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This paper aims to study the after-effects of the crises hit by the Lebanese population and the solutions implemented to alleviate the ensuing problems on resource sharing in Lebanese libraries.

Questionnaire to academic libraries. Nine libraries in Lebanon offer resource sharing services; all nine are academic. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to these nine libraries; eight responded. A semi-quantitative approach was used to analyze the responses. The questionnaire was administered through Microsoft Forms. The form was designed to include dichotomous questions for the sake of quantitative analysis and a short answer format that allowed responders to provide additional details. American University of Beirut Data. The access services department at the American University of Beirut Jafet Library compiles on a daily basis interlibrary loan statistics. The compiled data were divided into two groups: duration of two fiscal years prior to June 2020; and from June 2020 to June 2022. June 2020 was used as a cutoff date after which the interlibrary loan initiatives in response to COVID-19 were implemented. The services that were analyzed were RSCVD, OCLC WorldShare ILL profiled groups, Emergency Temporary Access Service for HathiTrust members and Open Access Services from vendors.

Libraries in Lebanon were able to continue providing resource-sharing services with a minimal budget due to four major initiatives and through the help of the international resource-sharing community.

Limited publication about inter library loan in Lebanese Libraries. The pandemic hit economies worldwide; however, Lebanon got hit by three synergetic crises, and the initiatives were instrumental in drastically reducing resource sharing expenditure without affecting the interlibrary loan fill rate.

Using critical disaster studies and state theory, we assess the disaster aid platform named Lebanon Reconstruction, Reform and Recovery Framework (3RF) that was put in place by international donors in the aftermath of the Beirut Port Blast in August 2020, in order to examine the effectiveness of its inclusive decision-making architecture, as well as its institutional building and legislative reform efforts.

The paper uses the case study approaach and relies on two original data sets compiled by authors, using desk reviews of academic literature and secondary data, in addition to 24 semi-structured expert interviews and participant observation for two years.

The aid platform appears innovative, participatory and effectively functioning toward recovery and reform. However, in practice, the government dismisses CSOs, undermines reforms and dodges state building, whereas the 3RF is structured in incoherent ways and operates according to conflicting logics, generating inertia and pitfalls that hinder effective participatory governance, prevent institutional building, and delay the making of projects.

The research contributes to critical scholarship as it addresses an important research gap concerning disaster aid platforms’ institutional design and governance that are under-studied in critical disaster studies and political studies. It also highlights the need for critical disaster studies to engage with state theory and vice-versa.

The research contributes to evaluations of disaster recovery processes and outcomes. It highlights the limits of disaster aid platforms’ claims for participatory decision-making, institutional-building and reforms.

The paper amplifies critical disaster studies, through the reflexive analysis of a case-study of an aid platform.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between intellectual capital (IC) and corporate governance (CG) in a university setting. In particular, the aim is to argue that the lack of good CG can lead to an inability to attract and retain IC.

The article tests the CG/IC relationship at the American University of Beirut (AUB) by surveying the perceptions of full‐time faculty members. The survey addresses, in particular, the factors that attract IC to AUB and their perception of several aspects of CG at the institution.

The results suggest that CG and IC are indeed related and that faculty members view CG as a major factor for IC attraction. Respondents also consider that existing IC enhances the institution's ability to attract more IC. However, the mixed perceptions of the governance structure in place at AUB, as revealed by faculty responses, weaken the support for a strong relation between CG and IC at the university. The results also unveil some areas to be improved in the way resources are run.

The response rate for the survey was limited. The findings may be more substantive and conclusive if the sample was larger. As the study was done for one organization only, more research is needed to further explore the relationship between CG and IC.

The paper is the first to provide empirical evidence on the influence of CG practices on attracting and retaining IC from a general as well as from an academic institution perspective.

Urban tropospheric ozone (O₃) concentrations can reach 40 folds its background level due to traffic‐induced emissions and extensive industrial activities. As such, O₃ has become a pervasive air pollution problem in urban areas despite major efforts to control its precursors. In this paper, O₃ formation mechanisms are briefly described, countrywide emissions with emphasis on O₃ precursors are summarized, and field measurements of O₃ background levels and its precursors in an urban area are presented. Simulation results using a photochemical air quality model including a sensitivity analysis with respect to design ratios and mixing heights are then presented. Mitigation alternatives and policies to control O₃ formation are examined in the context of country‐specific characteristics.

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the resource sharing initiative through signing reciprocal agreements, joining consortia and subscribing to OCLC at the American University of Beirut (AUB) Libraries.

