Journal of Academic Librarianship最新文献

For many reasons, not every organizational member will have equal access to career progression or senior leadership positions. Barriers to advancement have been widely studied with demographic differences (e.g., gender, race) but little research has focused on deep-level, cognitive differences. Reasons for disproportionate advancement may be related to individual differences between groups, perceptual biases, or contextual factors. The present study investigated differences between two groups of information science professionals, one that readily advances to senior positions, and the other that does not. In a sample of 460 librarians and archivists, it was found that the two groups were largely similar on individual differences yet varied in their experiences at their organization. Both groups had overlapping personal values and similar levels of worry/concern about leading. However, archivists were significantly lower in engagement at work, leadership support/development, and affective motivation to lead. Recommendations for future research are discussed and it is suggested that organizations pay attention to imbalances in engagement and opportunities across units/specialties.

Library and information science (LIS) has long consisted of more women than men, at least in sheer numbers of library employees, but men are the primary authors of library literature. This study explores LIS literature published between 2003 and 2021 to identify if there are differences in the publishing patterns of women and men. The authors used content analysis to code the entire sample to identify overall subject trends after authors were categorized as women or men by mainly automated methods, using two R packages, genderize and ssa. The results show that there are overall inequities when compared to the profession as whole between the publishing rates of women and men in LIS, as well as differences in publication patterns by subjects and within specific journals. Shifts in subjects over the period under investigation did not increase the percentage of women publishing in the selected LIS journals. The authors conclude more research needs to be conducted to determine the cause of inequities in publishing not just among women and men, but all underrepresented voices in LIS.

Background

Social networking sites (SNSs) have made information sharing easier than ever, this ease has also facilitated the spread of misinformation.

Objective

To ascertain and validate the uses and gratifications (U&G) factors associated with fake news-sharing behaviors on SNSs.

Methods

A five-factor model based on the U&G theory was measured to estimate fake news-sharing behavior among university students, using the structural equation modeling.

Findings

Passing time has a strong positive influence on fake news sharing behavior (β = 0.517, CR = 4.017, p < 0.001). Information seeking has a weak and non-significant positive influence on fake news sharing behavior (β = 0.308, CR = 1.569, p = 0.117). However, socialization (β = −0.164, CR = −1.883, p = 0.377), entertainment (β = −0.070, CR = −0.878, p = 0.380), and information sharing (β = −0.044, CR = −0.295, p = 0.768) gratifications have non-significant negative influences on fake news sharing behavior. The goodness-of-fit indices indicate that the proposed model is acceptable (${\chi }^2$ = 2.195 df = 237; p < 0.001; GFI = 0.920; IFI = 0.901; CFI = 0.899; SRMR: 0.077; RMSEA = 0.049).

Conclusion

Passing time is the key predictor of fake news sharing behavior, while information-seeking gratification also contributes positively to this behavior. The study suggests several different approaches to prevent the spread of fake news, including implementing news literacy programs, installing a firewall, supporting fact-checking organizations, and implementing regulations and legislations for responsible social media practices.

Implications

The study is significant because it goes beyond the “what” of fake news sharing to understand the “why”. This deeper understanding can lead to more effective solutions for promoting responsible information-sharing behavior and combating the spread of fake news in the post-truth era.

Information security compliance means that library staff follows the rules, guidelines, and principles related to information security and implements the security measures provided in the library. This ensures the protection of sensitive information stored and processed in the library environment. This study examined the impact of information security awareness in academic libraries on information security compliance. In a descriptive survey design adopted in the study, the survey data of 136 personnel working in academic libraries in Türkiye were analysed. The findings revealed that information security awareness has a positive and significant impact on information security compliance (R² = 0.983, β = 0.991, t₍₁₃₆₎ = 19.267, p < 0.05). The study concluded that information security awareness is necessary to ensure information security compliance in academic libraries. Consequently, there is a clear need for policy and training programs to enhance information security awareness and compliance among academic library staff. The findings of this study will not only contribute to the literature in the field of information security but also provide an important foundation for improving practices in this area. Therefore, it is important for academic libraries to develop effective policies and training programs to increase awareness of information security and promote staff compliance.

