Article Frontmatter was published on March 1, 2021 in the journal Libri (volume 71, issue 1).

The COVID-19 pandemic is an international public health crisis without precedent in the last century. The novelty and rapid spread of the virus have added a new urgency to the availability and distribution of reliable information to help curb its fatal potential. As seasoned and trusted purveyors of reliable public information, librarians have attempted to respond to the “infodemic” of fake news, disinformation

The study sought to assess user expectations and acceptance of library services at the African Union Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The study, which targeted 94 library users, employed LibQUAL and SERVQUAL protocols to collect data, which were subsequently analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that users have the lowest expectations of the physical aspects of the library

This research investigated health and safety information behaviour of miners working at Makarwal Coal Mines, district Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan. A survey method using a questionnaire was deployed for data collection from 136 coal workers. Descriptive statistics were applied for data analysis using SPSS. The results indicated that the miners’ information needs were cantered mainly on protection equipment

This study explored the integration of mobile augmented reality (AR) into reading in elementary schools. With the reflective messages designed using AR (termed as reflective AR), children were guided to process the story content through preview, reading, and review of the content. The study focused on the enhancement of children’s reading comprehension using reflective AR and the implementation processes

Public libraries hold an increasing number of events, where they face the very important, but often neglected, challenge of evaluation. This paper presents various studies performed to evaluate events for adults at the largest public library in Slovenia, Mestna knjižnica Ljubljana (Ljubljana City Library). A combination of methods was used: content analysis of library website and promotional brochures

Social capital is a concept that has attracted increased interest among researchers in social science. It was originally introduced to sociological literature in the 1970s by Pierre Bourdieu. The term “social capital” is used to signify a set of specific behaviours and social interactions that many researchers associate with a positive impact on various aspects of human life. These include: democracy

Article Best Student Research Paper Award 2021 was published on March 1, 2021 in the journal Libri (volume 71, issue 1).

Abstract Transparency in the management of 50 Spanish public university libraries was analysed using information available on their websites. The method consisted of checking the websites to identify a set of 18 evaluation indicators associated with the specific case of libraries and the Spanish Transparency Act, notably the chapter on active publishing. The indicators have been used in previous studies

Abstract This study connects two purportedly unrelated disciplines: information studies and opera, by examining what can be learned about information encountering, and in particular on pseudo-serendipity in human information behaviour, through analysing selected scenes of the nineteenth century opera buffa L’elisir d’amore (“Elixir of love”). As part of the emergent “information studies in the arts”

Abstract International students are valuable resources in higher education but they often face challenges due to lack of social engagement and unfamiliarity with the new social context. The use of social network sites (SNS) such as Facebook has the potential to support international students, but limited studies have examined the actual information seeking behaviour of this group of students. Therefore

Abstract Evaluation of information retrieval systems is a fundamental topic in Library and Information Science. The aim of this paper is to connect the system-oriented and the user-oriented approaches to relevant philosophical schools. By reviewing the related literature, it was found that the evaluation of information retrieval systems is successful if it benefits from both system-oriented and user-oriented

Abstract There appears a change in reading trends in the growing digital culture around the globe. The current research intended to identify the influence of this culture on the reading behaviour of young adults. A survey of final year Masters students from public and private sector universities in various knowledge domains (sciences and technology, social sciences, and arts and humanities) was conducted

Abstract The Japanese government has initiated lifelong learning policies to promote lifelong learning to a super-aging society. It is said that lifelong learning contributes to a richer and more fulfilling life. It is within this context that public libraries have been identified as ideal facilities for promoting lifelong learning. To support lifelong learning successfully, libraries must accurately

Abstract This paper aims to examine how librarians construe organizational culture based on employees’ satisfaction, good leadership, and organizational support with knowledge sharing practices relationships. The quantitative research method, using a structured questionnaire comprised of three constructs of Organizational Culture (OC), including employees’ satisfaction, good leadership, and organizational

Abstract In this study, we explore a strategy to strengthen the library’s role of enhancing the quality of life for residents by identifying relationships between user satisfaction with library services and their quality of life. Questionnaires were distributed to public library users and normal distribution (skewness and kurtosis) and reliability of the measurement tools were validated. The results

Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which parents of children aged 10–12 are aware that cyberbullying is a widespread phenomenon, how they deal with acts of cyberbullying performed by or toward their child, whether they take active steps toward preventing cyberbullying by and/or toward their child, and to what extent they are willing to invade their child’s privacy to this

Abstract Studies have shown that Nigerians have a poor reading culture which could be as a result of several factors including unavailability of print resources. Literature has revealed that the quality of reading by secondary school students in Edo State was regrettably on the decline and that inadequate use of print resources was a major factor. The descriptive survey design of correlational type

Abstract This exploratory study examines the application of methods used in the United States to evaluate the impact of school library programs and services on student learning to a setting in Uppsala, Sweden. The Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries study of Todd and Kuhlthau served as the model for data collection in Uppsala middle and high schools and subsequent analysis. Modifications

Abstract Twitter acts as an information gateway as it provides a place where professionals network and share their knowledge. Twitter has increasingly influenced the way people use and share information. However, limited research demonstrates IT professionals’ information experience on Twitter impacts the way they use it for professional purposes. The study aimed to understand how such information

Abstract In recent years, public library administrators have actively promoted children’s reading services. Storytelling activities have a significantly positive effect on enhancing children’s interest and ability in reading. Due to the shortage of human resources in some public libraries, volunteers are required to provide storytelling activities. Public libraries should enhance the competencies of

Abstract What role can a library system play in the development of a knowledge society and a smart city or a smart nation? In Singapore, we are able to identify governmental master plans to develop and to consolidate a knowledge society and a knowledge-based economy since around 1980. The current Smart Nation plan aims for comprehensive digital innovations in the country. Singapore’s National Library

Abstract Indigenous curatorship has become an increasingly visible presence in the public sphere as part of the long process of North American Native people’s efforts to regain control over the representations and uses of their cultures in Western societies. Even though scholars consider this profession fundamental to Native American struggles for sovereignty, many do not have a clear understanding

Abstract The purpose of the study was to explore the impact of applying a series of passive and active learning activities including a practice-based assignment when teaching the reference transaction to 43 students enrolled in a graduate program at Kuwait University. Students were asked to visit an academic library of their choice and approach the reference desk with a distinct information need. Based

Abstract Information, culture, and memory centers are increasingly anchored to urban redevelopment projects within historically marginalized communities challenged by contemporary social and economic disparity. This paper situated libraries, archives, and museums within a sociocultural context to examine the role of cultural heritage institutions in gentrification. Librarians, archivists, curators

Abstract Service delivery remains a challenge in post-apartheid South Africa, notwithstanding the proactive legislations that have been in place since the end of apartheid in 1994 to ensure that municipalities enhance the developmental path through service delivery. Given the increasing interest in prioritising knowledge sharing in municipalities, this article advocates for knowledge sharing as a tool

Abstract This study was conducted to assess the cultural value of the library by performing a perception survey for public library librarians and users. We have undertaken the processes of deriving a preliminary evaluation index based on domestic and foreign research results, determining the final evaluation index, and assessing the library’s cultural value within the scope of librarians and users

Abstract In a digital library, an increasingly important problem is how to prevent the exposure of user privacy in an untrusted network. This study aims to design an effective approach for the protection of user privacy in a digital library, by consulting the basic ideas of encryption and anonymization. In our proposed approach, any privacy data, which can identify user’s real identity, should be encrypted

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the information literacy (IL) self-efficacy of business students in Pakistan using a cross-sectional survey research design. The data were collected through a questionnaire containing an information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale along with personal and academic variables. The results revealed that the business students were confident and competent in basic IL

Abstract The goal of ResearchGate (RG) is to help users exchange scholarly information around the world. This study drew on adaptive structuration theory (AST) to investigate the social structure of RG, which had been largely overlooked by prior research. Data were crawled from RG and results were presented based on content analysis. For the social structure embedded in RG, the most frequent updates

Abstract Nationwide surveys of researchers in Finland in 2007 and 2016 distributed with the assistance of FinELib, the Finnish national consortium, show that researchers use a growing range of sources to find and access scholarly articles and that some reading patterns are changing. The percentage of articles found by searching and browsing are decreasing, while researchers are using more social ways

