Delivering the message

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Michele Moorefield-Lang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of podcasts, online radio broadcasts, YouTube channels, and other technology medium to deliver information and professional development to peers in the field and professionals in librarianship. Design/methodology/approach This paper explores five case studies of librarians and library professionals who have created online programs specifically geared to the field using technologies such as podcasting, YouTube channels, Twitter Chats, and Google Hangouts. The case studies include librarians in the public, academic, and school settings as well as one professional from The American Library Association. Interviews via Google Hangouts took place to gather information for each narrative. NVivo 10 qualitative data analysis software was used to pull out themes and commonalities among narratives. Some examples include, intended audience, program focus, platform topics, technology, and challenges. Findings Face-to-face delivery of information and professional development can be difficult with librarians and professionals located across the USA and the world. These five interviewees share new opportunities and examples in the delivery of training and information in the field of librarianship without ever needing to leave an office or desk. Originality/value Podcasting in librarianship is a topic of modest popularity but it is typically used with students and at the academic library level where the topics of podcasts and libraries are addressed. The topics of podcasts, online radio broadcasts, and other technologies in librarian peer-to-peer instruction and professional development are uncharted territory in the field of scholarly research. This piece opens research to multiple opportunities in both practice and scholarship in how technology can aid in professional development and information delivery to peers and practitioners in the field.

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 358-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Michele Moorefield-Lang

Abstract – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the user agreements of makerspaces in public and academic libraries. User agreements, also known as maker agreements, user forms and liability forms, can be very important documents between library patrons, staff and faculty. User agreements are similar to the earlier creation of acceptable use policies for technology use in libraries. The author of this study will delve into the user agreements created for public and academic libraries across the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The researcher used content analysis to investigate 24 different user agreements written for public and academic library makerspaces. NVivo qualitative data analysis software was integrated into this research to aid in the breakdown of commonalities across terms, themes and purpose within the user agreements. Findings – Although makerspaces are a very exciting topic in the field of library science at this time, the implementation of a maker learning space is still new to many libraries. Creating a user agreement for a makerspace is newer still. Most user agreements in this study were six months to a year old. Some consistencies found across makerspace user agreements include liability waivers, permissions for minors, safety, copyright and technology replacement costs. Originality/value – At this time, most publications on makerspaces are held in the realm of popular publications (blogs, magazines, zines, etc.). The body of peer-reviewed and scholarly research on makerspaces is growing. Makerspace user agreements are new to this growing field of interest, and a content analysis of these documents will pave the way for the writing of future forms.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-64
Author(s):  
Angela Gazey ◽  
Shannen Vallesi ◽  
Karen Martin ◽  
Craig Cumming ◽  
Lisa Wood

Purpose Co-existing health conditions and frequent hospital usage are pervasive in homeless populations. Without a home to be discharged to, appropriate discharge care and treatment compliance are difficult. The Medical Respite Centre (MRC) model has gained traction in the USA, but other international examples are scant. The purpose of this paper is to address this void, presenting findings from an evaluation of The Cottage, a small short-stay respite facility for people experiencing homelessness attached to an inner-city hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Design/methodology/approach This mixed methods study uses case studies, qualitative interview data and hospital administrative data for clients admitted to The Cottage in 2015. Hospital inpatient admissions and emergency department presentations were compared for the 12-month period pre- and post-The Cottage. Findings Clients had multiple health conditions, often compounded by social isolation and homelessness or precarious housing. Qualitative data and case studies illustrate how The Cottage couples medical care and support in a home-like environment. The average stay was 8.8 days. There was a 7 per cent reduction in the number of unplanned inpatient days in the 12-months post support. Research limitations/implications The paper has some limitations including small sample size, data from one hospital only and lack of information on other services accessed by clients (e.g. housing support) limit attribution of causality. Social implications MRCs provide a safe environment for individuals to recuperate at a much lower cost than inpatient admissions. Originality/value There is limited evidence on the MRC model of care outside of the USA, and the findings demonstrate the benefits of even shorter-term respite post-discharge for people who are homeless.


2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 494-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen H. Spalding ◽  
Jian Wang

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the value of marketing in academic libraries and how the marketing concept is applied in practice to marketing academic library services through the experiences of academic libraries across the USA.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on using marketing as a managerial tool to accomplish strategic organizational goals and objectives, discusses challenges and opportunities in academic library marketing, presents examples demonstrating innovative methods that academic libraries have used to market their images and services, and offers suggestions for developing marketing plans and strategies.FindingsThe paper finds that market research allows libraries to understand better the points of view of their student and faculty library users, as well as the perspectives of campus administrations and the community external to the college. The result is that the library is more successful in gaining visibility and support for its efforts, and library users are more successful in making the best use of the services available to them to meet their academic and research goals.Originality/valueThe paper offers practical solutions for academic libraries in the global community.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 636-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei-Fei Cheng ◽  
Yu-Wen Huang ◽  
Hsin-Chun Yu ◽  
Chin-Shan Wu

