Digital Commons Network^™

Designing Effective In-Service Training For Librarians In Pakistan, Arif Khan, Muhammad Rafiq

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose – The aim of this study is to examine the perception of Library & Information Science (LIS) community about professional training, training agencies and training methodologies. The study provides an analysis of development/enhancement of library practices and its relation with competencies acquired through professional trainings. It also focuses to describe the planning, design, implementation and evaluation of capacity building measures of professional library training as well as to identify loopholes of such trainings in the Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach – The research design for this study is survey. Data collected through online questionnaire using www.kwiksurvey.com from Pakistani working librarians. Some information …

An Assessment Of The Information Dissemination Channels Used By The Zimbabwe Women’S Resource Centre And Network In The Provision Of Hiv/Aids Information To Women., Nancy Nhendodzashe, Collen Nhendo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In light of a high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among women in Zimbabwe, this study sought to assess the extent to which the Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN) was effective in disseminating HIV/AIDS information to combat the pandemic among women. Literature reviewed that in as much as information was crucial in the fight against HIV/AIDS; there are other strategies that should be employed in combating HIV/AIDS to complement information dissemination activities such as economic empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality. The evaluation research design was used to accomplish the research objectives. The population of the study consisted …

Open Archives Initiative Protocol For Metadata Harvesting, Dublin Core And Accessibility In The Oaister Repository, Michael Peake

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper examines the use of Dublin Core as a minimum metadata standard for Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting in terms of its impact on end user experience in the OAIster repository. Specifically the study looked at the use of controlled vocabulary searches versus non-controlled vocabulary searches, as well as the impact of Dublin Core on the granularity and consistency records. Searches were performed in OAIster using Library of Congress Subject Headings and Name Authority Files, as well as non-controlled vocabulary searches for the same terms. The study concluded that controlled vocabulary searches are good for retrieving relevant …

Ict Skills And Computer Self-Efficacy Of Research Students: The Case Of Institute Of Pure & Applied Biology And Biotechnology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan, Muhammad Naushad Sabzwari, Rubina Bhatti, Bashir Ahmed

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In the current changing higher education environment research students need to possess ample skills related to use of computer and different ICTs for education and research purposes. This study aims to investigate the awareness, usage and impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for information, education and research purposes among the Botany, Zoology and Biotechnology research students of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan. For this purpose, data was collected from students involved in research, in order to get information and awareness about their competencies and skills in ICT and other searching and data analyzing tools. The literature review shows that most …

Evaluation Of Entrepreneurship Awareness And Skills Among Lis Students In Universities In South East Nigeria, Felicia Ugwu, C.N. Ezeani

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examined the entrepreneurship awareness and skills among Library and Information Science (LIS) students in two Nigerian Universities. In Nigeria, the overcrowded job market is forcing thousands of graduates into unemployment and its associated consequences of kidnapping, drug addiction, youth restiveness and general poor standard of living. This has made it imperative that graduates be equipped with skills that are required to achieve self-reliance. With appropriate skills, LIS students as information professionals will be at the vanguard of information generation and reaping its employment opportunities in libraries, companies and corporate organizations. Specifically examined in this paper were the level …

Impact Of The Internet On Research Effort Of Academics At Abia State University, Uturu, (Absu), Cpc Onwubiko

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper is on the impact of the Internet on the research effort of academics at Abia State University Uturu. The Internet has become an invaluable tool for teaching, learning and research. The benefits are so enormous that there is no sphere of life without the Internet application. This is certainly true for tertiary institutions. Premised on this consciousness, the descriptive survey research method was adopted in carrying out the study, with the questionnaire as the sole instrument for data collection. The study was guided by six objectives. The findings of the study revealed that there is no felt need …

Electronic Information Resources Awareness, Attitude And Use By Academic Staff Members Of University Of Lagos, Nigeria, Olatokunbo Christopher Okiki

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper is an attempt to study the issues of electronic information resources awareness, attitude and use by academic staff members of university of Lagos, Nigeria with a view to survey the exposure of academics to electronic information resources. Also, it aims to highlight the challenges faced by the users and suggests some corrective measures for its improvement. A test-retest reliability method of two weeks interval was conducted, response obtained were subjected to Pearson Product Moment Correlation method and a reliability co-efficient of 0.81 was obtained. The random sampling technique together with a questionnaire was used for data collection on …

