Volume 66, Issue 3 -

This exploration of the connection between the library and the broader socio-political sphere in which it functions is based on a keynote presentation originally given at the BOBCATSSS Conference in Lyons, January 2016. The freedom to seek and receive information and ideas in a secure and private environment is identified as the way in which the library contributes to intellectual freedom. Historical examples of radical thinkers who had or did not have this kind of access can be identified. The contribution of libraries is seldom overtly radical, but by offering access to content in a protected environment, libraries nurture potential political activists and leaders. A connection between libraries and democratic activity, which cannot necessarily be thought of as causal, can be observed, and even in non-democratic states the library can still make its own unobtrusive contribution.

Owing to uneven resource-provisioning during the apartheid era, dysfunctional library facilities are a major concern in the majority of South African schools. Since only 7 % of state schools have functional school libraries, teaching and learning are negatively affected. The article is limited to just one part of a research project which investigated the Provision of School Libraries in Public High Schools in the Limpopo Province, South Africa . The purpose of the study was to investigate alternative information services which teachers and learners could use to meet curriculum-related needs because library facilities in most state high schools in the province are dysfunctional. The study involved a quantitative research design. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from principals or teacher-librarians. The findings show that the majority of schools, particularly in disadvantaged rural communities, are some distance away from alternative information services, thereby restricting teachers’ and learners’ access to information. The study recommends that the government should ensure that more alternative information services are available to improve the quality of education in these schools. The social ecosystem, that is, partnerships among information services, should be encouraged to meet dynamic and evolving information needs of the multiple users.

This paper presents the findings of a small-scale pilot study on law students’ information literacy skills and their ability to find information on environmental protection. Environmental issues are a growing concern today and numerous associations, organizations and individuals are waging an active world preservation campaign. The aim is to demonstrate social responsibility and consideration for future generations by reducing the “ecological footprint.” The aim of the research was to ascertain the law students’ attitudes towards environmental protection and the level of their information literacy skills regarding e-environmental laws and regulations. The survey was conducted in March 2015 on a sample of 110 students. The results show that students are fairly concerned about the protection of the environment but do not feel adequately informed about the issue. Students also believe that Croatia has poor environmental laws and should improve the environmental legislation within the European legal framework. Seventy per cent of the students were ignorant about the law library’s resources on environmental protection and sustainability. This is the first research about the information literacy skills of law students in Croatia regarding green information, the findings of which will serve for preparation of course materials for the credited course on information literacy offered by the library. It is of particular importance for the Osijek Law Faculty library because the library is involved in numerous projects regarding environmental protection (both at the national and the EU level).

With the implementation of sustainable management, libraries move towards sustainability and are converted into green libraries. The present study aimed to propose a model for sustainable management in Iranian libraries. This research was a qualitative and applied study. In order to obtain the required data and information, deep and semi-structured interviews with twelve experts in the fields of information and knowledge science and sustainable development were used. The interviewees were selected by a purposeful sampling method. For data analysis using grounded theory methodology, the topics raised by interviewees were coded and categorized in three steps. Fifty-five concepts from the coding stage were classified into six subcategories. In the final paradigm of sustainable management, these subcategories were classified into context, intervening and causal conditions, strategies, and consequences, which act in relation to the main category of sustainable management in order to establish a green library.

This study aims to explore the information technology (IT) skills/Internet use of students at Kuwait University while comparing two different colleges: Science and Social Sciences. The focus was on exploring students’ perceptions of their skills in using information technology and the Internet with respect to applications, services and tools. This study adopted a survey method in which a questionnaire was administered to 400 students from two colleges during their classes; 281 students participated, resulting in a 70.25 % response rate. Statistically significant differences were found between students from the two colleges according to college affiliation and major, gender, and length of experience in using IT/Internet applications. This study was the first of its kind in Kuwait to compare self-reported (IT) skills of students representing two different disciplines and thus provides baseline data for future studies.

Micro-film is the short and essential version of ordinary film or movie, including the complete story. Thus, different from the interaction way of traditional promotion, micro-film marketing is the synthesis of mobile social media and film art, and it becomes the popular advertising solution of library because of its terseness, forcefulness and fashion. This study identifies 39 top academic university libraries as survey samples and investigates the overall application status of these libraries. The results indicate that the micro-film marketing is not very frequently adopted by libraries to promote their services, resources and culture, however, these micro-films have gained the positive feedback and more micro-films are in the planning stages. These distinguishing features of micro-films can be fully reflected by the specific properties, plots and formats of released micro-films in academic libraries. Characteristic concept and culture of library are still the emphasis of marketing themes, and it is more common for students rather than librarians to act as the actors and producers in micro-films based on the real campus or library life. Furthermore, librarians need more opportunities to proactively play an interactive and cooperative role in creating and advertising micro-films.