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1 – 10 of over 23000Bernadette M. Guirguis and Negmeldin Alsheikh
This study aimed to understand how parents and librarians describe their lived experiences in a modern children’s library that aims to create a triad bond through the organization…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to understand how parents and librarians describe their lived experiences in a modern children’s library that aims to create a triad bond through the organization of multiliteracy events and activities.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a phenomenological case study approach using two semistructured interviews, the first with parents (n = 5) and the second with library staff (n = 5), to record their lived experiences in creating and attending literacy events and activities.
Findings
The findings indicated multiplicities of transformative and heterotypic spaces that juxtapose different yet compatible and vicarious experiences for librarians, parents and their children. The virtual and interactive features of the library fuel children’s curiosity and creativity and afford them authentic materials through a creative blend of local heritage and technology-mediated multimodal literacies. Moreover, the librarians engage in constant program evaluation and upgrades. The library environment creates a vibrant bio-network for disseminating literacy through creativity and ingenuity and affords an affinity space for community socialization.
Research limitations/implications
This study has some limitations and delimitations. The data for this study were collected during the pandemic, which affected the sample size. Moreover, the children’s views were not considered, which could broaden our understanding of the phenomena. Furthermore, the study relied on interviews as the sole source of data; other sources, such as archival data and documents, could enrich the data and increase the study’s rigor. Finally, the study is confined to only one site.
Practical implications
The study found that a “living library” philosophy with an enthusiastic and attentive staff that caters to patrons’ interests draws parents and children to visit. Additionally, unexpected fun activities that occur when sufficient children are present keep them engaged and motivated to stay and learn more. The study suggests that librarians, architects, school leaders, policymakers and educators should consider how to conceptualize, design and experience a modern library space that prioritizes literacy activities and incorporates technology to inspire children’s innovations. The findings can be applied to both public and academic libraries.
Originality/value
The findings from this study could provide researchers, teachers, administrators, librarians and artificial intelligence with a viable orientation to envision new ways of reconceptualizing public and school libraries to create affinity spaces for the literate community, especially in a non-western context such as the United Arab Emirates.
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Dialogue in Darkness (DID) is a global social enterprise, which provides products and services such as workshops, exhibitions and activities in the dark in China. The corporate…
Abstract
Dialogue in Darkness (DID) is a global social enterprise, which provides products and services such as workshops, exhibitions and activities in the dark in China. The corporate workshops are designed for companies, institutions and government agencies to provide unique leadership training and some other training in teamwork, communication, innovation and change management. And education workshops are aimed at providing young people with unique leadership training and training in teamwork, innovation and empathy and so on for the educational institutions. Over the past five years, DID, headquartered in Shanghai, has expanded to Beijing, Chengdu and Shenzhen, realizing strategic coverage of East, West, North and South of China. DID achieved break-even within less than one year since its inception. Its sound and healthy development offers an innovative way for the sustainable development of social enterprises.
The purpose of this study is to examine the mutual relationship between information literacy and information rights, focusing on how people with high information literacy…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the mutual relationship between information literacy and information rights, focusing on how people with high information literacy recognize and use information rights.
Design/methodology/approach
This study explores how individuals with information literacy understand and use information rights. This research uses a dual approach. Quantitative surveys, involving 217 Master's and PhD students, delve into the dimensions of information rights. Rigorous stratified sampling ensures diversity. A comprehensive questionnaire, exhibiting high reliability and validity, is administered before and after a two-month online information literacy course. The t-test statistical tests analyze the quantitative data. For deeper insights, qualitative open-answer questionnaires with 50 top-performing participants uncover experiences and perceptions. A two-stage coding process is applied to identify themes.
Findings
Major findings showcase the nuanced understanding of information rights shaped by education, experiences and strategic use. Recommendations include emphasizing online privacy education and active roles for information-literate individuals in policy advocacy.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the understanding of information rights, providing a foundation for informed policy and education.
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Melissa Farboudi-Jahromi, Asli D.A. Tasci and Sevil Sönmez
This study aims to examine the factors that influence hotel/motel employees’ helping behavior toward the victims of human trafficking.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the factors that influence hotel/motel employees’ helping behavior toward the victims of human trafficking.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a survey-based quantitative method, this study examines and compares two models of helping behavior based on egoism and altruism theories to measure the helping tendencies of lodging employees toward victims of human trafficking.
