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The purpose of this study is to identify barriers that are hindering digitization initiatives in university libraries of Pakistan.

The study opted a mixed-methods research design based on quantitative (QUAN) and qualitative (QUAL) strands by using a survey research method. The subjects of the study were central libraries of the universities (both public and private sector) of Pakistan. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used for QUAN data collection in the QUAN strand. In the QUAL phase, in-depth interviews of purposely selected 25 library experts from different parts of the country were conducted.

Meta-inferences were drawn from the findings of both QUAN and QUAL strands. Both of the research designs provided the requisite data to answer research questions of the study. The finding revealed the barriers which were hindering the digitization activities in university libraries of Pakistan.

The findings of the study are helpful for funding bodies, university libraries and university administration. The findings are also helpful for other developing countries with similar economic and/or social landscapes.

The digital contents (d-contents) are vulnerable to various threats either natural or manmade. Digital preservation is the plethora of a wide array of strategies necessary for the long-term preservation of digital objects. This study was carried out to assess the digital preservation practices for information resources in university libraries of Pakistan.

A quantitative survey based on a structured questionnaire was carried out to conduct the study. The questionnaire containing two sets of strategies (general and technical) was distributed amongst the whole population and received 90% response rate.

Overall, progressive implementation of general digital preservation practices was noted in these libraries like checking the digital collections for viruses, keeping the digital media in fire/water/theft proof locations, restricting unauthorized access, maintaining ideal humidity and temperature, and checking the digital media for functionality. Amongst the technical practices, only replication was in practice at a progressive rate, followed by metadata recording and media refreshing that was sometimes practiced in these libraries. The other technical practices were rarely or never practiced in these libraries. Significant variances in general and technical digital preservation practices were noted based on their physical locations (regional distribution).

The study contributes a comprehensive set of digital preservation practices divided into general and technical types to conduct similar studies in other parts of the world.

The findings stress the need for national and institutional policies, funding streams and skill enhancement of library staff.

The study fills the literature gap and contributes a comprehensive set of digital preservation practices divided into general and technical types to conduct similar studies in other parts of the world.

The peer-review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-02-2023-0074

Analyses the major objective of the EXLIB Project, which focuses on the building of a library system, within the framework of the European Union, that would guarantee the visually disadvantaged access to information under conditions similar to those existing for the sighted population. Proposes that the existing library infrastructure be adapted to the needs of the former and that present telematic facilities be further developed, in accordance with the needs and infrastructures in each one of the Community countries.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of ways in which teaching, learning and research can be demystified in higher institutions of learning (HILs). Over the last decade, HILs around the world have faced various transformations to adapt to new opportunities for knowledge dissemination and utilization. Many benefits are gained from implementation of the platform including visibility, status and increased reputation. Despite the high uptake of institutional repositories (IRs) to guide teaching, learning and research of higher institutions learning's digital resources more effectively, little has been written on how IRs can be used for effective teaching, learning and research in higher institutions of learning.

Using analytical method, this paper analysed and presented various thematical issues on IRs in relation to its efficacy, while proposing solutions for its sustainability.

The paper found that most universities have embraced IRs as an option for increasing their visibility, status and researchers' relevance in the knowledge world. It is the conclusion of the study that IRs are currently recognized as an essential infrastructure to respond to the higher institutions of learning challenges in the digital world.

This paper provides higher institutions of learning an opportunity to prepare their IRs to demystify teaching, learning and research. Since IRs will make it possible to access variety of information at any time whenever required.

Knowledge accessibility and utilization bring about social change in the society.

Little has been documented on how IRs can be used for effective teaching, teaching, learning and research in HILs. This paper provides an analysis of ways in which teaching, learning and research can be demystified in these institutions. Thus, it contributes new knowledge on demystifying teaching, learning and research through IRs in HILs.

Digital financial inclusion is a need of the recent era in order to flourish the growth of economies as well as businesses and individuals. Thus, varieties of digital technologies are launched to provide ease and leverage to customers’ financial needs. Among the well-known digital technologies, Fintech emerged as a well-known and accepted form of digital technologies. However, the acceptance level is much lower, especially in developing sides of the world like Pakistan where issues related to cyber-security are the major hindrance in the way of digitization and n-tier online payments. However, with a massive youth population, Pakistan also has the opportunity to use Fintech as the major tool for economic and social development. Therefore, this chapter has been written purposely to shed light on the importance, use, and role of Fintech in the growth of developing countries like Pakistan. The purpose is to increase the knowledge of youth about financial technologies especially Fintech so they may embrace their abilities with technological innovation, especially for their financial needs. On the other side, the chapter will also address the lack of research on this emerging trend to diverge the focus of researchers and academicians towards Fintech and its uses, scope, implications, and benefits for developing countries.

This article aims at - exploring and prioritizing the barriers to adoption of digitization in supply chains (SCs), categorizing them into sustainability triple bottom line (STBL) based upon their direct impact and suggesting digital technologies to address each barrier.

A five-phase methodology is used which consists of an exploration of 44 barriers to the adoption of digitization in SCs, analysis of 44 barriers for mean, standard deviation and Cronbach alpha based on questionnaire-based feedback of 25 experts, extraction of 10 most significant barriers through 05 experts, followed by categorization of the barriers into STBL referring to their direct impact on STBL, prioritization of ten barriers using Fuzzy Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution and recommendation of digital technologies to address each barrier.

While all the barriers considered in this study significantly impede the adoption of digitization in SCs, lack of top management commitment (B1) is found to be most crucial while lack of culture toward use of information and communication technology required for digitization (B3) has minimum impact. Large investment in digital infrastructure (B6), difficulty in integration of cyber physical systems (CPSs) on varied platforms (B8) and lack of experts having knowledge of digital technologies (B2) are equally important barriers requiring more attention while adopting digitization in SCs.

