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1 – 10 of over 17000Hiral Patel and Anilkumar Hanumappa
The purpose of this paper is to identify various legal issues that affect libraries in India.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify various legal issues that affect libraries in India.
Design/methodology/approach
The method adopted in this study was to identify and analyze all cases filed in the Indian Supreme Court, High Courts and Tribunals and Commissions and reported in the Westlaw India database for the 10-year period from 2008 to 2017.
Findings
Among the identified cases that were related to libraries or library professionals, a large majority of them were issues related to service or employment such as pay scales, promotion, age of superannuation and service termination. There were very few cases related to library work, such as library access, services provided and copyright.
Research limitations/implications
The current study is based on study of cases that have been reported and mentioned in Westlaw India Legal Database and occurring during the limited period from 2008 to 2017. The implications of the study are manifold, with the main implication being the urgent need to introduce basic legal education and training to library professionals. The other implication is the need to further research in this domain due to lack of sufficient studies on the topic and enrich the library and information science (LIS) literature.
Originality/value
This study would not only help create awareness about legal issues related to libraries and library professionals but also help in understanding the main areas of litigation involving libraries and library professionals. The study also makes a case for introduction of basic legal education for LIS professionals. The paper adopts a novel research approach that can be replicated by researchers in other countries to enable international comparisons.
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The aim of legal deposit is to ensure the preservation of and access to a nation’s intellectual and cultural heritage over time. There is a global trend towards extending legal…
Abstract
The aim of legal deposit is to ensure the preservation of and access to a nation’s intellectual and cultural heritage over time. There is a global trend towards extending legal deposit to cover digital publications in order to maintain comprehensive national archives. However, including digital publications in legal deposit regulations is not enough to ensure the long‐term preservation of these publications. Indeed, there are many practical difficulties associated with the entire deposit process. Conceptsm, principles and practices that are accepted and understood in the print environment, such as publication, publisher, place of publication and edition, may have new meanings or no longer be appropriate in a networked environment. Mechanisms for identifying, selecting and depositing digital material either do not exist or are inappropriate for some kinds of digital publication. There is a great deal of work on developing digital preservation strategies; this is at an early stage. National and other deposit libraries are at the forefront of research and development in this area, often in partnership with other libraries, publishers and technology vendors. Most of this activity is of a technical nature. There is some work on developing policies and strategies for managing digital resources. However, not all management issues or users’ needs are being addressed.
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Marietjie De Beer, Marieta Van der Merwe, Liezl Ball and Ina Fourie
The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges faced by national libraries regarding the legal deposit of electronic books, and to make recommendations for issues to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges faced by national libraries regarding the legal deposit of electronic books, and to make recommendations for issues to consider – especially with regard to developing, planning and implementing.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature published from 2000 to 2014 on legal deposit of electronic publications was examined. Key databases covering library and information science were searched, and case studies, general reviews, research papers/reports and view point articles were considered.
Findings
National libraries embarking on projects on legal deposit of electronic books need to consider the collection, preservation and accessibility of the legal deposit collection. They face challenges regarding legal deposit legislation and institutional policy, legal considerations such as copyright, environmental factors, established mechanisms for deposit, information retrieval and access, preservation, human resources, financial implications and trust. Further research and continued monitoring of issues of concern and changes are required due to technological developments and the obsolescence of technology.
Practical implications
The review raises awareness of issues that need to be considered by national libraries and other repositories to manage the legal deposit of electronic books in their institutions.
Originality/value
The review can serve as a guide for nations (particularly in developing countries) to embark on the legal deposit of electronic publications, specifically electronic books.
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Anna Marie Johnson, Claudene Sproles and Robert Detmering
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and audiovisual material examining library instruction and information literacy.
Findings
The paper 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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Richard Gibby and Caroline Brazier
The process of developing and implementing UK legislation for the legal deposit of electronic and other non‐print publications has been lengthy and remains incomplete, although…
Abstract
Purpose
The process of developing and implementing UK legislation for the legal deposit of electronic and other non‐print publications has been lengthy and remains incomplete, although the Government has consulted on draft regulations for implementation in 2013. The purpose of this paper is to provide a short account of progress and review the experience, analysing several factors that have influenced the legislative process and helped shape the proposed regulations. It summarises the regulatory and non‐regulatory steps taken by the UK legal deposit libraries to address the legitimate concerns of publishers and describes some of the practical implications of implementing legal deposit for non‐print publications.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws upon the personal experiences of the authors, who have been directly involved in the legislative process and negotiations with publishers and other stakeholders.
Findings
The paper provides new information and a summary of key issues and outcomes, with explanations and some insights into the factors that have influenced them.
Originality/value
This paper provides new information about the development of legal deposit in the UK and a review of the issues that have affected its progress.
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Paul Eden, John Feather, Richard Harris and Margaret Kinnell
Describes a research project aiming to develop models to facilitate co‐operative initiatives and partnership arrangements which will improve the identification and collection of…
Abstract
Describes a research project aiming to develop models to facilitate co‐operative initiatives and partnership arrangements which will improve the identification and collection of local publications under legal deposit and the coverage of these publications in the BNB. Underlines the importance of locally‐held collections and outlines the concept of “the national published archive”. Argues the need for a review of, and changes to, legal deposit, highlighting the need for greater co‐operation between the legal deposit libraries and others, whilst noting existing co‐operation. Maintains that the success of any distributed national published archive will depend upon a co‐operative approach, between the legal deposit libraries themselves and other information providers at local and regional levels. Above all, any new arrangements must be sustainable – able to withstand, for instance, future local or regional reorganisations of the kind recently experienced, and properly funded.
