Journal of Academic Librarianship最新文献

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.

Noise and distractions are commonly associated with stress. Our objective was to identify the impact of noise and distracting environments on the stress levels of library patrons, as measured by wearable devices. In this study, we explored the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and skin temperature measures using consumer wearable devices. Additionally, we analyzed our data through the perspective of established personas for library patrons to determine if purpose in visiting the library had any effect on observed stress. For those who were expected to be more stressed, there was no significant difference between loud and quiet conditions. Our results showed that patrons in both quiet and loud conditions were significantly more stressed than their baseline measurements outside of the library, but equally so. This was consistent even accounting for differing purpose in library attendance. Our findings suggest that noisy environments in the library may not be as problematic for library patrons as is often perceived.

Abstract

Burnout is a pervasive problem in libraries; however, little empirical evidence exists to demonstrate burnout's extent and to assist in identifying evidence-based solutions. As far as quantitative analysis of burnout is concerned, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) has been a primary tool for measuring burnout among human services workers. However, the tool is proprietary and can be cost-prohibitive for large samples or small/non-existent budgets. As we consider the measurement of burnout as a field, open tools are better aligned with the values of librarianship, and free tools are better aligned with the resources available for conducting research or internal assessments. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) is a non-commercial, free, and easy-to-administer tool for measuring burnout across three dimensions: personal, work-related, and client-related. The CBI presents a cost-effective alternative to the MBI which may be particularly enticing for academic library leaders and researchers. This study assesses the psychometric properties, including factor structure and scale reliability, to contribute to demonstrating construct validity of the CBI among academic librarians in the United Studies using a probability sample stratified by institutional Carnegie classifications and geographic region.

Confirmatory Factory Analysis (CFA) is used the examine the factor structure and model fit of five models for the CBI: a correlated three factors model, a correlated two factors model (using work-related and client-related burnout), and three single factor models for each of the three independent subscales (personal, work-related, and client-related burnout). The factorial validity and model fit for the five models demonstrated in the study are reasonable, suggesting that the items in the three scales are successfully measuring the latent constructs (personal burnout, work-related burnout, and client-related burnout), which contributes to construct validity. The expected relationship between the observed variables (the items in the measurement model) and the latent constructs is supported by the CFA analyses. While other examinations of validity, including other aspects of construct validity, should also be examined, the findings support the use of the CBI for measurement of burnout among academic librarians.

This article approximates the concept of Critical Information Literacy based on the Educability project: Building the Capacity of Educators & Librarians in Information Literacy. Funded by the European Union and conducted between 2020 and 2023 by four European universities, this project aims to address contemporary socio-technological challenges through information literacy training. Methodology encompasses a literature review, analysis of target audience needs, and a Delphi study to assess the proposed curriculum design. This paper focuses on the current dimension of Critical Information Literacy, emphasizing its role in promoting equity, preventing misinformation, and fostering critical thinking in an evolving digital environment. Findings reveal a progression in defining Critical Information Literacy, emphasizing the promotion of critical thinking and engagement with information sources, urging individuals to question established practices. Through a Delphi study involving experts, key definitions were evaluated and categorized, informing the development of a training course. The study underscores the evolving role of academic librarians in facilitating critical engagement with information amidst societal changes. It also highlights the importance of addressing emerging digital challenges, such as misinformation and algorithmic bias, through innovative educational approaches. Overall, the research contributes to advancing Critical Information Literacy and digital skills training, fostering informed citizenship and social responsibility.

Predatory publishing poses significant challenges to academic integrity and progress. It requires the involvement of academic institutions, funding bodies, and policymakers to establish robust evaluation mechanisms and promote ethical publishing practices. This study examines the effectiveness of implementing promotion policies to discourage unethical academic publishing, focusing on Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. This study analyses 273 promotion applications submitted from January 2022 to November 2023, regardless of approval. The results show that researchers at KNUST submit relatively more publications to recommended outlets after the implementation of the new promotion guidelines. Moreover, with nine out of ten non-verified publications found to be from predatory journals, the verification process effectively discourages publication such outlets. Our study therefore confirms that the verification process can identify predatory publication outlets. Consequently, it is recommended that research institutions eliminate incentives for publishing in questionable outlets through publication criteria as part of promotion standards.

In the past decade, academic libraries have adjusted their approaches to codify their digital collections metadata standards. At the core of these efforts were conscious editing and reparative metadata initiatives that embraced, at varying levels based on the institution, ethical standards that provided inclusive terminology, addressed historic racist and sexist terms by placing them in context with contemporary language, and improved accessibility by using subject-specific thesauri outside the Library of Congress' controlled vocabularies. Dozens of academic, special, and public libraries have published guides to focused on these issues over the past four years. The approach can be time consuming or feel overwhelming as institutions attempt to boil down what the process of conducting conscious editing or reparative metadata work entails, who is qualified to do the work, and how to evaluate the impacts of such work. At the University of South Florida Libraries, our efforts to improve our overall metadata standards incorporated conscious editing as a guiding framework that, over the course of four years, evolved into a multi-departmental effort aimed at the strategic goal of increasing the accessibility of our collections in the broadest definition of the term.