Professional Library Associations Research Articles

Developing a union catalogue of Pakistani University libraries: status, problems, and prospects

PurposeThis study aims to examine the status, explores the hurdles and identifies the prospects for developing a union catalogue of university libraries in Lahore, Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a quantitative research approach, a questionnaire was developed from literature and authors’ experience. After ensuring its validity and reliability, data were collected from librarians after the census. A total of 105 librarians were approached, of whom 73 (71%) responded to the survey.FindingsUniversity libraries in Lahore are well organized, have adequate collections and information technology-literate staff, are well automated, have good internet connections, are equipped with integrated software, follow cataloguing rules and MARC standards; however, the absence of standardized software, lack of funds, absence of uniform policy, professional workload and absence of standardized vocabulary are significant challenges. Private-sector librarians reported facing more challenges. Librarians consider all prospects vital for developing a union catalogue. These prospects include the availability of relevant information, incentives to librarians, coordination with librarians, a realization that sharing is caring, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan taking initiative and librarians’ training.Research limitations/implicationsUniversity librarians in Lahore are ready to cooperate with the development of a union catalogue; however, they seek support from higher authorities, professional library associations and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first of its kind that examines the status, explores the hurdles and identifies the prospects for developing a union catalogue of university libraries in Lahore. It would lead to the development of a union catalogue of university libraries in Pakistan.

Experiences of Visible Minority Librarians and Students in Canada from the ViMLoC Mentorship Program

Objective – The purpose of this research is to examine the experiences of mentors and mentees in the formal mentorship program offered by the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada Network (ViMLoC) from 2018-2022. Findings from this research will help mentors and mentees understand how to establish an effective mentoring relationship. Professional library associations and libraries can also gain valuable insights to support the visible minority library professionals within their own mentorship programs. Methods – Between 2018 and 2022, 113 mentors and 145 mentees participated in four sessions of the ViMLoC mentorship program. The ViMLoC Mentorship Committee designed and delivered a survey for mentors and a survey for mentees at the end of each session. Over four sessions, 81 mentors and 82 mentees completed the surveys, representing a 72% and 57% completion rate, respectively. Fisher's Exact Tests were performed to examine if there were significant differences between mentors and mentees in their perceptions regarding ease of communication, relationship, helpfulness of mentorship, likeliness of keeping in contact, and importance of having a visible minority partner. Results – The mentees perceived mentoring support to be more helpful than the mentors perceived it themselves. The mentees were more likely to keep in contact with their mentors beyond the mentorship program while the mentors did not show as much interest. The mentees who had a positive experience from the formal mentorship program were found to be more likely to mentor others in the future, whereas the same effect did not hold true for the mentors. On the other hand, some findings were the same for both mentors and mentees. Both stated that effective communication would facilitate a good mentoring relationship, which in turn, would lead to positive outcomes and greater likelihood of keeping in contact beyond the mentoring program. There was also consensus of opinion about the most important areas of mentoring support and some essential skills for building a successful mentoring relationship. Conclusion – This research contributes to the literature by using an empirical research method and comparative analyses of the experiences between mentors and mentees over four sessions of the ViMLoC mentorship program. The study focuses on the perceptions of participants regarding their communication, relationship, helpfulness of mentorship, associations between their past and present mentoring experiences, areas of support, importance of having a visible minority partner, and essential skills for building a successful mentoring relationship. Mentors and mentees differed significantly in how they perceived the helpfulness of mentorship support and how likely they would like to maintain the ties beyond the program. For both sides, effective and easy communication was found to be critical for building a good mentoring relationship and achieving a satisfactory experience.

Reiterating Visibility: Canadian Librarians’ Experiences of Racial Microaggressions via Findings from a Minority Librarians Network Redux Survey

Based on the data from the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada 2021 Redux Survey, this study examines experiences of racial microaggressions among visible minority librarians in Canada. This research fills the gap in the library and information science (LIS) literature regarding racial microaggressions in librarianship in the Canadian context. Of the 148 respondents, 69% (n=102) experienced at least one stated racial microaggression. The result of a Kruskal-Wallis H test revealed a significant association between years of experience as a librarian and a librarian’s overall experiences with microaggressions. A post hoc test based on Bonferroni correction was run, which indicated that librarians with less than five years of work experience encountered microaggressions less frequently compared to those with 11–15 years of experience. For the ten stated types of racial microaggressions, the most frequently reported type was “I was told that people of all racial groups face the same barriers in employment or promotion,” and the least frequently reported type was “A colleague claimed that he/she felt threatened because of my race.” Fisher's exact tests were further performed to examine how the respondents differed in their experiences of each microaggression. The test results revealed that the librarians with different personal attributes (ethnicity, disability status, gender identity, language used) and employment attributes (librarian experience, management position, library type) had significantly different encounters with eight forms of microaggression. Professional library associations and libraries must strengthen education about racial microaggressions and offer support to visible minority librarians when they are confronted with microaggressive behaviours.

