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Exam period can be a stressful time for students, and having examples of past papers to help prepare for the tests can be extremely helpful. It is possible that past exams are already shared on your campus--by professors in their specific courses, via student unions or groups, or between individual students. In this article, we will go over the workflows and infrastructure to support the systematic collection, provision of access to, and repository management of past exam papers. We will discuss platform-agnostic considerations of opt-in versus opt-out submission, access restriction, discovery, retention schedules, and more. Finally, we will share the University of Toronto setup, including a dedicated instance of DSpace, batch metadata creation and ingest scripts, and our submission and retention workflows that take into account the varying needs of stakeholders across our three campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital heritage portal interfaces are generally similar to digital library and search engine interfaces in displaying search results as a list of brief metadata records. The knowledge organization and search result display of these systems are item-centric, with little support for identifying relationships between items. This paper proposes a knowledge graph system and visualization interface as a promising solution for digital heritage systems to support users in browsing related items, understanding the relationships between items, and synthesizing a narrative on an issue. The paper discusses design issues for the knowledge graph, graph database, and graph visualization, and offers recommendations based on the authors' experience in developing three knowledge graph systems for archive and digital humanities resources: the Zubir Said personal archive collection at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore; Singapore Pioneers social network; and Polyglot Medicine knowledge graph of Asian traditional and herbal medicine. Lessons learned from a small user study are incorporated in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Miami University Libraries (MUL) developed an open-source Software Checkout system to allow patrons to make use of software licenses owned by the library. The system takes advantage of user-based licensing under the Software as a Service (SaaS) license model and vendor-created APIs to easily and legally assign access to users. The service currently supports Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro, and Logic Pro software. MUL has successfully used this software for three years. This article describes the expansion of offerings and the increasing use of the service over that time. Built on a model developed by Pixar for managing employee software licenses, the Software Checkout system is believed to be the first of its kind for circulating licenses to library patrons. Both this lending model and the open-source software developed by MUL are available to other libraries. This paper is intended to prompt libraries to take advantage of the legal and technical environment to expand software license sharing to other libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the potential of the Gamified Metaverse as a platform for promoting library services. The study compares the effectiveness of a traditional library program with a Metaverse- based library program in terms of knowledge acquisition and library anxiety. The research also examines students' perceptions of implementing gamification within the context of the Gamified Metaverse platform. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, including pre- and post-test analysis, statistical analysis, and qualitative data collection. The results indicate that both the traditional and Metaverse-based library programs effectively increased the participants' knowledge, with no significant difference between the two approaches. However, the Metaverse-based program was found to be less effective in facilitating interaction with librarians and reducing library anxiety. Additionally, students expressed positive perceptions of implementing gamification in the Gamified Metaverse platform, finding it engaging and motivating. These findings contribute to the understanding of the effect of the Metaverse as a tool for promoting library services and enhancing knowledge acquisition. However, it is not as effective in reducing library anxiety, particularly in terms of interaction with librarians and staff. It should be noted that the platform may have limitations such as high costs and potential side effects of virtual reality, making it more suitable as an additional tool for promoting library services, taking into account its feasibility and potential benefits for specific student populations and larger libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present findings from a three-year research project funded by the US Institute of Museum and Library Services that examined how advanced broadband measurement capabilities can support the infrastructure and services needed to respond to the digital demands of public library users across the US. Previous studies have identified the ongoing broadband challenges of public libraries while also highlighting the increasing digital expectations of their patrons. However, few large-scale research efforts have collected automated, longitudinal measurement data on library broadband speeds and quality of service at a local, granular level inside public libraries over time, including when buildings are closed. This research seeks to address this gap in the literature through the following research question: How can public libraries utilize broadband measurement tools to develop a better understanding of the broadband speeds and quality of service that public libraries receive? In response, quantitative measurement data were gathered from an open-source broadband measurement system that was both developed for the research and deployed at 30 public libraries across the US. Findings from our analysis of the data revealed that Ookla measurements over time can confirm when the library's internet connection matches expected service levels and when they do not. When measurements are not consistent with expected service levels, libraries can observe the differences and correlate this with additional local information about the causes. Ongoing measurements conducted by the library enable local control and monitoring of this vital service and support critique and interrogation of the differences between internet measurement platforms. In addition, we learned that speed tests are useful for examining these trends but are only a small part of assessing an internet connection and how well it can be used for specific purposes. These findings have implications for state library