Content Analysis Of Journal Literature Published From Uk And Usa, Paramjeet Kaur Walia, Manpreet Kaur

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper aims to identify the types of research papers/articles, current trends in the choice of subjects, being included in the Library and information science (LIS) journal literature published from UK and USA. The study also aims to find out the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on LIS subject fields. A content analysis of 165 research papers and journals articles published in the year 2008 in six LIS journals was conducted. Findings indicate that 93 (56.36%) of the articles out of the total 165 were research based. The variation is found with regard to coverage of core subject …

General Structures, Literatures, And Problems Of Libraries: Revisiting The State Of Librarianship In Africa, James Afebuameh Aiyebelehin

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The society we live in is in constant need of information to solve its problems. The library serves as the agency responsible for the collecting, processing, managing and disseminating of this information in various formats to meet the varying needs of the users. Information may be needed for education, entertainment, socio-cultural development etc. It is therefore the duty of the librarian to ensure that there is availability and accessibility to the required information whenever it is needed. This paper looks at the nature of libraries, the structures of libraries, the literature of libraries and common problems plaguing the delivery of …

Information Needs Of The Rural Farmers : A Study From Maharashtra, India: A Survey, Nitin Bhagachand Bachhav

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Nowadays, information is a basic necessity of everyday life. For anything and everything information is required. Information can be obtained or retrieved from a variety of sources. Farmers constitute a particular group of users whose information needs is very specific. The present paper deals with the information needs of the farmer community in rural areas. The study conducted through survey method and reveals that 71 (40.58%) farmers requires daily information for various agriculture work. It is also found that the first preferred sources of the information of the farmers is colleague or fellow farmers following by newspapers and Government office.

The Challenges Of Promoting Reading Culture In Nigerian Children Through Story Hour, Book Talks And Exhibition: A Case Study Of Selected Secondary Schools In Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria., Oyemike Victor Ossai-Onah

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

It has been observed that reading culture among Nigerian children is tragically deficient when compared to the Western world. In this era of high level technological development, it is disheartening to note that reading culture is missing as the younger ones are now embracing watching of home video and accessing the Internet. The paper focused on the challenges of promoting reading culture in Nigerian children through study hour, book talks and exhibition. The study was carried out in some secondary schools in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Ten (10) secondary schools were used and the findings reveals the challenges militating against …

Influence Of Subeb Libraries In Developing The Reading Skills Of Primary School Pupils In Selected Public Primary Schools In Oyo State, Razaq Oyewo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study has presented findings on the influence of SUBEB Libraries on the development of reading skills of primary school pupils in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study was conducted on SUBEB libraries located in Local Government Areas in Ibadan Township, which is the headquarter of Oyo State. A total number of 135 copies of questionnaire were administered on the respondents out of which only 133 were found useful for the study.

The major findings of the study revealed the inadequacy of reading promotion programmes in the SUBEB libraries selected for the study (113 or 91.1%). Even though the study revealed …

Mapping Marketing Library Services Related Literature In Lis Open Access Journals, Anna Kaushik

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Open access initiative explores the new way to access scholarly literature free of cost which published in diverse online journals on different subjects. This study aims to identify growth and publication patterns of marketing library and information services related literature published in LIS open access journals by various bibliographic points of view. The results of the study demonstrated that maximum quantity of articles published in marketing library services, most productive year count as 2002 and huge amount of articles focused on library marketing theme. Results further revealed that wide spectrum of articles published in foreign open access LIS journals by …

Assessment Of Competencies Of Library And Information Science Educators In Nigeria, Michael Onuchukwu Okoye

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

. This paper traced the origin of library and information science education inNigeriato the advent of new technologies which have brought about tremendous impact in the delivery of services in academic libraries.. The population comprised 17 library educators in library schools in South East Nigeria Federal Universities. A structured questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection and copies of the questionnaire were distributed to respondents. Thirteen responses were received giving a response rate of 76.47%. The study centered on acquisition and application of knowledge-based and skills’-based competencies’ assessment. Data collected were analyzed using percentages and mean scores. Findings …

The Role Of Information Dissemination In Attaining Food Security In Katsina State, Nigeria, Yusuf El-Ladan Ibrahim, Lawal Iro Sani

