose of the study is to compare the digital library job requirements and the curriculum offered in Indian LIS departments. Data were obtained from two sources: 180 job advertisements obtained through online job sites and course outlines obtained from the websites of 21 universities. The content analysis method was followed in the research for data analysis. The findings indicate that employers demand good communication skills and ability of working on digital library software, handling library management software, knowledge of basic computer skills, programming and markup languages. Job ads also indicate that a bachelors’ and masters’ degree programme in library and information science are the minimum essential requirements for employing digital library professionals. The study also found that there is no separate digital library programme offered whereas digital library course contents are integrated into BLIS & MLIS programmes. The digital library topics such as training students in using library management software, digital library software and content management systems; creating databases using MySql; website designing are offered at both bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. This paper compares what is demanded in the job market and what is offered by LIS departments and found that the curriculum does not fully address the needs of the job market, as certain topics such as troubleshooting and problem solving skills were seen missing from the Indian LIS curricula.

Health Information behaviour during COVID-19 outbreak among Egyptian library and information science undergraduate students

Health information shared on the Internet has the potential to improve people’s quality of life. However, the level of health information literacy and informational skills determines the individuals’ ability to obtain credible health information useful for them. This study investigates the Egyptian LIS undergraduates’ health information behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study has adopted a quantitative approach using a questionnaire to explore library and information science undergraduates’ health information behaviour. A sample of 161 students answered a questionnaire. The data were analysed using SPSS software. The study results show that official health websites, social media, and family and friends are the primary sources for health information for the participants. The findings also revealed that the sample has adequate health information skills, though many of the participants still need to raise their information literacy skills. Information credibility and personal beliefs were found to affect the participants’ decision to share health information on the Internet. One of the limitations of the study is that the sample selected in this study was LIS students who are trained to find reliable information as part of their education. Findings may be different for the “average” student. Furthermore, the questionnaire was distributed in one university, which means that the results cannot be generalised in other LIS departments using different courses. Therefore, more studies need to be conducted in other LIS departments with different course plans as they may produce different results. This study explores the health information behaviour of LIS undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study results may help develop the course plan in many LIS departments in Egypt and the Middle East, which would help improve the students’ health information literacy.

Role of LIS Departments and Associations in Promoting Reading Habits

Role of LIS Departments and Associations in Promoting Reading Habits

Scholars’ perceptions at Egyptian Libraries and Information Science departments towards the usage of Reference Management Software

Reference Management Software (RMS) has played an increasingly effective role in enhancing the movement of publishing and scientific research by helping researchers to manage the resources on which they rely. From this context, this research paper is based on reviewingthe awareness and usage of RMS by the faculty members atEgyptian Libraries and Information Science departments, as well as,on evaluating the usability and on trying to recognize their influence on academic researchers. The value and originality of this study lie in the fact that it is one of the first to investigate the issue of RMS faculty preferences at LIS departments in Egyptian universities.To fulfil the objectives, the preferable method is the descriptive survey enhanced by a qualitative approach. The findingsindicatethat the scholars’ attitudestowardsthe ease of use and usefulness of RMSrange from “neutral” to “agree”, and this suggests that participants believe inits ‘usefulness’ as a crucial factor in motivating them to use RMS systems

Valuing studies in higher education: Symbolic means and strategies of students negotiating their position in the library and information science field

The library and information science field attempts to legitimize its position in higher education, in a ‘culture of uncertainty’, where boundaries are fluid. The position of LIS in the hierarchical classification of academic subjects is influenced by the changes in both the field of higher education and in the information environment, creating expectations for the emergence of new fields of study, research and professional practices. The purpose of this paper is to examine how LIS students position themselves in their field of study and the resources they use in processes of meaning-making. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with students from the three LIS departments operating in Greece at the undergraduate level. The results showed that the academic knowledge content of the object, the assignment of scientific characteristics to it, the signifier of the book, the form of professional practice and, above all, technology are the most prominent resources among those that most young people utilized in their effort to negotiate the symbolic class (i.e. the dominant cultural categories which give meaning to the social world).

Presence of the Iranian Library and the Information Science Departments in ResearchGate

<p class="H1">Current research intends to survey on the participation of the Iranian Library and the Information Science departments in ResearchGate as academic social networks. In this article, activities of Iranian faculty members of the Library and the Information Science departments, using special indicators of ResearchGate - RGScore, Impact Points, Publications, Citations and Reads were analysed. Findings indicated that 36 Iranian faculty members of the Library and the Information Science Departments from 14 Universities and Institutions are active in ResearchGate. Moreover, the findings revealed that the Library and the Information Science Department of Kharazmi University, Islamic Azad University, Iran Medical Sciences University, Islamic World Science Citation Center and Tehran University were top Iranian active LIS departments on ResearchGate based on RG Score and Impact Points indicators. Total 654 documents were shared in ResearchGate by Iranian faculty members of the Library and the Information Science departments in ResearchGate and articles, conference papers and books had the most representation in this section. Iranian faculty members H. Jamali and A.R. Noruzi have the best performance in ResearchGate based on indicators such as Publications, Citations and Reads.</p>

