Library Tools Research Articles

AI- and LLM-driven search tools: A paradigm shift in information access for education and research

The article reports on an exploratory study that assesses the results produced by emerging artificial intelligence (AI)- and large language model-driven search tools in response to a series of queries and prompts based on four scenarios of information-intensive tasks of university students and researchers. Sixteen questions and prompts were created based on four scenarios of information-intensive tasks of university students. Each of these questions and prompts was presented to six AI-driven search tools, and the results were manually checked to assess their suitability for specific user needs and contexts. Based on the findings, it was argued that while the AI-driven tools bring a paradigm shift in information access for education and research, outputs generated by these tools vary quite significantly. Choice of the right tool, framing the question and further prompting play a key role. Also, users need to scrutinise each output to check their quality and reliability in the context of the specific search tasks. It was concluded that further research is needed involving different user groups, scenarios and search tasks and different AI-driven search tools. Implications of the use of AI-driven search tools for libraries and scholarly databases, as well as for research and scholarship in different areas of information science, are discussed.

Creating window applications in Python using the PyQt5 library tools

The section "Programming" at the advanced level of studying the informatics course in high school includes consideration of issues related to the design of the user interface. If the study of the basics of programming is carried out using the Python language, it is reasonable to develop window applications using this language. Recently, the PyQt library has become increasingly popular, which makes it relevant to create methodological materials to familiarize schoolchildren with the capabilities of this library.It is advisable to carry out training in accordance with the reverse engineering technology, which consists in the fact that students do not write program code from scratch, but explore the finished product. At the first stage, you can organize the activities of schoolchildren by completing tasks to study the finished program; at the next step, offer to analyze the appearance of the finished application, highlight its elements and select tools for their creation; finally, provide additional tasks that involve independent study by students of the class features not considered earlier.The article offers reference material for familiarizing schoolchildren with the main capabilities of the library, tasks for lab sessions and home assignment.

AI Tools in LIS Research: Navigating Opportunities and Challenges for Scholarly Advancement

ABSTRACT This study examines the integration of AI tools in Library and Information Science (LIS) research to understand their implications on academic practices. Using a careful survey-based methodology, the study explores the advantages of AI tools, related challenges, and potential behavioural impacts, mainly focusing on whether they unintentionally promote satisfaction among researchers. Findings reveal an ideal position for AI tool utilisation, highlighting varied degrees of usage and perceived benefits like increased efficiency and expanded research scope. However, challenges encompass ethical concerns, integration complexities, and diverging opinions regarding the tools’ potential impact on researcher diligence. This study contributes significantly by addressing the less-explored behavioural implications of AI tool integration in research, offering refined insights into their multifaceted impact on academic practices. It underscores the need for a balanced and informed approach to AI integration, considering their transformative potential and ethical considerations in scholarly pursuits.

Assessment of the effectiveness of online e-resources marketing tools in university libraries

Purpose This study aims to assess the effectiveness of online e-resource marketing tools used by university libraries to market e-resources. The specific objectives of this study were to uncover the e-resources that are showcased by university libraries, find out instructions posted by libraries to facilitate access and utilization of e-resources, examine marketing tools used, examine how current and relevant marketing messages and test the functionality of the marketing tools used. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory research design was used to assess the effectiveness of e-resources marketing tools. The study population included all public university libraries in Tanzania. The sample was purposively selected to include all publicly funded libraries as they work under similar management environments. Data collection involved the evaluation of online marketing tools using a matrix checklist. Findings It was revealed that most university libraries use websites for showcasing e-resources. The commonly used social media for marketing e-resources is Facebook followed by Instagram while Twitter and Ask a Librarian are the least used. The results further show that only a few universities provide instructions on how to access and use e-resources. The findings indicate that universities had active communication platforms for marketing e-resources. Furthermore, less than 50% of marketing messages are active and current. It is recommended that marketing e-resources should be integrated into the library’s plans and strategies and this should be informed by library policies. Research limitations/implications Given that, this study involved Tanzanian public university libraries, it is possible that the findings do not represent the same situation in all academic university libraries in the nation. Originality/value This study assesses the effectiveness of online tools used to market e-resources in university libraries in Tanzania. It reveals the e-resources that are showcased online, the instructions provided on how to access the e-resources and the functionality of the marketing tools. Unlike the previous research, which primarily focused on evaluating the Web-based tools in university and college libraries, this study focused on public libraries in the country. The results will not only contribute to the theoretical and practical understanding of the functionality of the marketing tools but also provide actionable insights to decision-makers in libraries in marketing their e-resources.

