Journal of Academic Librarianship最新文献

This study uncovers how university libraries contribute to research processes conducted at universities. To do so, a bibliometric and systematic analysis of the literature is presented. The review shows that the line of research on university libraries and their contribution to research is a fragmented field in constant development, with a marked tendency toward the use of qualitative methods and case studies. The original value of this work lies in the creation of a thematic map and a thematic-temporal evolutionary scheme that allows us to understand the main perspectives from which the role of libraries in supporting research activities has been approached. Three time periods that reflect different terms in the conceptualisation of the library are characterised. The study concludes with recommendations, including indications for future research that should consider larger and more diverse samples, involve researchers as the object of study and consider applying quantitative or mixed methods.

A community of practice for instruction librarians is essential to ongoing development of pedagogical knowledge, fostering community, and cultivating meaningful teaching practices. This article describes the development of a community of practice for new and experienced instruction librarians to help them grow in their teaching practice. Elements explored throughout this article include collaborative peer mentorship, developing a reflective practice, and support for the coordinator of instruction leading these efforts. A replicable model for effective implementation at other institutions is detailed throughout the article.

This study investigates the adoption of data analytics in Australian university libraries from the UTAUT2 perspective, focusing on the factors that influence library professionals' acceptance of analytics. As technology advances, data has become a valuable resource, and the emergence of analytics is often considered a recent development driven by accessible computing power. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on adopting analytics in Australian university libraries, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of the factors that influence university library professionals’' perceptions of adopting analytics. This research addresses the main question: What factors drive the adoption of data analytics in Australian university libraries? This qualitative study employs a single case study approach with multiple sites involving 16 university libraries and 25 participants. Data collection methods included document analysis and semi-structured interviews with university librarians and analytics experts. The results show that all UTAUT2 constructs - performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price value, and habit - influence librarians' attitudes and motivations towards adopting analytics applications. Additionally, this study reveals additional factors beyond the original UTAUT2 model, including the absence of data analytics in LIS education curriculums, algorithm training, and data privacy concerns. The study identifies various benefits of analytics adoption in university libraries, such as enhanced collection development planning, insights into user behaviour, improved financial management, and demonstrating library value. However, challenges like skill shortages, complex IT configurations, and privacy legislation must be addressed to effectively implement data analytics. The findings contribute to our understanding of user acceptance of analytics in university libraries, providing valuable insights for library administrators and analytics vendors. By applying the UTAUT2 model, this research enriches our knowledge of technology adoption in the context of university libraries' analytics.

In the ever-evolving social media landscape, Instagram has transcended from a mere image-sharing platform to a dynamic space for academic libraries to engage with their communities. Following the increased utilization of this platform, several studies have tried to unravel the interplay between nuanced content aspects and follower engagement, but the results are cursory and contradicting. Aiming to address these shortcomings, we conducted an in-depth analysis of 1681 posts from 120 academic libraries' Instagram profiles worldwide to explore the following: content volume and posting frequency; qualitative content aspects such as post categories, characters length, hashtags usage, emojis frequency, and post types; and possible correlations between these content aspects and follower post interaction rates. Our findings uncovered notable disparities in interaction rates among 14 distinct post categories, with content structure characteristics showing minimal influence on these rates. By shedding light on the association between aspects of content structure and follower interaction, the study contributes to the development and optimization of academic libraries' social media strategy, policy redefinition, staff knowledge and practical skills improvement to manage social media, while also opening new research avenues in Instagram utilization in the academic library context.

In our previous study on potentially predatory journal (PPJ) use by undergraduate students, we found that 0.34 % of their journal citations were from PPJ. We could not determine where students found them, or if they knew they used them, and no similar study has been published. In three focus groups we asked twelve students about their research habits, how they choose articles for their papers, and their knowledge about peer review, Open Access (OA), and PPJ. An analysis of their bibliographies showed that none of them used PPJ in their assignments. Using a mixed methods approach and classical content analysis, we found that they search library-linked databases and Google Scholar, use critical thinking skills to choose articles, place importance on peer review, know little about OA and less about PPJ, and expect quality control for information accessed through the library.