This study aims to investigate the factors influencing non-enrollment in LIS programs among university students. A survey was administered to 537 students to assess their opinions on librarians, reasons for not pursuing library and information science programs, and perspectives on the importance of university libraries. Results indicate highly favorable perceptions of librarians as knowledgeable, approachable professionals who relate well with people. The primary deterrents from enrolling in library science were a lack of personal interest/ambition rather than negative views of the program itself. Students overwhelmingly agreed that libraries are vital resources within universities, strongly supporting increased funding, technological enhancements and that online resources could not fully replace physical libraries. This study provides timely insights into students' multi-faceted perceptions of librarians' roles, the library science discipline, and the evolving position of university libraries amidst technological shifts. The results can inform strategies for optimizing library services and attracting future professionals to the field.

Library information literacy efforts are often heavily concentrated at the first-year level. This study examined undergraduate information literacy skills across all four years of college, revealing that information literacy skill development is not linear across class years. This finding suggests that librarians should not assume that students past their first year will no longer need information literacy support. Further, results revealed that, by the upper division level, first-generation students make considerable progress toward closing information literacy knowledge gaps in comparison with their first-generation peers. However, additional support in the areas of source evaluation and scholarly communication is likely to be helpful, even for upper-division students.

Collaboration is a widely used term in academic libraries to describe different types of interaction with campus partners. The library literature presents an extensive history of publications that feature academic library collaboration with discipline faculty in the context of teaching. While the outcomes of teaching librarians' collaborative practices are well documented, the lack of clarity in distinguishing collaboration from other forms of workplace interaction has impeded a comprehensive understanding of teaching librarians' experiences. To improve the understanding of librarians' collaborative practices, and to build a foundation on which further research can be generated, a Pragmatic Utility concept analysis is conducted through an integrative study of peer-reviewed literature. The analysis presents an examination of collaboration between teaching librarians and discipline faculty through five dimensions including definitions, antecedents, attributes, boundaries, and outcomes. An additional dimension, social dynamics, was further identified and applied as a lens for analysis. The conclusion is that collaboration remains a partially immature concept in the library literature, and more studies are needed to establish a clear definition and a solid theoretical framework to guide professional research forward.

A review of the research literature on the assessment of information, media, and data literacy in academic libraries has been carried out with the intention of learning about the main approaches taken; the assessment tools, criteria, and indicators used; and the main challenges for the future. To this end, 60 relevant records were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus after being filtered according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) model. A content analysis of the articles was then carried out using a detailed form based on the objectives, methodology, results, conclusions, and recommendations model in relation to the current aims. Literacy assessment has been conducted primarily in information literacy. Research in anglophone countries and Spain stands out. Much of it relates to academic libraries as a whole, although there are also numerous studies focused on a field of use, primarily health, STEM, and social sciences. Among the most commonly used methods of analysis, case studies stand out, followed by descriptive, exploratory, experimental, and comparative studies; literature reviews; and content analysis. The results are positive, and assessment helps improve programs and demonstrate libraries' impact on student learning. Despite its importance, media literacy assessment is still an emerging field, and data literacy assessment is still largely a work in progress. Academic libraries need to integrate new types of literacy and emerging challenges such as open data, open science, and generative artificial intelligence into the comprehensive framework of information literacy and conduct a systematic assessment of their training programs and activities.

Academic libraries face a serious obstacle that will inhibit their ability to continue growing robust video game collections. The gaming industry is increasingly moving toward the digital distribution of games, making games available as digital downloads licensed to single end-user consumers from online storefronts rather than releasing games on physical media like discs or cartridges. Libraries have adapted to similar shifts in the distribution of books and audiovisual materials largely by licensing content from ebook and digital video vendors, but there are currently no such vendors or platforms set up to license digital games to libraries in ways comparable to these other kinds of electronic resources. This paper reports on findings from interviews with librarians at 13 academic libraries in the US who are beginning to explore digital game collecting efforts, presenting some of the key considerations for how libraries might approach digital game licenses as well as the major challenges, issues, and factors that will influence digital game collecting. While digital game collecting will require engagement with game publishers and other stakeholders, this research seeks to establish a shared understanding among academic librarians of their own needs and priorities for this emerging collecting area.

Despite the prevalence of project-based work in academic libraries, there is a notable variance among academic libraries in their application of formal project management methods. This scoping review examines peer-reviewed academic literature to uncover examples of formal project management methods, techniques, and tools being utilized in academic libraries in order to identify broader trends about the methodologies used, the settings in which they are applied, and the successes or challenges the libraries have experienced. The study concludes with recommendations for future research and a call for a more rigorous integration of project management training in library science education, to better prepare librarians for the increasingly project-oriented nature of library work.