It Takes a Village

The introduction of Large Language Models (LLM) to the chatbot landscape has opened intriguing possibilities for academic libraries to offer more responsive and institutionally contextualized support to users, especially outside of regular service hours. While a few academic libraries currently employ AI-based chatbots on their websites, this service has not yet become the norm and there are no best practices in place for how academic libraries should launch, train, and assess the usefulness of a chatbot. In summer 2023, staff from the University of Delaware’s Morris Library information technology (IT) and reference departments came together in a unique partnership to pilot a low-cost AI-powered chatbot called UDStax. The goals of the pilot were to learn more about the campus community’s interest in engaging with this tool and to better understand the labor required on the staff side to maintain the bot. After researching six different options, the team selected Chatbase, a subscription-model product based on ChatGPT 3.5 that provides user-friendly training methods for an AI model using website URLs and uploaded source material. Chatbase removed the need to utilize the OpenAI API directly to code processes for submitting information to the AI engine to train the model, cutting down the amount of work for library information technology and making it possible to leverage the expertise of reference librarians and other public-facing staff, including student workers, to distribute the work of developing, refining, and reviewing training materials. This article will discuss the development of prompts, leveraging of existing data sources for training materials, and workflows involved in the pilot. It will argue that, when implementing AI-based tools in the academic library, involving staff from across the organization is essential to ensure buy-in and success. Although chatbots are designed to hide the effort of the people behind them, that labor is substantial and needs to be recognized.

Bridging Prenatal Diagnostics and AI: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Advanced Algorithms in Identifying Congenital Fetal Abnormalities

Congenital fetal abnormalities have emerged as a major cause of infant mortality globally. About 3% of pregnancies are reported as fetal structural anomaly through ultrasound, ranging from minor defect to severe organ system anomalies. Our study aimed to evaluate effectiveness of Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in prediction of fetal heart and brain abnormalities by using meta-analysis approach. In this study, the “Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)" guidelines were applied for screening and selection of research articles. We searched the research articles according to research aims from Google scholar, PubMed, and Ovid MEDLINE. The data search was limited to January 2015 to May 2024. Two researchers independently screened the studies to detect research aim oriented studies. After screening of titles, those researchers assessed all abstract for eligibility. The risk bias of included studies was assessed by two researchers who used Cochrane library tool (version 5.4.0). Using the DerSimonian-Laird technique, a bivariate random effect model that generated SROC plots, we pooled test estimates. This method is particularly helpful in visualizing variability in the sensitivity and specificity across studies, accounting for the heterogeneity. This improves the reliability of the SROC plot, offering a clear summary of diagnostic performance Using the software RevMan 5.4, we carried out every statistical analysis, particularly heterogeneity through the Q test. About 243,456 screened fetus or pregnant women of 11-32 gestational weeks through 10 studies based on AI algorithms (machine learning, deep learning and AI diagnostic tool). The imaging protocols including ultrasound and MRI were used to take visuals of fetal brain and heart abnormalities in all of including studies. DL and ML algorithms provided high-performance diagnostic predictions, mostly include CNN models that assist in providing accurate diagnostic results with high sensitivity and specificity. The AI algorithm model showed a generally good accuracy scores for detection of brain and heart abnormalities and reference machine learning findings, with sensitivity ranging from 82 to 99% and specificity from 78 to 99%. Fig. 5's area under the SROC curve was 0.960. In contrast to the general detection, ML and DL seems to be more sensitive in diagnosing fetal brain and heart abnormalities. Our study provided the scientific evidence that AI models including deep learning and Machine learning are effective in generating highly reliable detection or classification results for diagnosis of fetal brain and heart anomalies. These strategies can help in reducing infant mortalities, improving treatment outcomes, and postpartum outcomes among women.