While humor's use in the higher education classroom has been widely studied, research on the use, implications, and impact of humor rarely include instruction librarians. In addition to the already subjective nature of humor, factors such as gender and library anxiety complicate the ways in which students might perceive a librarian's humor. Accordingly, opportunities for further research on librarians' use of humor are abundant. By synthesizing and contextualizing existing instructional humor research, this article seeks to highlight research opportunities on the use of humor among instruction librarians.

Use-driven and needs-driven acquisitions methods, such as Patron-Driven Acquisitions (PDA) programs for print materials, have become widely established in academic libraries. Though largely favorable, much of the relevant published research has, of necessity, reported the results of pilot and recently adopted programs. These studies have reported that patron-requested and -accessed materials tend to produce more usage than materials acquired via traditional methods, but recent research has suggested that some output measures may equalize with traditionally acquired materials' results over time. To address this potential issue, the current study will explore whether the circulation advantage of one academic library's PDA books has persisted over the long term when compared to the performances of subject-matched samples of librarians' firm orders and of approval plan selections. Additionally, the study will test whether the higher circulation performance of PDA books persists after a pilot interval. Finally, to address colleagues' objections that early circulation counts offer an inadequate measure for patron use over the longer term, especially for books in the arts and humanities, this study will repeat its analyses for circulations plus renewals. To obtain a clearer understanding of the potential effects of books' acquisition modes, this study will include books' broad disciplines, prices paid for the books, and time spent as part of the collection as control variables.

This research aims to explore Internet of Things (IoT) applications in medical libraries of Pakistan. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, the study unfolds in two phases. Initially, quantitative data was gathered from 63 medical librarians throughout Pakistan. Subsequently, in the second phase, 10 medical librarians were purposefully selected for in-depth interviews. The findings reveal that medical libraries in Pakistan utilize a limited range of IoT-based appliances and services, including smart air conditioners, automatic fire alarms, intelligent hand sanitizer dispensers, automated notifications for circulation desk activities, and smart gates to track people. Pakistani medical librarians acknowledge several advantages of IoT applications, such as cost savings, remote access to library resources, and enhanced monitoring and security of library premises. Moreover, the study sheds light on challenges faced by medical libraries in Pakistan, encompassing the expenses associated with IoT applications, data security and privacy issues, the necessity for a highly integrated environment, and a shortage of skilled personnel. The study promises to be the first comprehensive survey of IoT applications in Pakistani medical libraries. The research findings will assist medical libraries and administrators in integrating IoT applications in medical libraries not just in Pakistan, but also in other developing nations.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the healthcare landscape, including the role of medical libraries. Understanding medical head librarians' perceived AI literacy and its potential impact on work performance is crucial for successful AI integration within medical institutions. This research aims to address this gap in knowledge by investigating the perceived AI literacy and its impact on the work performance of medical head librarians in Pakistan. The research adopted a quantitative survey method, utilizing a census method to approach the medical head librarians in Pakistan. Data collection was conducted through an online questionnaire administered to 124 medical head librarians employed in institutions recognized by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The findings indicated that the medical head librarians displayed high levels of perceived AI literacy and work performance. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that AI literacy had a statistically significant and positive impact on work performance, suggesting that as medical head librarians' AI literacy increases, so does their work performance. These results provide valuable insights for governing bodies of medical institutions, AI developers, and other relevant stakeholders. The outcomes suggest that investing in AI-related training for medical librarians, creating user-friendly AI interfaces, and providing additional support from AI developers could play a crucial role in effectively implementing AI for information management in medical education in Pakistan. This study makes a significant contribution to the existing literature by addressing the paucity of research on AI literacy among medical librarians. Further research could deepen the understanding of AI literacy's impact on work performance and explore the mechanisms driving this relationship, offering additional guidance for policymakers and educators in enhancing AI-related skills among medical librarians.

Scientific data is an important strategic resource under the fourth research paradigm. With the increasing demand for scientific data, it has become a consensus in the academic community that scientific data reuse can bring value to scientific research. This paper elaborates the generation mechanism of scientific data reuse behavior, deeply analyzes the mechanism of scientific data reuse behavior on scientific research innovation performance, and the moderating effect of scientific data services on scientific data reuse behavior.