Developing Information Literate Librarians: A Study of LIS Academics Pedagogical Approaches in the Development of Information Literacy Competencies

This study explored the teaching experiences of LIS educators in Iran to identify the contribution of their teaching to the development of IL competencies in LIS students. Taking an exploratory approach, the study used semi-structured interviews to gather the data. Using the ACRL standards as a framework, the fieldwork questions were designed around the five areas of IL competencies, viz. determining information needs, locating information, evaluating information, using information ethically, and using information for a specific purpose. The data was collected from 15 educators in 6 LIS departments in Iranian universities. IL activities at 6 universities take the form of lectures, workshops, and basic IL skills modules. Few IL activities are subject discipline related. They were asked to reflect on the IL competencies in the context of their teaching experiences to identify the contribution of their teaching to the development of each IL competency. A thematic approach was used to analyze the data. It was found that the LIS educators employ a variety of teaching approaches to transfer IL competencies. This includes getting students to find and select a topic, helping students obtaining their needed information and developing a query on their essay work, and so on.

LIS in City Law Firms: the City Legal Information Group Professional Skills Survey 2013

AbstractCLIG (City Legal information Group) Committee members Dunstan Speight and Lisa Sabbage report on the findings of the CLIG Professional Skills survey, winter 2013*. Information professional roles have developed in different directions in law firms in recent years and this survey sought to map the range of tasks being carried out by information professionals. It also documented the range of skills within the profession, including skills and experience which law firms might be able to exploit further. The hope is that, by showing the diversity of tasks and skills to be found in LIS departments across the City, the survey might offer individuals ideas and strategies for developing their roles within their own firms.

Cataloguing and Classification Education (CCE) and Training in Library and Information Science/ Studies Departments in South Africa

Recent reports complain about the lack of cataloguers in South Africa to support Library and Information Services. The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature, level, status and challenges of teaching cataloguing and classification in LIS schools in South Africa. Qualitative and quantitative methods, through a survey and content analysis, were employed in this study. All twelve LIS/IS departments in South Africa were targeted. Within these departments, the main sources of research data were the department heads and/or lecturers teaching cataloguing and classification, as well as the course outlines or study guides of cataloguing and classification modules or courses. Survey data was collected through interviews and largely through questionnaires that were emailed to the respondents in the various LIS departments. Content analysis was employed for curriculum and syllabus analysis. Most respondents agreed that CCE should be offered in its current form and some uniformity in the titling of courses should be achieved. While most CCE challenges are not new, intervention is still required, particularly with regards to Resource Description and Access (RDA) which must be addressed by LIS schools as soon as possible. This study informs cataloguing and classification education in South Africa, and perhaps elsewhere, by providing baseline information for the planning, teaching, marketing and recruiting of graduates qualified in the two research domains.

Factors affecting Web 2.0 adoption: a case study

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to identify factors affecting the adoption of Web 2.0 tools by librarians of academic libraries located in Hamedan, Iran. Design/methodology/approach – Methodologically, this survey is applied using a descriptive approach. The statistical population of the survey was 47 librarians of academic and college libraries located in Hamedan (Iran). The tool used for data gathering is a questionnaire made based on the relevant literature as well as authors' standpoint. It consists of 39 questions under ten broad factors. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS (version 16). Findings – Totally, ten broad factors affecting the adoption of Web 2.0 tools by the librarians were identified. The most effective factors are job conditions, changeability, skills, competitiveness, and saving time. Practical implications – To positively and effectively affect the adoption of Web 2.0 tools by librarians especially Hamedan academic librarians, holding training courses and related workshops, the inclusion of lessons regarding Web 2.0 tools and their application in the academic courses planned and run by LIS departments, implementing open and distance learning (ODL), attracting LIS professionals to the field of Web 2.0, buying needed software and hardware equipment, and addressing the importance of adopting and using Web 2.0 tools for academic and library managers should not be neglected. Originality/value – This study may contribute to the field in terms of better understanding of factors affecting the adoption of Web 2.0 tools and thus better usage of these and other emerging technologies in academic libraries and information centers.

First level library and/or information science education and training at South African universities and technikons : developments in specialisation

The literature of the early 1990s observed a general lack of differentiation and specialisation at the basic qualification level in library and/or information science education and training in South Africa. This paper draws from an empirical study on first level LIS qualifications at South African universities and technikons to examine developments in specialisation in LIS education and training. This is particularly relevant in the context of the government's current drive toward rationalisation of the higher education sector. There seems to have been significant developments in South Africa since the early 1990s regarding specialisation in LIS education and training among the various universities and technikons offering LIS qualifications. It is recommended that LIS departments further develop this trend and also consider possible collaboration with other LIS departments especially on a regional basis, with a view to accommodating regionally based imperatives.

