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This paper investigates and illustrates the potential of using panorama virtual reality to enhance Web‐based library instruction. It describes a project in Sterling C. Evans Library at Texas A&M University that emulates a physical tour and renders it into an attention‐getting virtual tour with 360‐degree realistic views. The paper outlines three progressive developments in the use of tour as an instructional medium: the “physical tour”, the “Web virtual tour”, and the “virtual reality tour”. The project illustrates that panorama VR could be a powerful tool to combine the “physical tour” and the “Web‐based virtual tour” into one, making it a more useful medium that allows navigating, viewing, reading, hearing and remote access. The issues of design, hardware, software, and cost are addressed. The discussion also includes an overview of the Internet‐based VR technologies, a literature review of using VR technologies for learning and some considerations on future applications of panorama‐based virtual reality.

Evans Library at Texas A&M University has developed and released a Virtual Library Tour available via the World Wide Web (WWW). The URL for the tour is 〈http://www.tamu.edu/library/reference/ virtual/tour00.htmlhttp://www.tamu.edu/library/reference/ virtual/tour00.html〉. The tour, designed as a remotely accessible alternative to the basic library orientation tour, provides information on library departments, services, materials, and policies. Development and implementation of this new orientation tool involved technological issues and library instructional techniques. Approximately 165 hours of professional time were required to create and release the tour. To achieve an optimum combination of effective instruction and technical expertise, the development team for the Texas A&M University Evans Library's Virtual Library Tour consisted of the coordinator of instructional services, Pixey Anne Mosley, and the automated information retrieval services (AIRS) librarian, Daniel Xiao. This article discusses the process used and lessons learned through the creation of the Virtual Library Tour.

This paper aims to describe three utility tools developed at Texas A&M University Libraries, which were designed for quick access and search of the Voyager OPAC and the Voyager clients.

The Voyager Canned Search Generator provides content creators with an automatic way to generate persistent links to catalog searches. Quick‐Cat is an OPAC shortcut search tool. It allows users to highlight bibliographic data, including authors, titles, ISBN numbers, or ISSN numbers on any web site and immediately search their own library catalog, with just one click. Designed to assist in the EBSCONET serials renewal, an Excel VBA Macro provides an easy gateway from the renewal list to the Voyager Acquisitions and Cataloging clients, the EBSCONET web site, and the library's SFX system.

The three tools fulfilled their design goals. Users were satisfied with them and they improved productivity. With innovative ideas, some technical know‐how, and a good understanding of the issues librarians can turn themselves into developers of useful tools. They could come up with small, yet effective solutions by leveraging the existing system infrastructure, and combining or mixing available components. The paper discusses development issues, benefits, drawbacks and user feedback.

The paper provides useful information on developing utility tools for quick access and search of Voyager OPAC and the Voyager clients.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of co‐browse in live chat, customers' question types, referral to subject experts, and patrons' usage patterns as experienced in the virtual reference (VR) chat reference services at Texas A&M University Libraries.

Chat transcripts from 2005 to 2007 were sampled and analyzed by peer reviewers. Statistical data in that period were also examined. A set of methods and a pilot study were created to define the measurement components such as question types, expert handling, and co‐browsing.

Co‐browsing is used in 38 percent of the sampled chat sessions. The Texas A&M University live chat service group considers co‐browsing a useful feature. Of questions received on VR, 84 percent are reference questions. Only 8.7 percent of the total questions or 10 percent of the reference questions need to be answered by subject experts. The use of VR increases dramatically in the past two years at the Texas A&M University. The findings also reveal users' logon patterns over weekdays and weekends.

The study contributes and advances understanding in the role VR plays in a large academic library and the role co‐browsing plays in VR services. The study also provides a comprehensive method for transcript and usage data analysis. It is believed that a similar methodology may be replicated elsewhere by other institutions engaging similar services or evaluation.

As the use of electronic library resources increases, the demand for online support also multiplies. Information literacy and 24/7 customer support are some of the urgent issues related to research in an electronic environment that many libraries are trying to address today. This article describes an approach in meeting these challenges, the Let‐It‐V (Learning E‐Resources Through Instructional Technology Videos) project at the Texas A&M University Libraries. This study combines the use of screen‐captured videos and a streaming media encoder to produce topic‐specific videos for task‐oriented demands. It is visual, interactive, and seeks to provide just‐in‐time solutions at a point of need. On‐demand streaming is a viable, cost‐effective alternative for low bandwidth delivery of video‐enabled library instruction. The technologies involved, key development issues, lessons learned and their implications for distance learning are discussed.

The impact of rolling on the performance of micro arc oxidation (MAO) coatings on ZM5 alloy has been underreported. The purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between rolling and the failure mechanism of MAO coatings in greater depth.

