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The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.

Introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and audiovisual material examining library instruction and information literacy.

Provides information about each source, discusses the characteristics of current scholarship, and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.

The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

Mobile technologies (MT) have been attracting the attention of academic library stakeholders for some time, as it is considered a strong communication channel that can offer advanced library services. Furthermore, MT can offer a number of flexible options for library users. Accordingly, the overarching aim of this research is to investigate the potentials of implementing MT within academic libraries in public universities in Jordan from library staff viewpoint. Exploring library staff expectation of MT to enhance library services is another aim. It is also important to investigate the effects of external factors such age, job title, educational level and experience on library staff perception of MT use and role in academic libraries in Jordan.

Using a case study design, a questionnaire was developed and disseminated to all library staff (n = 174) within ten public universities. Some 121 responses were received.

The study indicates that there is a high level of awareness of the advantages of using MT in academic libraries in Jordan. However, the research also reveals that, although library staff are aware of the role and value of MT within the academic library environment, MT has not yet been fully exploited in these environments in Jordan for various reasons. These include incompatible information technology infrastructure and a lack of training. As a result, these libraries need to invest more in MT and enhance the use of technologies among their users to raise their performance and the quality of services that they offer. Such enhancements could lead to more meaningful interactions with users and a better overall user experience.

This study investigated awareness levels among library staff of MT to provide library services. Users perspectives regarding receiving library services on mobile devices have not been explored. MT should be assessed from user perspective to understand how MT might enhance academic library services. Library staff could also be interviewed to explore these issues in closer detail. Library and Information Science departments might also upgrade their curricula and include MT application development in library courses.

This study fills a gap in MT research in the context of library services, as it is the first such attempt to conduct research into this topic in the Middle East in general, and in Jordan specifically.

Academic libraries do not operate in a vacuum; they must co-exist with change and competition on all levels. In order to succeed, they must know their internal strengths in order to take advantage of opportunities, whilst avoiding threats and addressing weaknesses. A SWOT analysis of Jamaican academic libraries can yield strategic insights for academic library praxis in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the globe. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Survey and discussion group were engaged for the five local academic libraries in higher education in Jamaica.

Human resources and support are the most recurrent themes in the reported strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

This paper focused on local academic libraries in higher education (university level) in Jamaica. A survey of academic libraries at all levels, and using more detailed strategic analytical tools, would be a useful follow up.

This paper provides academic library managers and the national/regional library associations with a situational analysis of Jamaican academic librarianship, which can be used to inform future planning and management of library and information services. Additionally, the findings can inform the Latin America and Caribbean section of international library documents on trends, issues and future position of academic libraries globally.

This paper is of value as it is the first published scholarly documentation on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in academic librarianship in Jamaica. In this regard, it makes a useful contribution to the dearth of literature on SWOT analyses of academic libraries per country. It may also represent a starting point for looking at solutions and emerging challenges in a Caribbean academic library environment and should help to focus on the need for continuing innovation.

Information literacy is defined as discrete abilities that a person requires to have in order to find, assess, use and share information. As information literacy skills play a prominent role in the students' academic achievement, students and in particular international students coming to continue their postgraduate studies in other countries may face problems in finding and using library services. The purpose of this paper is to explore and investigate the information literacy skills, challenges and needs of international and domestic students at the Finnish universities.

This paper uses a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey (82 respondents) and qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 international and 10 domestic students.

Academic library services are used but in different ways. The findings indicate that international students have a relatively low level of information literacy skills compared to domestic students and faces various challenges, especially in the beginning of their studies.

The study was exploratory, and data were collected from limited number of Finnish universities and may not be representative of the underlying population.

Academic libraries should provide effective courses on research methods and library services to the international students while keeping in mind the international students language and cultural barriers.

This is one of the first attempts in information literacy research that focusses on international and domestic students' information literacy skills at the higher education environment. As such, the results provided in this paper can help librarians and decision-makers at the higher education environments to plan better and become more efficient in delivering information services meeting students' information needs and expectations.

This article aims to set a context for blogging within academic libraries in order to identify key themes and examples of good practice for others considering blogging as a future activity.

The study encompasses a literature review to identify relevant evidence around blogs within academic libraries, followed by a content analysis of a sample of the UK-based blogs which aims to provide an overview of common activity and a brief survey to blog authors to set the outcomes of the literature review in a “real world” context.

Blogging appears to be a worthwhile activity for academic libraries looking to present information or connect with users in new ways; however lessons can be learnt from the experience of early bloggers, as presented in the literature. While blogs can fulfil many purposes, it is clear that creating a two way interaction between the library service and its users is difficult within the academic library environment.

The paper presents an up-to-date review of the literature from 2005 to 2012 and includes a detailed analysis of a sample of the UK blogs, comparing their content and activity and a survey of the UK-based academic library bloggers. The article concludes with five key tips for potential bloggers.

The main purpose of this paper is to discuss the strategic repositioning of an academic library using the dynamic capability framework.

The discussion is based on the re‐organizational process of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library. Three stages are focused, illustrating how the library managed to be dynamically capable, including: sensing the environmental impacts; realigning and reconfiguring its resources; and implementing effective strategies to respond to these challenges.