agencies and federal policymakers interested in having access to data on observed versus advertised speeds and quality of service of public library broadband connections nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the digitization of cultural heritage in Russian libraries, archives, and museums. In order to achieve the research goals, both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were adopted to analyze the current status of legislative principles related to digitization through the literature review and the circumstance of the latest projects related to digitization through the literature and website review. The results showed that these institutions seem quite successful where they provide a wide range of services for the users to access the digital collections. However, the main constraints on digitization within libraries, archives, and museums in Russia are connected with the scale of the work, dispersal of rare books throughout the country, and low level of document usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Library and information science has been at an infant stage in Pakistan, primarily in resource management, description, discovery, and access. The reasons are many, including the lack of interest and use of modern tools, techniques, and best practices by librarians in Pakistan. Finding a solution to these challenges requires a comprehensive study that identifies the current state of libraries in Pakistan. This paper fills this gap in the literature by reviewing the relevant literature published between 2015 and 2021 and selected through a rigorous search and selection methodology. It also analyzes the websites of 82 libraries in Pakistan through a theoretical framework based on various aspects. The findings of this study include: Libraries in Pakistan need a transition from traditional and limited solutions to more advanced information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled, user-friendly, and state-of-the-art systems to produce dynamic, consumable, and sharable knowledge space. They must adopt social semantic cataloging to bring all the stakeholders on a single platform. A libraries consortium should be developed to link users to local, multilingual, and multicultural collections for improved knowledge production, recording, sharing, acquisition, and dissemination. These findings benefit Pakistani libraries, librarians, information science professionals, and researchers in other developing countries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind providing insights into the current state of libraries in Pakistan through the study of their websites using a rigorous theoretical framework and in the light of the latest relevant literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries are the central agencies for the dissemination of knowledge. Every library aspires to provide maximum opportunities to its users and ensure optimum utilization of available resources. Hence, libraries have been seeking technological aids to improve their services. Near-field communication (NFC) is a type of radio-frequency technology that allows electronics devices--such as computers, mobile phones, tags, and others--to exchange information wirelessly across a small distance. The aim of this paper is to explore NFC technology and its applications in modern era. The paper will discuss potential use of NFC in the advancement of traditional library management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the University of Memphis, a team of librarians and library staff formed the Research Guides Redesign Team (RGRT) to redesign, organize, and evaluate the University Libraries' (UL) research guides. The purpose of the project was to ensure that the new design of the research guides homepage was intuitive to use. While it is impossible to ensure absolute usability for every user, this usability study attempts to eradicate the most common interface issues in community experiences at the University of Memphis. The RGRT conducted usability testing to evaluate the effectiveness of the new standardized format, grouped headings, and the appearance of the interface. The RGRT worked within the limitations of Springshare's software to create the design and then chose five users to complete various task scenarios. Upon analysis of the users' ability to complete the tasks, the RGRT discovered that overall, the design was effective, but they did make a few minor changes. This study describes the process and includes the original design, the new design, edits made after usability testing was conducted, and plans for future testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern academic libraries are hubs of technology, yet the gap between the library and IT is an issue at several small university libraries across Canada that can inhibit innovation and lead to diminished student experience. This paper outlines results of a survey of small (<5,000 FTE) universities in Canada, focusing on IT and the library when it comes to organizational structure, staffing, and location. It then discusses higher level as well as smaller scale solutions to this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate information literacy as an increasingly evolving trend in computer education. A quantitative research design was implemented, and a longitudinal case study methodology was conducted to measure tendencies in information literacy skill development and to develop a practical information literacy model. It was found that both students and educators believe that the combination of information literacy with a learning management system is more effective in increasing information literacy and research skills where information resources are limited. Based on the quantitative study, a practical, technology-dependent information literacy model was developed and tested in a case study, resulting in fostering the information literacy skills of students who majored in information systems. These results are especially important in smaller universities with libraries having limited technology capabilities, located in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a library-space information model (LSIM) based on a geographical information system (GIS) was built to visually show the bookshelf location of each book through the display interface of various terminals. Taking Shanghai Jiao Tong University library as an example, both spatial information and attribute information were integrated into the model. In the spatial information, the reading room layout, bookshelves, reference desks, and so on were constructed with different attributes. The bookshelf layer was the key attribute of the bookshelves, and each book was linked to one bookshelf layer. Through the field of bookshelf layer, the book in the query system can be connected with the bookshelf-layer information of the LSIM. With the help of this model, readers can search books visually in the query system and find the books' positions accurately. It can also be used in the inquiry of special-collection resources. Additionally, librarians can use this model to analyze books' circulation status, and books with similar subjects that are frequently circulated can be recommended to readers. The library's permanent assets (chairs, tables, etc.) could be managed visually in the model. This paper used GIS as a tool to solve the problem of accurate positioning, simultaneously providing better services for readers and realizing visual management of books for librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlled vocabularies used in cultural heritage organizations (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) are a helpful way to standardize terminology but can also result in misrepresentation or exclusion of systemically marginalized groups. Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is one example of a widely used yet problematic controlled vocabulary for subject headings. In some cases, systemically marginalized groups are creating controlled vocabularies that better reflect their terminology. When a widely used vocabulary like LCSH and a controlled vocabulary from a marginalized community are both available as linked data, it is possible to incorporate the terminology from the marginalized community as an overlay or replacement for outdated or absent terms from more widely used vocabularies. This paper provides a use case for examining how the Homosaurus, an LGBTQ+ linked data controlled vocabulary, can provide an augmented and updated search experience to mitigate bias within a system that only uses LCSH for subject headings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews and tabulates the literature of the strengths of Web-based survey methods versus non-electronic survey methods in educational, business, and other institutions. The relative importance of the strengths of each method is examined. As indicated by Perkins and Yuan's study comparing Web-based and non-electronic library-satisfaction survey results, earlier non library, institutional findings may have applications in the library. Of particular current interest is survey respondents' representation of a large sample at Western Kentucky University (WKU) for the Web-based Association of Research Libraries (ARL) LibQUAL+ survey. Finally, there is a summary of comments from a small sample of respondents from three library electronic discussion lists-the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA-L), the Association of College and Research Librarians (ACRL- FRM), and the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA-L) to discuss how electronic/Internet survey methods may, in part, replace current non-electronic survey methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undergraduates, as members of the Millennial Generation, are proficient in Web 2.0 technology and expect to apply these technologies to their coursework—including scholarly research. To remain relevant, academic libraries need to provide the technology that student patrons expect, and academic librarians need to learn and use these technologies themselves. Because leaders at the Harold B. Lee Library of Brigham Young University (HBLL) perceived a gap in technology use between students and their staff and faculty, they developed and implemented the Technology Challenge, a self-directed technology training program that rewarded employees for exploring technology daily. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Technology Challenge through an analysis of results of surveys given to participants before and after the Technology Challenge was implemented. The program will also be evaluated in terms of the adult learning theories of andragogy and self-directed learning. HBLL found that a self-directed approach fosters technology skills that librarians need to best serve students. In addition, it promotes lifelong learning habits to keep abreast of emerging technologies. This paper offers some insights and methods that could be applied in other libraries, the most valuable of which is the use of self-directed and andragogical training methods to help academic libraries better integrate modern technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of Dublin Core (DC) and DSpace together with an examination of the institutional repositories of three public research universities. The universities all use DC and DSpace to create and manage their repositories. I drew a sampling of records from each repository and examined them for metadata quality using the criteria of completeness, accuracy, and consistency. I also examined the quality of records with reference to the methods of educating repository users. One repository used librarians to oversee the archiving process, while the other two employed two different strategies as part of the self-archiving process. The librarian-overseen archive had the most complete and accurate records for DSpace entries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a broad overview of virtualization technology and describes several examples of its use at the University of California, San Diego Libraries. Libraries can leverage virtualization to address many long-standing library computing challenges, but careful planning is needed to determine if this technology is the right solution for a specific need. This paper outlines both technical and usability considerations, and concludes with a discussion of potential enterprise impacts on the library infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information technology serves as an essential tool for today's information professional, and ongoing research is needed to assess the technological directions of the field over time. This paper presents the results of a survey of the technologies used by library and information science practitioners, with attention to the combinations of technologies employed and the technology skills that practitioners wish to learn. The most common technologies employed were email, office productivity tools, web browsers, library catalog- and database-searching tools, and printers, with programming topping the list of most-desired technology skill to learn. Similar technology usage patterns were observed for early and later-career practitioners. Findings also suggested the relative rarity of emerging technologies, such as the makerspace, in current practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented on issues related to information technology and libraries, including the technological changes that influence the library industry in the 1980s and the student paper "The Open Access Citation Advantage: Does It Exist and What Does It Mean for Libraries?" by Colby Lewis.