The influence of rolling on the corrosion and wear properties of MAO coating was investigated by phase structure, bond strength test (initial bond strength and wet adhesion), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and wear test. The change of the surface electrochemical properties was studied by first principles analysis.

The results showed that the MAO coating on rolled alloy had better corrosion and wear resistance compared to cast alloy, although the structure and component content of two kinds of MAO coating are nearly identical. The difference in interface bonding between MAO coating and Mg substrate is the primary factor contributing to the disparity in performance between the two types of samples. Finally, the impact of the rolling process on MAO coating properties is explained through first-principle calculation.

A comprehensive explanation of the impact of the rolling process on MAO coating properties will provide substantial support for enhancing the application of Mg alloy anticorrosion.

Reports on research undertaken because the Malaysian delegation to an ASEAN‐COCI seminar felt there was a need to understand what is meant by “Quality” from the librarian’s perspective. A survey was undertaken to obtain feedback from librarians. Questionnaires were sent to all (10) university librarians, all (13) state public libraries and six selected special libraries. The response rate was 100 per cent from university libraries, 77 per cent from public libraries and 100 per cent from special libraries. An analysis of the responses provided insights into what quality means to librarians, the policy infrastructure available, the obstacles faced by librarians in the implementation of quality measures and the strategies they employ to ensure quality services. It also provided an insight into their future plans.

Financial risk-taking attitude (FRT) plays an important role in consumers' financial decisions, thereby determining consumer well-being. Motivated by the recent research on consumer well-being, this paper explores the relationships between financial literacy, a propensity to plan (PTP), FRT, financial satisfaction and life satisfaction.

The authors use the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey to achieve the purpose of this paper. Furthermore, the authors use the variance-based partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), also known as the PLS path modeling approach to test our proposed hypotheses empirically.

The study finds a strong partial mediation of FRT between financial literacy and financial satisfaction. Moreover, the analyses reveal that a high PTP combined with a high FRT results in achieving high financial satisfaction, which leads to improved life satisfaction.

The findings show the importance of creating financial plans in accordance with risk tolerance. While increasing financial literacy is relevant, the research suggests that tools that help consumers plan and invest in appropriate risky investments will lead to better outcomes.

Though scholarly acumen of consumer well-being is rapidly developing, little remains known regarding the collective roles of financial literacy, PTP and FRT. The study addresses this gap by showing that financial literacy, risk-taking attitudes and planning propensities are all interconnected and necessary ingredients to improve financial and life satisfaction.

This study aims to test a moderated mediation model for a twofold purpose. First, to examine the mediating role of financial capability (FC) in the association between financial literacy (FL) and financial well-being (FW). Second, to analyze if non-impulsive future-oriented behavior (NIB) moderates the associations of FL with FC and FL with FW.

The authors use the PROCESS macros in IBM SPSS Statistics to test the moderated mediation model and analyze the 2016 wave of the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey.

The empirical analysis shows that FC partially mediates the association between FL and FW. Furthermore, the moderated mediation analysis shows that NIB strengthens the associations of FL with FC and FL with FW. Specifically, the positive associations of FL with FC and FL with FW significantly increase for those consumers who score high on NIB.

The findings have implications for the financial services industry. Professional financial planners can positively improve the ability of consumers to deal with their financial matters by highlighting the importance of FL and NIB.

The study findings suggest educating consumers to discourage impulsive behavior and encourage them to create financial plans as it will enhance their ability to conduct financial tasks efficiently, improving their FW.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to assess a moderated mediation model, which examines the role of FC as a mediator variable and NIB as a moderator variable in the association between FL and FW.

This study examines the factors influencing intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 in a developing country context using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and health belief model (HBM).

Through a cross-sectional survey design, the study adopted a quantitative approach to data collection and analysis. The study used an online survey to collect data from 478 respondents eligible to take the COVID-19 vaccine in Ghana.

Attitude, social norm, perceived behavioural control, perceived susceptibility and cues to action were found to be predictors of COVID-19 vaccination intention. The results also showed that perceived severity, perceived benefits and perceived barriers did not predict COVID-19 vaccination intention.

To enhance the effectiveness of COVID-19 social marketing campaigns, social marketing theories such as the TPB and HBM can aid in assessing the intention of the target population to take the vaccines. An assessment of vaccination intention will help understand disease threat perception and behavioural evaluation. The consideration of the effect of demography on vaccination intention will aid in developing effective campaigns to satisfy the needs of segments.

This study adds to the limited research on understanding citizens’ intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 by combining the TPB and HBM to predict vaccination intention. The study contributes towards the use of social marketing practices to enhance the efficacy of vaccination campaigns.