Special Libraries Research Articles

Impacts of Special Libraries on Research in the Forestry Sector in India

Impacts of Special Libraries on Research in the Forestry Sector in India

Documenting the research experiences and employer support needs of library and information science practitioners

This paper presents results of a survey of library and information science (LIS) practitioners, which explored their research activities and the support needed from employers for research collaborations and dissemination of results. Findings show that while LIS practitioners are actively engaged in research, there are significant gaps in the available supports offered by LIS employers across different library sectors. Dedicated time for research is limited, particularly in public libraries, for example, but when practitioners receive dedicated time, their research engagement and dissemination activities increase. The study also found that the type of LIS service significantly affects practitioners’ dissemination activities, with those working in national, state and territory libraries and special libraries, disseminating significantly more research results than practitioners working in other types of libraries. The findings point to a potential risk of a research dissemination divide in the Australian LIS sector, where the study was conducted. The study recommends enhancing the value placed on both conducting and sharing research related to employment or professional practice, to have a positive impact on library services and local communities. Encouraging presentations at conferences was identified as a valuable first step towards increasing LIS practitioners’ engagement with sharing research results, generally and writing up results for publication. Overall, these findings highlight the need for greater employer support and more targeted efforts to promote research engagement and dissemination among LIS practitioners.

New horizons of science popularization in libraries

In the recent decade, the interest in popular science seminars, lectures and master classes has been growing, which is evidenced by the specialists of libraries, museums and educational organizations. The authors argue that the dialogue between science and society should be enhanced, and it is important to attract public attention to the achievements in science and technology and to cultivate learning interest. The authors review the process of science popularization in Russia and the world, as science popularization is seen as the essential part of educating information literacy and engaging wider community in the world of scientific knowledge. The authors discuss various methods and instruments of science and technology popularization. The focus is made on the role of specialized and academic libraries being the hubs of knowledge dissemination and scientific communication, and supporting different user groups. The authors provide several recommendations for the libraries, in particular, on how to organize popular science events and to develop specialized programs for different age user groups. New options for preserving scientific knowledge digital collections, their processing and further utilization, are also proposed.

North Carolina's Special Libraries Revisited

When North Carolina Libraries published its fall 1967 issue surveying the status of libraries in the state, Dr. Doralyn J. Hickey, an Assistant Professor of Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, contributed “Special Libraries: A ‘Coming Force’ in North Carolina.” She had every reason to choose this optimistic title. There had been a steady rise in special libraries since the North Carolina Library Commission first began to record them in the 1930s, and their membership had seen a substantial increase during subsequent decades. Hickey attributed this growth to the expansion of the state’s industries, which needed dedicated repositories and subject specialists to serve the needs of individual businesses and further the state's social and economic goals. The recent establishment of the North Carolina chapter of the Special Library Association in 1966 added legitimacy to these unique repositories and anchored the state to its national parent organization. In this environment, it was easy for Hickey to imagine a world where special librarians across North Carolina would join together, through shared interests and better communication, to achieve “maturity and self-confidence as a profession.” However, this positivity belied her deep frustration with ongoing challenges yet to be sufficiently addressed within the field. These included the absence of a clear definition of a “special library,” problematic methods of statistical documentation, and deficient library staffing. Her concerns were prophetic, as these issues would plague the field for years and continue to do so today.

From the Pages

In the Fall 1967 issue, Volume 25, Number 4, editor Alva W. Stewart briefly described the evolution of the North Carolina Libraries journal during its first quarter century. One way Stewart highlighted this was to include articles about the growth and development of various kinds of libraries within our state, including public, academic, school, special, and community college libraries. This present issue hearkens back to the spirit of this introspection by including articles about contemporary issues facing academic libraries, the evolution of special libraries, an in-depth look at a special public library, and a crucial opportunity for collaboration that community college libraries are taking advantage of. With all our editors along the way, it is also my hope that our journal will “serve the cause of books and libraries throughout our state.”

Mirrors of Knowledge and Indigenous Knowledge Management

This study assessed the role of mirrors of knowledge in the management and preservation of indigenous knowledge for sustainability and development in Ghana. The qualitative research design and structured interview were used in this study. The study focused on three categories of mirrors of knowledge: libraries (academic libraries, research libraries, special libraries, and public and community libraries), museums, and archive centers. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data collected via the interview. The study established that the managers and officers of the mirrors of knowledge understand and appreciate the concept of indigenous knowledge; there was the availability of technological systems and tools to facilitate the management and preservation of indigenous knowledge; and the mirrors of knowledge played a significant role in the management and preservation of knowledge. However, the absence of a collection development policy on indigenous knowledge; the outdated nature of most of the technological tools; the lack of funding; the lack of appreciation of indigenous knowledge by the staff and community members; etc. affected the quest to effectively manage and preserve indigenous knowledge for sustainable development. This study will serve as a guide for managers and policymakers of all the categories of mirrors of knowledge on the need, role, and importance of a collection development policy for indigenous knowledge, and guide in the identification and deployment of the appropriate technological systems for the management and preservation of indigenous knowledge. It will also inform the managers, policymakers, and stakeholders of indigenous knowledge of the challenges associated with the collection and management of indigenous knowledge and measures that can be deployed to help solve these problems for sustainability and development.

