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1 – 7 of 7Reference librarians in various library settings are often assigned responsibilities for training students, support staff, or other new professionals, a task for which they rarely…
Abstract
Reference librarians in various library settings are often assigned responsibilities for training students, support staff, or other new professionals, a task for which they rarely have sufficient professional education. This bibliography recommends readings on topics that will assist reference librarians in understanding the philosophy of staff development. The readings listed here cover subjects such as: establishing an atmosphere that facilitates learning, assessing training needs, describing competent performance, writing clear and specific objectives, selecting appropriate training methods, maintaining skills and providing feedback, and evaluating the effectiveness of a training program.
Paula N. Warnken and Victoria L. Young
Library instruction has become a public services program at most academic libraries. As such, it has the potential of being a library's most innovative and visible program. Yet…
Abstract
Library instruction has become a public services program at most academic libraries. As such, it has the potential of being a library's most innovative and visible program. Yet, no matter how innovative, such a program cannot become visible without the support of the entire university community. Librarians, administrators, faculty members, and students alike must perceive a need and value for an instructional program if it is to be implemented successfully.
Anna Marie Johnson and Sarah Jent
The purpose of this paper is to set out to provide a selected bibliography or recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to set out to provide a selected bibliography or recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Design/methodology/approach
Introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and exhibition catalogues examining library instruction and information literacy.
Findings
Provides information about each source, discusses the characteristics of current scholarship, and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.
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Keywords
The Need for Reference Desk Orientation. The literature on training in libraries is concerned for the most part with educating paraprofessionals to perform professional tasks…
Abstract
The Need for Reference Desk Orientation. The literature on training in libraries is concerned for the most part with educating paraprofessionals to perform professional tasks, training student workers to perform basic functions, and updating librarians' skills with the advent of new technologies. Very little has been published on the process of initiating newly hired or reassigned librarians into the rigors of formal reference desk service. The need for training geared specifically to reference desk work has been documented. Evidently such training must be taking place. But the specific details of what comprises such training apparently remain as in‐house publications.
Nina K. Stephenson and Linda St. Clair
Reference librarians in today's academic libraries are typically confronted with a growing array of simultaneous demands. Strained financial resources, staffing shortages, the…
Abstract
Reference librarians in today's academic libraries are typically confronted with a growing array of simultaneous demands. Strained financial resources, staffing shortages, the challenge of adding new services, the explosion of information, and the electronic revolution have complicated (and sometimes compromised) the delivery of quality services. In response to many universities' growing commitment to offer nontraditional degree programs, reference staff are also assuming more responsibility for night and weekend instruction.
This paper aims to map information literacy literature in social sciences and humanities published during the period of 2001-2012.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to map information literacy literature in social sciences and humanities published during the period of 2001-2012.
Design/methodology/approach
The data for the study are obtained from Scopus, accessible at www.scopus.com. Study used the Transformative Activity Index (TAI) and relative citation impact (RCI) to know the impact of most productive countries and prolific institutions. The SCImago Journal and Country Rank accessible at www.scimagojr.com/ was used to determine the SCImago Journal Rank and source normalized impact per paper.
Findings
The study found that 1990 documents originating from 79 countries were published in this study area. These papers are published in 160 journals with an average ∼12.51 papers per journal. These papers have been cited 10,025 times with ∼5.0. average citations per publication. Study also found that information literacy literature is published in 16 languages and the majority of the papers are in English, 1,879 (94.4 per cent). The highest growth of publications (106.7 per cent) was found in 2005. The USA contributed the highest number, 1,035 (52 per cent) papers. Moreover, of the 15 most productive countries, three recorded TAIs >100, and 12 countries recorded TAIs <100. In all, 160 institutions worldwide have contributed in information literacy research. Study also found that maximum literature published on the subject by a single author is 828 (41.6 per cent). Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain has produced the highest number of papers (24, or 1.2 per cent) and received 61 (0.6 per cent) citations, while University of Strathclyde has the highest RCI (∼2.7) for its publications. Pintos, María from Universidad de Granada has published the maximum number of papers (18) that have been cited 78 times.
Social implications
The study endeavors to showcase information literacy research outcomes in social sciences and humanities. It involves quantitative analysis of the literature in this domain using bibliographic elements such as keywords, authors, affiliation, publication and citations.
Originality/value
No study has been conducted so far to map the information literacy literature in social sciences and humanities. Study will be useful in understanding the progress on information literacy in the area of social sciences and humanities. The study is significant for social scientists to foster further research in this emerging area.
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Keywords
Zofia M Bajorek and Stephen M Bevan
The purpose of this paper is to provide an up-to-date, comprehensive, independent and credible assessment of relevant academic and other literature since 2007, on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an up-to-date, comprehensive, independent and credible assessment of relevant academic and other literature since 2007, on the effectiveness and value for money of performance-related-pay (PRP) in the public sector.
Design/methodology/approach
PRP was studied using both economics-based literature and literature from the organisational and management field (including human resources, management sociology and psychology). An initial search of databases identified 7,401 documents regarding PRP in the public sector, which was reduced to 57 final papers included in the study (27 in the health sector, 16 in the education sector and 16 in the civil service) after abstract and full paper screening.
Findings
The review found some evidence that PRP schemes can be effective across the three domains of the public sector for which there was evidence available (health, education and the civil service), but findings within and between the sectors are mixed, with scheme effectiveness often dependent on scheme design and organisational context.
Research limitations/implications
The research highlights the importance of considering both economics-based and organisational literature when discussing PRP in the public sector, and the implications for motivation and PRP design.
Practical implications
The results indicated that the design of PRP schemes could influence their effectiveness and outcomes, and the research suggests how the challenges of designing and implementing PRP schemes can be overcome in the public sector.
Social implications
The review highlights that when implementing PRP schemes there may be gender differences in their overall effectiveness (especially in education) and there must be consideration for how fairly the PRP scheme is perceived.
Originality/value
The paper uses literature from economics and behavioural sciences when looking at the motivational implications for PRP in the public sector.
Details