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The paper presents the extent of information technology (IT) utilization in libraries in Pakistan together with librarians’ level of knowledge in IT and their attitudes toward IT in libraries. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 244 librarians working in libraries in Pakistan. The study revealed not only a low level of IT usage, but also a low level of IT knowledge among librarians. Analysis of relationships revealed that IT utilization in libraries, librarians’ awareness of the potential of IT, recency of attaining professional qualifications, and knowledge in IT had a significant relationship with librarians’ attitudes. The findings of the study also revealed that the level of IT utilization and the librarians’ level of knowledge in technology are good predictors of librarians’ attitudes toward application of IT in their libraries.

The paper seeks to examine age and exposure to computers as determinants of librarians’ attitudes towards library automation in Nigerian universities.

The paper uses a survey approach to determine the attitudes of academic librarians in Nigeria.

The investigation shows that an overwhelming majority of the librarians registered a high and positive attitude towards library automation. However, the two variables of interest to this study were found not to influence the librarians’ attitudes towards library automation. Also, several university libraries in Nigeria are yet to be automated due to some identified impediments like: financial constraints, shortage of IT personnel, irregular electric power supply, poor communication facilities, and absence of a national policy on information technology.

Generally librarians, system administrators, university authorities, IT researchers, and the National Universities Commission of Nigeria will find this paper useful. It enlightens them about the librarians’ positive attitudes towards library automation, poor state of automation in the libraries, as well as the lack of relationship between attitude of librarians and the two variables of interest to this study.

The paper offers new insights in the area of IT use by academic librarians in Nigeria. This study differs from others because it established that, even though the librarians registered a positive attitude towards library automation, their age and exposure to computers do not determine such an attitude.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of gender on attitude towards the use of social media for continuing professional development among academic librarians in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Descriptive survey design was used for the study. Research instrument used was questionnaire where 79 copies were administered to academic librarians, using total enumeration sampling technique. Five universities in Ogun State, Nigeria were selected for the study. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as percentage, frequency, mean, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and t-test for data analysis. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 19) was used to run the analysis.

The study revealed that WhatsApp (75.0 per cent) is the most frequently used social media for continuing professional development among academic librarians. Attitude towards the use of social media for continuing professional development among academic librarians is positive. There is no statistically significant gender difference in attitude towards the use of social media for continuing professional development (t = 0.097, df = 54 and p > 0.05). There is significant moderate positive relationship between attitude towards social media use and frequency of use of social media (r = 0.439; p < 0.05).

The study was necessary to identify gender difference in attitude towards the use of social media for continuing professional development by academic librarians in Ogun State, Nigeria.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting librarians' attitudes toward IT application in libraries. It also aims to identify common underlying factors, which could be used to predict the probable behavior of librarians toward IT innovation in their libraries.

Primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 288 (sample of 682) head librarians working in academic libraries across Pakistan. In total, 76 per cent valid responses were used for factor analysis. Principal components analysis was deployed to extract the underlying factors using SPSS.

The study found that the intensity of librarians' fears in IT handling, ability to cope with the ever‐changing IT innovations and their level of understanding of IT‐based rules and regulations were good predictors of librarians' attitudes toward information technology.

The findings can be utilized to improve the librarians' attitudes toward IT applications, their role in IT‐related decision making, their ownership of IT application in libraries and for success of library IT projects and innovations.

The study is the first of its type in this region, particularly in Pakistan. The paper provides insight into the people responsible for IT application in libraries.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate librarians' attitudes towards instruction in virtual reference transactions and to review relevant literature.

Librarians who provide virtual reference services are surveyed about attitudes towards providing instruction via virtual reference software. In addition to gathering demographic information respondents are asked to rate agreement or disagreement with statements about virtual references using a six‐point Likert scale.

The librarians surveyed see value in providing instruction during the virtual reference encounter, but also identify concerns and barriers. Discussion of Marchionini's concept of exploratory search and Madell and Muncer's study on control in computer mediated communication is used to highlight some characteristics of the virtual reference environment that might require unique pedagogy and reference practices.

Most respondents are from academic libraries, potentially limiting its applicability to public or special library settings and the survey does not explore the attitudes of librarians who do not currently provide virtual reference.