In this paper the author compares the use of digital materials that have been deposited in The Ohio State University (OSU) Knowledge Bank (KB). Comparisons are made for content considered in scope of the university archives and those considered out of scope, for materials originating from different campus sources, and for different types of content. Results show that both mediated and unmediated content is used and therefore justifies the preservation costs for unmediated content. Results also show articles and undergraduate theses are most frequently used type of materials leading to the conclusion that it is important to collect content from all levels of the educational process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terms of utility and technical quality, open-source software solutions have become a common option for many libraries. As barriers to adoption have been reduced and systems such as FOLIO appear poised to change the landscape of LIS technology, it is worth examining how the use of open source can support the normative core values of librarianship and to outline a strategy for critical engagement with the technology that is beneficial to patrons and libraries. Such a strategy will require further codification, institutionalization, and investigation of open source at many levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology plays an indisputably vital role in library and information science (LIS) work; this rapidly moving landscape can create challenges for practitioners and educators seeking to keep pace with such change. In pursuit of building our understanding of currently sought technology competencies in developer-oriented positions within LIS, this paper reports the results of a text analysis of a large collection of job listings culled from the Code4lib jobs website. Beginning more than a decade ago as a popular mailing list covering the intersection of technology and library work, the Code4lib organization's current offerings include a website that collects and organizes LIS-related technology job listings. The results of the text analysis of this dataset suggest the currently vital technology skills and concepts that existing and aspiring practitioners may target in their continuing education as developers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, the assessment-data management librarian at Lehman College Library decided to conduct a privacy audit of the Library's public computers and networks. This audit comprised one of the Library's two annual formal assessments of resources and services. The American Library Association's (ALA) Library Privacy Checklist for Public Access Computers and Networks was selected to review 17 key items related to protecting user privacy and confidentiality. Faculty and staff from Circulation, Library Technology, and Online Learning identified 10 indicators needing work. Suggestions are provided for collaboratively resolving these issues and future steps are described to continuously maximize the online security of the campus community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study assesses preservation education provided by academic institutions in North America. Educators teaching preservation in graduate library and information science programs were surveyed about the type and number of courses offered, content of preservation coursework, faculty resources, future plans for curricula, fieldwork and internship opportunities in preservation, and postgraduate employment data. The investigators hypothesize that current preservation education within traditional library and archival studies programs does not provide adequate preparation in the areas of technical and managerial expertise to deal with the preservation of digital collections, audiovisual media, or visual materials. This paper reviews the literature pertinent to study of preservation education, describes the research methodology employed in designing and conducting the survey, presents the resulting data, and analyzes the trends revealed by the data in order to understand more fully the goals and objectives of preservation education during the last decade and to gauge future directions of the field. This paper concludes by presenting plans for further research, which will expand upon initial findings of this survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How should the information on the Internet be organized? This question and the possible solutions spark debates among people concerned with how we identify, classify, and retrieve Internet content. This paper discusses the benefits and the controversies of using a tagging system to organize Internet resources. Tagging refers to a classification system where individual Internet users apply labels, or tags, to digital resources. Tagging increased in popularity with the advent of Web 2.0 applications that encourage interaction among users. As more information is available digitally, the challenge to find an organizational system scalable to the Internet will continue to require forward thinking. Trained to ensure access to a range of informational resources, librarians need to be concerned with access to Internet content. Librarians can play a pivotal role by advocating for a system that supports the user at the moment of need. Tagging may just be the necessary system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries began in complete isolation with no uniformity of standards and have grown over time to be ever more interoperable. This paper examines the current steps toward the goal of universal interoperability. These projects aim to reconcile linguistic and organizational obstacles, with a particular focus on subject headings, name authorities, and titles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social bookmarking services such as