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The Düsseldorf Central Library in KAP1 has been awarded the national library prize "Library of the Year 2023". The library offers not only books and media on 8,000 m², but also workspaces, coworking learning boxes, a future laboratory with VR glasses, a LibraryLab studio for podcasts, and a green rooftop terrace. The innovative Open Library concept allows users to access the library outside of opening hours. The prize "Library of the Year in small municipalities and regions 2023" was awarded to the City and School Library Lauenburg, which stands out for its technology-related and digital offerings as well as its promotion of reading. [Extracted from the article]

Book banning predates the United States and has survived and thrived in a splintered twenty-first century political climate. As the fight for the minds of the public continues, state and local governments have ramped up their efforts to ban books in public and school libraries. Public libraries, as limited public forums, must ensure their restrictions on access to information are reasonable and viewpoint neutral. School libraries receive some reprieve under a slightly more deferential Pico test. However, e-book services present a unique set of challenges. Also known as digital libraries, e-book services provide digital access to thousands of books, magazines, and other titles. Frequently, libraries will contract with e-book services, allowing library patrons access to titles beyond what libraries have in physical copy. However, a number of conservative states are attempting to restrict e-book services via legislation or blanket suspensions. This Note aims to make sense of e-book services and book banning against the backdrop of the First Amendment. Part I argues e-book services should be considered extensions of public libraries and public school libraries. It draws analogies from other, more established areas of law to propose e-book services are a part of the library under a nexus theory or another theory of government reliance. Part II argues banning or suspending a full e-book service is comparable to banning or suspending access to a whole section of the library to target one book--a violation of the First Amendment because it is politically motivated viewpoint discrimination. E-book services severely complicate First Amendment doctrine regarding book banning. This Note attempts to clarify the intersection between this new technology and longstanding Supreme Court precedent dictating state officials' right to ban books and patrons' right to read them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze the complaints made on the sikayetvar.com portal about libraries and library services in Turkey from different aspects, taking into account the complaint mechanism, which is becoming more important every day in determining customer perception in almost all sectors. Method: Content analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The data of the study were collected through the sikayetvar.com portal. In this context, 1,256 entries with the expression "library" on the portal between June 2017 and May 2022 were examined. As a result of the preliminary evaluation, 493 entries that were determined to be suitable for the research scope were included. Data analysis was done with the MAXQDA qualitative research program. Findings: As a result of the data analysis, it was determined that most of the complaints were made to the municipal libraries. The complaints were then categorized under the headings of "others", "university library", "public library", "school library" and "national library." Complaints are classified under the title of each library type, with sub-themes under the main themes created as personnel, services, management, physical conditions, and external factors. Implications: While the intensity of the complaints about the libraries reveals some negativities towards the services more clearly, it also points to the existence of the user group who have expectations from the library management, who are interested and demand improvement in services. As a result of the research, it was determined that most of the complaints were about the attitudes and behaviors of the library staff (%16). The complaint texts also reveal the conclusion that users turn to the online platform because they could not get any results because of the complaints they made directly to the relevant institution before filing a complaint online. In addition, a limited number of new service requests and the feedback of institutions in the form of information and response to complaints were determined in the research. Originality: There are various studies on user satisfaction in the literature. The most basic feature that makes this research different from previous studies is that all the complaints examined are based on real events experienced by library users and conveyed by their own words, and complaints made in the online environment, which is becoming more effective and a priority in the complaint mechanism day by day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though the researchers and librarians paid attention to children and adults, they have not recognized adolescents as a special category as library users till recent times. The researchers have emphasized that teen library users have special requirements in addition to conventional ones. Basically, they expect the libraries to act as an Information Gateway as well as acting as a provider of information and information access from the internet and database access to book circulation and reference services etc. They expect the library to act as a Social Interaction or Entertainment Space with a special area assigned to them to meet with each other and do group activities. Since the teens are expected to be prepared for future employment, the libraries should act as a Beneficial Physical Environment by providing information and training for jobs and skills development. To fulfil these requirements, the researchers suggest a collaboration between school and public libraries, since both cater for the same group of clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Library is the heartbeat of research and development in the educational sector. However, since the digital transformation, library patronage had swayed like a pendulum creating gaps in patronage. Expanding (to schools) and extending (to host communities) the tenets of academic librarianship to far reaching ends is imperative to improving library services and increasing patronage. This study attempts to extract from heads of household and librarians, their opinion on domesticating some library services through inclusion of new services for students within and outside the library/school environment, obviously to salvage patronage and contribute to learning performance of students. The survey design was adopted, questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection, and