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper explores the values and usefulness of information dissemination as it affects food security in Nigeria, particularly in Katsina state. Information has been and would continue to play a vital role in any national development and growth. Agricultural information provision and dissemination is a must for every responsible government because it is only when farmer were informed, that they will be able to take a rational decision and produce enough to feed the state and the nation in general, consequently meeting the goal set by the MDG. Food security has been identified as the inability of a nation to …

The Use Of Icts And Audiovisual Resources In Developing Children’S Reading Habits In Nigeria, Uzoamaka Igwesi, J.N. Chimah, V. N. Nwachukwu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper looks at the use of of Information and Communication Technologies, (ICTs), and audio-visual resources in developing children’s reading culture in Nigeria. It has been observed that most children in Nigeria have very poor reading culture as reading is not associated with pleasure. Developing reading culture in children has been identified as the foundation and the building block for life-long learning. This paper therefore tries to highlight the use of ICTs and audio-visual resources as veritable resources in associating reading with pleasure by encouraging children in learning how to learn, visual literacy, and associating reading with pleasure. The central …

Information Literacy Skills: A Survey Of The Transition Of Students From Secondary To University Education In Edo State, Nigeria, Christopher O. Ukpebor, Daniel Emojorho

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This is a survey of the entry-level information literacy skills of first year students. It is a step towards understanding the prior information literacy knowledge of first year students at the University of Benin, and has broader implications for how librarians understand readiness for library research as well as for the future development of information literacy programmes at the secondary school level. Lack of understanding of prior knowledge by university libraries is in itself a barrier to engaging students in the research process in their first year, as it may result in programs that do not inspire students. Methodology adopted …

Digitization Of Library Collection In Developing Countries: The Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library Experience, K.O. Jagboro, B.O. Omotayo, W.A. Aboyade

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper describes the digitization of library collections at the Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in response to the contemporary global trends. The digitization process, one of the earliest in the Nigerian universities, began in 2003 with a focus essentially on abstracts of masters’ dissertations and doctoral theses, as well as newspaper collections of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. The exercise became imperative due to high demand and heavy usage of newspapers and theses by both staff and students for research and learning purposes. The paper further examines the timely intervention of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and …

The Role Of Information And Communication Technologies In Ghana’S Rural Development, Michael Sakyi Boateng

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

ABSTRACT

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) hold tremendous potential for rural development in Ghana in the areas of agriculture, health, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), and education. Using the theoretical sampling method,this paper takes a closer look at the ICT scene in Ghana from 2000 to 2011 with emphasis on the role of ICTs in rural development.The paper also draws attention to the efforts made by past and present governments of Ghana to solve the major problems facing ICTs development in Ghana. Investigations from the study revealed that ICTs play major roles in the socio economic development of rural areas …

Social Implications Of Icts: Views Of Academic Librarians In Nigeria, Michael Onuchukwu Okoye

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper tries to explore social implications of ICTs, their positive impacts and potential dangers. In addition, the study examines some important imperative factors that sustain favourable social implications as well as critical factors that pander to unfavourable social implications of ICTs. Descriptive survey method was adopted. Population consisted of 88 academic librarians who are working in four Federal University libraries in South East Nigeria. A 59-item structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument was face validated and the reliability of the instrument was established through Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient. Eighty-eight copies of the questionnaire were delivered to …

Rural Libraries In Support Of Rural Reconstruction: Tagores’ Thinking And Reality, Nimai Chand Saha, Keshab Chandra Sinha Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

It is admitted that to make overall development of any citizen rural and urban areas are to be given equal importance and sometimes rural areas may be given more emphasize than urban areas to confirm all wide development. Gurudeva Rabidranath Tagore was one of the pioneers who have given enough attention for the rural communities and to materialise his dream of rural reconstruction he has introduced several project for the welfare of the rural people. To reach the village people and also to eradicate the illiteracy he introduced ‘CHALANTIKA’ library which was meant for the dissemination of library services to …

Effect Of Self-Concept, Knowledge Sharing And Utilization On Research Productivity Among Librarians In Public Universities In South-West, Nigeria., Sarah Okonedo, Sunday Olarenwaju Popoola

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Research is subsisting and necessary part of modern university, therefore the significance of publication in the growth and development of the library profession cannot be overestimated. This study focused on the effects of self-concept, knowledge sharing and utilization on research productivity of librarians in public university in South-West Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted; a total of one hundred and seven-four (174) respondents were selected for the study and 134 copies of the questionnaires were returned and virtually used for the study. The result showed that the level of publication of librarians is moderately high. There was relative effects of …

