scholarly journals Rejuvenation and Networking Motivates Librarians to Attend Conferences

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Yvonne Hultman Ozek
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Mail ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Poster Sessions ◽  
Reference Librarians ◽  
Curriculum Vitae ◽  
Public Librarians ◽  
Conference Attendance

A Review of: Vega, Robert D. and Ruth S. Connell. “Librarians’ Attitudes Toward Conferences: A Study.” College & Research Libraries 68.6 (2007): 503-15. Objectives – To determine why professional librarians attend or do not attend conferences and to consider their attitudes toward the various conference offerings and whether conference attendance is important to their careers. Design – An electronic mail list survey designed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data through closed and open-ended questions. Setting – Mainly academic and public libraries in the U.S.A. Subjects – A total of 794 librarians participated in the study. Methods – The quantitative and qualitative data gathered from the survey were analyzed using statistical software. The quantitative items on the questionnaire regarded the following: years working as a librarian, age, gender, average number of conferences attended each year, amount of financial support provided, and the importance of attending conferences. For qualitative analysis, the instrument included open-ended questions to gather comments about issues related to conferences. Electronic mail list subscriptions were used to reach approximately 17,000 potential respondents of whom 794 completed the survey. Main Results – The study found the main reason the respondents attended conferences was to achieve professional rejuvenation (56%), and that this finding was associated with age: the older the librarian, the higher he or she would rate the need to stay updated in librarianship. The study also found that men as compared to women ranked rejuvenation as less important. Respondents who visited more conferences tended to rate rejuvenation as more important. Networking was also highly valued (40%), although was not of significant importance among reference librarians. Exhibits were considered to be very useful among older respondents, particularly older public librarians and older administrators from all types of libraries, but were regarded as less valuable among younger academic librarians. . Invited speakers were rated highly by academic librarians, but less highly by public librarians. General sessions primarily attracted newer and younger librarians, and poster sessions primarily appealed to academic librarians. Being able to add conference participation to the curriculum vitae was primarily of interest to younger academic librarians. Academic librarians rated roundtables as important. Conclusion – Respondents primarily attended conferences for professional rejuvenation and networking, though felt these benefits were not necessarily related to conference content. Those who had worked longer as librarians valued exhibits more than those who were new in the field. Based on the results, further investigation is needed to answer the following questions: 1) Why do public librarians find poster sessions of low interest? 2) Why do men compared to women find professional rejuvenation less important? 3) Have more experienced librarians learned to navigate exhibits better? The findings of this study would be useful to conference organizers.

Reference

2013 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Rosanne M Cordell
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
The United States ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Reference Librarians ◽  
Library Users ◽  
Virtual Services ◽  
Online Sources

Reference services in libraries in the United States were first described and organized in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. However, these first attempts at formalizing “reader’s assistance” were in public libraries. Academic libraries lagged behind public libraries in the appointment of reference librarians and in the recognition of the need for reference services for their library users. The appointment of academic librarians became more common in the first quarter of the twentieth century. As academic library faculty and staff increased, so too did the use of technologies for reference services. The digitization of reference sources ushered in an era of re-evaluation and revitalization of reference services, as well as the transition to online sources and virtual services.

Access to translated fiction in Canadian public libraries

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 569-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keren Dali ◽  
Lana Alsabbagh
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bibliographic Records ◽  
Reference Librarians ◽  
Bibliographic Data

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the quality of access to translated fiction published between 2007 and 2011 in six large Canadian public libraries, answering the question about what public libraries can do to help acquaint their readers with international translated fiction. Design/methodology/approach – The article uses the method of bibliographic data analysis based on 2,100 catalog records. Findings – As the results demonstrate, enhanced bibliographic catalog records deliver a wealth of information about translated fiction titles and facilitate meaningful subject access to their contents. At the same time, promotional activities related to translated fiction have room for improvement. Practical implications – Despite the fact that the study focuses on public libraries, its findings will be of interest not only to public but also academic librarians, any librarian tasked with the selection and acquisition of translated fiction, reference and readers’ advisory librarians in any type of library, Library and Information Science students and anyone interested in access to translated fiction. Originality/value – While many recent studies have turned their attention to enhanced catalog records and their role in access, discovery and collection promotion, there are no studies dealing with translated fiction specifically. The article also contributes to seeing an in-depth understanding of bibliographic records and cataloging as part and parcel of reference librarians’ knowledge and skill set, which improves retrieval practices and access provision.

