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While the conditions for using libraries in South Korea are improving in terms of the concept of a 15-min city, such as the expansion of public library functions and an increase in the number of libraries, the number of users per library is declining. This phenomenon represents the necessity of advancing the understanding of library use behavior from the policy aspects of facility planning, maintenance, and management. Hence, this study analyzes the effect of library services and distance on choices regarding library use and predicted changes in library use behavior through a choice experiment and a discrete choice model. The results reveal that library services, distance, and library-use status influenced library users' and non-users' decisions regarding library use. Through predictions of library use behavior, administrative districts that provide relatively low utility are identified, and the number of library users is estimated. Considering the impact of the interaction between library services and spatial patterns on potential users, it is possible to predict different library use patterns that can help make policy decisions regarding facility planning and management. • Preferences for libraries that apply the concept of a 15-minute city are analyzed. • Potential users' choice behavior of library is economically modeled and explored. • We divided the regular library user into single, transfer, and multiple user. • Library services and spatial patterns influence decision-making on library use. • Demand is estimated considering the differences across districts in the utility provided by libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is a library worth? This question has implications for all libraries and the clientele they serve, especially in times of economic uncertainty when libraries often have to justify their existence and demonstrate their worth. One method of assessing this worth is through value propositions, which have been primarily associated with the business sector, wherein an exploratory process is used to discover what customers need from an organization. This article will show how libraries can utilize value proposition strategies to think differently about how their resources and services create value for their respective patron segments. This renewed perspective may encourage librarians to reimagine their purpose, reorganize their focus, and redefine their worth. • Value Propositions as practical solution for articulating a library's worth • Use Value Canvas mapping to align patrons' needs with library resources • Understand library users and what they value • Analyze patron defined needs to foster a strong user-centered learning environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop face.evoLVe —a comprehensive library that collects and implements a wide range of popular deep learning-based methods for face recognition. The motivation of the software is to lower the technical burdens in reproducing the existing methods for comparison, while users of our library could focus on developing advanced approaches more efficiently. More specifically, Face.evoLVe is well designed with an extensible framework under vibrantly evolving, so that new face recognition approaches can be easily plugged into our framework. The library is available at https://github.com/ZhaoJ9014/face.evoLVe. Face.evoLVe has been widely used for face analytics, receiving 2,700 stars and 683 forks and we have used Face.evoLVe to participate in a number of face recognition competitions and secured the first place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the authors discuss the challenges of libraries to remain relevant to their users in the face of various trends such as institutional repositories and the creation of digital libraries. The authors note that these trends, which are driven by the patrons’ needs, have caused the role of the librarian to change and eliminated the need for support staff. A discussion of a model for library staff that allows professional growth within the library is presented.

Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer, yet few Americans test their homes for radon, particularly in rural areas. The academic team and community partners engaged the public library systems in four rural counties to offer digital radon detectors for check-out as a means of increasing the public's access to free radon testing. The check-out procedures and instructional materials were created through an iterative process, and library personnel were educated on radon and home radon testing prior to launching the lending program. Library patrons reported high usability, feasibility, and acceptability of the program. Library patron-staff interactions mainly included discussions about the logistics of radon testing. Given that public libraries are invested in making communities thrive and promoting health, providing library lending programs for radon detectors is a novel, feasible, and acceptable way to reduce the risk of lung cancer in the community. • The radon detector library loan program was designed and evaluated using citizen science methods. • The radon detector library loan program was usable, feasible and acceptable to library patrons. • Library patrons were appreciative of having access to radon detector kits at no cost. • Public libraries can serve as partners to promote the health of communities. • Radon detector loan programs are innovative and attract community members who may not have otherwise utilized the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference interactions with patrons in a digital library environment using digital reference services (DRS) has become widespread. However, such services in many libraries appear to be underutilized. A study surveying the ease and convenience of such services for patrons in over 100 academic health science library Web sites suggests that cumbersome access and difficulty of use may be a key restraining force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brief historical overview of the library instruction scene in the United States and Canada, an analysis of library instruction conference themes, and the identification of perceptions of librarians attending the LOEX, WILU, and LOEX of the West conferences in 2000 and 2001 reveal that the border may be responsible for significant differences between the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores whether disconfirmation theory can explain satisfaction formation processes in library users. Both library users' needs and expectations are investigated as disconfirmation standards. Overall library user satisfaction is predicted to be a function of two independent sources--satisfaction with the information product received and satisfaction with the information system and library services used to retrieve the information product. Both sources are hypothesized to contribute independently to satisfaction in library users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the value of research library catalogs in helping library patrons to access information resources they need. Explanation that the increasing practice of including Web sites in the catalog has raised issues of the catalog's accuracy and reliability; Discussion on Web-based resources; Examination on the reliability and accuracy of free Internet resources cataloged in academic library online public access catalog; Definition of catalogs.

Provides information on the relationship between increased information loads and the quality of the library experience for the user when empirical evidence has been cited. Conceptual confusion between information explosion and information overload; Possible effect of an increase in information supply on library users; Overview of consumer decision-making studies.

The article discusses the need to update library catalogs through focusing on the creation of new user services, sometimes layered on top of the current library system and catalog data, and sometimes in terms of a new model for the library's service to the user. The effort to update catalogs is reflected in the term "Web 2.0," which is a shared and open service for library and web users. The 2.0 philosophy emphasizes the social aspects of information such as reviews, recommendations and tagging. The library catalog is an organized index into the library's collection of physical terms.