Abstract We are living in a time where plagiarism is a highly critical issue in the publish-or-perish stage of academic life. There have been many efforts to address this issue by holistic socio-cognitive variables but they do not seem explanatory enough in context-specific areas. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the root causes of plagiarism in a specific context, i. e. Iranian universities, by

Abstract International student enrollment in US colleges and universities benefits the US economy in many ways and increases diversity on campus While much research on international students exist, we know very little about the experiences of international doctoral students. In this study, we explored the information needs, seeking behaviors, feelings, and overall experiences of 33 international doctoral

Abstract The data-intensive research environment and the movement towards open science create demand for information professionals with knowledge of the research process and skills in managing and curating data. This paper is reporting the findings from a multiyear study entitled “Data curator: who is s/he?” initiated by the Library Theory and Research (LTR) Section of the International Federation

Abstract Research depends on prior results. The cycle of transforming research output to disseminated knowledge is changing to engage more researchers to openly discover and thereby shape future contributions to scholarship. No established framework helps librarians understand the opportunities that transition offers librarians. However, through four propositions, this paper addresses some of the changes

Abstract Results of an online survey distributed to faculty, PhD students, and researchers throughout Finland in 2016 show that library resources, journal articles, and books are important parts of scholars’ research and work life. The survey was disseminated through FinELib to heads of libraries, who were then asked to distribute it to their academic staff, researchers, and PhD students. The purpose

Abstract RDS are usually cross-disciplinary, centralised services, which are increasingly provided at a university by the academic library and in collaboration with other RDM stakeholders, such as the Research Office. At research-intensive universities, research data is generated in a wide range of disciplines and sub-disciplines. This paper will discuss how providing discipline-specific RDM support

Abstract LIS research on youth incarceration frequently highlights literacy and education as means by which youth may escape or evade systems of incarceration These adult-structured positions often fail to take into account the perspectives and experiences of youth who are actively experiencing incarceration. Through an analysis of youth contributions to The Beat Within, this research includes the

Abstract This article employs a comparative historical perspective to narrow the gap in the existing knowledge of the origins of the trans-Atlantic information explosion phenomenon that dates back to the early decades of the twentieth century. The author examines the root cause of the unprecedented growth of the overall amount of documents through the lens of the rapid expansion of scientific and technical

Abstract This study discovers the level of relationship between democracy and access to online information. It defines democracy using freedom ratings from Freedom House, as well as economic factors such as Gross Domestic Product and Foreign Direct Investment. The model also included a data set from Geddes, Wright and Frantz (2012), who used a finer grained scale for autocratic countries. It then explores

Abstract Public library development is explained differently by various theories, but existing theories are problematic. A new theory is needed to explain public library development, one that foregrounds political processes. To produce this new theory, a historical case study was conducted of a regional public library system in the United States from 1924 to 2016. Multiple data sources and mixed methods

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of academic library leaders of Pakistan about library leadership. Qualitative research design was used with phenomenology approach as the present study aims to investigate what library leaders commonly perceive to be challenges, fundamental difficulties and needed skills to be successful. Data were collected through in-depth interviews

Abstract This article examines the effect of the adoption of social media in legal practice in Nigeria. It discusses some of the major challenges that have recently been experienced in the use of legal information in Nigeria within the context of the social media revolution, particularly with respect to ethics. A survey method was employed and data was collected through self-administered questionnaires

Abstract This paper reports on an aspect of a 2016 masters study which addresses the research question: what knowledge and skills do humanities librarians require to effectively provide support to postgraduate students in the digital age? The study adopted a qualitative approach using a multiple case study design, within a constructivist paradigm, to respond to the research question, with core competency

Abstract The purpose of this study is to understand the trends and problems of media coverage about Korean libraries by selecting keywords from Korean portal news articles and conducting semantic network analysis. As a result, Korean news reports focus on public libraries rather than school and university libraries. Elsewhere, libraries’ lifelong learning program performance, such as cultural events

Abstract Hungarian librarianship and related research are sadly underrepresented in international literature. With this article we intend to fill this gap and inform the experts of library and information science of some of the most recent Hungarian innovations. After showcasing the international professional connections of Hungarian librarianship, we present the structure of the Hungarian public library

