Volume 74, Issue 4

This article studies Portuguese libraries that have won the “Libraries: Development and the 2030 Agenda” award promoted since 2018 by the Portuguese Association of Librarians, Archivists, Information and Documentation Professionals together with the General Directorate of Books, Archives and Libraries. The aim is to identify the common characteristics of the libraries that have won the award so that these success stories can help other libraries with guidance on what characteristics they should develop in their teams in order to develop projects and actions that contribute to a more sustainable world. The method used is grounded theory with human analysis and Iramuteq software. Six common characteristics were found among the libraries: partnerships, teamwork, a focus on the community, projects linked to the territory, support and alignment with senior management regarding the SDGs, and funding. These characteristics together can lead to successful projects in the context of the 2030 Agenda and promote innovative services. It is also desirable that the projects developed are constantly monitored and evaluated. We conclude that libraries that want to develop projects for the 2030 Agenda should invest in these characteristics.

Decolonization is a concept which has been rapidly gaining traction in the library community, particularly in England, the United States, and Australia. This article addresses the question: “what does decolonizing the library look like in the Irish colonial contexts?” The role which libraries play in reckoning with colonial pasts cannot be understated. This paper will explore what decolonization can look like through Irish libraries both north and south of the border. This will be examined through Irish language revitalization, the presence of oral histories in library collections, and how libraries respond to underserved communities. This study also establishes areas for further research in this nascent field as well as outlining practical steps to implement the concept of decolonizing the library in the Irish contexts. Drawing on qualitative data pulled from interviews this paper will offer the latest information on the Irish library landscape and its relation to the broader decolonization movement. This paper aims to demonstrate the value of using the decolonization framework to address the colonial past which has impacted the way in which the information services function in modern day Ireland and pave the way towards an inclusive and equitable future.

The purpose of this paper is to reclaim and unlock heritage knowledge related to the secular value of time and labor from a sample Ethiopian ancient Ge’ez parchment manuscript. We claim that Ethiopia’s ancient Ge’ez parchment manuscripts could be a source of heritage knowledge if systematically studied. We conducted an extensive and intensive survey to identify and select relevant ancient Ge’ez parchment manuscripts from ancient churches and monasteries in Tigray, Ethiopia. We selected one Ge’ez parchment manuscript for content analysis related to secular value time and another Ge’ez parchment manuscript for the secular value of labor and work ethics. Content analysis and interpretation including language translation from Ge’ez to Tigrinya and English was used as a method of heritage knowledge extraction, as were unlocking approaches from the selected sample Ge’ez parchment manuscripts. Digital content was also produced in order to have access to the digital content, which facilitates further content analysis. A critical evaluation of the physical condition of the sample manuscripts including their palaeography, folios, marginalia, and provenance was made in order to establish their relative age and credibility. From our content analysis, we extract and unlock valuable information and heritage knowledge domains related to the secular value of time and labor. The striking aspect in this study is that the sources of such heritage knowledge are the ancient Ge’ez manuscripts preserved for centuries in religious institutions like ancient churches and monasteries. These sources of heritage knowledge could be easily accepted by Christian farmers to address and solve their earthly problems. We, therefore, assert that the analysis of manuscripts democratizes access to knowledge, making historical collections accessible to a broader audience. Therefore, this current research paper extends the scope of previous studies from merely identifying preservation challenges and making ancient manuscripts accessible through digitization to conducting content analysis, unlocking relevant heritage knowledge domains, and disseminating the knowledge as well as preventing the loss of valuable heritage knowledge. Finally, we suggest making a paradigm shift from preserving heritage for its own sake to focusing on heritage knowledge transfer and education. This is mainly because we currently stand at a crossroads, facing a dilemma between valuing and utilizing heritage on one hand and ensuring its sustainable preservation on the other.

With academic libraries becoming increasingly involved in copyright issues, the ability to responsibly identify a copyright-protected material is becoming important in the administration of reprographic materials in academic libraries. A mixed methods approach was employed to evaluate the adequacy of copyright information or documentation, the need for training, and the mechanisms for educating library users on responsible use of reprographic materials that ensures a balance of stakeholder rights. Quantitative data was collected from 38 library staff and 530 postgraduate students, while qualitative data was collected from four head librarians (through one-on-one interview sessions), and two groups of six postgraduate students each from two public and two private universities in Ghana (through focus group discussion sessions). Only 21.4 % stated that copyright information or documentation on copyright policies on their university campuses was adequate. Copyright education for both staff and students was generally low in all the four institutions. Only “classroom training” had significant impact on users’ understanding of copyright laws and policies. “Professional associations,” “study visits,” and “consultant training” had little impact on the understanding of students about copyright laws despite most library staff being either “comfortable” or “very comfortable” with their level of knowledge on copyright issues. There is therefore the need to incorporate copyright issues in the school curriculum for students as well as institute CPD programs for professional librarians if academic librarians are to efficiently and adequately play their roles as agents of copyright education to the university community.

Legislation pertaining to public libraries is a helpful instrument for attaining state-mandated library services, financial support, resource and network sharing among libraries, and administrative effectiveness. In order to better understand the history of Public Libraries Acts in the Southern Indian states, this paper looks at a number of public library development aspects. Another focal point of the study is a comparative analysis of the provision of involvement of Local Library Authorities as well as their role and governance model in the Southern Indian states of India. The current work is based on data gathered from primary and secondary sources. To study the Public Libraries Acts of the southern states of India, the respective state government’s gazetteer notification and website of RRRLF were used as sources for data collection. The study has extensively analyzed the Local Library Authorities of Public Libraries Acts of South Indian States and made a comparative study among the different elements of the Local Library Authorities of the Public Libraries Acts. The study finds out that Kerala state has taken several distinctive steps in the development of its Local Library Authorities, including the establishment of block-level libraries. The study reveals that the local community and the Local Library Authorities have a tight relationship and are mutually fulfilling their objectives. Despite having sufficient provision for engagement of Local Library Authorities in the Public Libraries Act of the southern states, there is still debate about the proper implementation of the Acts.

The purpose of the study was to identify the effects of e-learning technologies on librarians’ sustainable competence development and smart library services. This study used a quantitative research design for addressing the objectives. The population consisted of librarians from the public and private sector universities ( n  = 244) of Pakistan. The data were analyzed by using Smart PLS. E-learning technologies was the independent variable while sustainable competence development and smart library services were dependent variables that further consisted of various constructs and items. A significant impact of e-learning technologies was found on all the sub-constructs of sustainable competence development and smart library services. Findings revealed that e-learning technologies turn librarians into skilled assets and innovative sustainable smart library services are implemented.