descriptive statistics deployed for data analysis. Data was collected from randomly drawn local communities where higher institutions and academic libraries exist. The results showed an overwhelming support for domestication of library services and extension of library services beyond the present status quo. It is believed that the domestication will encourage students reading habits, build a stronger student-librarian relationship, provide career based information and serve host communities by meeting their information needs. Creating a library-user friendly policy will improve the working relationship among librarians, library users and parents who desire good learning platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the awareness and implementation of circulation policies and practices at the Lagos Business School library. The study used a survey research design and data was collected using a questionnaire. Purposive sampling was used to select 150 respondents for inclusion in the study. The study showed that the majority of respondents were aware of the circulation policy at the Lagos Business School library. As indicated by 86.0% of respondents, library orientations for users were the most common form of awareness, followed by library website pages. The results further revealed that there is a high degree of implementation of circulation policies at the library. This is with 93% admitting they can borrow books and 70% knowing the LBS library loan periods. Favoritism by some library staff and an increasing number of late book returns as agreed by 71.0% were the major barriers to the implementation of the circulatory policy. This study has contributed to the existing body of knowledge by providing insight/data on circulation policies/practices in academic libraries. It has recommended that circulation policies should be reviewed to meet current changes in library and information science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study evaluates ICT facilities and their use by Kenyatta University Postmodern Library patrons. The study's objectives were to assess the available ICT facilities in Kenyatta University Post Modern Library and determine the purpose of using the facility and the challenges patrons face while using ICT facilities. The study employed descriptive survey research; 120 respondents were chosen as the population. Total enumeration was used as the sample size. A convenience sample technique was used for the study. The study used a questionnaire as a major data collection instrument; it was administered to 120 Kenyatta University Post Modern Library staff patrons through the Google form platform. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive analysis through frequency and percentages. The study revealed that computers, printers, the internet, and photocopying machines, among others, are the available ICT facilities in the Library. The finding also indicates that the available facilities are used for scanning, photocopying, surfing the internet, and researching. The study recommends that the Library should improve internet connectivity by increasing bandwidth. The Library should improve on training the users on ICT skills to enhance the use of ICT facilities in the Library; the Library should seek funds to enable it to acquire more ICT facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Japanese describe themselves as a “nation of readers”. This is not incorrect if you look at the history of reading in Japan, which dates back to the 5th century, when the Chinese writing system arrived in this country. The Japanese gradually adapted it to their own language. The creation of the kana syllabic alphabet enabled the flourishing of literature, and thus the copying activities, especially at the Japanese imperial court. The monks in the temples were also engaged in copying Buddhist texts, but they were the first to accept printing with wooden blocks, which arrived from China. Over time, the printing of books of various genres began. Itinerant merchants and numerous bookstores where books were also rented, tried to satisfy the hunger for reading of all social classes. The book market grew more and more, and the real reading revolution came with the period of intensive modernization of the country in the second half of the 19th century, when Japan made all its efforts to reach and overtake Western models. Publishing, as well as the developed library activity of modern society, rest on such foundations. The reading culture of today’s Japan is reflected in the number of published books, but also in the steady growth of the number of libraries, both public and special, as well as libraries within the educational system in Japan. Today, all segments that form that culture, such as education, printing, publishing and library activities, etc., adapt to the new era defined by globalization and digitalization progress. Although the impressive growth of the figures, which illustrate the size of the book and magazine market, has stopped in recent years, they still prove the fact that the Japanese are truly the “nation of readers”. Libraries also manage to keep up with new trends, so digital libraries appear on the Internet, while all others have available digital catalogs and reading materials. If we look back at the centuries-old attachment of the Japanese to books and reading, and if we look at the technologies we are surrounded by, it is clear to us that librarians are constantly faced with new challenges. Just as the copyist at the Japanese court supplied court ladies with the latest readings, the traveling merchant did his best to make the book reach the most remote mountain villages, the modern librarian also does his best to overcome all obstacles and meet the expectations of increasingly demanding library users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the architectural spaces of Shiraz University Libraries from users' viewpoints on architectural concepts and academic library standards. It also explores the architectural areas, appropriateness, and arrangement of internal communication inside the libraries and the strengths and weaknesses regarding activities performed in a typical academic library. The research method was a descriptive survey with a quantitative and qualitative approach. There were two statistical populations in this study. One was all the libraries in the faculties of Shiraz University, whose buildings have been designed for this purpose from the beginning. The other was all the students of different fields in the faculties of engineering, humanities, educational sciences, social sciences, law, veterinary medicine, agriculture, and basic sciences of Shiraz University. The optimization method was Cochran's formula to determine the sample size. A researcher-made questionnaire for users containing fifty-four items on eight aspects of libraries, namely: the exterior space, main entrance