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Article
Publication date: 8 May 2017

Nazir Ahmad Bhat and Shabir Ahmad Ganaie

This paper of this study is to attempt to explore the status of collection in agricultural libraries of Northern India and assess the magnitude of impact of the advent of…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper of this study is to attempt to explore the status of collection in agricultural libraries of Northern India and assess the magnitude of impact of the advent of electronic information resources (EIRs) on the contemporary acquisition.

Design/methodology/approach

While adhering to the survey method, the questionnaire was used as a data collection tool to collect data from university librarians. Telephonic interaction and e-mail correspondence were also used to clear doubts, remove ambiguities and obtain data of higher significance from the respondents.

Findings

The majority of the agricultural libraries in Northern India have a sound collection of information resources in the print form, which may continue to act as a source of attraction for users in the future for a long time to come. Yet, the acquisition of information resources in the print form across the studied libraries continues at routine pace, and as such the advent of e-resources seems to have not yet laid any prominent impact on acquisition of resources in print form. E-Books have not yet been fully incorporated into the library collection and that e-journal collection “CeRA” (Consortium for Electronic Resources in Agriculture) seems to gratify the needs of users of these libraries, as no additional e-journals are seen to be subscribed to at present.

Research limitations/implications

Only seven agricultural libraries have been taken as a sample. Moreover, the work is confined to only two aspects, i.e. current status and the impact of EIRs on acquisition of information resources. Other aspects like those of collection development, storage and accommodation, preservation, library functionality and library services need to also be studied.

Originality/value

This is first work of its nature in Northern India with agricultural libraries as their domain. The findings will help the librarians and the library advisory committees decide on logical grounds about the proportion at which the print and electronic forms of information resources need to be acquired.

Article
Publication date: 12 February 2024

Jieyu Li, Libang Ma, Tianmin Tao, Zhihang Zhu and Sixia Li

By analyzing the mechanisms by which rural infrastructure resilience (RIR) impacted population loss in Longxi County, this study proposes measures to improve RIR, which provides a…

Abstract

Purpose

By analyzing the mechanisms by which rural infrastructure resilience (RIR) impacted population loss in Longxi County, this study proposes measures to improve RIR, which provides a practical reference for realizing China's rural revitalization strategy, besides providing ideas for alleviating population loss in similar regions around the world.

Design/methodology/approach

This study considered 213 administrative villages in Longxi County in the Longzhong loess hilly region as the evaluation unit. Based on the construction of a multidimensional RIR evaluation system, the spatial spillover effect of RIR on population loss was determined using the spatial Durbin model (SDM).

Findings

The average resilience of each subsystem of rural infrastructure in Longxi County was low, and there were large differences in the spatial distribution. The mean RIR index value was 0.2258, with obvious spatial directivity and agglomeration characteristics. The population loss index of Longxi County had a value of 0.1759, with 26.29 of villages having a high loss level. The population loss was relatively serious and was correlated with the spatial distribution of RIR. The villages with larger RIR index values had lower population loss. The RIR had a significant spatial spillover effect on population loss. Productive infrastructure resilience and living infrastructure resilience (LIR) had negative spillover effects on population loss, and social service infrastructure resilience (SSIR) had a positive spillover effect on population loss.

Originality/value

By analyzing the mechanisms by which RIR impacted on population loss in Longxi County, this study proposes measures to improve RIR, which provides a practical reference for realizing China's rural revitalization strategy, besides providing ideas for alleviating population loss in similar regions around the world.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2018

Nazir Ahmad Bhat and Shabir Ahmad Ganaie

The purpose of this paper is to explore the change(s) brought about by the advent of electronic information resources in the overall collection development process across…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the change(s) brought about by the advent of electronic information resources in the overall collection development process across agricultural libraries of northern India.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted in 2015 by using a questionnaire as a data collection tool. The investigator also interacted with the librarians through telephone and also availed the e-mail service for required correspondence.

Findings

There is a major change in the identification, selection and acquisition procedures across agricultural libraries of northern India, as the majority of these libraries are seen to adhere to an onsite demo of products and services, as the publishers/vendors to set online trial for ample of time before any decision is taken. The libraries are also seen to take advantage of e-mail correspondence to identify, select and acquire best possible information products against utmost economical costs. The responsibility of identifying and selecting the required items devolves mainly with scientists/subject experts, whereas the requisitions of students and suggestions of library staff are comparatively taken as lesser cognisance, while executing this job Library advisory committee is the most prominent authority responsible for final approval of the purchase of e-resources, while “Heads of Divisions” also play a considerable role in this regard.