Library staff's understanding of attitudinal barriers experienced by individuals with disabilities in libraries

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate how library staff understand disability and attitudinal barriers and how they use their knowledge of attitudinal barriers when planning programs and services for individuals with disabilities.Design/methodology/approachThis study took a generic qualitative approach to examining how library staff understand disability and attitudinal barriers. Participants were recruited through emails to professional library associations throughout the United States of America. Emails directed participants to a screening questionnaire, and 15 respondents were selected to participate in semi-structured interviews.FindingsThe results of the study showed that participants were aware of attitudinal barriers, but attitudinal barriers were not often considered during the planning and implementation of library programs and services.Originality/valueThis study is one of a limited body of work examining library staff's understanding of attitudinal barriers to library services for individuals with disabilities.

Librarians associations in Cuba: historical analysis of their emergence in 1936

The proliferation of professional library associations in Cuba takes place in the 1930s as part of the nation's incorporation into the global movement. From a review of the published scientific literature, it was possible to identify the absence of sources dedicated to the analysis of associations of library professionals in Cuba. Objectives: to examine the main library associations in Cuba from the 1930s to the present. Methods: the study presented here is classified as descriptive. To obtain results, methods were applied at the theoretical and empirical levels, fundamentally the documentary analysis. He highlighted the technique of social network analysis for the visualization of results.
 As main results, the associations of library professionals in Cuba from 1936 to te presenten were described. The principles of the Cuban Association of Librarians were established, an organization that currently brings together professionals in the sector. Conclusions: the professional librarian associations that emerged in Cuba from 1930 to 1959 had little legal and governmental support. In 1986 the Cuban Association of Librarians was founded under the acronym ASCUBI and it is the organization that currently brings together information professionals in Cuba. Among the directives of the associations, personalities such as María Teresa Freyre de Andrade and Emilio Setién Quesada stood out.

Towards Academic Medical Library Standards in India: A Call for Action

With the rapidly growing healthcare information, medical librarians' roles and responsibilities in health care institutions are expanding, more so in the present context of Corona virus pandemic. Librarians in western countries are engaged in organizing, managing information resources, and offering seamless access to library materials to their users, supporting them with online consultation and research services. Medical libraries in India are slow to pick up the necessary momentum. They are underrepresented in medical education, their roles and responsibilities meagerly defined in institutions’ employment regulations and there is little in terms of medical library standards for India. Even the newly constituted National Medical Commission has not taken note of the role medical libraries can play going by its recently released 'Minimum Requirement for Annual MBBS Admissions Regulations 2020'. What should be minimum medical library standards, role of libraries in medical education in India? In order to answer these questions, the author reviewed: (i) higher education policy documents, inspection documents, UGC guidelines, and their coverage on libraries, (ii) standards developed by professional library associations, and (iii) publications on library standards in international journals. Medical education is a highly specialized area where serving librarians require a unique set of skills to meet the information needs of the diverse users of medical libraries. On reviewing these native documents, it was found that there is little content available for medical libraries to adopt in India. Therefore, to get a wider picture, library standards for higher education developed by professional library associations of the advanced countries were examined. Based on these, a model minimum standard for medical libraries in India is proposed. The right mix of resources, staff, funds, and infrastructure is important for the proper functioning of academic medical libraries in medical institutions. This will in turn enhance the quality of medical education, health care services, and research in the country.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions – IFLA and Professional Associations in Serbia: The First 45 Years

This work brings to life some new facts and presents the cooperation between the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the associations of librarians in Serbia, in four and a half decades, between 1931 and 1976. In the period between the two world wars, this cooperation was established and maintained by the Yugoslav Library Association (1931–1940), especially its Belgrade Section, and after the Second World War it was realized through the Serbian Library Association (1948–1976) as a part of the Association of Librarians in Yugoslavia.Yugoslavia, in the fi rst period as a kingdom, and in the second as a socialist country, represents a state-legal framework to examine the phenomena of library associations and international cooperation. The Yugoslav Library Association was the predecessor of the Serbian Library Association, but under the new conditions of socialist construction, mentioning the organization from the previous, bourgeois period was undesirable. Nine years of the activity of the fi rst professional library association in Yugoslavia were not evaluated in the right way: association that was founded later with the vast majority of former members and historians of librarianship, talked rarely about its existence, mainly for the political reasons.Considering knowledge of the development of librarianship in national frameworks the basis for building a professional identity of librarians, the authors of this paper are trying to shed light on cooperation with IFLA as essential for maturing of the professional self-awareness. Taking into account that economic opportunities and political infl uences in the past decades have made this process diffi cult, the authors are trying to oppose their shared memory, common values, the feeling of belonging and self-respect as an identity property. Moreover, nowadays in Serbia there is a strong need for re-evaluation of the role and importance of library associations in order to reposition the profession, interrelations of professionals and modalities of voluntary work.