space, circulation desk space, nonprint materials space (audiovisual resources, electronic resources, and databases), reference sources space, study hall space, hallways and service spaces and environmental issues such as airconditioning. Another tool was a checklist based on the standards for Iranian university libraries and the fourth edition of the Sannwald Checklist (2009) published by the American Library Association. Based on this checklist, the spaces of the libraries were examined by observing and interviewing the library staff. The results obtained from the users' point of view, observation of libraries, and interviews with staff show that although some standards have been considered in the overall design of the library buildings of Shiraz University, many architectural standards and concepts have either been ignored or not fully considered in subspaces. The main problem seen in almost all libraries is the lack of a special entrance for disabled library patrons. In most cases, users' attitudes were in line with staff opinions and observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The article presents the characteristics of Generation Z, their reading habits and information gathering strategies. The sample members of Generation Z are students of the Secondary Medical School Celje in the school year 2019/2020. Since statistical data shows a decline in the use (visits and circulation) of the library at the Medical School Celje in the last five years, we conducted a study to gain insight into reading habits of school library users. The interpretation of the results focuses on what research participants think are the most important influences on their reading habits. Methodology/approach: Two methods were used: the survey method and the action research method. The survey method sample included 304 students who were enrolled in the second, third and fourth year and the second year of the vocational-technical program in the school year 2019/2020. The questionnaire was developed using the online tool lka. To adapt the results for their use in planning of the pedagogical work, the action research method was used. Results: Data analysis shows that 70 °/o of students rank books in the last two places when classifying leisure activities. They spend most of their time browsing the web (on average 17 hours per week), while they spend 1 hour and 3 minutes for reading. Data shows that 41,7 % of students do not devote any of their weekly free time to reading books. More than half (58 °/o) of the students feel that the school encourages them to read. Extracurricular activities organized by the school library are unknown to almost half of the students, and almost half of them do not participate in these activities. Research limitation: Limiting the survey to the Secondary Medical School Celje prevents the generalization of the results. Since no similar research has been conducted at the school, the results cannot be compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to develop library services at an elementary school by developing a system using the waterfall method and PHP framework. It is developed to provide website based library. Many users, especially librarian, experience restlessness in cataloging, processing and lending services because all the services had been processed manually. Librarian's workload increased because there is limited number of people work in the library. The purpose of this research is to make librarian easier to provide library services which are packaged in a website based library services. This study uses the waterfall method to develop library services. The results of this study are the creation of a website based library services that has features which are an automatic barcode generator for cataloging and processing books, digital lending services, digital data management, and automatic digital reports. Also, it has library users and book data. So that, the library service can help librarian to provide real time data services and improves effective and efficient library management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study scrutinised the correlation between interpersonal skills and job satisfaction among librarians in university libraries in Bayelsa and Delta State. Descriptive survey research design was espoused for the study, using a self-constructed questionnaire as the implement of data collection. The questionnaire was constructed after extensive consultation of related literature, to ensure that pertinent items were included. The population of the study encompassed all librarians in the university libraries in Bayelsa and Delta State, Nigeria; however, the study embraced a purposive sampling technique to handpick respondents for the study. The population of the study encompassed all librarians 78 from university libraries in Delta and Bayelsa State, Nigeria. This was as a result of the manageable size of the population. The study has revealed that a majority of the respondents maintain eye contact with patrons, colleagues, and superiors on the job; they do not get frightened or stressed on the job; they take their work seriously; they do not have difficulty following a task through from the beginning to the end; they always complete their tasks when due; they do not get angry; they do not lose their temper when things do not go the way they want it; they always have good posture and body language at work; they never curse or use offensive language at the work place; people who know them would describe them as cheerful and friendly; they respect the opinions and rights of others at the work place; they are clean, well-schooled, and well groomed in their profession; they handle conflicts among library users and colleagues in a fair and unbiased manner; they try to remain cool and maintain their temper, even in conflicting situations; they interact with library users and colleagues at the same level, irrespective of cultural diversities; and they disagree that they give an excuse to avoid queries when they cannot accomplish their task. The outcomes of the study recommended that managers/heads of libraries should endeavour to encourage librarians to attend courses on interpersonal skills in Nigeria and abroad, by sponsoring librarians through the Tertiary Education Fund. In-house training on interpersonal skills for librarians should be organised quarterly to facilitate effective service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the first steps of innovation is to look at problems from different perspectives. In a library, we like to think of this as the user experience. In Useful, Usable, Desirable: Applying User Experience Design To Your Library, authors Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches provide readers with practical steps looking at different elements of libraries from the perspective of the user and, backed by research, give ideas on how to create a better user experience for them.