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The study aims to expand the literature on evaluating the performance of professionals and academic libraries, rationalizing management and providing reliable services to the academic community. The performance assessment model covers the four components (management competence, professional experience, financial add/projects and library services) in the context of the knowledge management model.

Based on quantitative data, the study defines a set of assumptions for testing the four components of performance evaluation within a knowledge management framework to develop appropriate and robust models for improving employee performance and library services. The structural equation model has been applied to sample data from 339 administrative librarians at 190 universities in Pakistan.

Statistical evidence confirms that the applicability of the proposed performance-based model enhances management competence, makes accurate decisions, develops professional skills and strengthens human resource organization and knowledge management techniques in developing the efficiency of academic libraries.

In the long term, academic leaders and policymakers value investment in the professional development of top library management as they participate in the decision-making process. Organizing training for service employees, supporting innovative research projects and providing library technology infrastructures ultimately improve academic performance and research when integrated into the knowledge management model.

So far, comprehensive literature on performance and knowledge management has been published separately. However, based on the key data collected by senior library administrators using the structured research questionnaire, the comprehensive performance evaluation research based on a knowledge management model is innovative to improve academic library services and close the literature gap.

This study aims to measure the acceptance of digital resources by integrating knowledge management (KM) factors (i.e. acquisition, sharing, application and protection) into the factors of the technology acceptance model (TAM) (i.e. perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness) and their impact on actual system use through behavioural intention.

Using the quantitative research method, a survey was conducted of the public sector universities of Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected from postgraduate students and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

The findings showed that the factors of KM with the integration of TAM significantly impact the acceptance of digital resources. The study’s hypotheses are all supported, and the findings demonstrated that knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, knowledge application and knowledge protection significantly influenced perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and that these factors are positively correlated with behavioural intentions to use digital resources.

This study has considerable significant implications for policymakers, developers and practitioners in designing digital resources. This study will also assist librarians to discover areas for development that may enhance the use of digital resources among users

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the views and capabilities of librarians for the implementation of Big Data analytics in academic libraries of Pakistan. The study also sets out to check the relationship between the required skills of librarians and the application of Big Data analytics.

A survey was conducted to gather the required data from the targeted audience. The targeted population of the study was Head/In charge library managers of Pakistani university libraries, which were 173 in total. All the respondents (academic librarians) were invited through an e-mail to respond to the survey voluntarily. Out of 173 respondents from higher education commission of Pakistan chartered university libraries, 118 librarians (68.2 percent) completed the survey that was finally considered, and after checking data, recommendation for analysis was made. To analyze the collected data, statistical technique Pearson correlation was applied using statistical package for social science version 25 to know the strength of the mutual correlation of variables.

The findings of the study show a strong correlation between the required competencies and skills of librarians for the implementation of Big Data analytics in academic libraries. In all variables of the study, the correlation was highly significant, except two of the variables, including “concept of Big Data” and “different forms of data.” The study also reveals that most of the respondents were well aware of the concept of Big Data analytics. Moreover, they were using a large amount of data to carry out various library operations, including the acquisition, preservation, curation and analysis of data.

This study is significant in the sense that it fills a substantial gap in the literature regarding the perspective of librarians on Big Data analytics.

Digital library database resources have a significant impact on stimulating the research culture in higher education. The use of digital databases makes it possible to understand intellectual growth, research productivity, planning and identification of user information needs. Evaluating the effectiveness of user database resource utilization and research, the purpose of this study is to assist management in developing an excellent academic policy.

This study establishes a quantitative method to analyze the productivity of academic research using digital databases. The secondary data extracted from the databases of 52 universities provided by Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the literature published on the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science. The statistical technique simple linear regression was used to analyze the data for understanding the impact of independent variables the “digital databases” on the dependent variable “research productivity”.

The result of the coefficient of multiple determination, R-squared, R² 0.679, indicated 67 per cent impact of the predictor on the outcome variable. However, the standardized coefficient Beta 0.824 revealed 82 per cent impact of the individual predictor on the outcome variable. Overall, the result of linear regression showed a significant effect of independent variables on the dependent variable. Besides, the result of correlation and the strength of association between the database resources and the academic publication was significant (p < 0.005).

