Library & Information Science Research最新文献

Gamification has proven to be useful in promoting engagement and performance in different domains. However, little research has been done to examine whether it is also useful for users in the context of information retrieval (IR). A gamified IR system (GIRS) prototype was developed and user study based on a lab-based quasi-experiment was conducted with Generation Z users to evaluate usability, interface design, and the factors that affected their evaluation and acceptance of the system. Fifty-eight participants completed three tasks, by which they went through different game elements embedded in the GIRS and finished the evaluation. Results indicate that Generation Z users prefer to adopt a GIRS embedded game elements they prefer. The gamified interface is useful, easy to use, easy to learn and satisfactory. The study developed a theoretical model to describe users' willingness to adopt a GIRS; gamification fulfillment and function practicability significantly shape users' willingness to accept the system. The findings demonstrated that incorporating game elements users prefer to use into IR system interface design is promising.

Public libraries are important informational, cultural, social, and educational institutions. Although the research has shown their significant presence, value, and effectiveness in providing services for their communities, there is the persistent questioning of value and efficiency of public libraries by some, which leads to continuous and severe funding cuts for public libraries. This study addresses the efficiency issue of public libraries. The previous research on this issue is inconclusive because of deficiencies in methodologies, such as the use of circulation as the single measure for library outputs while ignoring all other library services. This study applies a well-established cost function with multiple output measures to over 1600 public libraries in the United States. This study concludes that public libraries as a whole operate efficiently and argues for sustained and continuous funding for public libraries.

Stakeholders such as funders, data centers and data curators need specific and detailed evidence to support and justify the value of their existing or proposed open data policies and practices. A questionnaire-based evaluation framework was designed through systematic review and expert interviews, focusing on the scientific, economic, and societal values of open research data. Specifically, scientific value was sub-categorized into 24 statements centering around research process, quantity, quality, efficiency, and impact. Economic value included 6 statements related to cost savings and increased returns, while societal value was divided into 7 statements focused on efficiency and quality. The questionnaire survey was conducted among 219 stakeholders from 22 countries/regions. On average, participants (strongly) agreed that open research data has scientific (83.97%), economic (76.94%), and societal (86.89%) value, all 37 statements of the framework were supported and confirmed. This framework is one of the most comprehensive and systematic tools for measuring data value, which can offer support to diverse stakeholders, especially funders, data centers, and data curators in managing and promoting open data systems.

Makerspaces have proven to be mainstays within library ecosystems. However, alongside the continued popularization of library makerspaces, there remains a seemingly immovable issue endemic to these environments; makerspaces continue to attract a narrow demographic of patrons. The threshold of the makerspace serves as a critical site for inquiry, specifically, for insight around students' everyday life information seeking (ELIS) behaviors. This study responds to the research question, “Why do students from underrepresented communities turn away at the threshold of a makerspace?” The research design is methodologically informed by participatory action research (PAR) and grounded theory and uses a virtual reality (VR) makerspace to provide a consistent “threshold” experience to capture students' fleeting first impressions. The research findings offer novel insight into the information seeking behaviors of students by capturing and analyzing critical data that haven't been collected before: the real-time thoughts and feelings of students from underrepresented communities entering a makerspace for the first time.

Environmental changes such as the evolving needs of society, advancements in technologies, and shifting learning paradigms have impacted the way academic libraries operate. Academic libraries must respond to environmental changes by acquiring new capabilities. Using the strategic management concept of dynamic capabilities, this study investigates the relationship between the dynamic capabilities of an academic library and its overall performance. This study uses the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique and develops a new model, the DCAL model, for academic libraries to build these new capabilities. The analysis of the DCAL model indicates a positive and significant relationship between the three core capabilities, searching, seizing, and transforming, and the overall performance of the academic library. This study also identifies activities, scouting for new technologies that can be adapted by academic libraries, piloting projects, analysing large amounts of data, balancing routine work with innovative work, and the need for academic librarians to build capabilities to perform those activities to succeed in their future roles.

The advancement of librarianship requires close communication and collaboration between research and practice communities. A long-standing divide between the two communities in China exists and has been exacerbated in recent years. The role of the Library Society of China (LSC) in mediating the gap and encouraging collaboration was explored. A case study approach was adopted, with a total of twelve library researchers and practitioners interviewed using semi-structured interview scripts. A thematic analysis of the interview data pointed to eleven critical factors clustered into three main themes: identity creation, relationship building, and group practice. Conceptualization of the findings indicated that practical strategies can be formulated for three prioritized critical factors: identity acceptance, mutual engagement, and continuous dialogue. Although the case setting was the LSC, the findings may provide useful indications and insights for library societies in other countries.

STEM liaison librarians' roles have broadened with new policies, data, and services stemming from the increase of data-driven research across sciences. The problem this study addresses is the lack of understanding of what tasks STEM liaison librarians do and how often. STEM liaison librarians from a sampling frame of 135 at 16 similarly Association of Research Libraries were surveyed with demographic and job analysis questions. A total of 41 participants completed the entirety of the survey. Findings indicate the majority of respondents serve 4 or more departments and continue to spend a majority of their time on traditional liaison tasks, but data-related duties are in greater demand. In these continually uncertain times with dwindling resources in academic libraries, a clearer picture of STEM liaison librarian tasks and the duration expended on each helps inform staffing of services. A better understanding of these duties and their frequency will add value to more accurate job descriptions, relevant curriculum, and training, as well as advance the understanding of what these information professionals do with their work time as well as tell us what they no longer do as much.

Information culture is a cultural phenomenon manifested in the organization's values, norms and practices that influence information management and use in the organization. Few studies have explored the relationship between information culture and the application of genres of online government information. This study offers a comparative case study of two provincial governments in China. The findings showed that the genres of the online COVID-19 information disclosed by the two local governments reflect different types of information cultures. In governance-oriented culture, information is regarded as an important tool to actualize good governance and the genres most appropriate for online information dissemination would be adopted to meet citizens' information needs. This kind of information culture is likely to enhance citizens' trust in government and be beneficial for government crisis management and good governance. While, in government-oriented culture, information is regarded as a tool to actualize governmental interest. This kind of information culture poses a risk for government in achieving the goal of building trust between the public and government. The value of this study lies in filling the research gap in the relationship between genre and information culture and providing pragmatic insights for local governments to enhance information disclosure by adopting appropriate genres and cultivating governance-oriented culture.

Curiosity and interest may drive engagement in digital literacy programs and contribute to overcoming digital inequalities. Curiosity triggers and features influenced digital literacy training of vulnerable groups of older adults, children from low-income families, and individuals with hearing impairments in Lithuania. A theoretical framework combining psychological and social perspectives helped to observe the phases of interest development and explore factors influencing the transformation of situational curiosity into sustained interest. Qualitative content analysis of data from graphic questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews with participants and trainers revealed that curiosity triggers, including novelty and surprise, fostered engagement, while physical and epistemic curiosity modes played key roles. The study highlights the value of perceived utility in sustaining interest. The results inform instructional design, emphasizing the importance of appealing objects, resources, and social support in promoting digital inclusion and fostering long-term interest in digital technologies for vulnerable populations.