IAML Congress 2018 General Assembly

IAML Congress 2018 General Assembly Pia Shekhter Tuesday 24 July and Friday 27 July Leipzig, Germany Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Concert Hall DRAFT 1. Welcome and Apologies The President, Stanisław Hrabia, welcomed everybody to the General Assembly. A special warm welcome was given to the many first-time attendees. There was an unusually large number of newcomers this year. He said that he felt honoured to chair the General Assembly for the first time and paid his respect to the five Past Presidents present in the auditorium: Maria Calderisi, Barbara Dobbs Mackenzie, Massimo Gentili-Tedeschi, John Roberts, and Martie Severt. The system of voting for registered individual members and institutional representatives was explained. 2. Matters arising from the minutes of the 2017 General Assembly in Riga There were no matters arising from the minutes of the 2017 General Assembly in Riga. The minutes were unanimously approved. 3. President’s report The President presented the following report: “Since the congress in Riga, I have participated in several international conferences. I was invited by IAML-Brazil to participate in the 4th Congress of RIdIM-Brazil and the 2nd Congress of IAML-Brazil, 17–21 July 2017, in Salvador, where I presented a paper ‘Cataloguing Through Cooperation: The Role of Music Librarians in Creating a National Union Catalogue’. The congress had been organised under the leadership of Pablo Sotuyo Blanco, the chair of RIdIM-Brazil. I had a chance to meet and talk to people from different libraries and academic institutions. I also took part in a working meeting of the IAML Branch of Brazil, chaired by the President of the Brazilian Branch, Beatriz Magalhães Castro. I have also participated in a conference in Athens. I was invited to the 2nd Conference of the Greek IAML Branch, in the Athens Conservatoire, 27–28 April 2018. I presented, as the keynote speaker, a paper on the topic: ‘Seize the Opportunities: Music Librarians in Today’s World of Information’. Athens has become the World Book Capital for 2018. This conference took place just before the official opening of this celebration; and thanks to the great efforts of colleagues from the Greek Branch—Alexandros Charkiolakis, President, and Stephanie Merakos, Vice President—my visit was associated with this occasion and sponsored by the Polish Embassy in Greece. I am very grateful for both invitations—to Salvador and to Athens. It was a great opportunity to strengthen relations between “big IAML” and the national branches, and for learning more about local efforts and achievements. Thank you very much. [End Page 77] I also had a unique opportunity to represent IAML at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress (22–23 August 2017) in Wrocław, Poland, where I met some IAML colleagues: Anders Cato, Massimo Gentili-Tedeschi, Katre Riisalu, and Anna J. Shelmer-dine. I officially represented IAML in two meetings of the representatives of the national, international, and professional library associations: the Association Members Meeting and the IFLA General Assembly. All these meetings were very inspiring and gave me a new perspective on international activity. Another important event, The International Music Forum of Six Societies ICTM–SEM– IMS–IAML–IASPM–ATMC (Association for Traditional Music in China) on the topic ‘Approaches to Research on Music and Dance in the Internet Era’, took place in Beijing at the Central Conservatory of Music, 11–14 July 2018. After a very successful joint meeting of three societies—IMS, IAML, and ICTM—in Abu Dhabi in March 2017 on the topic ‘Music as Cultural Heritage’, this was yet another event that connects representatives of various music organisations. IAML was represented by sixteen delegates, who presented ten papers and participated in a panel discussion devoted to the four “R” Projects. Besides presenting papers relevant to the main conference topic, it was a great occasion to present IAML as an organisation, and to underline the importance of music libraries, archives, and documentation centres for research, education, preservation of musical heritage, and dissemination of information. As a part of our collaboration with the European Music Council, I have submitted the consultation form of the European Agenda for Music, the document developed out of a continent-wide consultation launched by EMC...