Information Support of the Library and Information Sphere: Updating Dissertation Researches

The article considers the domestic dissertation works devoted to the information support of library specialists. On the example of studies conducted in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the dynamics of development of library and information sciences in the context of information technology development is traced. It shows the increasing demand of scientists and library practitioners for industry-specific information — both full-text and bibliographic. The possibilities of creation and delivery of branch information products to the consumer are analyzed, taking into account social changes, as well as material, resource and technological conditions, which allows us to consider this topic relevant at present.

Core collections: Essential titles for health libraries.

Core collections have been produced by CILIP's Health Libraries Group, then called the Library Association's Medical Section, since 1952. Maintained by a Working Group of health librarians based in the UK NHS, higher education and specialist libraries, the collections provide an up-to-date curated list of reliable titles essential to health libraries. The core collections currently include nursing, midwifery, medicine and dentistry. The newest core collection is being developed in collaboration with the African Hospital Libraries to provide a list of key resources relevant to sub-Saharan Africa. Expressions of interest to help develop this latest collection are invited.

Recognizing Speech Emotions Using AI

Abstract: I suggest an Among the most fundamental forms of self-expression is speech, which may convey a variety of feelings, including excitement, tranquility, joy, and rage, to mention a few. It is feasible to rearrange our activities, services, and even products in order to give each person a more customized experience customer by evaluating the emotions that underlie communication. The intention of this project is to recognize and extract various human speech sound files' emotions. to use Python to accomplish something similar. Python and a number of specialist libraries, such as Librosa, Sound File, NumPy, Scikit-learn, and PyAudio, will be used to accomplish this. These initiatives provide the features required for machine learning, feature extraction, and audio processing

Training of Specialists in the Field of Information and Library Science in Polish Universities (Experience of the First Decades of the 21st Cent.)

The aim of the article is to review the areas of training specialists in library and information science in higher education institutions of Poland at the beginning of the 21st cent. Research methods. The offered research is based on the analytical and synthetic analysis of scientific publications by leading Polish scientists who studied the issues of higher library and information education. The author’s presentation of the current state of university education in the information and library sphere in Poland is based on the processing of materials from the official web portals of higher education establishments that provide specialised training for their applicants. Among a complex of special research methods, the method of content analysis is used to identify the views of certain scientists on the problems of development of information and library education in Poland. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the formulation of the problem that is practically unresearched in Ukrainian science, and requires studying in view of the practical significance of the Polish experience in reforming higher education of the information and library sphere. Main conclusions. In the process of this research, it is found that in Poland the process of transforming the training of information and library specialists in accordance with the needs of modern information society has not yet been completed. There are still scientific discussions on optimising the nomenclature of the training areas at universities, as well as variants of creating interdisciplinary specialities are being considered, some of which have been tested for several years in some higher education institutions. The analysis of the official websites of 11 state universities in Poland has highlighted tendencies toward a rapid reduction in the classical programmes of training in the field of information and library science, which is primarily caused by the demands of potential employers and the increased integration of the latest technologies into all spheres of society activity.

Reporting quality of published reviews of commercial and publicly available mobile health apps (mHealth app reviews): a scoping review protocol

IntroductionReviews of commercial and publicly available smartphone (mobile) health applications (mHealth app reviews) are being undertaken and published. However, there is variation in the conduct and reporting of mHealth app...