This study is mainly based on feedback from 25 seasoned experts; a wider cross section of experts will give more insight.

The outcomes are very significant for organizations looking to adopt digitization in their SCs. Simultaneous consideration to all the barriers becomes impractical hence prioritization of same will be useful for the SC managers to benchmark their preparedness and decide strategies for the adoption of digitization with due consideration toward the impact of barriers on STBL. The digital technologies recommended will further aid in planning the digital strategies to address each barrier.

A unique approach to explore, analyze, prioritize and categorize the barriers to adoption of digitization in SCs is used to provide a deeper understanding of factors deterring the same. It implies that a supportive top management along with systematic allocation of finances plays a crucial role. The importance of availability of digital experts for integrating CPSs on a single platform is also highlighted. The digital technologies recommended will further assist the organizations toward adoption of digitization in SCs with due consideration to STBL.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed description of the Illinois Digitization Institute's Basics and Beyond digitization training program and to describe how successful the project's different training approaches have been.

The training consists of one‐day workshops, web‐based courses, and web‐based courses plus a hands‐on workshop element. Courses are given at different price points and for different lengths of time. Surveys and quizzes measure how well the participants learn the material.

As surveys, quiz results, and other data from the courses show, the objective of the project is being accomplished: to present cultural heritage institutions with different types of digitization training to suit their time constraints, budgets, and education needs and produce a new set of professionals who will create successful and long‐lasting digitization projects.

The success of the project shows that participants respond well to different training approaches and these different approaches can be implemented to provide cultural heritage institutions with a wide range of digitization learning options suited to their needs. Such methods can also be used for other types of library and non‐library training.

This is the first time asynchronous but instructor‐led web‐based courses have been used for digitization training, and findings indicate that it has been successful. The outcomes of this training can be useful for institutions interested in how well participants respond to this unique style of training.

The aim is to expand the challenge-hindrance framework and develop a coherent theoretical framework that explains individual differences in the way small business owners appraise their job demands. Literature has shown that dealing effectively with job demands leads to competitive advantage and depends on individual appraisals.

For this qualitative study, 20 in-depth interviews were analyzed using a partially grounded theory approach.

Open and axial coding revealed a broader range of demands than have hitherto been studied, related to actions rather than job characteristics. Selective coding confirmed expectations based on the Conservation of Resources Theory that appraisals of demands differ between business owners and change over time depending on role identities, and material, social, personal and energy resource levels, via the valence (identities) and degree of anticipated outcomes. Business owners appraised certain demands as challenging when they were co-occurring with other demands usually categorized as challenges, whereas these same demands were appraised as hindering when co-occurring with demands usually categorized as hindrances.

The results imply that appraisals can be influenced by societal context, life events, processes of formal and informal learning, personal growth and aging. These topics would be interesting avenues for future research.

The results of this study challenge our understanding of job demands in general and current categorizations of job demands as challenges versus hindrances in specific, by providing an in-depth, contextualized and dynamic view of the appraisal of demands related to owning and running a business.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the state of development of Polish digital libraries.

The paper describes the establishment of the first digital library in Poland, the creation of the Wielkopolska Digital Library and other regional digital libraries. The organisational and technological solutions used by these libraries are described.

The concept of a single central library and several dozen regional libraries has made possible the creation of more than 40 digital libraries and the establishment of wide co‐operation among digital librarians. However, the passage to mass digitisation is still proving impossible at present.

The situation in Poland indicates a clear necessity for the introduction of appropriate legal regulations to place digitisation among the charter objectives of large libraries. The awarding of small grants does not change the situation, and sometimes even makes it worse. Digital libraries have come into being in large numbers over the last few years; because some of them have been functioning for a number of years, much experience has been acquired. Now it is necessary to move on to the next stage – mass digitisation. Polish libraries are quite unprepared for this. Digitisation continues to be treated by libraries as an experimental rather than a fundamental activity.

Studies show that the twenty-first-century construction industry needs reskilling and upskilling tools to train large numbers of the workforce for better-integrated project delivery. Evidence shows that digitisation via the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technology can play a critical role in reskilling and competency demand. Attempting to use digital technology may have had some challenges. Studies about the perceived hindrances facing Nigeria's built environment professionals (BEP) reskilling and upskilling needs in the workplace via 4IR technologies are scarce. Thus, the study investigated the perceived encumbrances facing Nigeria's BEP training needs and proffered measures to improve their performance in the workplace via 4IR technologies.

The researchers engaged BEP in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria. Regarding the data collection, a qualitative research design was adopted. The study achieved saturation after 32 virtual interviews. A thematic analysis was adopted for the collected data.

The study shows that using 4IR for reskilling and upskilling will enhance integrated project delivery. But the level of usage in training needs is low. Findings identified the various ways reskilling and upskilling could be achieved. Also identified are the major built environment areas that require 4IR training. Findings highlighted possible encumbrances facing the use of 4IR technologies by Nigerian BEP for reskilling and upskilling needs in the workplace and proffered feasible measures to improve 4IR usage for training needs.

The study is restricted to the perceived encumbrances and proffers measures to improve BEP reskilling and upskilling needs via 4IR technologies via a qualitative method. Future research is required to validate the findings and test the proposed framework that emerged from the study.

The study confirms that reskilling and upskilling measures are required at all skill levels and may lead to economic growth. The paper would advance Nigerian higher educational accreditation agencies and various BEP regulatory bodies to review the curriculum and incorporate 4IR as a component or module.

The thematic network analysis and proposed framework could be utilised to stimulate Nigeria's BEP reskilling and upskilling needs in the workplace via 4IR technologies. It would stir main stakeholders, especially government policymakers, to facilitate programmes to improve 4IR technologies usage.