Search

Purpose: Assistive technology (AT) is like the eyes of visually impaired users (VIUs) and plays a vital role in making them independent in accessing a wide range of library resources and services. It is a revolutionary way to improve the academic performance of VIUs and amalgamate them into mainstream library services. This paper aims to explore the familiarity and understanding of AT among VIUs in accessing library resources and services of three special institutes of Haryana state, India. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a survey method, and data were collected using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended questions focused on participants' familiarity, understanding and key barriers VIUs face in accessing existing AT facilities. Scope of the study is to include three special institutions' libraries serving to VIUs in Haryana (India). Purposive sampling technique was adopted for data collection. The data are tabulated and analyzed with descriptive statistics methods using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20.0, and the results are presented in tables, diagrams and graphs. Findings: The study found that most of the VIUs are highly familiar and reported an expert understanding of Daisy player and digital voice recorder, whereas refreshable Braille display, Braille printer/embosser and scanning and reading devices are least familiar with and reported poor understanding. In the software category, it is noted that VIUs are more familiar with screen reading and speech synthesizer software than other software, and participants confirmed a good understanding of the said software. Practical implications: The literature review revealed that the majority of library staff in the institutions being investigated had limited knowledge about the availability of the most suitable AT tools. So, the study will be beneficial for them to select the most popular AT tools for their libraries to amalgamate VIUs. The study also highlights some barriers VIUs face in using the existing AT facility of their respective libraries that may be helpful for librarians to understand the root cause of low utilization of available AT tools and how to address this problem effectively. The study can also help policymakers in formulating AT policies for academic libraries. Findings will also help to develop a cost-effective AT workstation suiting the needs of VIUs. Originality/value: This study will provide an idea to library professionals about which AT hardware and software are more popular among VIUs and useful for developing/improving cutting-edge AT facilities in their libraries to amalgamate VIUs in the mainstream of the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid growth of technology change the way of people to search, acquire, arrange and retrieve of information. The impact of technology has greatly affected on information searching pattern of college students. It's a high time for traditional libraries to change their approach as the availability of the digital resources is growing day by day. Librarian has the responsibility to identify what kind of information needed by the users and how it can be provide them effectively. Thus academic libraries need to upgrade their facilities to cope up with the changing needs of users. Library need to implement more technology-based infrastructure to fulfil the growing desires of user. The product of this study would be helpful to gain information seeking awareness among the college students and the study may motivate library professionals to know the existing scenario of college libraries and it may be supportive to implement suitable plan and policy to improve existing library systems in keeping with the changing desire of users. Purpose: The main purpose of the study is to discover the information needs of Maharaja Bir Bikram college library users along with their information seeking behaviour and also establish the existing library scenario of the college. Objectives: To identify the information needs and searching behaviour of concerned college library users. And to discover the obstacles faces by the users while seeking information and provide appropriate suggestions to overcome the situation and to find out the level of user satisfaction. Methodology: For the present study a survey was conducted on Maharaja Bir Bikram College library users by the use of simple random sampling method with a set of questionnaire includes 15 questions. The primary data were collected from 301 respondents and the secondary data were gathered from previously published relevant literature. Collected data were presented in tabular form and Microsoft excel was used to analysed the data. Findings: The findings showed that maximum number of students visit library for access books to achieve academic success. It also discovered that most of the students are not aware about library collections and services as well as library e-resources therefore they preferred print materials as first choice. Problems faces by the respondents are nonavailability of updated study materials, shortage of information searching skill, lack of cooperation from library staff, shortage of current information sources. The investigation enables that user are not more satisfied with their college library resources and services. Originality: The study is an original innovative work which has been created independently and not published anywhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilingual retrival systems are very important for countries like India, where we have multiple scripts and many languages for verbal and written communication. The creation of a multilingual interface for the retrival, management, and processing of information and knowledge needs systematic efforts and requires related features in the Library Management Software and the availability of bibliographic records in catalogues. This paper is an effort to study various related aspects of multilingual record creation and retrival provisions in Union Datanases. The development of a multilingual environment for accessing and retrieving library resources among the users as well as library professionals is essential. The article is divided into five sections. The first section deals with the introduction. It covers the multilingual system, with reference to multiscript bibliographic control, the objective, and methodology of the study. The second section examines the contours of multilingual bibliographic control, in particular in the Indian context. The third section deals with the multilingual cataloguing procedure and The fourth section deals with the "Situation in India in Terms of Multilingual Bibliographic Database and Issues." issues, challenges, and solutions. The fifth and final section of the article is concerned with the conclusion. The objective of this paper is to analyse the issues and challenges in the Indian multi-lingual and multi-script bibliographic