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the knowledge structure based on the articles published in Library Hi Tech. The research hotspots are expected to be revealed through the keyword co-occurrence and social network analysis. Design/methodology/approach Data sets based on publications from Library Hi Tech covering the time period from 2006 to 2017 were extracted from Web of Science and developed as testbeds for evaluation of the CiteSpace system. Highly cited keywords were analyzed by CiteSpace which supports visual exploration with knowledge discovery in bibliographic databases. Findings The findings suggested that the percentage of publications in the USA, Germany, China, and Canada are high. Further, the most popular keywords identified in Library Hi Tech were: “service,” “technology,” “digital library,” “university library,” and “academic library.” Finally, four research issues were identified based on the most-cited articles in Library Hi Tech. Originality/value While keyword plays an important role in scientific research, limited studies paid attention to the keyword analysis in librarian research. The contribution of this study is to systematically explore the knowledge structure constructed by the keywords in Library Hi Tech.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 1649-1660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Handfield ◽  
Gary Graham ◽  
Laird Burns

PurposeUsing the constructal law of physics this study aims to provide guidance to future scholarship on global supply chain management. Further, through two case studies the authors are developing, the authors report interview findings with two senior VPs from two multi-national corporations being disrupted by COVID-19. This study suggests how this and recent events will impact on the design of future global supply chains.Design/methodology/approachThe authors apply the constructal law to explain the recent disruptions to the global supply chain orthodoxy. Two interviews are presented from case studies the authors are developing in the USA and UK – one a multi-national automobile parts supplier and the other is a earth-moving equipment manufacture. Specifically, this is an exploratory pathway work trying to make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on supply chain scholarship.FindingsAdopting the approach of Bejan, the authors believe that what is happening today with COVID-19 and other trade disruptions such as Brexit and the USA imposing tariffs is creating new obstacles that will redirect the future flow of supply chains.Research limitations/implicationsIt is clear that the COVID-19 response introduced a bullwhip effect in the manufacturing sector on a scale never-before seen. For scholars, the authors would suggest there are four pathway topics going forward. These topics include: the future state of global sourcing, the unique nature of a combined “demand” and “supply shortage” bullwhip effect, the resurrection of lean and local production systems and the development of risk-recovery contingency strategies to deal with pandemics.Practical implicationsSupply chain managers tend to be iterative and focused on making small and subtle changes to their current system and way of thinking, very often seeking to optimize cost or negotiate better contracts with suppliers. In the current environment, however, such activities have proved to be of little consequence compared to the massive forces of economic disruption of the past three years. Organizations that have more tightly compressed supply chains are enjoying a significant benefit during the COVID-19 crisis and are no longer being held hostage to governments of another country.Social implicationsAn implicit assumption in the press is that COVID-19 caught everyone by surprise, and that executives foolishly ignored the risks of outsourcing to China and are now paying the price. However, noted scholars and epidemiologists have been warning of the threats of pandemics since the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus. The pundits would further posit that in their pursuit of low-cost production, global corporations made naive assumptions that nothing could disrupt them. Both the firms the authors have interviewed had to close plants to protect their workforce. It was indicated in the cases the authors are developing that it is going to take manufacturers on average one month to recover from 4–6 days of disruption. These companies employ many thousands of people, and direct and ancillary workers are now temporarily laid off and face an uncertain future as/when they will recover back to normal production.Originality/valueUsing the constructal law of physics, the authors seek to provide guidance to future scholarship on global supply chain management. Further, through two case studies, the authors provide the first insight from two senior VPs from two leading multi-national corporations in their respective sectors being disrupted by COVID-19. This study is the first indication to how this and recent disruptive events will impact on the design of future global supply chains. Unlike the generic work, which has recently appeared in HBR and Forbes, it is grounded in real operational insight.


2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 201-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Curry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to start exploring the possibilities for makerspaces to function as a new learning space within academic library services in higher education (HE). This original research study ask two key questions: How is learning achieved and supported in makerspaces? What can academic library services bring to the effective organisation and support of makerspaces? Design/methodology/approach An extensive literature review is followed by a template analysis (King, 2012) of data from an online forum of three professionals operating makerspaces in academic library services in the USA and a discussion incorporating relevant educational theory and philosophy. Findings The three overarching learning themes found were: experiential learning (Dewey, 1909; Kolb, 1984), communities of practice (Lave and Wenger, 1991) and self-efficacy through social learning (Bandura, 1997). Research limitations/implications The one-week forum of three professional library staff provided detailed and informative data. Substantial field work with students will also be required to see how far this professional lens has provided insight into how students are learning and supported in these and other makerspaces. Social implications The wider cultural implications are examined, including the potential social value of makerspaces as transformative creative spaces empowering communities and individuals. Originality/value This is the first study to date on the potential educational value of makerspaces within HE, and the specific support academic library services can offer if they choose to host a makerspace (including teaching information, digital and critical literacies).