Findings will be useful for institutional or consortial virtual reference training as well as improving individual practice. Findings may also have policy and/or staffing implications for virtual reference programs.

There is limited literature that focuses specifically on either information literacy instruction during the virtual reference transaction or on librarians' attitudes towards providing instruction in the virtual reference transaction.

The purpose of this paper is to assess students‐teachers‐librarians interpersonal relationships; and to assess student attitudes towards library staff attitudes, library services and user‐education programmes in the university libraries of Pakistan.

A multi‐disciplinary approach is used. Questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews are utilised in the study together with discussions under interview conditions with the experts.

The literature shows the librarians' slightly negative attitude to relationships, but interestingly students and teachers' responses reveal a much more positive view of support and accessibility by the library staff. The majority of students' written responses point out more positive interpersonal relationships than the literature indicated. Verbal responses show antagonistic attitudes in some cases towards library staff. It is shown that interpersonal relationships are not as disappointing as shown in the literature and the qualitative study of experts' views, but still there is much to be done to improve the meaningfulness of the educational use of the library by improving the interpersonal relationships. It finds the factors affecting the successful interpersonal relationships as: lack of professional training, collaboration and satisfactory working conditions seem to be crucial for the meaningful interpersonal attitude.

The study examines the interpersonal relationships in the ten university libraries of Pakistan.

The information can be useful for librarians and information specialists for developing positive working relationships. Librarians can play their role effectively in attracting and educating the users to wealth of information contained in Pakistani libraries.

Very few studies on interpersonal relationship have been conducted in Pakistan. The key points that emerge that interpersonal relationships play a major part in developing attitudes towards library services and user education; antagonistic attitudes are evidenced in some cases towards library staff in the verbal responses from students (strongly) and teachers (less strongly). The myth that librarians are uncooperative with students and teachers is not well supported by the research.

This research investigates Hong Kong academic librarians' attitudes toward robotic process automation (RPA) and their willingness to learn this technology.

This qualitative study collected data through one-on-one semi-structured interviews conducted with video conferencing software. After participants received basic RPA information and three existing library application cases, they answered questions based on the interview guide. This research used the inductive thematic analysis method to analyze the collected data.

Regarding Hong Kong academic librarians' attitudes towards RPA, 19 themes were identified. Although all participants did not have previous knowledge of RPA, most showed positive attitudes toward implementing RPA in their libraries and some willingness to learn it. Besides, among all identified themes, negative attitudes mainly comprised “Affect” and “Cognition” factors, hindering RPA deployment in academic libraries.

This research helps librarians and RPA vendors make better decisions or strategies for implementing RPA for libraries, which has not been explored, especially in East Asia.

Success and effectiveness in automated library systems are two related issues that all users are normally looking for when buying or designing a new system. On the basis of the available literature and opinions of automated library systems experts, 26 factors were identified as criteria for the success of automated library systems. Attitudes to these criteria of Australian university librarians and systems managers were examined in a survey conducted in 1993; 23 of these criteria were approved by the survey sample, and the other three were rejected. These criteria should be tested with other groups of experts in library automation to gain more generalisation on the findings.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the most significant censorship issues faced by UK school librarians today and to determine what factors influence attitudes towards these issues.

A questionnaire was designed, closely based on that used for a previous survey of UK librarians in 2004. It was distributed online and 96 responses were received.

Overall, respondents were more likely to express support for intellectual freedom in theory than in practice. Statements that prompted the strongest pro-censorship responses related to access issues, namely, labelling and filtering. A number of librarians place significant emphasis on their personal ability, or right, to determine whether or not resources are included in the collection. There was evidence of a difference in practical application depending on whether librarians worked with pre-school children or were members of professional associations.

The findings suggest a need for further research into the role of professional associations in supporting school librarians faced by censorship issues, especially those who support the youngest students.

The findings suggest that while school librarians hold strong pro-intellectual freedom views, they may need additional support to put these into practice. School librarians are undoubtedly in a challenging position, often being solo workers; they need support to find ways to uphold professional intellectual freedom principles within a school setting.

Considers theft and mutilation of items of library stock in the light of their common occurrence, particularly among students. Discusses the attitudes of library staff in Nigeria to these problems from the results of a literature and questionnaire survey.