Role of social media and library marketing in Indian universities

Purpose Social media marketing (SMM) denotes attaining website traffic or attention through social media platforms. The paper aims to focus on examining the viewpoint of library professionals from different universities along with the user respondents from different disciplines and universities on the role of social media tools to market university libraries. Design/methodology/approach It is a survey-based study that used the questionnaire as its chief data collection instrument designed to be administered to library professionals (n = 100) and users (n = 1,189) from eight universities. The study also adopted the general observation and interview methods to supplement the data. The data was analyzed using SPSS software, and Chi-square test and ANOVA were applied to ascertain the significant variations in viewpoints of the library professionals and the users. Findings The research study showed that library professionals (from different universities) and users (from different disciplines and universities) felt that social media could be an appropriate marketing tool for libraries in the future. Observations during data collection highlighted a lack of confidence and unwillingness among library professionals to implement any changes in the present time. Practical implications The present study provides some significant insights for improving the current situation of the libraries under study in terms of increasing awareness among the students and adopt social media tools for marketing of library facilities and services in future. It is important to note that a few issues that came into light during data collection were a marked lack of willingness and prevalence of less confidence among the library professionals to execute or implement the social media tools to market library resources and services among the users. Originality/value SMM programs focus on creating content that attracts attention and encourages readers to use it. This study attempts to fill the gap in of marketing in libraries through social media. The paper offers insights into the use of marketing tools for promoting library resources and services as per the needs of library users. The research work differs from other studies undertaken on library marketing related to social media as it has included both library professionals and users together to obtain a better picture in this regard.

Integration of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Libraries 2012-2023: A Bibliometric Assessment

Integration of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Libraries 2012-2023: A Bibliometric Assessment

Identifying librarians’ readiness to leverage artificial intelligence for sustainable competence development and smart library services: an empirical investigation from universities’ librarians

Purpose This study aims to identify the librarians’ readiness to leverage artificial intelligence for sustainable competence development and smart library services. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative research design for addressing the objectives. The population consisted of librarians from the public and private sector universities of Pakistan. The data were analyzed by using Smart PLS software. Findings The analysis consisted of two major parts: first the assessment of measurement model and second the structural equation modeling analysis. A significant positive impact of AI adoption was found on the implementation smart library services. Findings revealed that behavioral intention motivated librarians to adopt AI tools in university libraries for the delivery of smart library services. Research limitations/implications We applied quantitative method to carry out the study while future authors may conduct a systematic literature review on the same topic for offering a broader outlook. Practical implications It has provided practical contributions by providing a baseline for management bodies to construct policies for the successful adoption of AI in libraries for sustainable competence development of practicing librarians and implementation of smart library services. Social implications The study has social implications too as AI integrated library services prove fruitful for society and digitally skilled librarians play a vital role for the promotion of reading and research culture in society. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on librarians’ readiness to leverage artificial intelligence for the enhancement of digital literacy skills, sustainable competence development and smart library services in the context of Pakistan.

University students’ information literacy skills and impact of training in Bangladesh

This article examines university students’ perceived skill levels in utilizing internet resources and library tools, as well as accomplishing specific information-skills tasks, and assesses the impact of information literacy training in Bangladesh. The study involved two phases: first, a survey was administered to a sample of 257 students and, second, an experiment was conducted with 28 students to examine the effectiveness of training. The survey results show that the students perceived their skills with internet resources and library tools to be at a high level, with significant differences found in skill levels based on gender and age. Additionally, the students reported a high level of perceived skills in completing information tasks, with no significant differences found across the demographic variables. In the experimental study, the participants exhibited low task performance on a set of 22 task questions prior to training, achieving an overall correct score of 28.4%. However, a significant improvement in correct scores (57.1%) was observed after participating in the skills training.