Findings
The study results show that perceived intrinsic rewards of helping and empathy with the victims are the major antecedents of employees’ likelihood to help the victims.
Research limitations/implications
The study contributed to the egoism school of thought and the Cost-Reward Model by showing that only perceived intrinsic rewards drive individuals’ intention to help in risky covert situations, such as human trafficking, while perceived extrinsic rewards may demotivate people to help in these situations.
Originality/value
Previous studies overlooked the role of the lodging industry in human trafficking. This study focuses on service employees as potential helpers of the victims as they notice in hotels/motels.
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Mohamed Nour El-Barbary, Mariko Ikeda and Yasufumi Uekita
The paper aims at identifying the underlying factors that differentiate the local people's demographic and socio-economic characteristics, which influence their sense of place…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims at identifying the underlying factors that differentiate the local people's demographic and socio-economic characteristics, which influence their sense of place (SoP) toward different types of cultural heritage sites in different urban regions.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on the sequential explanatory design, using quantitative and qualitative methods, respectively, to investigate the research themes in-depth. A total of 201, 207 and 228 questionnaires were collected on religious, non-religious/memorial and historic commercial buildings, respectively, at two different quarters in Historic Cairo, followed by 20 semi-structured interviews with a representative sample of local people in each quarter.
Findings
The authors found an apparent similarity in the significant characteristics that influence the local people's SoP levels toward the different historic buildings at the same quarter and a notable variation between both quarters. Also, many factors determine the local people's influential characteristics on their SoP toward the different cultural heritage sites (e.g. the sites’ distance from the person's residence/workplace, economic value, people's awareness about its history, type of activities and targeted gender, feeling of stability and regions' characteristics)
Practical implications
Identifying these underlying factors and priority local groups can assist policymakers in ensuring a sustainable management/conservation of the different cultural heritage sites.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates the causality of a significant correlation between local people's characteristics and their SoP levels toward the different types of historic buildings, apart from their religious symbolism or historical value, using the sequential explanatory design.
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There are thousands of web sites about cancer and cancer‐related topics on the internet today; this webography offers an annotated list of selected sites.
Abstract
Purpose
There are thousands of web sites about cancer and cancer‐related topics on the internet today; this webography offers an annotated list of selected sites.
Design/methodology/approach
The article begins with a brief explanation of how the web sites were evaluated and chosen. The generally accepted rules of authority, currency, purpose, objectivity, accuracy and audience were used in each case.
Findings
The sites included cover cancer in general, specific cancers, patient information, clinical trials and medical centers that treat cancer. Information on each site includes the name of the site, the URL and a brief abstract explaining what the site is about.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians as a quick reference, by physicians and other health‐care workers and by the patients and their families.
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This paper aims to assess the proper built heritage preservation and management as important steps toward sustainability for the case of village Battir. In particular, the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to assess the proper built heritage preservation and management as important steps toward sustainability for the case of village Battir. In particular, the historic village core and its surroundings were elaborated. Battir is a Palestinian village located to the south of Jerusalem, famous for landscape terraces traditionally used in their authentic form since the Roman time. Because of its outstanding universal values, Battir was inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list (WHL) in 2014.
Design/methodology/approach
To present the potentials of Battir to become a sustainable asset, the results of the Sustainable Plan have been used in this paper. Among the proposed strategies of the Plan methodology for the historic core conservation was emphasized. Referring to the same methodology, key findings about the current state of conservation are elaborated as well as proposals for the village core enhancements.
Findings
As a result of an on-site survey, the Plan outlines several strategies, which are summarized in this paper. Within each strategy, the role and benefits for the inhabitants are evaluated along with the overview of the proposed interventions for the historic tissue preservation.
Originality/value
Challenges of the village's heritage preservation have been elaborated under the comprehensive Sustainable Plan that was initiated, prepared and lead by International Peace and Cooperation Center (IPCC). Here, sustainability refers to the better managing of available natural and cultural resources and features, while at the same time, creating new socio-economic opportunities for inhabitants.
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