The Internet plays an increasingly central role in the lives of individuals. It enables individuals to engage in social, economic, leisure and entertainment activities including wider access to information. Due to extensive societal use of the Internet, those without access are clearly disadvantaged. They will lack the necessary information to make decisions, forgo the savings from shopping online and limit their opportunities for social interaction. This paper investigates the role that libraries can play in providing free public Internet access. This role is examined within the context of Glasgow, a large post-industrial city in the United Kingdom where Internet adoption is lower than in comparable cities and where a large proportion of its population face a range of socio-economic hardships. Primary data was collected from library users in three areas of deprivation. Our analysis demonstrates the role that libraries play as the provider of public Internet access. It shows that this role is not without its difficulties – inadequate levels of resources have been provided to fulfill the multiple roles that libraries perform in these communities. Libraries enable users to engage in a wide array of online activities, the range of which reflects both the push of government policies and the pull of innovative services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive mapping is a method typically adopted in ethnographical research to learn about library user behavior and experience in a cross-cultural context. Through reporting practical findings from a case study, where it served as a key method, the usefulness of cognitive mapping in revealing cognitive style and perceptions of the library and in understanding cultural users' behaviors and experiences is explored. Cognitive mapping offers an open exploratory way to help self-reflection of personal contexts regardless of language constraints. As such, it provides for the study of multiple cultural communities. In addition, its potential of usage in a virtual environment is presented. One limitation of this method is the extent to which it can reveal the holistic picture of library experience in isolation. As such, it works well when applied with other data collection techniques to form a flexible yet robust methodological framework to learning about library cultural groups. • Cognitive mapping helps explore international students' library engagement and personalization of their library journey. • Mapping techniques are an accessible way to develop narratives without language barriers or textual mechanisms. • Cognitive mapping is beneficial in revealing the complexity of cognition, perception, experience and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: New technologies increase the ability to capture and retrieve data about library usage patterns and users. Collecting, analyzing, and using patron data, however, may raise concerns among library users about their online privacy and how the data collected might be used to their advantage or disadvantage. This article examines undergraduate students'' knowledge and perceptions of online privacy issues, their opinions regarding who should collect and retain information about them, for what purposes, and under what circumstances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the deficiency of the libraries to offer a rich online information environment to the library users. It relates that the rich online world created by the library is not available to the user at convenient locations within the library and they have not provided the useful integration between the online and on-shelf resources. It adds that the library does not have the technology to create the full integration of the user's workplace, the electronic resources of the library and the physical library. Moreover, it discusses the two trends that enables the library to create the integration including the evolution toward omnipresent network access and toward hand-held network and computing devices.

The article offers information about the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) which has been gathering statistics from ARL member libraries since 1961. The ARL statistics emphasize collection size, library expenditures and staffing by which a subset of the data is used to calculate the ARL index, a numerical score that actually defines the criteria for ARL membership. However, ARL has launched some additional data-gathering efforts such as "New Measures Initiative" wherein these efforts cannot rely entirely on automated statistics but use surveys to gather additional data from users.

Discusses the importance of educating library users in using the electronic information resource system. Role of computer center or microcomputer laboratory in the teaching process; Issues on what to teach to library users; Importance of the design of user guides.

Stresses that libraries seek to provide free and open access to their resources for all members of the community regardless of their ability to pay and without judgment as to their need. Discussion on libraries and society; Disadvantages of technology for libraries; Views on librarians.

Discusses how a library should treat online information. Mission of an academic library; Prediction on the future of online information industry; Involvement of the library in the information activities of patrons.

Public libraries play a vital role in providing information, education, and cultural activities to local populations. Digitization and the Internet have changed the traditional functions of public libraries and caused them to become more community-centered and offer more diverse services. Agent-based geographical modeling is a method for simulating complex urban environments using heuristic and approximated algorithms. The agent model for public libraries developed for this study demonstrates the possibilities for analyzing accessibility, exploring demographic data of potential users, finding underserved areas, and searching for the best locations or relocation sites for libraries. This model has been implemented and tested using the entire public library network of Slovenia. Results suggest that agent-based geographical modeling is a promising method for research in the field of library and information science. • Agent based geographical modeling (ABGM) is a promising research method in the field of library and information science. • ABGM is a heuristic method for the analysis of the accessibility when exploring demographic data of potential users. • ABGM supports the identification of underserved areas and searching for the best (re)locations sites for libraries. • ABGM results deepen the knowledge of potential library users. • Library administrators can use ABGM results in everyday decision-making and planning of the public library network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a learning center, rural library initiatives aim to provide rural communities with access to a wealth of reliable and readily available information. Changes in user behavior correspond with the changes in the way instructional programs are delivered to meet the rural library users' needs. Guided by the RAMESES review method, a systematic review identified 30 related studies throughout Scopus and Web of Science databases. Seven main themes emerged: roles, services, use, sources, activities, challenges, and impacts. The seven themes produced a total of 30 sub-themes. In-depth qualitative studies of rural library services, and needs analyses of rural communities are recommended. • Research patterns and trends on rural library studies between 2009 and 2018 are identified. • Domains contribute to the new knowledge and fulfilled the empirical gaps in area of studies. • Gaps were found in rural libraries studies that can be studied in the future (sources, activities, challenges, and impact). • Studies need to be conducted on rural library services and needs analysis of rural communities (qualitatively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]