Research limitations/implications

Only seven agricultural libraries have been taken as a sample. Moreover, the work is confined to only four aspects, i.e. the identification, selection and acquisition procedures adopted and the authorities responsible for carrying out the job. Other aspects like that of adoption of proper collection development; policy and the criteria used for selection; and acquisition of information also need to be studied. Similar studies need to be conducted in other parts of India and also across libraries of other domains of knowledge.

Originality/value

This is a first work of its nature in northern India with its domain as agricultural libraries. The findings will help the librarians and the library advisory committees to decide on logical grounds about the identification, selection and acquisition procedures adopted at present and look forward for bringing about the uniformity and improvement in the process and make changes in the policy to make room for efficient acquisition of information resources.

Article
Publication date: 6 June 2019

Nazir Ahmad Bhat

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of advent of electronic information resources on “academic and carrier related core aspects of user performance”.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of advent of electronic information resources on “academic and carrier related core aspects of user performance”.

Design/methodology/approach

Seven sampled agricultural universities across northern India were surveyed personally by the investigator for collecting data about the questions under investigation through a structured questionnaire. The response of the users for each statement under investigation was collected with simple “Yes”/“No” option. The investigator also resorted to the telephonic and e-mail communication to collect prompt response and had a personal interaction with respondents to substantiate the collected responses and remove any ambiguity thereof.

Findings

It is found that the majority of respondents are of the opinion that due to advent of e-resources the users’ interest in studies has enhanced (62.90 per cent) and that the e-resources have played a significant role in timely completion/submission of their study related assignments (74.30 per cent). It is also evident that a good proportion of respondents agree that the advent of e-resources has laid a positive impact on performance of users in “academic examinations” (50.80 per cent), “competitive examinations” (52.80 per cent), and the “interviews” (46.18 per cent) they face. Statistically, it is also verified that the performance of users with respect to five aspects investigated in this study is significantly associated with advent of e-resources (p < 0.01), whereas it does not show any association with one aspect i.e. “timely completion of an academic degree”.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are based on mere opinion of users and need to be verified by devising a well-articulated methodology for verification of the user performance related facts both in print and electronic eras, independent of the users’ opinion.

Practical implications

The findings of this study shall prompt the budget allocating authorities of the libraries to reformulate their fund allocation policies. Findings of this study shall act as logical basis to enhance budget for improving the volume of e-resources. These also emphasize the fact that a provision of recurring fund needs to be created for facilitating single window based anytime anywhere access to the available e-information base, which may include annual subscription charges for availing (i) proxy software services for remote access and (ii) federated search engine for single window searching.

Originality/value

This is first work of its nature in northern Indian agricultural libraries. The findings will be useful for the authorities to decide about the degree of importance the libraries need to endorse with the procurement of information resources in electronic form. The study will really inspire the researchers and librarians to conduct similar studies in other specific domains of knowledge and come out with significant findings and suggestions.

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2001

Jason Venetoulis

Since the environmental movement began, teachers, researchers, and activists on college and university campuses have made great strides toward making campuses “greener” places. As…

3866

Abstract

Since the environmental movement began, teachers, researchers, and activists on college and university campuses have made great strides toward making campuses “greener” places. As effective as these efforts have been and continue to be, some increasingly salient questions about sustainability remain unanswered. This paper offers an answer to the question, “How big is the University of Redlands’s ecological impact?”, using a recently developed technique called ecological footprint analysis (EFA). The output of EFA, as used here, is a partial ecological footprint for the University of Redlands (UR). UR’s ecological footprint is then evaluated using criteria derived from several different theoretical approaches to sustainability.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 October 2018

Simon Ashworth, Matthew Tucker and Carsten K. Druhmann

This paper aims to describe the development and testing of an employer’s information requirements (EIR) template and guidance document designed to meet client and facility…

1869

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the development and testing of an employer’s information requirements (EIR) template and guidance document designed to meet client and facility management (FM) needs in the building information modelling (BIM) process.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative design approach was used and triangulation of methods which included a focus group with the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), semi-structured interviews with the case study Glasgow Life Burrell Renaissance Project who trialled the EIR and peer-reviews and interviews with BIM/CAFM experts from the BIM Academy and FM180.

Findings

Specific guidance to help clients and facility managers prepare key BIM documents like the EIR are needed. They are aware of industry BIM standards and guidance but often not in detail. The Glasgow Life case study illustrated the EIR as a useful collaboration-tool to bring together stakeholders in early planning stages to understand client information needs.

Social implications

Assets and buildings account for most of the energy and material use in society. A well-structured EIR will help ensure the right information is available to enable optimisation of running costs and utility-use over their whole life, thus contributing to long-term sustainability.