The use of bigdata in the management of library resources: Nigeria university experiences

Services of libraries have to be accessible to all members of the community; this requires well situated library infrastructure, facilities and information resources as well as relevant technologies. Therefore, this study explored the use of big data in the management of library resources in university libraries. Four objectives were proposed for the study to describe the use of bigdata in managing resources of university library. In addition, ethical concern related to the use of bigdata was also identified in the paper. Descriptive literature review was used as methodology. The study conclude that Bigdata as a tool in university libraries is an important mechanism that is meant to protect library information resources for use. The nature of the library resources call for more protection especially resources are ICT in nature. However, the important of Bigdata in any organization including library become an imperative to resources management. The nature of services delivery in this present age in university library calls for the use of Bigdata so that right information resources can be provided to right people at tight time and place. Based on the concluding part, the study recommends that awareness should be provided by university libraries and management on the opportunities of Bigdata to library clienteles and training, conference and workshop should be orgnise by library and university management in order to equip library personnel with the needed skills and knowledge on better use of Bigdata in service provision.

The Role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Deterring U.S. Hegemony in Asia

The fall of the former Soviet Union led to a power vacuum in the Asian region, particularly in Central Asia, which allowed for the penetration of extraregional powers, including the United States, through economic and military assistance and the use of NATO as a tool. This expansionism by the U.S. has been a source of constant concern for regional countries. In response, one of the organizations inherently inclined to compete against U.S. unilateralism was established. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was formed as a soft balance against U.S. hegemony in the international system. The main question of this research is: How does the SCO operate to counter U.S. hegemony in the region? The authors hypothesize that the SCO, based on a security and political approach and with the presence of powerful countries such as China and Russia, strives to limit the U.S. role in the region. The non-membership of the U.S. in this organization has afforded the SCO a special status. To achieve the research objective, a descriptive-analytical method and library tools were used for data collection. The findings indicate that the powerful countries in the region have defined the establishment of the SCO as an alternative to U.S. unilateralism.

Melodia: A Python Library for Protein Structure Analysis.

Analysing protein structure similarities is an important step in protein engineering and drug discovery. Methodologies that are more advanced than simple RMSD are available but often require extensive mathematical or computational knowledge for implementation. Grouping and optimising such tools in an efficient open-source library increases accessibility and encourages the adoption of more advanced metrics. Melodia is a Python library with a complete set of components devised for describing, comparing and analysing the shape of protein structures using differential geometry of three-dimensional curves and knot theory. It can generate robust geometric descriptors for thousands of shapes in just a few minutes. Those descriptors are more sensitive to structural feature variation than RMSD deviation. Melodia also incorporates sequence structural annotation and three-dimensional visualisations. Melodia is an open-source Python library freely available on https://github.com/rwmontalvao/Melodia_py, along with interactive Jupyter Notebook tutorials. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