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Ghalib Khan, Rubina Bhatti, Amjid Khan and Rahim Jan
The purpose of this study is to suggest strategic-based measures for improving the current situation of academic law libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to suggest strategic-based measures for improving the current situation of academic law libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a survey method, this study attempted to explore a strategic-based measure for improving academic law libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Data were collected from 43 respondents through semi-structured interviews, including library and information science professionals, academicians and administrative officers of the affiliation awarding institutions and principals of the law colleges.
Findings
Based on the interview findings, the study found that most of the law colleges do not pay attention towards the development of their institutional libraries. Outdated collections, scarcity of information and communication technologies and budgetary issues, inactive roles of regulating bodies and professional associations, limited roles of professional library staff, limited access to the Higher Education Commission digital library, absence of proper library setup and moral obligations and responsibilities of institutional administrations towards the development of academic law libraries were the main challenges.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of this paper covers Constituent Law College of the University of Peshawar and its 18 affiliated law colleges (Total 19), and the geographical area is restricted to the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The scope of this paper can be extended to additional private and public sector universities in Pakistan, as well as abroad.
Originality/value
This study is the first of its kind in Pakistan which will help the stockholders of affiliated and affiliation granting institutions to improve the current situation of academic law libraries in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study presents a number of suggestions for the improvement of academic law libraries, which may be of value to the local institutions and developing countries with similar situations.
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Ginevra Peruginelli, Sara Conti and Chiara Fioravanti
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the initiatives providing legal information during the COVID-19 emergency, focusing on the fundamental role of digital libraries in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the initiatives providing legal information during the COVID-19 emergency, focusing on the fundamental role of digital libraries in creating, managing and sharing services to support and ensure access to legal information in times of emergency.
Design/methodology/approach
To have an overall view of the legal information on COVID-19 available on digital libraries during the outbreak, a desk-research on the Web was conducted looking for both public and private sources of information. The selection of the sources was based on the type of information and services offered, the quality of information structuring, together with the data updating and the target users.
Findings
The survey provided a huge and heterogeneous amount of legal information resources on COVID-19. The analysis on the source of information selected showed different kinds of approaches adopted by digital libraries in relation to types of information provided, information categorization, target audiences, purposes and services offered.
Research limitations/implications
Two limitations have been identified: lack of previous studies in the domain and size of the samples cited. The conducted research should be seen as the “building block” upon which further research should be broadened and deepened. Limited samples are cited because of a rational choice; nevertheless, future research should be conducted also addressing a quantitative choice on identifying sources.
Practical implications
The research proposes to give users practical guidance, namely, a first set of authoritative sources which gives legal information on COVID-19.
Originality/value
This review paper could be seen as a first study on the issues related to accessing and sharing legal data at the time of the COVID-19; the research could be a starting point for devising a new form of communication of legal information in times of crisis.
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Brooke Doyle, Lynn Silipigni Connaway and Lesley A. Langa
OCLC Research conducted a global survey focusing on libraries’ strategic goals that incorporate five of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where libraries…
Abstract
OCLC Research conducted a global survey focusing on libraries’ strategic goals that incorporate five of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where libraries could have the greatest impact. More than 1,700 library staff completed the survey and identified how they were integrating these five SDGs [Quality Education (SDG 4), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reduced Inequality (SDG 10), Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16), and Working in Partnership to Achieve the Goals (SDG 17)] in their strategic framework and the activities that staff undertook as part of their overall mission.
Results from the survey combined with other projects provide examples of how the SDGs inform library strategic planning and how the library staff’s activities impact sustainable development in their communities. Quality education (SDG 4) was the top goal that respondents believe libraries can impact through community training and classes. Public libraries also often are the main source of credible information and facts in a community.
This commitment to quality education and credible information is demonstrated in the role libraries play in helping community members to access legal information. This chapter describes several different partnerships where libraries are important connectors to legal information which often can be life changing to the community, such as providing information on how to expunge a criminal record to obtain employment.
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Librarians have been urged to emphasize social justice and human rights issues in their library mission, but they may find themselves challenged to provide additional services…
Abstract
Librarians have been urged to emphasize social justice and human rights issues in their library mission, but they may find themselves challenged to provide additional services, such as access to legal information for those who cannot afford an attorney. Social justice services in libraries are seldom adequately funded and providing services in this area is labor intensive. In addition, there is an emotional intensity in library services for social justice that is often not considered in the initial enthusiasm of providing services in this area. Yet there seems to be no limit to the need. An interesting and useful perspective on how a public agency such as a library responds in circumstances of limited resources and unlimited demand can be found in the book Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Service, by Michael Lipsky. In this perspective, lower level civil servants who interact directly with members of the general public exercise a level of discretion in the amount of services provided and how those services are administered. This chapter explores how this can generate tensions between more traditional library bureaucracy and social justice services, such as providing public access to justice resources in law libraries. However, the “street-level” response is evolving into a sustainability perspective as librarians embrace a more social justice–oriented outlook in library service planning.
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