The library adopted a multitude of channels and media in sensing environmental challenges. By going through a strategic reorganization, the library has realigned and redeployed its staff resources to better prepare for incoming changes. The reformed organization moved ahead with renewed culture and values, including better internal communication, team spirit, collective learning mechanisms, and effective user communication.

Reorganization is complex and can be highly stressful. Participative culture and effective communication seem to be successful mechanisms.

Cross‐training on work procedures and routines in other units provided organizational learning mechanisms. This collective learning broadened staff's work knowledge, enlightened their understanding of complex processes, fostered good team spirit, and improved overall effectiveness, as more staff become aware of the overall performance implications of their actions.

The paper shares various reorganization concerns and how they were handled. The benefits of a large‐scale cross‐training program are outlined.

The University of Minnesota Libraries have developed and implemented LibCMS, an open architecture content management system (CMS) that combines with the previously‐built LibData system to meet the web page publishing and site management needs of a large research library. The purpose of this paper is to present overall observations about CMSs and their implementation, and details the requirements and design of LibCMS.

The system's development followed an evolutionary path moving from a modest data repository, to a large system with a three‐tiered web page authoring environment, and now to a CMS with site‐level management capability. This work leaned on abstract tree structures to manage navigational hierarchy both within and between pages. Methods were developed to represent tree architecture in an RDBMS while economizing traversal and maintenance of nodes.

Developing the CMS locally ensured that design followed the requirements of a large academic library environment and its service/business model. This also allowed the implementation to be an organic extension of existing authoring tools in the environment rather than the potentially disruptive incorporation of a new system.

Architectural problems encountered here have traditionally been treated outside of library and information science. The challenge both in implementation and in research has been to bridge gaps between computer science and applied technologies in libraries.

Implementations of open source, library‐oriented CMSs could, over time, open the door to community software development and distribution efforts.

This paper uniquely details the rationale and design of a library‐oriented, open architecture CMS, built to interoperate with a large, content repository.

This paper seeks to give an overview of some ongoing research into absence management practices in a UK university library. The aim of the research in question is to evaluate the effectiveness of current management practices.

The research collected quantitative data over time and the present paper presents a summary of findings and recommendations to practitioners in the same field.

The research findings indicate that the use of return to work interviews after each absence through illness contributes to the reduction in absence levels. The research recommends that firm guidelines be used to ensure consistency in approach; that employee awareness is increased of their own responsibility to attend for work wherever possible. Where a culture of absenteeism exists, it is suggested that appropriate management strategies can produce a culture of attendance. Within academic libraries, this is possible where there is an involvement of human resource departments, with a structure for referring employees, where applicable, to occupational health. This work highlights the need for employers to get value for money from their library resources and recommends absence management as an important component in any agenda for change.

Given the potential sensitivity of the subject area, the anonymity of members of staff had to be a priority, therefore, some of the data analysis could not be carried out as in‐depth as may have been optimally desirable.

The present research provides case study experience for other practitioners, and suggests some recommendations for library managers.

The present research highlights the dearth of literature or benchmarking facilities on absence management within library and information services (LIS). The research is therefore exploratory in nature and goes some way to address the research gap.

This paper seeks to examine the development of a pilot program for using podcasting as a tool in the provision of information literacy in an academic library. It aims to discuss the implementation process and the issues encountered in developing a podcasting series at the Curtin University Library.

The possibilities for using podcasts to deliver library information literacy in an academic library are discussed in reference to current literature and trends. The method for creating a podcasting series, including the equipment, software, RSS feed, legal issues and cost and staffing implications, is outlined along with the parameters used by the Curtin University Library in the development of a pilot series.

The paper finds that podcasts offer libraries a new method of delivering information literacy to their clients. It is possible to create a podcasting series with minimal expense and the simple production method enables many libraries to take advantage of this new technology. The podcasting series at Curtin has proven to be popular with downloads increasing steadily over the course of the semester. There have been over 9,000 downloads of the audio files to the end of November 2006. By taking advantage of this ubiquitous technology libraries can communicate with their clientele in a new and exciting way.

The paper outlines how to create a podcasting series for information literacy in an academic library environment, and provides recommendations for other libraries wishing to create their own podcasting series.

The purpose of this research-based philosophical piece is to present a progressive manifesto for public libraries in the 21st century to address gaps in embracing diversity in its holistic dimensions and representing such information in their strategic planning and web documentations.

Content analysis of public library websites in the USA informed the development of a Strategic Diversity Manifesto that includes the “who”, the “what” and the “how” components to describe and discuss diversity-related matters in their strategic planning and web representations.

The Strategic Diversity Manifesto provides a mechanism for individual public library agencies, in their localized context and environment, to strategically inquire, describe, discuss, reflect, analyze and translate into concretized actions their picture of diversity as grounded in the reality of their representative communities.

The Strategic Diversity Manifesto presents a more a comprehensive and consolidated picture of diversity beyond isolated strategies seen in past efforts. It is a broader level of analysis and “picture painting” of the agency’s context, which may not be as detailed as compared to other modes of description, though as a result, it is more holistic instead of fragmentary. The aim is first and foremost to provide a basis for reflective thought and discussion.