Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Digitization Of Archival Collections In Africa For Scholarly Communication: Issues, Strategies, And Challenges, Brendan Eze Asogwa

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Experience and observations have revealed that most archives and libraries in Africa today are filled with materials recorded in analogue formats and the traditional or analogue librarians and archivists are those who are still carrying out the tasks of acquiring, organizing, and preserving the print documents and helping the readers in locating the information they need.

In developing countries this picture has rapidly changed due to the influence of advances in computer technology. The physical materials are gradually giving way to electronic print, and online public access catalogue (OPAC) is obliterating the needs for users to physically visit the library …

Rural Youth’S Perceptions Of Information Sources And Rural Library Services, Norshila Shaifuddin, Masitah Ahmad, Wan Nor Haliza Wan Mokhtar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

It has been recognized that youth populations are the capital for nation building. According to the Malaysian National Census (2000) about 60% of Malaysian youth (age 15-29) are concentrated in the rural areas. This population as already known is a valuable asset for the successor of country development. They are believed to be the agents of change for economic and social growth of the society. They can play an active role for the development of themselves and their environment. They should be actively involved in giving their expertise and assistance in various fields such as education, business, rural industries and …

Indian Lis Literature In International Journals With Specific Reference To Ssci Database: A Bibliometric Study, Pallab Pradhan, Rajesh Chandrakar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Scholarly communication is the process by which scholars and scientists conduct their research and make that research works and results known to the world. It plays an important role for the advancement of knowledge and a scholar's future prospect. History is the witness about the changing process of scholarly communication from oral representation to written, than to print, and now to the electronic (on-line).

In the formal process of scholarly communication; researchers, basis on the work of others, write up their own research findings and give those research papers essentially without charge to publishers. In turn, publishers manage the peer-review …

An Exploratory Study Of Indian Science And Technology Publication Output, G. Buchandiran

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The contribution of a nation to research promotes the knowledge building process. Understanding the research contribution of a nation is the basic component in science policy. In reality, science auditing is a complex process. The science policy makers employ a large number of science indicators - not all are equally important. Metrics employed in this study are not comprehensive as they are limited to scientific publications. Science auditing is not confined to a small set of indicators. To arrive at a broad science policy, we need to use many other indicators.

The paper presents the data and analyses and the …

Information Communication Techonology (Ict) Use As A Predictor Of Lawyers’ Productivity, J.E. Owoeye

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Information Communication Technology (ICT) is an umbrella term that includes all technologies for the manipulation and communication of information. The work of legal practitioners involves a high level of documentation and information processing, storage, and retrieval. The information intensiveness of a lawyer’s responsibility is such that tools and technologies that would speed up the documentation, management and information handling are not only important but professionally necessary. The value of accuracy, correctness, completeness, relevance and timeliness are characteristics of information which ICT systems do generate to meet lawyer’s information needs.

The role of lawyers in any society is essential. In the …

The School Library As A Foundational Step To Childrens’ Effective Reading Habits, Isaac Oluwadare Busayo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Reading is recognized as an art capable of transforming man’s life and his entire society. However, in the state of the World Children Report by (UNICEF,1999), it was stated that nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or write their names. The Hindu newspaper (2004) also put forward that in an age when browsing the net, playing with funky handsets and passing non-stop SMSs seem to be the order of the day, reading a book in a peaceful corner of a library has become an archaic idea for most people. While technology is slowly …

Internet Use By Social Scientists At The Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan: A Survey, Rubina Bhatti, Mahe Bushra Asghar, Sarwat Mukhtar, Tariq M. Chohan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan South Punjab, Pakistan

Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan was established in 1975 by an act of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. To pay tribute to the Great Saint Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya, the name was changed in 1979. The University offers a wide range of programmes: M.A., M.Sc. MBA, M.Com., MCS, M.Phil and Ph.D. It is divided into seven faculties: Faculty of Arts and social Sciences, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Business Administration, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Islamia Studies and Languages, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Veterinary Science (Prospectus, 2009 p.14).

Bahauddin Zakariya University Library, Multan

The library …

The Rising Population Of Aliterates In Nigerian Schools: Role Of School Libraries, Julie E. Ilogho

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Nigeria can become a major force in Africa and indeed the world, if proper policies and structures are in place to entrench good reading culture. The rising population of reluctant readers in this age of information explosion is disturbing. Chinelo (2010) in The Nation Newspaper of May 27th noted that no society can develop more than the knowledge base of its citizens. He decried the dying culture of reading among children as leaders of tomorrow. This is the pathetic state of the Nigerian society. It is either Nigerians are not reading or if they do, do so reluctantly.