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of coaching for newly appointed school principals and head teachers as they establish themselves in their new role. Design/methodology/approach – To examine the use of coaching for newly appointed school principals and head teachers as they establish themselves in their new role. Findings – Teachers in a number of countries receive coaching to improve their effectiveness. It is also now being offered to newly appointed school administrators – the school principal in the USA, the head teacher elsewhere – to help them settle into their new role. Surprisingly, there has been little research assessing the effectiveness of executive coaches or find out what benefits – if any – result from coaching. It seems, then, to be a good time to look at new principal coaching and ask what does or doesn't work. And who better to ask than the coaches themselves. Practical implications – Distinguishes between the coaching needs of newly appointed teachers and those of school administrators. Suggests a requirement for more process-oriented training for new principal coaches. Social implications – Highlights the emphasis that these coaches place on process rather than content and discusses their use of real-life, real-time issues to promote reflective enquiry and professional development. Originality/value – Considers coaching from the perspective of the coach. Demonstrates how coaching can support recently appointed school principals as they adapt to their new work environment and develop the skills needed to take on complex tasks.


2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 596-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasekea Harris

Purpose Collection content is no longer the primary distinctive signifier of excellence in the present libraries. In an information market where technology has increased access to content, thereby providing resources at one’s fingertips, the provision of services is increasingly becoming a distinctive signifier of excellence and quality. In such an open/service-oriented marketplace, what are the services that are signifiers of excellence and consequently distinguish a library? This paper aims to review select literature within the USA to identify the services that are signifiers of excellence and that will consequently distinguish a library in the current era and investigate the extent to which said services identified in the review of the literature are provided by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona library, but focus specifically on only those that meet the additional criteria of placing the UWI Mona library as either the first to introduce the service in Jamaica or as the only library in Jamaica with the particular service offering. These two additional criteria provide the added signature or uniqueness essential to being distinguished. Design/methodology/approach Through the use of a mixed methods research, this paper highlights library service offerings considered as distinctive signifiers of excellence within the American literature and also within the UWI Mona Library – that will distinguish a library. Findings This paper reveals services incorporating technology, the library as a place/space, teaching and research and personal attention to users as distinctive signifiers of excellence. In this regard, within the UWI Mona Library, services offered such as the Virtual Reference Service, Extended Opening Service, Halls of Residence Librarian Service, Information Commons Service, Information Literacy Service and the West Indies and Special Collection Research Service were found to incorporate the aforementioned service themes and placed the UWI Mona library as either the first to introduce the service in Jamaica or as the only library in Jamaica with the particular service offering, consequently distinguishing the UWI Mona Library from other academic libraries in Jamaica. Originality/value This paper is of value, as it provides the library and information community with an outline of services that distinguish a library; it offers library managers in Jamaica and the rest of the world the opportunity to compare services in their libraries with that of other libraries as outlined within the literature review as well as within the UWI Mona library; it highlights how the UWI Mona library, an academic library in the Caribbean, compares on the international library scene, with particular reference to the USA; it informs current and potential library users of how the UWI Mona library is trending in service culture and a focus on distinctive services can promote a community of academic library service best practice.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 7-9

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings For many young managers and strategists, few of them will realize just how mighty Japan and its firms were in the 1990s. As the world’s second biggest economy, it saw many of its firms lead their industries in both size and innovation – Toyota and Sony being just two examples – so that they genuinely threatened to overtake the USA and its preeminence. Indeed, when Toyota finally overtook General Motors as the world’s biggest car manufacturer, the effect was felt through Detroit and beyond. Further stories about the similar rise in the price of Tokyo real estate became legendary as well – for example that the well-heeled district of Ginza in central Tokyo was worth more than the whole of California. Practical Implications The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 570-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Weiss ◽  
Matthias Barth

Purpose This paper aims to outline the global research landscape of sustainability curricula implementation processes in higher education. The focus is twofold and investigates where research that aims at integrating sustainability into the curriculum is happening and how the research area of curriculum change for sustainability is developing. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of peer-reviewed case studies published in English in selected journals and edited volumes between 1990 and 2017 was carried out. Data (n = 270 publications) were analyzed via descriptive statistics and bibliometric analysis. Findings The study demonstrates that research on sustainability curricula implementation processes in higher education has produced a growing output in a broad range of journals. Nevertheless, the cross-country distribution is imbalanced, with most cases coming from the USA, Europe and Asia, but with the relatively highest density in Oceania. A citation network analysis revealed that the “Western world” is quite well interlinked, whereas other countries are not, indicating that sharing information between and learning from other cases is limited. Research limitations/implications The exclusion of non-English publications likely skewed the global distribution of the research landscape included in this study. Social implications These findings demonstrate the need for more research and funding for case studies in countries that have not yet been adequately examined. Originality/value This study offers the first systematic reflection on the current global research landscape in sustainability curricula implementation and can guide further research endeavors.


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