The Evolution of the University Textbook on Library Science: 1960—2024

The year 2025 will mark the 65th anniversary of the first Soviet textbook “General Library Science” prepared by O.S. Chubaryan. It was followed by other textbooks in this discipline. Reconstructing their history and evolutionary transformations is important to reflect and evaluate the progressive development and achievements of Soviet and post-Soviet library science. This is a unique pedagogical experience of forming professional knowledge and self-awareness of several generations of future library specialists, many of whom became veterans of librarianship and contributed to its progress. In Soviet times four textbooks on library science were published, approved by the Ministry of Culture of the USSR for use in higher education institutions of the country — three editions of the textbook by O.S. Chubaryan (1960, 1968, 1976) and one collective work — “Library Science. General Course”, prepared by Moscow and Leningrad scientists under the editorship of K.I. Abramov and N.S. Kartashov (1988). The post-Soviet textbook “General Library Science” by V.V. Skvortsov and N.S. Kartashov (1996—1997) was published in two parts. The transition to the Bologna system of education in Russia and the activation of higher education served as a catalyst for the project of publishing textbooks for bachelors of library and information science, the first of which — “Library Science. General Course” under the scientific editorship of A.N. Vaneyev and M.N. Kolesnikova (2013). Later, the textbook of the Moscow State Institute of Culture was published under the editorship of M.Y. Dvorkina and L.I. Salnikova (2015). At the current stage of modernization of the country’s higher education system and withdrawal from the Bologna system of education, the updating of the entire series of textbooks began. The textbook “Library Science. General Course” edited by M.N. Kolesnikova (2024) is prepared on a different conceptual basis than the previous post-Soviet textbooks. From edition to edition, the main professional textbook underwent transformations due to socio-political, cultural-historical, technological and other factors.

Making a Difference to Healthcare in Leeds, UK: Seven Years of Measuring the Impact of NHS Knowledge and Library Services

ABSTRACT The services offered by healthcare knowledge and library specialists offer tangible benefits for healthcare professionals, some of which can be measured through user feedback. The searches undertaken by this highly specialist workforce can save the time of health professionals and provide economic benefits to the UK NHS. The results of this seven-year study of knowledge and library service interventions in the Leeds health economy demonstrate the resulting primary impact for library and knowledge service users and estimates the local economic benefits of the evidence searches provided over the same period.

Social Media as an Effective Channel of Professional Communication Among Public Library Specialists

The purpose of the article is to study the role of social media in the process of professional communication among public library specialists. Research methods. The methods of analysis and synthesis were used, which contributed to a comprehensive understanding of the processes of using social media in public libraries in Ukraine. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the introduction of data on the peculiarities of using social media in public libraries of Ukraine as platforms for presenting their professional activities and improving their reputation, establishing and deepening professional contacts and creating professional collaborations, exchanging professional information and experience, and improving their skills. The article summarises the data on the activities of leading public libraries in Ukraine in using social media to promote their goals, attract readers and communicate professionally. The main trends in the use of social media for professional communication by public library professionals are identified. Conclusions. It has been concluded that the professional communication of public library specialists is a special kind of semantic communication that serves to transfer professional knowledge and is implemented in a specific library environment or library space. As a channel of professional communication, social media is a new promising type of organisational and production structure and at the same time an electronic resource. In the process of professional communication, public libraries of Ukraine use social media, which are not only platforms, access points to resources or the main interface of public libraries, but also a platform for presenting information and interacting among the professional library community.

Analysis of The Application of National Standards on Aspects of Human Resources in Special Libraries

Analysis of The Application of National Standards on Aspects of Human Resources in Special Libraries

IDify - Distributed Database System for Digital Identification

”IDify” Distributed database system for digital identification is a big data handling system to centralize the important services provided by the government to make the facilities efficient and reliable. It has integrated services such as digital authentication, E-Banking, Personal Information Management, and Government Surveys to provide users with a centralized and digitized platform to make their lives easier. In this system there is a distributed database platform to carry out all the data storing and data processing tasks to facilitate a large user count and to avoid the drawbacks of monolithic systems. The database system has been designed by integrating several modern database technologies to make the system efficient and coherent as the facilities provided by the system are extremely mission-critical. To make the system low latent on data ingestion and data reading tasks a special library is also implemented in collaboration with modern query processing engines. It is proposed to utilize the thread system of a processor to implement parallelism to enhance the performance of data read/write tasks. Apart from that a fault-tolerant framework has been implemented to free the system from any erroneous scenario taking place.

Public Libraries in Foreign Countries: From Digital Gap to Digital Inclusion

Information and communication technologies affect the library performance as a public good, intended to efficient and complete response to the social agenda of various socio-demographic population groups. The digital gap has an impact on a library within the framework of creation conditions for the social well-being of the population. The role of public libraries is increasing in reducing the digital gap, strengthening the material and technical base, technological infrastructure, identifying digitally disadvantaged groups of population that tend to use library computers and broadband Internet more frequently than those who are more advantaged. Attention is paid to digital inclusion which is considered to be the instrument for solving personal, social and professional needs of representatives of various population groups. The effectiveness of digital inclusion largely depends on the professional competencies of library professionals, on their ability to develop programs for library users to help them assess the digital readiness to enter the digital world. The network approach to training library professionals in digital literacy is characterized as the most flexible form that facilitates translation of positive experience to large groups of library specialists. The importance of partnership in promotion the necessity of digital literacy between public libraries with government authorities, universities, research centers and charitable foundations is stressed.

