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Descriptors:
Theory Practice Relationship; Cooperation; Foreign Countries; Research Design; Research and Development; Case Studies; Interviews; Information Science; Libraries; Library Science; Librarians; Information Technology; Technology Uses in Education

Abstract:
The purpose of this article is to suggest commons-based peer production as a form of work that can help bridge the gap between research and practice in LIS. The research design is based on two in-depth and longitudinal qualitative case studies of collaborative projects involving LIS academics and practitioners in Italy. Analysis of interviews and texts was conducted to study the interplay between sociotechnical aspects of work organization and the activities of the actors. The results suggest similarities between the collaborative projects analysed and peer-production activities. This study relies on two cases which cannot be considered either typical or representative of collaboration between LIS academics and practitioners in Italy. The paper offers the opportunity to stimulate a discussion on collaboration between researchers and practitioners in LIS, and on the potential applicability of peer production to support new forms of collaboration in small-scale, distributed, and unfunded or underfunded projects. (Contains 2 tables and 7 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Foreign Countries; Developing Nations; Homeless People; Emergency Shelters; Nongovernmental Organizations; Motivation Techniques; Educational Technology; Children; Program Descriptions; Program Effectiveness; Capacity Building; Vocational Education; Informal Education; Training Methods; Access to Education; Enrollment; Adults; Library Services; Health Services; Libraries; Legal Aid; Documentaries; Video Technology; Educational Objectives; Reading Habits; Reading Motivation; Poverty; Community Centers; Community Education; Community Programs; Community Services; Community Information Services; Academic Libraries; Library Materials; Library Role; Community Development

Abstract:
Each night, around 20,000 people--both adults and children--make the streets of Dhaka (the capital city of Bangladesh) their home. Living amongst the noise, rubbish, and traffic, thousands of families walk down the streets of Dhaka, looking for a safe place to rest for just a few hours each night. Trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, the pavement dwellers are amongst the most vulnerable people in Bangladesh. Pavement dwellers can be found in ferry landings, train stations, bus stations, market centers, religious shrines, parks, and on footpaths. There are very few organizations which are serving for them. CWW (Concern Worldwide) (one of the International Non-government Organizations) and DCC (Dhaka City Corporation) have jointly come forward to support 10,000 pavement dwellers through dedicated pavement dweller centres, providing them with the opportunity to make their own choices for a better future. It will also establish sustainable services for providing basic functional education for 900 children/youth and 400 adults, psychosocial counseling for 600 children and 150 adults, market-based vocational skills training for 450 children/youth and adults, entrepreneurial skills training for 400 children/youth, and life skills education for 800 children/youth. With a view to this, the project decided to set up libraries based on their shelter centres. The project realizes that as of today in Bangladesh, the poorest communities do not have access to a library. This damages educational outcomes for many. The author has been appointed as a library consultant in that project. It is an amazing experience that based on the demand of the pavement dwellers, the author had to collect the resources and different audio-visual aids. At the beginning, the author had to face tremendous challenges to get their attention because most of the children of the pavement dwellers did not feel interest to any attractive reading books or illustrative collections. They were very much fond of watching movie, cinema, drama, cartoon, Hindi film, action film, and so on. To attract them on library resources, the author has prepared and presented different video documentaries on how river erosion affected children encouraged to read and go to school, how children sex workers become curious to create reading habit which leads them to go to school. For motivating youth pavement dwellers achieving social skills on different professions (like barber, carpenter, shopkeeper, hawker, micro-investor, cooperatives, maid-labour, day-labour, rickshaw-puller, van-driver, etc.), short video documentaries have been made and presented on different IGAs (income generating activities). Thus, libraries have turned into integral part in the lives of the pavement dwellers. The basic aim of the paper is to share the ideas on how a considerable number of children pavement dwellers have been admitted in government and public schools during the last couple of years by the help of the library services. This will reveal how the youth pavement dwellers' capacity has been increased through training and library services. It will also explain a good progress in enabling better access for pavement dwellers and their children to basic services in education, health and legal aid through library and information services. Some interesting case studies will also be discussed in this paper. (Contains 4 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Electronic Libraries; Library Services; Focus Groups; Librarians; Libraries; Surveys; Error Patterns; Web Sites; Access to Information; Information Seeking; Information Technology; Information Needs