The Voice of the Young: Attitudes and Perceptions of Filipino LIS Students and Young Professionals towards Professional Library Associations in the Philippines

The Voice of the Young: Attitudes and Perceptions of Filipino LIS Students and Young Professionals towards Professional Library Associations in the Philippines

Information Literacy in Postsecondary Education in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand

This comparison seeks to determine if the three documents addressing information literacy skills and competence developed by professional library associations for postsecondary education in four predominantly English-speaking countries—the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand—have similar or varying conceptions of information literacy. In a globalized society, postsecondary institutions not only prepare students to live and work within local, regional, or national contexts but also equip them to function in a global society. If conceptions of information literacy vary between countries, then graduates might not be well prepared to function successfully within this global society.

The Leadership and Advocacy Roles of Hedwig Aroozoo and Her Sisters in Promoting School Librarianship in an Emerging Multilingual School System in Post-Colonial Singapore, 1960-1985

This historical essay reports the development of the first professional library association founded in Singapore in 1955. In the same year the first course librarianship was conducted for teachers. From 1960 to 1985 Eurasian Hedwig Aroozoo who was Director of the National Library provided School Library Services by offering bulk loans, advisory service, training and compilation of book lists, including chairing the publication of school library standards. Sister Eleanor Aroozoo promoted school libraries to the Ministry of Education and was School Library Advisor. Teacher librarian Marie Aroozoo was involved with developing school libraries and Lydia Aroozoo reporting about the National Library's mobile library visits to schools.

A literatura internacional sobre e-science nas bases de dados LISA e LISTA

It briefly introduces the concept of e-Science. This is a quantitative study that analyzes the publications in Information Science dealing with the topic e-Science. The research sample consists of 202 records of documents retrieved from the “Library and Information Science “ (LISA) and “Library and Information Science & Technology Abstracts” (LISTA) databases. Data analysis reveals a growth of literature dealing with the subject; and shows that among the 202 records analyzed, 172 of them were journal articles. The result also confirms the phenomenon that few authors publish much. Among the countries that are working with e-Science the United Kingdom is playing a major role. In terms of professional library and information associations highlight the Association of Research Libraries. The paper concludes that the UK stands out in the treatment of e-science by information science. It is noteworthy that were found three articles by Brazilian authors indexed on the subject.

Collaboration and Competition in Special Libraries

ABSTRACTLibrarianship has a long tradition of collaboration and cooperation between libraries, but the literature yields scant evidence of formal partnerships in practice in special libraries. This column explores the barriers to collaboration for special libraries, from organizational culture to legal constraints, as well as the potential benefits and how librarians can overcome the barriers to reap these benefits. Different types of collaboration, including among similar special libraries and between special libraries and other types of libraries and related organizations, as well as informal and formal cooperation, and short-term and long-term partnerships, are discussed. Collaboration and cooperation were part of the impetus to form professional associations. The column provides a brief history of professional library associations and their role in supporting library partnerships in the United States. The conclusion explores how the increasingly digital nature of information and library work affects collaborative library efforts and where the future of these efforts may lie, especially for special libraries.

Information literacy in academic and research libraries of Beijing, China

The purpose of this study was to explore the information literacy (IL) practices, methods and techniques being implemented in China’s university and research libraries. The study selected a concurrent mixed-methods research design. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews with professionals from 10 universities and research libraries in Beijing, China. Convenience sampling was used to collect data from the library professionals. The results show that university libraries are in far better positions than research libraries but that there is still a need for improvements. The findings indicate that IL training through library orientations and tours and introductory information skills are frequently and successfully being used in both types of libraries. For orientation, face-to-face delivery was used in 80 percent of university libraries and 60 percent of research libraries. IL programs were integrated into some subject units and available in 100 percent of the university libraries and 60 percent of the research libraries. University libraries performed better in implementing IL programs compared with the research institutes’ libraries. A number of gaps exist between university and research libraries in terms of information literacy practices. These gaps can be filled by overcoming barriers such as the absence of inactivity of professional library associations, the lack of government interest, the lack of faculty collaboration, and the failure to promote IL programs among the user community. In the light of this research, it is suggested that the Chinese government pay keen attention to formulating a national IL policy.

Putting Content First: Evaluating the Relevancy of a Professional Association's Web Site

Professional associations are important for the continuing education, networking, and development of many librarians, yet there has been little research investigating the value of associations’ Web sites and how they support members’ needs. Just as a library must understand the purpose of its Web site, professional associations must clearly define a Web site's purpose in order to determine if the site is meeting the needs of its intended audience. This study presents how three volunteer Web managers began the process of identifying the purpose of one professional library association's Web site and how they determined if the site was relevant to the membership using data gathered in a Web analytics tool and a survey of association members. By understanding membership needs and user preferences, the Web managers were able to determine the relevancy of the site and develop strategic plans for future site improvements. This process offers a model that other association volunteers can use to assess and improve their Web sites without a large investment of time and resources.