retrieval systems. Through the analysis of available bibliographic data and database interfaces, the authors evaluate the adoption of multilingual and multiscript processes and procedures for bibliographic data creation. The study's findings will aid in understanding the current status of multilingual bibliographic record creation and the need for policy-level intervention to maintain and develop multilingual records for the creation of qualitative bibliographic databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principal component of this paper is to ascertain the prominent variables of technological, organizational, environmental, and financial constructs that influence library cloud computing (LCC) among the library users and professionals in the selected universities of India. This paper discusses the advantages, opportunities, challenges, and Models of Smart Library in the ICT age library management system. The study also commissioned tools viz. EFA, CFA, and structural equation assess the degree to which selected factors were associated with LCC adoption. Empirical research proposed four hypotheses by selecting the technological, organizational, environmental, and financial constructs and 16 manifests in the specified model. The model was then tested on a sample of 510 respondents of 26 major states, central and private universities of India using SEM-ANN. First, SEM was employed to find out which variables had a meaningful influence on LCC. Secondly, the output of ANN outlined the rank of influencing predictors obtained from SEM. It is evident that technological factors, greater scalability (TF_1), tech-readiness (TF_2), and easier back-up (TF_3), are the most robust antecedents of LCC. Whereas in organizational factors- recognized usefulness (OF_1), are the robust manifest, but in environmental factors-geographical reach (EF_1), administrative support (EF_2), conducive application interface (EF_4), are the significant predictors. Eventually, financial factors- costsaving (FF_1) and better return on investment (FF_2) are the considerable predictors obtained from ANN. The findings further indicate that behavioural intention to adopt the library cloud yielded novel insights that significantly benefit users and stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing outbreak of Corona virus Disease (COVID-19) compelled the world to begin a new way of life. Social distancing is the best way to prevent the spread of it. Currently, the entire library system around the world is being closed, facing hard choices. Even at this drastic time, the library and its services cannot be completely closed. Libraries are to be reassigned and should reach out to users at the same time as respecting the rules and restrictions around social distancing. Social networking sites (SNSs) provide the library a new and exciting way to reach out to users. SNSs due to their popularity are globally used to exchange various kinds of information. This study was to assess and evaluate the use and awareness of library professionals and students to exchange and share library services during social distancing due to COVID-19 lockdown via SNSs in India. The outcome of the study suggested the necessity of SNSs in the library to exchange and share the services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing outbreak of Corona virus Disease (COVID-19) compelled the world to begin a new way of life. Social distancing is the best way to prevent the spread of it. Currently, the entire library system around the world is being closed, facing hard choices. Even at this drastic time, the library and its services cannot be completely closed. Libraries are to be reassigned and should reach out to users at the same time as respecting the rules and restrictions around social distancing. Social networking sites (SNSs) provide the library a new and exciting way to reach out to users. SNSs due to their popularity are globally used to exchange various kinds of information. This study was to assess and evaluate the use and awareness of library professionals and students to exchange and share library services during social distancing due to COVID-19 lockdown via SNSs in India. The outcome of the study suggested the necessity of SNSs in the library to exchange and share the services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aims to find out the current scenario of library resources and services viz. collection including infrastructure, staff position, library services available in the private university libraries in the state of Assam, India. Methodology: Physical survey of all the five libraries has been conducted for which a questionnaire was designed. Findings: With the increasing number of library users, there should be adequate number of library staff to maintain all the different collections and services of the library. Private university libraries e-books and e-journals facility is not sufficient to cater the increasing demands of the users. Research Limitations: The study is applied to private university libraries within the geographical barrier within the state of Assam. It is applied only on the basic level library resources and services expected from a library. Practical Implications: It will provide an opportunity to the library authority to fill up the gap in providing their basic library services. The method and technique of the study may be applied to any other libraries where the libraries are managed by library science professional with proper library procedures. Originality/value: The study is itself a unique one as no such study was conducted in the area of private university libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rising demand of the new users about technological assistance, the libraries need to change their traditional way of functioning. The present generation is very much attracted towards social networking sites (SNS). It is obvious for the libraries and information centres to tap the opportunity and provide services to the users by using SNS. Since these sites provide quick and free access, the libraries can make good use of it. The present study attempts to find out the awareness of the librarians of management institutions towards SNS and explores how much they are using it. The study highlights that the librarians are much aware of SNS and are using them for their personal and professional purpose, but on the same hand fails to use the SNS in their libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a survey of medical college libraries in Andhra Pradesh, India, to explore their current conditions, assess the degree of meeting the information requirements of users. Librarians were asked about physical facilities, library staff, library holdings, acquisition, technical processing, circulation and library services. Medical students were asked about frequency of visit to library, library schedule, circulation, technical services and library collection.