Volume 64, Issue 1

This article looks at the varying definitions and usage of the term ‘crowdsourcing,’ including those that insist the term may only be applied to online activities. An argument is made that, semantics aside, the activities known as crowdsourcing, collaboration, and/or citizen science, were in use long before the current online medium was invented and should be recognized not for the terminology employed but for the mutual benefits reaped. The article addresses the strengths of such activities, including user engagement, the accomplishment of tasks otherwise not possible because of budget cuts, and diversity of viewpoint. In addition, the possible weaknesses of recruitment, perceived loss of power by professionals, and oversight of this method of project management are reviewed and suggestions for mitigation are proposed. Finally, instances of historic and contemporary ventures in British librarianship including the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, the Mass Observation Movement, Oxford University’s Ancient Lives project, FamilySearch genealogical/ archives work, the British Museum and iGLAM collaboration with Wikipedia, and the Sounds of the U.K. are profiled. Arguments for the relative merits of each profile are highlighted, including benefits to society as a whole, the specific institution, its users, and the future of cultural heritage organizations throughout the United Kingdom.

This paper aims to explore gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) themed printed materials found in all public libraries in the city of Istanbul affiliated with the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Firstly, we searched the online catalogues of all 36 public libraries in Istanbul affiliated with the Ministry. A total of 26 GLB-themed printed materials owned by only 2 libraries in all public libraries in Istanbul were identified. Next, we compiled a checklist from all issues of Kaos GL Journal published by The Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Organization from 1994 to 2012 in order to demonstrate whether GLB-themed materials are adequate in satisfying GLB individuals’ needs in Turkey. After we compiled the checklist, we identified 124 GBL-themed printed books published in Turkey. Finally, we compared the materials in the checklist to the materials in all public libraries in Istanbul. As a result, we found that there was no GLB-themed book at 33% of all public libraries affiliated with the Ministry in Istanbul. Furthermore, there was only one widely held GLB-themed item, owned by 61% of all public libraries in Istanbul. This paper indicates that there are not enough GLB-themed materials to meet the information needs of GLB individuals in the public libraries affiliated with the Ministry in Turkey. This paper proposes that public librarians are key actors in providing appropriate information resources for the solutions of the problems faced by GLB individuals

The public libraries in Fars province (Iran) were compared with the Dayani Standards for Public Libraries, which is an accepted standard in Iran. The nine criteria in the Dayani Standards, such as opening hours, total area, collection size, number of users, staff, book cases, and seats, were tested for each library. Findings indicate that public libraries were generally among classes 5-6 of the Dayani Standards. Using cluster analysis, we can recognize 3 different groups among the libraries studied. The libraries of the first group have a better situation than the Dayani Standards class 3. The second group of libraries are in the same cluster with libraries in Dayani Standards class 5 and 6, which results in a decreased total average of criteria for these libraries. To raise their performance against the Dayani standards, the priorities that the authorities should consider include an increase in daily opening hours, attracting more users, and increasing the number of staff.

The number of students with disabilities enrolling in universities in Malaysia is increasing. Previous studies were library-focused, examining status of services provided for the disabled. This paper approaches the issue from the visually impaired person’s (VIP) perspective. The questions this paper aims to answer are, What sort of use do VIPs make of their student volunteers? and, How does a service like student volunteers contribute to sense of belonging to the library? The study uses the qualitative approach. Data was collected through interviews and focus group discussions with eighteen VIPs who are registered in a university library. For trustworthiness of data, prolonged engagement, member checking, and audit from experts are used. Student volunteers were perceived of having two main roles. Firstly, the VIPs perceived student volunteers as their academic saviours for searching, reading, borrowing and discussing assigned reading materials with them. Volunteers provided the VIPs with the opportunity to interact socially with sighted students, become their friends, interact socially outside reading times, and introduced them to other sighted students to help them find additional volunteer readers. These roles enrich VIPs’ academic, social and emotional lives. VIPs expressed being grateful, felt cared for, respected, connected and belonging to the library and university student community

The basic purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality of library services at COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) Islamabad campus from its users’ perspective. The survey method was selected for the study and a modified SERVQUAL questionnaire was used as an instrument to collect data from the students, faculty, and staff members. Because of the large potential population, random sampling was applied and 275 questionnaires were distributed, of which 207 valid responses were received. The questionnaire was consisted of 22 paired closed-ended questions to elicit the responses of the users on a 7-point Likert scale. Analysis of the collected data revealed that there are no significant differences between the levels of users’ expectations and perceptions, which signify that the CIIT library is not lacking in quality services and users are satisfied with various aspects of its service quality. The study will be useful for those library professionals who wish to investigate the strengths, weaknesses and threats in their library services and who also intend to enhance the quality of these services. The study demonstrates that it is possible to make meaningful comparisons of library services, and argues that LIBQUAL should be introduced to provide a systematic regular study of the performance of Pakistan’s university libraries in meeting user expectations.

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to critically review and identify issues in the literature relating to the concept of Information Literacy and how it is being assessed. It provides arguments that the existing information literacy conceptualization and subsequent models do not support the perspective and understanding of information literacy at the workplace, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. Key literature and common models of information literacy are examined to identify the conceptualization of the construct of information literacy and its relevance to practices in the workplace. The paper also argues that existing information literacy models are not inclusive of the theoretical perspective of the person-inpractice workplace information environment and proposes a model that sets the basis for empirical studies on information literacy in the workplace, specifically in developing countries. The proposed model will assist researchers to understand the major components of workplace information literacy and how to assess information literacy of a person in practice at the workplace

Developing the agricultural sector remains a critical factor towards the achievement of sustainable food production and, indeed, global food security. While indigenous agricultural knowledge is of immense value in improving food production, its documentation and dissemination remain a big challenge confronting librarians and other information professionals, particularly in Africa where traditional practices are prevalent. This study, therefore, investigated the efforts of agricultural research libraries in Nigeria in documenting and disseminating agricultural indigenous knowledge towards achieving sustainable food security in the country. It also determined the agricultural indigenous practices that have been documented as well as the obstacles to the documentation of agricultural indigenous knowledge. Librarians in selected agricultural research libraries in Nigeria constituted the target population of the study, and a questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations have been made aimed at improving the documentation and dissemination of agricultural indigenous knowledge in order to enhance food security in Nigeria.

Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the economies of many developing economies because it contributes significantly to their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), labour force, sustenance and exports. The sector accounts for more than 30% of the GDP and 60% of total employment in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa. Zimbabwe is no exception; agriculture provides an income to over 75% of the country’s population. This paper reports on a study that examined agricultural information and the role that is played by researchers and extension workers as intermediaries for farmers. The study focused on researchers and extension workers in the public sector, covering 16 research institutes and 44 districts. A questionnaire was used to collect data, most of which was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), with content analysis used in the case of open-ended questions. Although three different sets of data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and observation, this paper reports only on the results of the questionnaire which was distributed to researchers and extension workers. The study revealed that the information needs of the researchers and extension workers aligned with the major agricultural disciplines and that respondents were using various sources of information in fulfilling their information needs, ranging from libraries to Internet sources (including databases and other electronic sources), consulting colleagues, workshops and seminars, and personal collections.