تحلیل جامعه‌شناختی جزاهای بدیل حبس در حقوق کیفری افغانستان

Imprisonment is one of the criminal reactions, which is applied to establishment of social order and ensure justice. Alternative punishments of imprisonment were proposed as a result of the emergence of critical criminology theories in the 19th century and de-imprisonment theories. According to the theories of the abolitionist schools, the movements of de-imprisonment and international documents, the Afghan legislator has determined the alternative punishments of imprisonment as the main punishment in 2016. The novelty of the alternative punishment of imprisonment as the main punishment in the penal code and how it matches with the prevailing culture needs a research in this regard. The purpose of the research is to study the alternative punishments of imprisonment, its function in reforming the criminal and how it is accepted as a social phenomenon in the Afghan society. The question is, what is the function of alternative prison sentences from a sociological point of view? What is the feedback of alternative prison sentences in correction and rehabilitation of criminals? This research has been done in a descriptive-analytical way, using a library tool to collect data, in the criminal law of Afghanistan. The findings of the research are; The legislator has determined the alternative punishments of imprisonment for the first time in its modern form as the main punishment. As far as the alternative punishments of imprisonment have been implemented in the society, according to the punishment of imprisonment, it has played more effective roles in the part of reformingthe criminal. Chnging imprisonment to an alternative punishment during punishment shows the flexibility of the legislator regarding the criminals in order to provide the basis for their reformation. However, lack of strict monitoring of its implementation, lack of necessary tools and equipment for electronic monitoring, and lack of culturalizaion among judges to determine alternative punishments to imprisonment are among the problems in its implementation.

Screening 800 putative endocrine disrupting chemicals in a representative mammal, bird, and fish using a neurochemical cell-free testing platform

There is global demand for novel ecotoxicity testing tools that are based on alternative to animal models, have high throughput potential, and may be applicable to a wide diversity of taxa. Here we scaled up a microplate-based cell-free neurochemical testing platform to screen 800 putative endocrine disrupting chemicals from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ToxCast e1k library against the glutamate (NMDA), muscarinic acetylcholine (mACh), and dopamine (D2) receptors. Each assay was tested in cellular membranes isolated from brain tissues from a representative bird (zebra finch = Taeniopygia castanotis), mammal (mink = Neogale vison), and fish (rainbow trout = Oncorhynchus mykiss). The primary objective of this short communication was to make the results database accessible, while also summarising key attributes of assay performance and presenting some initial observations. In total, 7200 species-chemical-assay combinations were tested, of which 453 combinations were classified as a hit (radioligand binding changed by at least 3 standard deviations). There were some differences across species, and most hits were found for the D2 and NMDA receptors. The most active chemical was C.I. Solvent Yellow 14 followed by Diphenhydramine hydrochloride, Gentian Violet, SR271425, and Zamifenacin. Nine chemicals were tested across multiple plates with a mean relative standard deviation of the specific radioligand binding data being 24.6%. The results demonstrate that cell-free assays may serve as screening tools for large chemical libraries especially for ecological species not easily studied using traditional methods.

Quicklib: A Rapid Library Management Solution

QuickLib is a new kind of library management system that puts special focus on remote access features while streamlining resource monitoring, user administration, and cataloging. User convenience and accessibility are limited by the frequent lack of effective remote access options in traditional library management systems. QuickLib fills this need by enabling users to access library resources from any location with an internet connection. In comparison to conventional systems, QuickLib's efficiency, usability, and performance are highlighted in this paper's presentation of its architecture, implementation, and assessment. Findings show that QuickLib is more efficient in terms of speed, responsiveness, and user satisfaction than other solutions, which makes it a great tool for libraries and educational establishments looking to update their library services. Keywords— Library Management System, Remote Access, Efficiency, User-Centric Design

The Process of Security Achievement Based on the Approach of Islamic Political Jurisprudence, Realism, and Liberalism

The study of security is one of the important and vital subjects in security studies, and the Islamic school of thought, along with other schools, has a specific perspective on security studies. The importance and necessity of research lie in the comparative explanation of the superiority of the theory of Islamic political jurisprudence in the field of the method of security studies. The question that this article aims to answer is how the process of security studies can be realized based on the principles of Islamic political jurisprudence and what prominences it possesses compared to the approaches of other schools in security studies. The research hypothesis is that Islamic principles have advantages over the other two schools in the process of the method of security studies. The research method used is descriptive-analytical, and library tools have been utilized. The results obtained in this study indicate that in the process of security studies, methods ranging from "force" and "power" to "persuasion" are employed. According to the democratic approach, persuasion is emphasized. However, in the liberal school, a dual policy can be observed, as they use the component of "persuasion" against liberals and the component of "force" against non-liberal countries. In Islamic political jurisprudence, comprehensive security can be achieved through adherence to religious teachings.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications and usage among the LIS professionals of Pakistan