Physical condition survey of a rare book collection: a case study of “X” Museum Library in Jakarta, Indonesia

Purpose Rare book collections are special, not only in terms of their physical appearance but also because of their historical significance and the information they contain. The purpose of this study is twofold: to identify the physical condition of rare book collections and to determine the main causes of damage to rare books collection that belongs to a museum library in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach This research involved conducting a survey of the physical condition of the collection of rare books owned by a museum library in Indonesia. Supporting data was also obtained through interviews with one of the staff who served as the museum collection conservator. This study used random sampling to take samples from the collection, which consisted of 950 rare books, with total sample of 91. Findings The results obtained state that the condition of the existing rare book collection is classified as severely damaged. One of the causes of damage that can be addressed immediately is the cleaning regime: the collection and library space should be cleaned thoroughly and regularly so that dust and dirt in and around the rare book collection can be reduced. Research limitations/implications This research was limited to physical identification, which can be done easily because it does not require various kinds of laboratory tests. It was a case study examining a single collection in a single museum library. The pool of books from which the samples were taken was therefore relatively homogenous. Therefore, it is hoped that further research can identify other factors and types of damage in more detail so that all damage to rare book collections can be identified and mitigated. Originality/value Research discussing the condition of rare book collections, especially for special libraries in museums in Indonesia, is still very limited. Detailed surveys of the physical condition of collections, especially rare book collections in museums, have rarely been discussed by previous research. The work will contribute to assessing the physical condition of rare book collections.

Professional Standardization of Library and Information Activities

The professional standard “Specialist in Library and Information Activities” came into effect on 1 March 2023. The state regulatory document consolidates the status of the industry and the library and information profession in the system of social production. The article highlights the regulatory legal framework and a brief history of professional standardization of librarianship, which began in 2013. The adoption of the “Strategy for the Development of Librarianship in the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030” opened a new stage in the organization of work on professional standardization of the industry. The conceptual approaches to the development of the document are analyzed: differentiated and integrated. The expediency of the integrated approach as more rational taking into account the current tasks of the industry development is substantiated. Library and information activity is presented in the document as an integral branch type of professional activity, and its functional areas — as generalized labor functions, including all production and technological processes of library work. The functional and logical structure of the professional standard and the semantic series of concepts underlying its decomposition are considered. The new nomenclature of positions of library and information specialists recommended by the professional standard is given, their qualification range is characterized, requirements to education, regular training and practical work experience are noted. It is concluded that the professional standard is a model of competences of a library and information specialist, aimed at fulfillment of the whole complex of functional tasks of a modern library. The introduction of the professional standard creates a normative basis for the formation of the qualification range of library specialists taking into account the requirements to the profession of a librarian of the digital era, the implementation of personnel strategies of libraries of different systems and departments, determines the vectors of improvement of all parts of the system of library and information education. It is a tool for managing the development and use of human resources potential of the industry. The document plays an important role as a basis for the inclusion of library and information activities in the National Qualifications System, which will significantly increase the prestige of the library profession and the industry as a whole, as well as ensure the implementation of the state library personnel policy.

Breast cancer screening motivation and behaviours of women aged over 75 years: a scoping review

BackgroundThis scoping review aimed to identify and present the evidence describing key motivations for breast cancer screening among women aged ≥ 75 years. Few of the internationally available guidelines recommend continued biennial screening for this age group. Some suggest ongoing screening is unnecessary or should be determined on individual health status and life expectancy. Recent research has shown that despite recommendations regarding screening, older women continue to hold positive attitudes to breast screening and participate when the opportunity is available.MethodsAll original research articles that address motivation, intention and/or participation in screening for breast cancer among women aged ≥ 75 years were considered for inclusion. These included articles reporting on women who use public and private breast cancer screening services and those who do not use screening services (i.e., non-screeners).The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews was used to guide this review. A comprehensive search strategy was developed with the assistance of a specialist librarian to access selected databases including: the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline, Web of Science and PsychInfo. The review was restricted to original research studies published since 2009, available in English and focusing on high-income countries (as defined by the World Bank). Title and abstract screening, followed by an assessment of full-text studies against the inclusion criteria was completed by at least two reviewers. Data relating to key motivations, screening intention and behaviour were extracted, and a thematic analysis of study findings undertaken.ResultsA total of fourteen (14) studies were included in the review. Thematic analysis resulted in identification of three themes from included studies highlighting that decisions about screening were influenced by: knowledge of the benefits and harms of screening and their relationship to age; underlying attitudes to the importance of cancer screening in women's lives; and use of decision aids to improve knowledge and guide decision-making.ConclusionThe results of this review provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge regarding the motivations and screening behaviour of older women about breast cancer screening which may inform policy development.