Influence Of Digital Literacy On Career Progression And Work Motivation Of Academic Library Staff In South-West, Nigeria, Victoria O. Itsekor, Juliana Iwu James

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The information profession, library and information studies have evolved from one that served individual institution to one that serves communities and nations. Academic libraries are libraries in tertiary institutions, meant to serves not just the staff and students within an institution but the communities where they are established as well. It is therefore very expedient that library staff possess the skills with which to serve these users and provide the needed information they desire. Library staff therefore are faced with the challenge of upgrading their skills. The research design used for this study was social survey design and a random …

Content Organization In Websites Of Agricultural Universities In India: A Web Analytic Study, Kothainayaki Suresh, S. Gopalakrishnan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The website of a university is a platform to exhibit the courses offered by the institution and also about the research activities carried out by that university. Beyond providing high quality content, a site also needs to organize that content in a way that makes it accessible to visitors. Prioritizing the content is one of the best ways to make sure the visitors are finding the information the site wants them to find, and that they want to find. Thus, the location of web objects in the University websites is a key for the success of that website. Hence, a …

Information Needs, Sources And Information Seeking Behaviour Of Women Artisans In Offa Metropolis, Tunde Idris Yusuf

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

No abstract provided.

Using Social Media For Dynamic Library Service Delivery: The Nigeria Experience, Chinwe Nwogo Ezeani, Uzoamaka Igwesi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper examines how Nigerian Libraries can leverage on social networking and social media skills to provide dynamic library services in the face of dwindling economic problems in Nigeria. The unprecedented technological advancement of the 21^st century, no doubt has impacted on library services globally and in Nigeria in particular. The social media hype has gradually crept into the library profession- with social sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, Library Thing, Ning; it has become evident that our services will need to change to meet the growing needs of our end users. Libraries in Nigeria have been challenged …

Internet Use Among Undergraduate Students Of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Nigeria, Olubanke Mofoluwaso Bankole, Babalola Stephen Oludayo Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study sought to determine the extent of internet access and use by students of Olabisi Onabanjo University(OOU), Ago Iwoye, Nigeria. A descriptive questionnaire survey was employed to obtain data from a sample of 1140 undergraduate students of OOU from March to April, 2010 with a total of 1066 validly retuned representing response rate of 91.3%. Additional information was also obtained with an informal interview and observations. The results showed that almost all the respondents (97.6%) had accessed the internet, with mean internet use experience of 4.2 years. Majority of the respondents, i.e. 66.1% accessed the Internet from cybercafés outside …

Use Of Electronic Databases By Postgraduate Students And Research Scholars At Gbpuat Library, India, Tanveer Haider Naqvi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact and use of e-databases at GBPUAT library because a huge amount is invested for the subscription, growth, and management of e-databases. The main aim is to determine the purpose of use of e-databases; and to find out their level of use, level of satisfaction, problems, and instructions/help in accessing of e-databases. To collect research data, questionnaire was administered randomly among 250 registered postgraduate students and research scholars of GBPUAT and 143 filled in questionnaires were returned. Finally, the researcher selected 137 useable questionnaires for the analysis using statistical techniques to …

The Development Of A Collection Development Policy, David A. Cabonero, Liezl B. Mayrena

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

A collection development policy is a significant library document with an intention of building its collections based on some standards and aimed to support the vision, mission, goals and objectives of the parent institution. This paper presents the “The Development of Collection Development Policy” which is largely based from the perceived collection development practices and suggestions of its stakeholders. The survey questionnaire contains statements pertaining to the current practices on collection development of the library such as selection, acquisition, donation, weeding, preservation, loss and replacement, and copyright laws.

Library Values That Interface With Technology: Public Service Information Professionals, Zotero, And Open Source Software Decision Making, Peter Fernandez

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Decisions about which software to use are increasingly made by individual public service professionals. This article contextualizes those decisions and their implications within the framework of existing library values such as collaboration, intellectual freedom, and public good. The open-source bibliographic management tool Zotero provides an apt example that clarifies how public service information professionals need to conceptualize their technology decisions. The development model of software has repercussions, both short and long-term, that must be taken into account so that public service information professionals can effectively represent their values and serve their users.