Delicious offer a simple way of developing lists of library resources. This paper outlines various methods of incorporating data from a Delicious account into a webpage. We begin with a description of Delicious Linkrolls and Tagrolls, the simplest but least flexible method of displaying Delicious results. We then describe three more advanced methods of manipulating Delicious data using RSS, JSON, and XML. Code samples using PHP and JavaScript are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite coming of age with the Internet and other technology, many college students lack the information and communication technology (ICT) literacy skills necessary to navigate, evaluate, and use the overabundance of information available today. This paper describes the development and early administrations of ETS's iSkills assessment, an Internet-based assessment of information literacy skills that arise in the context of technology. From the earliest stages to the present, the library community has been directly involved in the design, development, review, field trials, and administration to ensure the assessment and scores are valid, reliable, authentic, and useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology use is widespread in the lives of children and families, and parents and caregivers express concern about children's safety and development in relation to technology use. Children's librarians have a unique role to play in guiding the technology use of children and families, yet little is known about how public library programs facilitate children's digital literacy. This study sought to uncover librarians' purposes for using technology in programs with young children as well as the supporting factors and barriers they encountered in attempting to do so. Findings reveal 10 purposes for integrating technology into public library storytime programs and 15 factors across four dimensions that facilitate and/or inhibit its inclusion. If librarians are to embrace the media mentor role with confidence and the necessary knowledge and skills required of the task, much greater attention should be devoted to the responsibility and more support in the way of professional development and resources is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials related to Japanese military "comfort women" in Korea are managed by several institutions. Each digital archive has their own metadata schema and management policies. So far, a standard or a common guideline for describing digital records is not formalized. We propose a Japanese military "comfort women" knowledge graph to semantically interlink the digital records from distributed digital archives. To build a Japanese military "comfort women" knowledge graph, digital records and descriptive metadata were collected from existing digital archives. A list of metadata was defined by analyzing commonly used properties and a knowledge model designed by reusing standard vocabularies. Knowledge was constructed by interlinking the collected records, external data sources, and enriching data. The knowledge graph was evaluated using the FAIR data maturity model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the journal's fifth year as an open-access (OA) e-only journal using an open-source publishing platform and discusses what have happened in the 14 years since the launch of the Budapest Open Access Initiative in 2002 in the fields of policy, technology and publishing.

Contactless services have become a common way for public libraries to provide services. As a result, the strategy used by public libraries in China will effectively stop the spread of epidemics caused by human touch and will serve as a model for other libraries throughout the world. The primary goal of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the contactless service measures provided by large Chinese public libraries for users in the pandemic era, as well as the challenges and countermeasures for providing such services. The data for this study was obtained using a combination of website investigation, content analysis, and telephone interviews for an analytical survey study of 128 large public libraries in China. The study finds that touch-free information dissemination, remote resources use, no-touch interaction self-services, network services, online reference, and smart services without personal interactions are among the contactless services available in Chinese public libraries. Exploring the current state of contactless services in large public libraries in China will help to fill a need for empirical attention to contactless services in libraries and the public sector. Up-to-date information to assist libraries all over the world in improving their contactless services implementation and practices is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creation of descriptive metadata for digital objects tends to be a laborious process. Specifically, subject analysis that seeks to classify the intellectual content of digitized documents typically requires considerable time and effort to determine subject headings that best represent the substance of these documents. This project examines the use of topic modeling to streamline the workflow for assigning subject headings to the digital collection of New Mexico State University news releases issued between 1958 and 2020. The optimization of the workflow enables timely scholarly access to unique primary source documentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the results of a survey of readers regarding the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA). Survey results are discussed for topics including the demographics of LITA members, the level of satisfaction that readers have with LITA and the journal, and readers' views on the direction that LITA should take in the future.