Nigeria as …

Trends In The Use Of E-Journals: A Case Study Of Pec University Of Technology, Chandigarh, Seema Vasishta, Panjab University Chandigarh, India

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Journals constitute an important part of a library collection being the most important vehicle for global scholarly communication. Tremendous developments in ICT in the recent years have given amazing boost to electronic publishing. As a result the information which is being generated at intense pace from all the directions world wide for all the themes is now being published in form of electronic journals (e-journals). Anyone with access to a computer equipped with a modem and suitable software can produce and distribute an e-journal through a computer network, thus journal publishing is being democratized. Usually, e-journals are published as electronic …

Business Planning, Information Preference, And Information Use As Factors In Banking Operations In Nigeria, A. A. Salman

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The banking industry in Nigeria has been faced with enormous challenges that affect performance, management, and reliability. There are 24 banks in Nigeria today. These banks are referred to as consolidated banks. They emerged after the recapitalisation initiative of the central bank of Nigeria in 2005. Specifically, the central bank of Nigeria (CBN) raised the minimum capital requirement for each bank in Nigeria to N 25billion. This study is mindful of the recent efforts by the federal government of Nigeria to recapitalise and reconsolidate banking operations, which may reduce the number of licensed banks in Nigeria by ten. Banks constitute …

Rural Farmers' Problems Accessing Agricultural Information: A Case Study Of Nsukka Local Government Area Of Enugu State, Nigeria, Nnenna A. Obidike

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Rural farmers account for the greater part of the population of any developing country such as Nigeria. Governments of developing countries have a major responsibility of ensuring that there is adequate rural development in their various communities and local governments which would lead to effective and efficient agricultural systems that will not only supply food and animal protein but also foster the utilization of natural resources in a sustainable manner (CGIAR, 1995). When the rural farmers lack access to knowledge and information that would help them achieve maximum agricultural yield, they are not only grope in the dark but are …

Students' Level Of Study And User Of Library Resources In Nigerian Universities: A Comparative Study, Idayat Odunola Agboola, Olusola Bamidele Bamigboye

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examined the level of study of students and use of library resources in three Nigerian Universities. The study sample population comprises 1300 students in the three universities. Only one research question were posed. The instrument used for data collection in this study was questionnaire. The major findings of the study revealed that use of library resources increase as the level of students increases at University of Ibadan (U.I) and University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB) while only year three students used more library resources at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) as compared to the two other Universities. The study recommends …

Mapping Of Tapioca (Sago) Research In India: A Scientometric Analysis, R. Balasubramani, C. Murugan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study has been carried out to analyze the research field of Sago in terms of publication output as per science citation index database between 1978 and 2010. A quantitative analysis on the countries and organizations that contribute in the field of Sago is presented. The data shows increase in the basic research activity in this research field. During 1973- 2010, a total of 447 papers were published by the scientists in the field of sago. The average number of citation per year is 11.76%.The highest number of papers was published in 2008. There were 26 countries involved in research …

Application Of Information Technology To Library Services At The Federal University Of Technology, Akure Library, Ondo State, Nigeria, Abdulwahab Olanrewaju Issa, Agun Emmanuel Ayodele, Usman Abubakar, Mulikat Bola Aliyu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

It has been observed that the application of Information Technology to services delivery in tertiary institutions’ libraries in Nigeria is scanty thereby making its effects restricted. This study is therefore, geared towards investigating the effects of Information Technology applications on library services and use at the Federal University of Technology Akure if these facilities are available and put into effective use. In order to successfully carry out this study, a survey research method was adopted using questionnaire and interview as the major instruments for data collection. This was complemented by personal observation. Descriptive statistical method was used for data presentation, …

Job Descriptions Of Government Librarians In Pakistan, Saima Qutab, Farzana Shafique

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Libraries all over the world are facing diversified service challenges posed by a mix of traditional information seekers and Google generation’s call of technology features. These multi-facet demands and kinds of users’ community have increased the list of responsibilities and skills required by the librarians. Selection of right person for the right job is the greatest challenge for library administration. This includes two main elements; nature of job descriptions defined or advertised by the administration and the availability of required human resources in the market. Only the right mix of these two essentials can ensure the selection of appropriate personnel …