Abstract In the interest of developing relevant information services for ECD practitioners in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM), as ECD is one of the national priorities, a study was conducted to ascertain their information needs and information-seeking behaviour. Using Leckie, Pettigrew and Sylvain’s General Model of the Information Seeking of Professionals (GMISP) as the theoretical framework

Abstract In educational settings, physical objects or artwork are commonly used to convey meanings. These designs can be enhanced in ways which provide dynamic information overlay and context for children’s stories, such as how augmented reality technology (AR) uses created overlay digital information on the realistic object for enhancing interactions in learning and reading. The recent advancements

Abstract Today, most of the results and knowledge obtained from national and international research do not actually change the health status of people, which has led to a gap or distance between knowledge and practice. This research was a descriptive survey and examined the status of the knowledge translation process among the researchers of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Iran, from 2011 to

Abstract In a survey of 31 informational world cities, we investigate the state of the art public library core services. For this study, we applied the core service catalog developed by (Mainka, A., S. Hartmann, L. Orszullok, I. Peters, A. Stallmann, and W. G. Stock. 2013. “Public Libraries in the Knowledge Society: Core Services of Libraries in Informational World Cities.” Libri 63 (4): 295–319. 10

Abstract Information literacy is considered an essential competency in the workplace because it gives a competitive advantage, improves decision-making and enhances efficiency as well as effectiveness of the workforce. This study intends to investigate information literacy among scientists working at the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), Lahore. The data were collected

Abstract This study examined the task type as an important factor in collaborative information seeking activities, devoting special attention to its impacts on collaborative information seeking behavior, awareness and sentiment. Collaborative information search experiments were conducted on a collaborative search system—Coagmento—for three different types of task (informational, transactional and navigational)

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which individual factors such as academic tasks, preference for print sources and information skills influence distance learners’ use of digital libraries in a teacher distance education programme at the University of Education, Winneba in Ghana. The population of the study consisted of 1,834 distance students and from a sample size of

Abstract Information and knowledge are the foremost tools in fighting the scourge of HIV/AIDS. Previous studies have focused more on HIV/AIDS and Nigerian undergraduates’ attitudes, beliefs and protective practices than how information factors influence their knowledge of the pandemic. This study, therefore, investigated the influence of access to HIV/AIDS information on its knowledge among undergraduates

Abstract With the use of machine learning and other advances, modern information search systems make it easy for searchers to access information to meet their most frequent information needs. Building from Kuhlthau’s concepts of exploration and differentiating, this article argues that along with the benefits of greater accessibility, these advances impede the development of information literacy, conceptualized

Abstract Our study aims to reveal the ICT use and related perceptions of university students through a self-developed online questionnaire. The research questions focus on (1) ICT attitudes, (2) frequency of ICT tool usage in a broad context and (3) frequency of ICT tool usage in the context of language learning. There seems to be agreement among both language and non-language majors concerning the

Abstract Acceptance and intention to use mobile applications in a library context is attracting a great deal of interest in education field. A sparse amount of research was conducted in mobile library applications (MLA) previously, investigating the influential factors of intention to use MLA. Research here aims to provide empirical support on acceptance of MLA, library access through mobile applications

Abstract Recent advances in augmented reality (AR) have attracted much attention in nutrition and healthcare education. In the context of obtaining dietary knowledge, a mobile AR system was developed for learning and exploration, which allowed students to scan food images, receive information about nutrient content and record as well as accumulate daily nutrient intake. Students could also access learning

Abstract During the last two decades or so we have witnessed unprecedented growth and expansion in higher education not only in the high income countries but in middle income and low income countries as well, Pakistan being no exception. In 2002 a new apex body, Higher Education Commission was established to manage affairs of higher education which adopted measures to improve the quality of higher

Abstract This study aimed to use the Kirkpatrick four-stage model to evaluate the learning outcomes of information organization (IO) courses. The study used the learning outcomes evaluation method and case studies; the evaluation method was used to transform the expected achievement and course goal according to cataloging competencies. The 3-credit “information organization” (IO) course at National