In the spring of 2020, as post-secondary institutions and libraries were adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic, Libraries and Cultural Resources at the University of Calgary rapidly implemented Ex Libris' reading list solution Leganto to support the necessary move to online teaching and learning. This article describes the rapid implementation process and changes to our reserve reading list service and policies, reviews the status of the implementation to date and presents key takeaways which will be helpful for other libraries considering implementing an online reading list management system or other systems on a rapid timeline. Overall, rapid implementation allowed us to meet our immediate need to support online teaching and learning; however, long term successful adoption of this tool will require additional configuration, engagement, and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalogers have become fluent in information technology such as web design skills, HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Stylesheets (CSS), eXensible Markup Language (XML), and programming languages. The knowledge gained from learning information technology can be used to experiment with methods of transforming one metadata schema into another using various software solutions. This paper will discuss the use of eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) for repurposing, editing, and reformatting metadata. Catalogers have the requisite skills for working with any metadata schema, and if they are excluded from metadata work, libraries are wasting a valuable human resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an online survey about perpetual access for electronic serials that have been canceled, have ceased, or have transferred to different publishers. The survey sought to ascertain the true experiences of libraries working to maintain perpetual access. Results indicate a high success rate for providing perpetual access. Results also indicate a lack of standardization for and many challenges to keeping track of and providing perpetual access. A discussion section expands on key findings and the most common obstacles to providing perpetual access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast and continuous technological change that is characteristic of the information society we find ourselves in has demonstrable impact on the way librarians go about their business. This paper [...]

Many organizations and initiatives address the intersections of policy and technology, including some within the library community. Some sites, online periodicals, and weblogs provide valuable ongoing commentary. This chapter includes [...]

Digital resources preclude separating technology from library practice. You can't have access without technology, and, in many cases, libraries buy access rather than purchasing resources. Unlike books, digital resources can't […]

During spring 2020, emergency remote teaching became the norm for hundreds of higher education institutions in the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Librarians were suddenly tasked with moving in-person services and resources online. For librarians with instruction responsibilities, this online mandate meant deciding between synchronous and asynchronous sessions, learning new technologies and tools for active learning, and vetting these same tools for security issues and ADA compliance. In an effort to understand our shared and unique experiences with emergency remote teaching, the authors surveyed 202 academic instruction librarians in order to answer the following questions: (1) What technology tools are academic librarians using to deliver content and engage student participation in emergency remote library sessions during COVID-19? (2) What do instruction librarians perceive as the strengths and weaknesses of these tools? (3) What digital literacy gaps are instruction librarians identifying right now that may prevent access to equitable information literacy instruction online? This study will deliver and discuss findings from the survey as well as make recommendations toward best practices for utilizing technology tools and assessing them for equity and student engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to introduce a gold-standard Pashto dataset and a segmentation app. The Pashto dataset consists of 300 line images and corresponding Pashto text from three selected books. A line image is simply an image consisting of one text line from a scanned page. To our knowledge, this is one of the first open access datasets which directly maps line images to their corresponding text in the Pashto language. We also introduce the development of a segmentation app using textbox expanding algorithms, a different approach to OCR segmentation. The authors discuss the steps to build a Pashto dataset and develop our unique approach to segmentation. The article starts with the nature of the Pashto alphabet and its unique diacritics which require special considerations for segmentation. Needs for datasets and a few available Pashto datasets are reviewed. Criteria of selection of data sources are discussed and three books were selected by our language specialist from the Afghan Digital Repository. The authors review previous segmentation methods and introduce a new approach to segmentation for Pashto content. The segmentation app and results are discussed to show readers how to adjust variables for different books. Our unique segmentation approach uses an expanding textbox method which performs very well given the nature of the Pashto scripts. The app can also be used for Persian and other languages using the Arabic writing system. The dataset can be used for OCR training, OCR testing, and machine learning applications related to content in Pashto. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web content strategy is a relatively new area of practice in industry, in higher education, and, correspondingly, within academic and research libraries. The authors conducted a web-based survey of academic and research library professionals in order to identify present trends in this area of professional practice by academic librarians and to establish an understanding of the degree of institutional engagement in web content strategy within academic and research libraries. This article presents the findings of that survey. Based on analysis of the results, we propose a web content strategy maturity model specific to academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University libraries use social networks to promote reading; however, there are challenges to increasing the use of these library platforms, such as poor promotion and low reader participation. Therefore, these libraries need to find ways of dealing with the behavior characteristics of social network readers. In this study, a simulation experiment was developed to explore the behaviors of readers seeking book reviews and opinions on social networks. The study draws on social network theory to find the causes of students' behavior and how these affect their selection of information. Finally, it presents strategies for peer reading promotion in university libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a reprint of an editorial by journal editor Dan Marmion from a 2001 issue on the importance of the journal to the library profession. The article discusses a reader inquiry in that regard and the responses the author received after querying his editorial board on the same topic.

The gradual transition to a digital economy requires all business entities to adapt to the new environmental conditions that are taking place through their digital transformation. These tasks are especially relevant for scientific libraries, as digital technologies make changes in the main subject field of their activities, the processes of creating, storing, and information disseminating. In order to find directions for the transformation of scientific libraries and determine their role in the digital economy, a study of the features of digital transformation and the experience of the digital transformation of foreign libraries was conducted. Management of research data, which is implemented through the creation of Current Research Information Systems (CRIS) was found to be one of the most promising areas of the digital transformation of libraries. The problem area of this direction and ways of engaging libraries in it have been also analyzed in the work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a case study of how six digitization competencies were developed and disseminated via grant-funded digitization projects at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries Special Collections and Archives. The six competencies are project planning, grant writing, project management, metadata, digital capture, and digital asset management. The authors will introduce each competency, discuss why it is important, and describe how it was developed during the course of the grant project, as well as how it was taught in a workshop environment. The differences in competency development for three different stakeholder groups will be examined: early career grant staff gaining on-the-job experience; experienced digital collections librarians experimenting and innovating; and a statewide audience of cultural heritage professionals attending grant-sponsored workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By providing an overview of library services as well as the building layout, the library orientation can help newcomers make optimal use of the library. The benefits of this outreach can be curtailed, however, by the significant staffing required to offer in-person tours. One academic library overcame this issue by turning to user experience research and gamification to provide an individualized online library orientation for four specific user groups: undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and community members. The library surveyed 167 users to investigate preferences regarding orientation format, as well as likelihood of future library use as a result of the gamified orientation format. Results demonstrated a preference for the gamified experience among undergraduate students as compared to other surveyed groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries have long consulted with faculty and graduate students on ways to measure the impact of their published research, which now include altmetrics. Podcasting is becoming a more viable method of publicizing academic research to a broad audience. Because individual academic departments may lack the ability to produce podcasts, the library can serve as the most appropriate academic unit to undertake podcast production on behalf of researchers. The article identifies what library staff and equipment are required, describes the process needed to produce and market the published episodes, and offers preliminary assessments of the podcast impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The California State University, Northridge (CSUN) Oviatt Library was the first library in the world to integrate an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) into its operations. The AS/RS continues to provide efficient space management for the library. However, added value has been identified in materials security and inventory as well as customer service. The concept of library as space, paired with improved services and efficiencies, has resulted in the AS/RS becoming a critical component of library operations and future strategy. Staffing, service, and security opportunities paired with support and maintenance challenges, enable the library to provide a unique critique and assessment of an AS/RS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]