Statistical analysis of interlibrary loan transactions over the past five years was conducted.

Joining local, regional and international consortia, signing reciprocal agreements with two institutions and subscribing to OCLC Worldshare ILL have maximized access to resources by reducing the cost allocated to ILL and expanded the DDS services to allow unlimited requests to all members of the AUB community.

Academic libraries are still facing budget cuts while they are expected to deliver better services to their communities. The implication of the statistics gathered discloses a constant need for finding ways to support resource sharing and to align with the University’s mission of fostering life-long learners by supporting research and maximizing access to resources.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the factors that make Beirut a fashion hub by studying the characteristics of creativity and the role of the different stakeholders in setting an environment that encourages creativity in Beirut.

The methodology of this research is based on a literature review and information collected through semi-structured interviews with the different stakeholders of the sector.

The research reveals three results. First, this dynamic fashion design in Beirut is explained by the international success of some Lebanese fashion designers. Second, as there is an absence of any form of governmental intervention, the development of the sector is totally based on private business initiatives. Third, the research demonstrates the importance of the local culture, knowledge exchanges and lifestyle in shaping creativity and designers’ careers in Beirut.

These findings contribute to the clarification and critical analysis of the current state of fashion design in Beirut, which would have several policy implications.

Developing software for processing bibliographic materials in the Arabic language is a relatively recent development. When libraries in parts of the Middle East, where Arabic is the main language, started automating their collections, most library systems did not provide for the use of Arabic script and this capability had to be developed. Automated library systems started to emerge (like Minisis, ALEPH, Dobis/Libis, TinLib, OLIB) to fill the gap for non‐Roman scripts. This article describes the stages the American University of Beirut Libraries went through in converting their Arabic materials for use in the OLIB7 library management system. A description of the background of the library is given along with the details of the romanisation process, the conversion process, the software and hardware chosen, the testing of the database, problems encountered, output and the handling of authority records.

The purpose of this paper is to determine and compare the type and age of cited literature in master’s theses of three academic disciplines at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon. It also aims to improve the existing monograph and serial collections at AUB.

As theses and dissertations present a convenient source of bibliographies for examination, the authors conducted a citation analysis of all master’s theses completed during the period 2004-2013 in the disciplines of biology, mechanical engineering and political science. Bibliographic data were extracted from each citation in the reference list(s) and later analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Availability of all cited books and journals was checked against the library catalog.

This case study reveals the extent to which the AUB University Libraries (UL) collections answer the research needs of graduate students. The findings show that engineering and biology students use a significantly greater number of scholarly journal articles than political science students, while all disciplines rely on recent publications.

This paper’s findings will prove useful to develop lists of core journals for the AUB UL. The findings will help managing existing collections and provide a base for informed decision-making as regards journal subscriptions and cancellations.

Although many citation analyses of master’s theses have been done around the world, this study is one of the few completed in the Arab world. Hence, it offers useful insight for collection development in Lebanon and the Arab world.

Water‐related diseases are a human tragedy, resulting in millions of deaths each year, preventing millions more from leading healthy lives, and undermining development efforts by burdening the society with substantial socio‐economic costs. This problem is of great significance in developing countries, where polluted water, water shortages, and unsanitary living conditions prevail. This paper presents a case study on a health‐based socio‐economic assessment of drinking water quality in Lebanon, based on relevant valuation approaches and available country‐specific data. The assessment revealed that the potential health and economic benefits due to water and sanitation improvements can be significant (0.15‐3.35 percent of GDP).

Health-care simulation has evolved rapidly in the past few decades; it has become an integral component of education and training to improve the efficacy of both individuals and teams. Designing an optimal simulation-based learning space is a multitiered and multidisciplinary process involving architects, engineers and simulation educators. The purpose of this paper is to present the experience of designing a simulation center for a tertiary academic hospital.

The study is based on an in-depth analysis of the final structural blueprint of the center and qualitative thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with persons involved in the design process

Thematic analysis led to three thematic categories, namely, organization of space, equipment and administrative and staff requirements.

The paper describes the experience of designing one center within an academic tertiary setting. This experience may lack external validity and generalizability. Moreover, the operationality and functionality of the center have not been studied yet. Finally, the interviewees were interviewed post-design, which may pose as recall bias.

For future simulationists or educators attempting to undertake a simulation center design, this paper will help guide them to anticipate the needed human and technical resources and potential challenges.

The study offers recommendations meant to guide others attempting to design a simulation center within an academic institution.