Agents of Practice at the Public Library’s Reference Desk

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Cavanagh
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Professional Boundaries ◽  
The Public ◽  
Reference Librarians ◽  
Practice Perspective ◽  
The Face ◽  
Reference Et

The face to face interactions of reference librarians and reference assistants are studied from a theoretical practice perspective. Rather than reinforcing professional boundaries, the results of this analysis support reference practice in public libraries as a highly relational activity where reference “expertise” retains a significant subjectivist, relational dimension.Les interventions en personne des bibliothèques de référence et des adjoints à la référence sont étudiées du point de vue de la pratique théorique. Plutôt que de renforcer les frontières interprofessionnelles, les résultats de cette analyse appuient l'idée que les pratiques de référence en milieu public sont des activités hautement relationnelles où l'expertise de la référence conserve une dimension subjectiviste et relationnelle. 

Learning about translators from library catalog records: implications for readers’ advisory

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 264-276
Author(s):  
Keren Dali ◽  
Lana Alsabbagh
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Library Catalog ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bibliographic Records ◽  
Bibliographic Data ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Public Librarians

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to make public librarians aware of the wealth of information about translators that is contained in bibliographic records of their own library catalogs so they could use this information for the benefit of readers’ advisory (RA) work involving translated titles. Design/methodology/approach – The article uses the method of bibliographic data analysis based on 350 selected translated fiction titles (and 2,100 corresponding catalog records) from six large Canadian public libraries. Findings – As the results demonstrate, enhanced bibliographic catalog records deliver a wide spectrum of information about translators, which can be used by public libraries to provide more informed and insightful reading advice and to make more sensible purchasing decisions with regard to translated fiction. Practical implications – The study shows how the most readily available tool – a library catalog with its enhanced bibliographic records – can be utilized by public librarians for improving RA practices. It focuses on the rarely discussed translated fiction, demonstrates a sample methodological approach and makes suggestions for implementing this approach by busy public librarians in real-life situations. Originality/value – No recent studies that have investigated enhanced catalog records have dealt with translated fiction. Moreover, while authors/writers are often in the focus of RA studies, translators are often left behind the scenes, despite their crucial role in bringing international fiction to English-speaking readers.

scholarly journals Kids in the Library

2021 ◽  
pp. 181-193
Author(s):  
Rachel W. Gammons ◽  
Karina Kletscher ◽  
Kelsey Elizabeth. Corlett-Rivera
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Family Study ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
University Of Maryland ◽  
Family Friendly ◽  
The University ◽  
Is Value

While children's services are traditionally associated with public libraries, the increase in students with dependent children means that academic libraries are increasingly being called to provide family-friendly spaces. Using the University of Maryland Libraries as a case study, the authors detail the process of developing, implementing, and overseeing family-friendly services, including a family study room and activity kits for children. They argue there is value in welcoming families into the academy and projects, such as a family study room, worthy not only for the contributions they make to the community but also for the opportunity to enact joy in our daily practice as academic librarians.

Immaterial labour, public librarians, and third-generation public libraries

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 186-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhan A Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Future ◽  
Public Librarians ◽  
Policy Arena ◽  
Blind Spots