This research work is a supportive tool for managing gaps and promoting the development of necessary measures to develop strategies and solutions to create a better academic environment. The ultimate use of standard database resources can foster higher academic research to develop innovative ideas and improve researchers’ cognitive abilities.

From Pakistan’s point of view, this study is the first one that gives insight into the intellectual growth of young researchers in higher education. The study provides first-hand information on the use of database resources and their significant impact on the productivity of academic research.

The purpose of this paper is to present a quantitative analysis of the Library and Information Science (LIS) scholarly literature published worldwide.

The ISI Web of Science database was used as a source for extracting the data of published documents during the period 2003–2017. The analysis of the published literature was based on the following indicators: research productivity of each county, annual publications, annual citations, highly cited articles, highly cited LIS journals, most productive institutions in the field of LIS and most prolific authors. The types of documents included in this study were research articles, conference proceeding papers, book reviews and editorials.

The findings revealed that the USA had the highest overall output of LIS scholarly publications. The year 2016 was identified as the most productive year for the number of publications, whereas 2017 was identified as the most productive year for the number of citations. “Impact of data sources on citation counts and rankings of LIS faculty: Web of Science versus Scopus and Google Scholar” was the most highly cited article. The Journal of Medical Library Association was the most highly cited journal in LIS. Indiana University from the USA was the most productive LIS research institution. Mike Thelwall, from the UK, is identified as the most prolific author in LIS.

The study will be of interest for those researchers, who intend to conduct bibliometric research studies in LIS.

The purpose of this study is to provide a bibliometric analysis of knowledge management (KM) literature published in the field of library and information science. KM is a systematic process of acquisition, extraction, organization and dissemination of knowledge in any organization. This study will help identify trends, emerging concepts and innovations in this particular field.

The data set of the study consists of 6,088 published documents the authors obtained from the ISI Web of Science database during 1900 and 2017. The analysis of literature about the library and information science consisted of five categories including productive institutions, prolific authors, annual publications, citations and highly cited articles. The documents included in this study include research papers, conference papers, reviews, book reviews and editorials.

The study found that the USA leads the world regarding the number of research publications in the area of KM in the field of library and information science. Considering the publication period, 2007, 2012 and 2016-2017 are the most productive years regarding publications in this particular field; the number of citations has been increasing over the years. The study also found that Nanyang Polytechnic University is the most productive research institution and Blanca Martins from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia is the most prolific researcher in this specific field.

This study provides a detailed bibliometric analysis of KM literature published in the field of library and information science. This study is an excellent example for researchers who are interested in conducting bibliometric studies.

In the past, the field of public libraries proved to be a neglected area of government in terms of allocating handsome budgets for adequate services and developing infrastructure. The aim of this research is (1) to understand the level of library professionals and associated challenges in the preparation and implementation of the budget in public libraries and (2) to analyze the annual grand and regular library budget allocated to public libraries.

A comprehensive literature search was carried out from work published in the past – the quantitative study based on a structured research questionnaire followed by the five-point Likert scale. The primary data were collected by distributing printed questionnaires among the library professionals serving in the directorate of public libraries and its suboffices. The secondary data “Budget Grand” for seven years (2009–2015) and the regular budget for two years (2015–2016) were collected from seven public libraries, and data on the district population and literacy rate were obtained from the provincial bureau of statistics. The authors used the one-way ANOVA on primary data to determine the average difference between samples and descriptive statistics on secondary data.

Survey results show that budgeting is a useful tool for predicting the future, controlling resources and improving employee performance and departmental levels. The findings disclosed that the annual budget review includes guidelines for implementation without adequate discussion and guidance for overcoming challenges. In addition to increasing print and database resources, currency fluctuations, unfair resource allocation and budgeting processes proved to be a potential obstacle to the execution of the library budget. Moreover, library material usage and regular membership are decreasing compared to literacy rates in each district of the province. It also turned out that the limited resources in a library compared to the population and the insufficient budget for operation, maintenance and other library processes posed another challenge for the administration.