Abstract:
This report explores the changing world of library services by exploring the activities at libraries that are already in transition and the kinds of services citizens would like to see if they could redesign libraries themselves. It is part of a larger research effort by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project that is exploring the role libraries play in people's lives and in their communities. The research is underwritten by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This report contains findings from a survey of 2,252 Americans ages 16 and above between October 15 and November 10, 2012. The surveys were administered on half on landline phones and half on cellphones and were conducted in English and Spanish. The margin of error for the full survey is plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. There were several long lists of activities and services in the phone survey. In many cases, the authors asked half the respondents about one set of activities and the other half of the respondents were asked about a different set of activities. These findings are representative of the population ages 16 and above, but it is important to note that the margin of error rises when only a portion of respondents is asked a question. There are also findings in this report that come from an online panel canvassing of librarians who have volunteered to participate in Pew Internet surveys. Some 2,067 library staff members participated in the online canvassing that took place between December 17 and December 27, 2012. No statistical results from that canvassing are reported here because it was an opt-in opportunity meant to draw out comments from patrons and librarians, and the findings are not part of a representative, probability sample. Instead, the authors highlight librarians' written answers to open-ended questions that illustrate how they are thinking about and implementing new library services. In addition, the authors quote librarians and library patrons who participated in focus groups in-person and online that were devoted to discussions about library services and the future of libraries. One batch of in-person focus groups was conducted in Chicago on September 19-20. Other focus groups were conducted in Denver on October 3-4 and in Charlotte, N.C. on December 11-12. Some 2,067 library staff members participated in the online panel. (Contains 2 tables and 10 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Web Sites; Electronic Publishing; Libraries; Librarians; Networks; Communication (Thought Transfer); Scholarship

Abstract:
The biblioblogosphere is comprised of the institutional publication of blogs of libraries and the personal, professionally-oriented publication of blogs by librarians. Since introduction of this neologism in 2004, a number of researchers have examined this particular class of bloggers and blogging. However, there is limited investigation into the structure and connectivity of blogs within the biblioblogosphere. This article reports a study of interlinkage patterns within a sample of 1,604 biblioblogs. Findings suggest the biblioblogosphere conforms to the locally dense, globally sparse structure of blog networks established by previous studies of other blog types. The majority of blogs within the sample did not link to any other sampled blog. Those that did tended to cluster according to library type, blog subject, or geographical proximity. About one-third of the interlinked blogs were located within a single, massive component (that is, a networked group of blogs), while the rest were in smaller networks of two or three nodes. Personal biblioblogs, characterized as blogs published by individuals independently of an institution, are more likely to be located within a more densely populated network than institutional blogs. These findings indicate that "personal-professional" bibliobloggers are actively shaping the structure of the library blogosphere, while institutional blogs demonstrate much less overall connectivity. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Females; Access to Information; Information Needs; Womens Education; Foreign Countries; Nongovernmental Organizations; Economic Status; Socioeconomic Status; Information Centers; Resource Centers; Empowerment; Case Studies; Financial Support; Technological Advancement; Libraries; Information Technology

Abstract:
In the last few decades, there has been steady increasing awareness of the need to empower women in order to improve their socioeconomic status to be able to cope and also contribute effectively in this period of economic crisis. ATI (access to information) provision is a vital factor in empowerment, thus, many organizations, such as library, resource centres, and NGOs (non-governmental organizations), have been involved in empowering women in Nigeria. The paper examines the various programmes/services of the libraries, resource centres, and NGOs in meeting the socio-economic and political information needs of women. It ascertains how women actually access the information provided by the NGOs (especially those that have information or documentation centres) and its impact on their socio-economic status. It also identifies the challenges of the NGOs face in providing information to empower the women. The case study research method was adopted and data for the study collected from the women (users) and management and staff of the NGO centres through questionnaire and interview, while qualitative data gathered were reported. Majority of the women using the centres had to be taught how to use new technologies like computers, laptops, ipads, and smart phones. The most used means of accessing information by the women was the radio and television, and person-to-person communication either by word of mouth or by telephone. The NGOs were discovered to be slowly but steadily gaining ground in educating the women and creating awareness among them of their potentials to do better, to be empowered, and to stand up for their rights and themselves anywhere. Constraints faced by the NGOs were mostly funding and getting enough materials, equipment, and other media needed to further empower women. They were found to be a great source of inspiration to the women especially in the rural or less urban parts of the country. Gendered information was provided in the documentation units of the NGOs and efforts were ongoing in a few of them to translate some relevant materials to local languages. (Contains 3 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Libraries; Archives; Cultural Background; Museums; Environmental Education; Library Materials; Researchers; Surveys