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to draw attention to one specific upper-level government policy document in which a discourse of perpetual innovation and customer service is promoted, and the kinds of questions such discursive interventions raise for the future of work in public libraries; and second, to demonstrate the explanatory potential of the concept of immaterial labour for questions relating to emerging labour processes in libraries. The concepts of “prosumer” and Web 2.0 are included as discursive resources of relevance to any discussion of immaterial labour. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a critical discourse analysis of a public policy visioning document for public libraries in Ontario, Canada, with reflections on related literatures. Findings – The concept of immaterial labour provides an additional analytic tool suitable for questions of relevance to public librarians and library scholars. Within the government text under review which deals specifically with the future of the public library to 2020, the identity of the public librarian is alarmingly absent. Conversely, the library patron as a producer and consumer is privileged. Research limitations/implications – Failure to attend to the broader policy arena within which the public library resides creates dangerous blind spots for public library professionals, educators and researchers. Practical implications – This paper demonstrates the value of a discourse analysis for uncovering the ideological dimensions of policy documents, while simultaneously modelling the method using the kind of policy text commonly produced in governments around the world. Social implications – This paper shows how failure to attend to the broader policy arena within which the public library resides creates dangerous blind spots for the public library community. Originality/value – This paper contextualizes the immaterial and volunteer labour of the public library user as producer/consumer in the context of the future of the frontline professional and waged librarian.

Advocacy of the Sustainable Development Goals in Jordanian academic libraries

IFLA Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 034003522110383
Author(s):  
Faten Hamad ◽  
Maha Al-Fadel
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
The Public ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Study Support

In view of the increased importance of the Sustainable Development Goals and the limited number of public libraries in Jordan, it is important to investigate the role and practices of academic libraries in promoting knowledge and skills to support the Sustainable Development Goals in Jordan. It is also important to explore the challenges that might hinder the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals. The results of this study support the fact that academic libraries can significantly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals ( M = 3.53) by providing access to relevant and up-to-date information ( M = 4.16) and giving training on information literacy ( M = 4.03). Access to information contributes to the quality of life of society ( M = 4.41). This article provides insights for academic librarians and decision-makers into disseminating measures for promoting knowledge and skills related to the Sustainable Development Goals among students and the public community in Jordan. The study recommends some relevant strategies, such as the collaboration of academic libraries with governmental and health institutions to support the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals in Jordan.

Faktor 5C dalam Pembiayaan Kepemilikan Rumah di Bank BJB Syariah Kantor Cabang Pembantu Rancaekek

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-46
Author(s):  
Ida Rapida Djachrab
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Government Regulations ◽  
Customer Information ◽  
Ownership Status ◽  
Customer Capital ◽  
Curriculum Vitae ◽  
Detailed List

This study aims to provide an overview of the procedure for submitting financing and the application of the 5C principle (character, capacity, capital, collateral, condition) in Bank bjb Syariah Rancaekek in financing iB Maslahah homeownership.This type of research is descriptive qualitative. Data collection techniques through observation, interviews, literature study, and documentation study. Data analysis used Miles and Huberman interaction.The research results show that the iB Maslahah home ownership financing in Islamic bank bjb has implemented the 5C aspect. However, of the five aspects, the dominant one taken into consideration is the character aspect. Analysis of character aspects is carried out through curriculum vitae, customer reputation in the work environment, conducting bank to bank information, looking for customer information in the neighborhood where he lives, looking at customer responsibilities, family circumstances, customer hobbies. Capacity is a slip or a detailed list of the customer's salary, other business fields owned, savings and current accounts related to the business carried out by the customer. Capital through the ownership status of the house where the previous customer lived, the type of transportation or vehicle the current customer has savings or savings owned. Collateral through collateral in the form of a house to be purchased by a customer with a loan from a bank. Condition through conjunctive conditions, government regulations, world political and economic situations, and other conditions that affect the market.

scholarly journals Retention Initiatives are Employed in Academic Libraries, Although not Necessarily for this Purpose

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Laura Newton Miller
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Electronic Mail ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Professional Experience ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Retention Initiatives ◽  
Retention Programs ◽  
Flexible Schedules