Originality/value

This paper provides a new EIR template and guidance document ideal for practitioners in industry as a practical starting point to plan the client information requirements for BIM projects. It can be downloaded at www.bifm.org.uk/bifm/knowledge.

Article
Publication date: 2 December 2022

Lijun Dong, Naichao Chen, Jiawen Liang, Tingting Li, Zhanlin Yan and Bing Zhang

The purpose of this study is to provide an in-depth understanding about the indoor-orbital electrical inspection robot, which is useful for motivating the further investigation on…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide an in-depth understanding about the indoor-orbital electrical inspection robot, which is useful for motivating the further investigation on the inspection of electrical equipment. Currently, electric energy has a strong correlation with the economic development of the country. Intelligent substations play an important role in the transmission and distribution of the electricity; the maintenance of the substation has attracted intensive attention due to the requirement of reliability and safety. The indoor-orbital electrical inspection robot has increasingly become the main tool to realize the unmanned. Hence, a systematic review is conducted systematically reviewing the current technical status of the indoor-orbital electrical inspection robot and discuss the existed problems.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the most essential achievements in the field of indoor-orbital electrical inspection robots were reported to present the current status, and the mechanical structures and key inspective technologies were also discussed.

Findings

Four recommendations are provided from the analyzed review, which have made constructive comments on the overall structural design, functionality, intelligence and future development direction of the indoor-orbital electrical inspection robot, respectively.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic review study on indoor-orbital electrical inspection robots; it fills the theoretical gap and proffers design ideas and directions for the development of the indoor-orbital electrical inspection robot.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 50 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2013

Nurudeen Adeniyi Aderibigbe and Bosede Adebimpe Ajiboye

The focus of this study is the development of effective user education programs that will enhance the use of electronic information resources (EIR) in an era of electronic…

1512

Abstract

Purpose

The focus of this study is the development of effective user education programs that will enhance the use of electronic information resources (EIR) in an era of electronic information for the students of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, which consequently could be adapted for students in other higher institutions of learning.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was carried out during the first semester of the 2010/2011 academic session (November 2010 to February 2011), employing a survey method. The target population is postgraduate students (postgraduate diploma, Master's degree and Doctor of Philosophy students) of the seven colleges that run postgraduate programs at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Of a total population of 330 postgraduate students, 250 postgraduate students were selected randomly using a purposive sampling technique since the student population was not evenly distributed across the colleges. Administration and retrieval of the questionnaire lasted for six weeks.

Findings

The findings of this study have shown that the user education program of Nimbe Adedipe Library is not adequate; the library provides more library orientation than bibliographic instruction and information literacy skills. It was also found that few of the students received training on EIR usage while an analysis of the open‐ended questions revealed that the students got to know how to use electronic resources through their own efforts, periodic training in the library, and through the efforts of some library staff and friends. It was also found that use of EIR has a great impact on the respondents' academic activities, as reflected in their responses, where the students agreed that their academic work would suffer without the use of EIR.

Practical implications

It is the belief of the researchers that empirical research on the use of library resources is crucial for the design and implementation of user education programs.

Originality/value

The results of this study will be a meaningful addition to the literature of library and information science in the area of user studies.

Article
Publication date: 13 August 2008

Okon E. Ani and Blessing Ahiauzu

This study aims to provide the framework for effective development of electronic information resources (EIRs) in Nigeria; it seeks to explore the levels of developing electronic…

2823

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to provide the framework for effective development of electronic information resources (EIRs) in Nigeria; it seeks to explore the levels of developing electronic information resources in university libraries in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted the survey method in the collection of research data. Validated questionnaires were administered to participants at a national workshop on Electronic Information for Libraries Network (eIFL.net) held at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile‐Ife, Nigeria, from 17‐20 October, 2007.

Findings

The findings show that the internet has been the major source of developing EIRs in Nigerian university libraries as 17 (89.5 per cent) of the surveyed libraries have internet connectivity. This is followed by subscription to electronic databases, online databases 13 (68.4 per cent) and CD‐ROMs 11 (57.9 per cent); electronic journals ten (52.6 per cent) and library computerization ten (52.6 per cent) while digitization of library materials received the least responses of three (15.8 per cent). From the survey findings, there is a high level of developing EIRs in Nigerian university libraries through direct subscription for electronic information (online databases, CD‐ROMs etc.) than conversion of information into electronic form in the library through computerization and digitization.

Research limitations/implications

There is a need to encourage local research in Nigeria by improving on the current level of conversion of local information for national and international access by users. Mass computerisation of library services and digitization of relevant library materials should be encouraged in university libraries in the country.

Originality/value

The paper provides insight into the level of development and utilization of EIRs in Nigerian universities

Details

Library Management, vol. 29 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

Abstract

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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