Abstract:
This article presents results from an IMLS-funded project to evaluate the current state of collections in Florida's libraries, archives, and museums, current practices to preserve and conserve these collections, and perceived needs to maintain and improve these collections for future generations. The survey, modeled after the Heritage Health Index national survey, demonstrated that many of Florida's collections are in desperate need of conservation and preservation and indicate a clear need for an increased effort to guarantee the continued safety of and access to these collections. In addition to providing data on Florida's collections, the results of this study have national implications that will help researchers, professionals, administrators, government agencies, and the general public better understand the nature of collecting agencies and the long-term requirements for the continued preservation and conservation of the nation's natural and cultural heritage. (Contains 13 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Health Care Costs; Well Being; Adult Literacy; Literacy; Health Promotion; Literacy Education; Health Education; Health Services; Health; Public Health; Adults; Libraries

Abstract:
The health literacy movement has been socially constructed over time. Unlike the consumer health information movement, which developed with broad public support, the health literacy movement has been fashioned primarily from the top down, initiated by policy makers and imposed on targeted populations. Interest in the health literacy movement has waxed and waned, often dependent on political agendas. In an era of increasing health care costs, it is not surprising that health literacy is once again at the forefront, given that economists and policy makers currently estimate the cost of limited health literacy in the United States to be between $1.6 to $3.6 trillion annually. Health literacy has been recognized as an issue key to the success of health care reform and to the continued advancement of the nation's status as an international leader where health and well-being are concerned. Yet, the health literacy movement has met with limited success. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Libraries; Literacy; Foreign Countries; Reading; Prose; Educational Attainment; Partnerships in Education

Abstract:
The alarming statistic that just under half (46%) of adult Australians cannot read confidently was a stimulus for Australian libraries to found the National Year of Reading (NYR). The idea for this campaign was based on the success of the United Kingdom's National Year of Reading (National Literacy Trust 2008), a campaign that aimed to build a greater national passion for reading. In Australia, the initiative began with libraries and has subsequently been well supported by government as a key strategy contributing to the goal of a "Literate Nation" (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012). This article explains literacy rates in Australia, explores the aims of the National Year of Reading in 2012 and describes how, through its activities, it is contributing to making Australia a nation of readers. The article also considers more generally how libraries contributed to this aim, and how the campaign aims to improve the literacy landscape in Australia. (Contains 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Information Literacy; Evaluation Methods; School Libraries; Reading; Libraries; Literacy; Evaluation; Case Studies; Foreign Countries; Librarians

Abstract:
This paper reports the implementation results of the Portuguese School Libraries Evaluation Model, more specifically the results of primary schools self-evaluation of their libraries' reading promotion and information literacy development activities. School libraries that rated their performance as either "Excellent" or "Poor" have been purposefully selected as case studies. Following a QUAN-QUAL approach to data collection and analysis, we first present the results of two surveys designed respectively to understand how students relate to reading and information access, production and communication in the context of the school library provision, and to map teachers' perceptions on school libraries' systematic promotion of reading and information literacy. In the qualitative component of the study, the evaluation reports submitted by school libraries were subject to thematic analysis to unearth meanings assigned and core concepts employed to classify school libraries' provision. The thematic analysis of reports was also used to further confirm the validity of schools' self-attributed performance levels. The paper calls for the development of an evaluation culture in school libraries, and suggests the development of an online case repository, which would operate as evaluation's interface with new organisational practices. (Contains 8 tables and 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Intellectual Freedom; Values; Ethics; Comparative Analysis; Democracy; Professional Associations; Librarians; Cultural Context; Library Associations; Library Science; Libraries; Censorship; Information Scientists

Abstract:
Thirty-six ethical codes from national professional associations were studied, the aim to test whether librarians have global shared values or if political and cultural contexts have significantly influenced the codes' content. Gorman's eight core values of stewardship, service, intellectual freedom, rationalism, literacy and learning, equity of access to recorded knowledge and information, privacy and democracy were used as a benchmark. A quantitative analysis was carried out of which values each code contained. The codes were further qualitatively analysed, to examine how each value was expressed. It was found that on average codes featured five of Gorman's eight values. The most popular values were: service, privacy, equity of access, stewardship and intellectual freedom. The least popular value was rationalism, across all codes. Some codes omitted certain values because of their specific focus, such as the Native American code. Codes varied in how values were expressed, for example some codes limited principles by law, while some did not. Expression of stewardship and democracy was found to be stronger in countries which have recently experienced conflict or colonialism. The relationship between the profession and the state was another area of variation. Countries in the Asia-Pacific put more emphasis on the power of the State. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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