Objective – To study methods that support retention of academic librarians. Design – Exploratory research using an online survey; non-random sample. Setting – Academic libraries, nearly all located within the U.S. (97.2%). Subjects – A total of 895 professional academic librarians. Methods – The researchers sent an online survey link to professional electronic mail lists and directly to heads of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries. The 23-item survey was available from February 19, 2007, through March 9, 2007, and contained questions about the professional experience of respondents, their libraries, and their universities. Subjects were asked to identify retention activities that were currently offered at their workplaces (both library-specific and university-wide) and to rate their satisfaction for each available initiative. The list contained fifteen initiatives based on the researchers’ literature review. Main Results – Almost half (46.3%) of respondents were 50 or older and 7.5% under 30 years old, leaving 46.2% between the ages of 30-50 years old (although this percentage is not explicitly stated in the paper except in a table). Nearly half of the subjects were in the first ten years of their careers. 80.2% had held between one and four professional positions in their careers, and even when length of professional experience was factored out, age had no effect on the number of positions held. Most job turnover within the past three years (3 or fewer open positions) was in public service, while other areas of the library (i.e., technical services, systems, and administration) reported zero open positions. Only 11.3% of respondents noted that their libraries have deliberate, formal retention programs in place. Despite this, there are several library- and university-based initiatives that can be considered to help with retention. The most reported available library-based retention initiative was the provision of funding to attend conferences (86.8%). Librarians also frequently reported flexible schedules, support and funding for professional development and access to leadership programs. University-based retention programs included continuing education funding, new employee orientations, faculty status, and the chance to teach credit-bearing courses. Only 22.2% of subjects reported formal mentoring programs as a retention strategy. Librarians were very or somewhat satisfied with schedule flexibility (79.6%). They were generally satisfied with other initiatives reported. In response to 22 five-point Likert scale descriptions of positive library work environments, subjects most agreed with statements that allowed librarians to have control of their professional duties, that allowed for personal or family obligations, and that supported professional development. Librarians agreed less often regarding statements about salaries, research support, and opportunities for advancement. Conclusion – Academic librarians are involved in and are benefitting from some library and university-based retention initiatives, even though retention may not be the primary strategic goal.

scholarly journals Academic Librarians Perceive Duration and Social Interaction as Important Elements for Professional Development

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-96
Author(s):  
Hilary Bussell
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Electronic Mail ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
The United States ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Hermeneutic Phenomenological ◽  
Depth Interviews

A Review of: Attebury, R. I. (2017). Professional development: A qualitative study of high impact characteristics affecting meaningful and transformational learning. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 43(3), 232-241. http://dx.doi.org//10.1016/j.acalib.2017.02.015 Abstract Objective – To understand the characteristics of meaningful and transformational professional development experiences of academic librarians. Design – Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Setting – Public and private colleges and universities in the United States of America. Subjects – 10 academic librarians. Methods – The researcher selected 10 participants using an initial survey distributed through national library electronic mail lists. Two rounds of semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted over Skype during fall 2014 and spring 2015. The first round of interviews began with background questions about participants’ careers, then moved on to questions about professional development experiences that were meaningful and/or transformational. The responses from this first round of interviews were used to develop questions for a second round of interviews with the same participants. After completing the interviews, the researcher sent follow-up emails to participants in order to gather feedback on summaries and interpretations of interviews. The transcribed interviews were used to create an initial set of codes and then imported into NVivo for analysis using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Main Results – All participants reported on professional development experiences that they found to be meaningful. Half of the participants discussed professional development experiences that were transformational for their perceptions and practice of librarianship. The themes of duration and interaction were identified in every participant’s discussions of meaningful or transformational professional development. Reflection, discomfort, and self-awareness were also identified as prominent themes. Conclusion – The study found that two of the most important ingredients for meaningful and transformational professional development are activities that are sustained over time and that include social interaction. The participants perceived long-term, interactive professional development activities as opportunities to identify and address gaps in their professional knowledge, which benefits themselves and their organizations. On-the-job learning, single-theme workshops or institutes, and professional committee work were particularly promising forms of meaningful professional development. The author recommends that academic librarians who are interested in meaningful or transformational professional development look for activities that are sustained and interactive, that promote reflection, and that provide opportunities to increase self-awareness of gaps in knowledge. Facilitators of professional development activities should include interactive components and ensure that participants have a chance to stay in contact after the event in order to encourage long-term interaction and reflection.

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