The results, which are based on the primary data of experts and the secondary data on the library budget, can help the directorate of public libraries to push ahead with budgetary reforms and overcome challenges.

This article outlines some basic steps for librarians, publishers and sellers to cope with changes caused by currency fluctuations and falling budget pressures. Given the regional population, literacy gaps and the current state of libraries, the results could also cause the government to expand the public library network across the province.

The study builds upon the qualitative method using a questionnaire and on the secondary data for an in-depth understanding of the whole budgetary process. This comprehensive coverage of the budgeting process provides professionals with useful information in preparing a balanced budget for public libraries.

This paper aims to measure the adoption of big data analytics (BDA) to achieve sustainability in services being offered in university libraries in Pakistan.

The study applied a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) as a framework and used quantitative data collection and analysis method. In total, 246 university library professionals were surveyed using a questionnaire consisting of UTAUT factors. The gathered data were analyzed using partial least structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The results showed that performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE) and social influence (SI) significantly impacted the behavioral intention (BI) to adopt BDA. Facilitating conditions (FCs) have a statistically significant influence on the adoption of big data in libraries, while BDA has a statistical influence on the sustainability of library services (SLS).

BDA assists libraries in making better decisions about demand-driven collection creation, library space management, usage tracking, and quality maintenance in routine and repetitive library tasks such as cataloging, indexing, archiving, administration, preservation and representation. BDA supports libraries in making more cost-effective, innovative, user-oriented services, resource transferring, social identity, resource utilization, healthier user experience, strategic planning, informed decision-making and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

The foundation of this study is based on information gathered from various sources and university libraries in Punjab to better understand the challenges associated with using BDA for the SLS in Pakistan.

The purpose of this bibliometric analysis is to quantify the prominence and impact of published literature within the field. The research has been conducted with the intent of obtaining the expansion and characteristics of the literature on digital library.

More than 4,206 documents found in the period of 2002-2016 were collected from the ISI Web of Science and were analyzed to explore the annual productivity, yearly citation, most cited articles, prolific authors, eminent journals of the subject, productivity of institutes and contribution of countries. These results are based on the types of documents (articles, reviews, proceedings papers, book reviews, editorial materials and book chapters).

The core findings are that the most productive year of publication was 2016, and the growth of citation increased rapidly; the top source of title is electronic library. The result shows that the USA dominates in the research output, with Illinois University securing the first position; the most prolific author is Fourie I from South Africa. In the document types category, the most cited sources are research articles.

This research is useful for the researchers interested in the field of bibliometrics as it postulates an inclusive indication of provenance in the field of library and information science.

The purpose of this paper is to appraise the possible response outcomes (no response, fear control or danger control) of a fear-based message on falling behind current medical knowledge among health-care professionals (HCPs).

This study was conducted using a quantitative research design. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2,873 health-care facilities across 36 districts of Punjab. The Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) provided a theoretical framework for this study. The important components to EPPM such as threat, efficacy and outcomes were used to collect the data. The collected data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.

HCPs perceived high susceptibility and threat of falling behind current medical knowledge. A majority of the HCPs were at the danger control process and engaged in a behavior that is recommended for adaptive behavioral changes. Clinical experience and enrollment in post-graduation programs (e.g. FCPS, MCPS) were significant factors as to HCPs’ perceived response efficacy.

The responses were obtained using a structured questionnaire, which is always subject to respondents’ personal biases and ability to understand the question’s statement.

This study has important implications in terms of introducing promotional, educational and logistical interventions that could help in HCPs overcoming the fear of falling behind current medical knowledge and develop productive and adoptive information behavior thus improving patient care and outcome.

This is the first large-scale empirical study in Pakistan that measured the level of threat and efficacy among HCPs using the EPPM. It proposes a framework for developing long-lasting adaptive information behavioral changes that may result in informed patient care and better decision-making.