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an important and emerging sub-discipline in information technology that is progressively being implemented in every field. It is gradually being introduced to support new forms of research, discovery, and reuse of library contents in advanced and interesting ways. University libraries have the potential to substantially improve their library services through the implementation of sophisticated AI tools. This study explored the application of AI tools in the university libraries of Pakistan, as well as draw a comparison in the usage of AI tools between public and private sector universities. This is a quantitative study and data is collected through survey methodology. We used purposive sampling to collect the data from 175 university libraries. The collected data was analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS-version 22). Findings indicate that while AI-based services are starting to be introduced into university libraries in Pakistan, no university library has implemented the full suite of AI-based tools. Natural language processing, voice searching, and chatbots are the most familiar and popular tools currently used in libraries. However, robotics technology is rarely used with a mean value of (1.62) because of the financial investment and high level of IT skills required. We found that private university libraries are using AI tools more as compared with public sector university libraries. The study concludes with several key recommendations, including closer collaboration between the library and the respective university IT department for technical support and assistance; improved financial support and ICT infrastructure to establish AI technology-based library services; and training development plans for library staff. Insights gained from this study should contribute to the capacity of Pakistani University librarians and their staff to maximize the full potential of AI within their institutions. The research implications are helpful to library leaders and policymakers in building a policy for AI-based technology in their respective university libraries.

Information and library services for library users: Innovative approaches and vectors modifications

The relevance lies in the in-depth analysis of the problems of development and transformation of library and information services, as well as in the changed user requests and information needs caused by the information development of society. The purpose is to explore the benefits of using the latest technologies and services in information services in the context of research by Ukrainian library professionals; to analyse the dynamics of library development and its modification in the system of user service. The study used general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, generalisation) and approaches: socio-cultural, socio-communicative, and systemic. The current challenges of informatisation of society and the rapid expansion of the volume and content of information resources raise the issue of revising the methods of work in the field of reference and bibliographic services for libraries. This requires the development of scientific principles of modern activities of reference and bibliographic services aimed at providing information to users and based on a systematic approach to the formation, organisation and use of reference and information resources. Also, in the study of trends in the use of cloud services as an innovative tool in libraries in the era of digitalisation, which has become an effective means of expanding the possibility of remote access to library collections, resources, promoting the storage and analysis of data for more convenient user service. The results of the study may be important for employees of methodological and bibliographic departments, Internet centers in libraries, and can also serve as a basis for a more detailed study of specific aspects of this topic by library practitioners, teachers and students studying in information and library specialty programs. They can also be useful for replenishing the information base on the organisation and development of reference and bibliographic services in libraries

From text to video with AI: the rise and potential of Sora in education and libraries

Purpose This study investigates the transformative role of Sora in education and libraries. This study aims to explore Sora’s capabilities and potential implications for enhancing learning experiences and enriching library resources. Design/methodology/approach Using an exploratory approach, this paper analyzes Sora’s functionalities, focusing on its ability to convert textual descriptions into dynamic video content swiftly and accurately. It examines the ways in which Sora can augment learning through interactivity, personalization and accessibility, as well as its capacity to digitize cultural heritage and promote literacy in library settings. Findings Sora emerges as a potential powerful tool for education and libraries, offering opportunities for diverse learning modalities, creativity and critical thinking. Its capacity to facilitate immersive storytelling and educational gamification holds promise for engaging users and fostering community involvement. However, ethical considerations such as bias mitigation and equitable access must be addressed to maximize Sora’s benefits. Originality/value This study contributes to the understanding of artificial intelligence’s potential in education and libraries, particularly through the lens of Sora.