Use Of Information Resources And Services At Delhi Public Library (Dpl): A Survey, Sunil Tyagi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This research sought to determine the use of Information Resources and Services at Delhi Public Library, Delhi. A well structured 120 questionnaires were distributed among DPL users during the academic session 2010-11 to find out the use Information Resources and Services at Delhi Public Library. The questionnaires were checked and out of 109 filled questionnaires returned 105 (96.33%) were found fit for analysis and out of which 04(03.67%) were considered unusable. The present study demonstrates and elaborates the various aspect of use of information resources and services, physical facilities available and collection of DPL. Identifies the levels of use of …

Poor Reading Habits Among Nigerians: The Role Of Libraries, A. J. Aina, J. I. Ogungbeni, J. A. Adigun, T. C. Ogundipe

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Reading stimulates imagination, encourages quick learning, and expands horizons. It encourages imagination and curiosity. Reading enhances acquisition of skills for handling complex ideas or issues. Present and future generations in Nigeria are at risk of going straight from an oral to a digital culture, skipping over the writing and reading culture in the process. The library has the responsibility of making information available in different formats to encourage reading culture among students. This paper examines the poor reading habits among present day Nigerians, especially children and youth. It also considers the important role of the library in inculcating permanent literacy …

Availability And Accessibility Of Internet Facilities In Nigerian University Libraries: A Case Study Of Two Federal Universities In South West Nigeria, Olusola Bamidele Bamigboye, Idayat Odunola Agboola

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examines the availability and accessibility of Internet facilities in two Nigerian university libraries, the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos. Three hundred copies of a questionnaire were administered to randomly-selected respondents, of which 280 (93.3%) were returned and found usable. The results showed that there is adequate Internet connectivity in the two libraries. Staff and students access the Internet with ease in their offices, hostels, and faculty libraries, and the two libraries render effective and timely services to users. The study recommends that government and university management should increase funding to universities and their libraries and …

Building Institutional Repositories In Bangladesh Using Dspace: A New Paradigm Of Scholarly Communication, M. Hossam Haider Chowdhury, Nazim Uddin, Hasina Afroz, Abdul Hayee Sameni

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Institutional Repository (IR) and Digital Library (DL), are relatively new concepts in Bangladesh. IR may be considered as the first step of open access to research output. Library professionals in Bangladesh understand and realize the benefits of open access, yet open access initiatives have been very few at higher learning institutions. The Government of Bangladesh also issued the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2009 in the Bangladesh Gazette on 6 April 2009, encouraging open access. However, there are many challenges, difficulties, resources constraints, and other limitations in establishing IR and DL. Despite these difficulties, some research organizations and institutions, such …

Digitizing Institutional Research Output Of University Of Nigeria, Nsukka, Chinwe Nwogo Ezeani, Ifeanyi J. Ezema

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper is an examination of the digital preservation of the University of Nigeria’s institutional based research outputs. After an initial fitful start the digitization initiative of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (U.N.N) has fully taken off. This paper seeks to bring out the major issues and challenges of the work through the first hand experience of members involved in the initiative. Six research questions guided the study. A twenty item questionnaire was distributed to the respondents who comprised of the total population of both librarians and the technical staff mainly from the university’s department of Management and Information Systems …

A Ten-Year Descriptive Review Of Book Acquisitions Trends, Challenges, And Current Issues In A Nigerian Medical School Library, Helen Komolafe-Opadeji

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Inadequate funding has made collection development probably the most difficult and frustrating aspect of Nigerian university librarianship. The paper is a ten-year descriptive analysis of book acquisitions in Nigeria’s premiere medical library, considering trends, issues and challenges. The study reviewed book acquisition statistics reported in the library’s annual reports between 1999-2008. The comparative ten-year book acquisitions review, led to findings such as: irregular book collections due to inadequate funding, non-active acquisitions policy, dependence on uncensored gifts and donations irrespective of their ages. Doable recommendations as regards financial and acquisitions challenges are, commercialization of some library services, soliciting current book donations …

An Investigation Of Use Of Information Sources By Social Scientists, Ajay Kumar, S. N. Singh, Akhilesh K. S. Yadav

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study is based on data collected through questionnaires given to social scientists of Mizoram University, a central university in India. Goals of the research were to investigate the use of formal and informal sources of information by social scientists; to discover the degree to which they make use of various types of information; methods used to communicate, and availability of information sources and services in Mizoram University.

