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The decision by public libraries in New Zealand to implement Facebook has been uneven. Using Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations theory, a survey of nine public libraries investigated the process of its adoption or non-adoption. The motivating factors for the adoption of Facebook were identified. The surveyed libraries all met the four prior conditions for its adoption. In the innovation-decision process libraries fulfilled the knowledge stage to differing degrees. In the persuasion stage the attributes of relative advantage, compatibility and complexity were the most important factors to explain adoption. Other factors favouring adoption, such as the importance of change agents, were also discovered.

Library cafes have been around for about two decades but what does the future hold for them? The potential of using the café as a performative space has been explored by some public libraries. Other possibilities are the repair café and the science café. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The decision by public libraries in New Zealand to implement Facebook has been uneven. Using Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory, a survey of nine public libraries investigated the process of its adoption or non-adoption. The motivating factors for the adoption of Facebook were identified. The surveyed libraries all met the four prior conditions for its adoption. In the innovation-decision process libraries fulfilled the knowledge stage to differing degrees. In the persuasion stage the attributes of relative advantage, compatibility and complexity were the most important factors to explain adoption. Other factors favouring adoption, such as the importance of change agents, were also discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this research was to investigate current issues faced by public library staff in rural South Australia and to examine some of the reasons why people choose to work in rural libraries. The study took a mixed methods approach, combining interviews and questionnaires to gain a fuller understanding of the issues and experiences of rural librarians. The findings show that rural library staff in South Australia are a dedicated group of individuals who are motivated by personal interactions with their communities. Constraints imposed by distance, travelling times and geographic isolation concerned many staff - especially the difficulty of finding professional development opportunities, with travel to Adelaide for workshops the most commonly stated barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joint use libraries in New Zealand are generally found in the form of School and Community Libraries, primarily in rural areas, but there is little information available about their effectiveness or success. Research was undertaken by surveying all identified joint use libraries in New Zealand and then following this with detailed Case Studies of three selected libraries. As these joint use libraries continue to be established in rural and urban areas of New Zealand, this research aimed to establish the Critical Success Factors for School and Community (Joint Use) Libraries in New Zealand. A comparison of these factors with those found in overseas literature on Joint Use Libraries has yielded guidelines to enable present and future manifestations of these libraries in New Zealand to be effective and successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although the digital environment has played an important role in the transformation of more library services into e-services, no published survey instrument focuses exclusively on examining library e-service quality. This article presents such an instrument and reports on a pilot study that applied it to university students. The primary objective is the development of an instrument that will enable libraries to investigate e-service quality locally. Active listening to customers, as this study emphasizes, provides two-way communication between the library and its users. Further research needs to explore the features and dimensions identified in e-SERVQUAL for libraries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Provides information on a study which compared the Chinese students' expectations of library service quality to the students' expectations in New Zealand. Precursors of service quality; Objectives of the study; Conclusion.

Examines the general environment of higher education libraries in Great Britain, especially the impact of government initiatives and legislation on a national and regional scale. National and regional developments; Variety of legislation which have an impact on higher education; Proposal for a Distributed National Electronic Resource for learning and teaching.