The Role of Professional Library Associations and Institutions in Facilitating Access to Information in Africa

This study is a survey on the role of professional Library associations and institutions in facilitating access to information in Africa. The study traced the history of library association, its stated objectives, the need to join a professional library association, benefits derivable for an association, characteristic of professional library associations and its role in facilitating access to information in Africa. Some of these roles include but not limited to: providing opportunity for librarians to meet, share experiences, learn from each other, develop local library infrastructure and defend the principle of freedom of information. The study however critiqued the professional associations for not being run in professional manners in Africa and lacking cutting technology. It recommended flexibility in running the associations and better funding. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n2p263

President's Message: Reflections on Membership

As I write my first President's Message for ITAL, I am wrapping up my year as vice president and the ALA Annual Conference is fast approaching. The past year has been a busy one--handling necessary division business, including meeting with my fellow ALA vice presidents, making committee appointments, planning an orientation for new board members, strategic planning, and attending various conferences and meetings to prepare me for my role as LITA president. I am lucky to follow such wonderful leaders as Karen Starr and Michelle Frisque, who have both helped ready me for the year ahead. My life outside of LITA has been equally busy. I started a new position as the director of Weill Cornell Medical College Library earlier this year and have a busy home life with two small children. As usual, I have been juggling quite a bit and often dropping a few balls. My mantra is that it is impossible to keep all the balls in the air all of the time, but when they do drop be careful not to let them roll so far away from you so that you lose sight of them. Eventually I pick them up and start juggling again. I know that I am not alone in this juggling exercise. LITA members have real jobs and friends, family, and other social responsibilities that keep us busy. So why do we give so much to our profession, including LITA? If you are like me, it is because we get so much in return. The importance of activity and leadership in national, professional associations cannot be overrated. My experience in LITA and other professional library associations has given me an opportunity to hone leadership skills working with various committees and boards over the years. The achievements that I have made in my career have a direct correlation to my work with LITA. As libraries flatten organizational structures, LITA is one place where anyone can take on leadership roles, gaining valuable experience. Many members have agreed to take on leadership roles in the coming year by volunteering for committees and taskforces and accepting various appointments and I want to thank everyone who came forward. In the coming year I will be working with several officers and committees to develop orientations, mentoring initiatives, and leadership training for our members. I do appreciate that not everyone wants to take on a leadership role in LITA. The networking opportunities, both formal and informal, also have been extremely valuable in my career. The people I have met in LITA have become colleagues I am comfortable turning to for advice on technology and other decisions in my career. I know that I can post a question to LITA-L or ALA Connect and get a quick, diverse response to an inquiry. I know that I can call on my LITA colleagues to serve as references and reviewers as I move through my career. I also know that I can depend upon LITA to help keep me current and well informed about technology and how it is integrated into our libraries and lives. This also gives me an edge in my career. So much of the LITA experience is currently gained from attending meetings in person and making connections--those of you who have attended the LITA Happy Hour can probably attest to this. For several years LITA has not had a requirement to attend meetings in person and allows for virtual participation in committees and interest groups. …

Professional Associations and Library Education

The American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest professional library association in the world, has played a central role in the development of all aspects of the profession. This paper emphasizes the development of education and training for the specializations of rare books and manuscripts but will comment upon the influence of ALA on the general education for the field. The ALA model has influenced the development of a standardized curriculum, has recognized specializations that emerge in the field, and has required an educated, research-oriented faculty to provide instruction while also recognizing that expert professionals in the field have . . .

Building a vibrant library association: the case of Uganda

The Uganda Library Association (ULA) was founded in 1972. Over the years the Association has had unique advocacy needs and challenges which were intertwined with the political, economic and social processes that Uganda has undergone, including the 1970s under the rule of Idi Amin. This article examines how these processes have impacted on the efforts to build a vibrant professional library association. In recent years ULA has emphasized advocacy, and contributed to progress towards new legislation (freedom of information, copyright, the National Library Act) and policies (school libraries, East African Community e-government strategy) of importance to the library and information field in Uganda and beyond. ULA became the Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA) in 2004 and hosted the Africa Copyright Forum Conference in November 2005. Innovation Vol. 31 2005: 29-36

The Mentoring Role of Professional Associations

ABSTRACT Mentoring is an important socializing process for the library profession. Although mentoring may involve ad hoc arrangements between individuals, professional associations play an important role in facilitating mentoring. This article reports on mentoring programs (formal and informal) in professional library associations.