국내외 문헌정보학 주요교과목 강의계획서분석을 통한 수업내용 및 방법 비교 연구

본 연구는 국내외 대학 문헌정보학 주요 교과목의 강의계획서 내의 수업내용, 수업방법 및 평가방법을 비교 분석하여 그 특징과 차이점을 파악하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 연구 결과는 국내 문헌정보학 교육내용 및 방법 개선에 기여할 수 있을 것이다. 이를 위해 국외 문헌정보학과의 정보조직론, 정보서비스론, 정보검색론, 도서관경영론의 강의계획서를 수집하여 수업내용과 방법 및 평가방법을 분석하였다. 그 결과, 각 과목별로 교과내용과 수업방법, 평가방법에 있어서 국외대학과 국내대학 간에 차이점이 있는 것으로 나타났으며, 특히 수업방식에서 국내대학에서는 강의, 발표, 시험이 공통적으로 사용되는 것과는 달리 외국의 경우 워크숍, 프로젝트, 시스템모델개발, 시뮬레이션, 사례연구, 전문가인터뷰 등 다양하게 시행되는 것으로 분석되었다.

문헌정보학개론 교과내용 개발에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study is to develop standard curriculum content for the Introduction to Library and Information Science course. We intended to suggest both a syllabus and a textbook for this course. To this end, we collected and analyzed syllabi and textbooks that are used in LIS departments domestically and abroad. As a result, the major course content we found necessary to include in Introduction to Library and Information Science were as follows: 1. knowledge and information society, 2. information and sources of information, 3. the LIS academic system, 4. information professionals, 5. library history, 6. library and information center organization and management, 7. library types and their functions, 8. collection development, 9. information resources organization, 10. information services, 11. digital libraries, 12. information retrieval and databases 13. library cooperation, 14. library policy and information ethics, etc. The table of contents of a final textbook has been proposed including these elements.

IT self‐efficacy and computer competence of LIS students

PurposeThe purpose of the present study was to expand the knowledge of student computer competencies and IT self‐efficacy in two LIS departments in Greece.Design/methodology/approachThe participants in the study were students in the two LIS departments of the Technological Educational Institutes (TEI) situated in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece. The survey was addressed to sophomores, juniors and seniors, because IT courses are taught after the first year of study. The instrument of the survey was a structured questionnaire comprising three parts, measuring a total of 48 variables.FindingsThe levels of students' IT self‐efficacy is rather high, while the mean score of computer competence indicates a rather low level of perceived ability in using computers. Students were more competent in using e‐mail and Facebook, as well as using the internet for personal purposes. IT self‐efficacy and perceived computer competence were positively related to the frequency of use of certain electronic activities and previous PC/internet experience. In addition, the frequency of IT use was a strong predictor of IT self‐efficacy, and both frequency of use and experience were predictors of computer competence. The findings also suggested that increased levels of self‐efficacy and computer competence were associated with higher grades.Originality/valueBy being aware of the factors that predict self‐efficacy and perceived ability, educators in both LIS departments can design instruction or other interventions in a way that will boost self‐efficacy beliefs. Such an approach is likely to increase the acceptance and use of IT and help LIS students meet the learning objectives of IT courses.

A Constructive Survey of Facilities for Teaching Information Technology Papers in LIS Departments of Indian Universities

The paper deals with IT components that are being taught in LIS departments. Furnishes the Information Technology infrastructure/ facilities available in the departments and the lacunae in providing essential lab facilities for conducting practical sessions. The faculty members who can handle IT based papers need essential IT facilities and training in order to render quality education and training.

한국 문헌정보학 교과과정의 신규교과목 개설추이 분석 연구

본 연구에서는 지난 20년간(1991년∼2011년)의 한국 문헌정보학 교과과정을 분석함으로써 교과목의 변화를 분석하고자 하였다. 그 결과 첫째, 총 개설과목 수가 전체적으로 증가하여 왔고, 학부제로 전환하면서 학부기초과목 수는 증가하였고, 핵심과목 수는 감소하였으며, 다시 학과제로 전환하면서 학부기초과목 수는 감소하고, 핵심과목 수는 증가한 것을 알 수 있었다. 둘째, 전국 34개 4년제 문헌정보학과의 교과과정을 문헌정보학일반, 정보조직학, 정보조사제공학, 도서관․정보센터경영학, 정보학, 서지학, 기록관리학으로 구분하여 각 영역별 분포도를 조사하였는데, 지난 20년간 정보조사제공학과 정보학 분야를 제외한 대부분의 영역에서 그 교과목 수가 줄어드는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 본 연구를 통해서 사라진 과목, 과목 명칭이 바뀐 과목, 여러 과목이 통합된 과목, 하나의 과목이 여러 과목으로 세분화된 과목, 그리고 시대의 발전에 따라 새롭게 등장한 과목들이 밝혀졌다.