Volume 59, Issue 2

Statements about ‘the Google Generation’ and ‘Digital Natives’ are creating unhelpful generalizations that block the capacity to intervene in superficial information literacy practices. The goal in this paper is to move beyond the clichés of Web 2.0, offering productive and positive trajectories to move librarians, teachers, students and citizens from the information to the conceptual age. The paper has a particular focus on the consequences for education and economic development of investing simplistic phrases with explanatory power.

The present study presents an analysis of curricula offered at library and information studies departments in different parts of the world. Data was collected from the websites of 30 departments in 21 countries and coded based on the typology proposed by Wilson in 2001. This typology proposes five major subject fields that can be combined to better represent the complexities present in the curricula. The analysis of curricula in the sample revealed that the five subject fields proposed by Wilson's typology are present in the sample. The category scheme presents a long list of categories that represent different combinations between the five subject fields, revealing a sample of curricula centered on information and technology subjects that emphasize users' needs. Findings show that the largest percentage of the courses examined relates to information content in general and to content provided to specific groups of users. Technology courses are the second major category present in the curricula examined. The examination also revealed an additional and important category, not found in Wilson's original typology, which encompasses supporting non-library related courses. This category is the third largest category in the sample and it reflects an interdisciplinary trend in the curricula examined that aims at providing students with knowledge in subject areas not related to information and librarianship.

This study evaluates the home pages of Florida's public libraries for accessibility by people with disabilities. The evaluation includes every Florida public library system website, examining each home page of the 78 libraries offering websites. The study employed the WebXact online evaluation service to identify errors using compliance standards contained in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 508 legislation requires libraries to attain accessibility compliance, as all Florida libraries are recipients of federal funding. The hypotheses are: libraries with larger budgets and larger per capita income are more likely to have accessible websites. Of the 78 public library systems home pages examined, only 21 were found to be without accessibility errors. These findings indicate that 73% of the home pages had at least one major accessibility error based on Section 508 criteria. Additional findings indicate that accessibility performance is related to library income levels and income per service population. Presented research includes a legislative history of accessibility, with a section focusing on library website accessibility. Related accessibility studies are reviewed for comparability purposes and substantiation of findings. The study offers recommendations for improving accessibility and identifies opportunities for additional research.

This study explores quality measurement of reference services in Malaysian public university libraries. Specifically it identifies the quality criteria used for reference service and how these criteria contribute to the mission of the library. An open ended questionnaire was used to gather qualitative data from ten public university libraries pertaining to quality issues in reference services. Most libraries use statistical data such as number of queries received and answered and duration in which a query is handled as quality indicators of the service. The libraries report an increase in the quality performance by libraries since the adoption of a quality management system based on the ISO 9001:2000 standard.

Due to rapid changes and more intense competition happening in today's marketplace, the business environment is increasingly becoming uncertain and volatile. As a result, the ability to conduct effective environmental scanning is becoming critical for organizations to survive and succeed. This study investigates environmental scanning and information sharing practices of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore. The objectives of the study included looking into the information needs of SMEs, the sources frequently utilized for the acquisition of environmental information and how this information is processed, stored, disseminated and utilized. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for collecting data and 45 SMEs, representing different industries, participated in the study. It was found that a majority of the participating companies perceived external environmental information as critical to their survival and growth and conduct frequent environmental scanning activities. However, improvements should be made to the effectiveness of environmental scanning, as the collected information may not be disseminated to the end-users in a timely manner.

Community libraries in developing countries can be important sites of knowledge exchange and acquisition for women with little or no formal education living in communities characterized by extreme poverty and gender inequities. As locally managed and operated institutions, specific needs identified by community members shape their mandates, activities, and types of resources. Community libraries also offer a “neutral” space where women can safely gather and independently or collectively pursue learning in areas of relevance and interest to them. This paper explores the impact of Kyato Community Library (KCL) on women's lives in a rural Ugandan context. It considers the questions: i) What valuable educational opportunities does KCL provide for girls and women who have been prevented from attaining adequate formal schooling?; and ii) What additional services, opportunities and qualities could KCL provide to engage girls and women in these educational opportunities? The paper argues that with careful attention paid to women's literacy needs and desires, local context, appropriate resource acquisition and community-minded personnel, community libraries can promote and support women's literacy and personal development, enabling them to cultivate capabilities needed to engage more fully on equal terms in their societies.