Smes And Business Information Provision Strategies: Analytical Perspective, C. Okello-Obura, James Matovu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of business information provision mechanism for SMEs with a view of highlighting aspects critical in any business information provision modalities. It makes a reflection on SMEs as information user groups, highlights notable challenges faced in the business information chain and gives an account of the ICTs impact on business information provision to SMEs. To inform decision making regarding appropriate business provision, some aspects from three countries are highlighted. The guiding principles for developing effective business development services are outlined. The article concludes by a call for the adoption of serious …

Ict Facilities In University Libraries: A Study, K. S. Sivakumaren, V. Geetha, B. Jeyaprakash

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper examines ICT infrastructure available in university libraries. A majority of the libraries surveyed have automated library activities. The survey results also reveal the software and other technologies implemented in the libraries. A majority of the libraries have not introduced new services such as a digital library, e-learning service, and digitization.

Use Of It And Its Impact On Service Quality In An Academic Library, Gulam Rasul, Ashok Kumar Sahu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present research assess the impact of Information Technology (IT) on services quality as perceived by library users of IIMT, and to understand the status of IT supported resources, facilities & services in IIMT Library. The research was carried out among the students and faculty members of the IIMT. The result of the study observed gaps in customer’s perception of quality of library resources and services against their expectations. The study identifies some features that could influence customer’s expectations and their perceptions of services quality. This Study may help those libraries, who are seriously interested to develop user satisfaction by …

Reality Versus Expectations: A Survey Of University Of The Punjab's Libraries Using Servqual, Alia Arshad, Kanwal Ameen

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this study was to determine the user's priority expectations and their perceptions of quality services of university libraries. Survey method was used to assess user's perceptions and expectations. A revised version of SERVQUAL was used to determine user's perceived and expected service levels along seven point Likert scale. A sample of 390 respondents was chosen and selected using stratified random sampling through proportional allocation. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS. The results of the study revealed that respondent's priority expectations are related to knowledgeable and competent staff, library staff’s ability to develop confidence in their users, …

Library Use Education As A Correlate Of Use Of Library Resources In A Nigerian University, T. A. Ogunmodede, Gboyega Adio, O. A. Odunola

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study focused on the effective of library education as a correlate to the use of library resources in a Nigerian university. The hallmark of education is the ability of the recipient of it to put whatever they have learnt into practice. Students in Nigerian tertiary institutions are introduced to the use of library to quicken their efforts in getting and using the library resources at the quickest possible time. The study also attempts to know the extent of the use of library resources and services. The relevance of library use education to the under study population are also investigated. …

Use Of Web 2.0 And Its Implications For Libraries: Perceptions Of Information Professionals In Pakistan, Ata Ur Rehman, Farzana Shafique

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this study is to assess the use of Web 2.0 applications among information professionals in Pakistan and their perceptions about the potential use of Web 2.0 applications for designing and delivering library services. Triangular method of research has been used for this study. It is based on primary data gathered through an online survey. An online questionnaire was designed and the link was e-mailed on the three professional discussion groups/LISTSERVS (i.e. PakLAG, LibCoop and LibrarianWelfare). Initially a pilot survey was also conducted to test the validity of the tool. During the specified time more than 100 library …

Using Skos To Express Faceted Classification On The Semantic Web, Theresa Putkey

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper looks at Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) to investigate how faceted classifications can be expressed in RDF and shared on the Semantic Web. This paper first restates a definition of faceted classification, shares a faceted taxonomy, restates the definition of the Semantic Web and RDF, then looks into the SKOS standard and the PoolParty software to build a faceted taxonomy in an SKOS compliant format. This paper then discusses the research approach.

Assessment Of Information Literacy Skills Among Science Students Of Andhra University, C. Sasikala, V. Dhanraju

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Information literacy (IL) plays a prominent role in the knowledge based society; especially effective use of IT based services and collaborative learning in the various levels of the educational system. This paper presents the findings of a survey on the level of information skills among the students of higher education. The scope of the study covers various aspects like awareness about the use of library resources, both print and electronic; knowledge about various sources of information including Internet; familiarity with and use of information communication technologies and copyright and fair use of information, etc.