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1 – 10 of over 60000Xinya Yang, Qunyi Wei and Xiaodong Peng
The purpose of this article is to present a subsection circulatory management (SCM) model of Library 2.0. The design idea of Library 2.0 system architecture is to be illustrated…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to present a subsection circulatory management (SCM) model of Library 2.0. The design idea of Library 2.0 system architecture is to be illustrated and a five‐tier model of service‐oriented architecture (SOA) is to be put forward and analyzed.
Design/methodology/approach
The SOA model conforms to the desires of Library 2.0. Libraries require integration of literature resources, knowledge services and operations management and together all these integrations must be based on the user service. The realization of the concept and technology of Library 2.0 is similar with the SOA model.
Findings
Current library management systems (LMS) remain at the era of Library 1.0, which focused on literature management. The new design principles are aiming to manage library resources much better. Library 2.0 must break through the current framework, and adopt a multilayer structure, user‐centered and service‐oriented system architecture to integrate the resources, the services and managements. Amongst other things, Library 2.0 should utilize the multilayer architecture based on the module mode, improve the flexibility and adaptability of modern management systems, both in system configuration and operational management.
Originality/value
The SOA model is applied in Library 2.0 for the first time and is divided into five tiers – hardware tier, system tier, data tier, operation management tier and knowledge service tier. According to the architecture, three application systems – LMS based on librarians, knowledge service system based on patrons, and knowledge search engine, are designed.
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Hamilton Mphidi and Retha Snyman
The intranet has emerged as one of today's most effective tools for knowledge management. This article reports on the extent to which three South African academic libraries…
Abstract
The intranet has emerged as one of today's most effective tools for knowledge management. This article reports on the extent to which three South African academic libraries, selected by means of the purposive sampling method, utilise the intranet as a knowledge management tool. Based on the literature, knowledge management and an intranet are briefly defined. The advantages of the intranet as a knowledge management tool as well as the content of an intranet are discussed. The opinions about knowledge management and the utilisation of the intranet as a knowledge management tool in the three academic libraries are weighed up against the findings in the literature. It is clear that a strong awareness exists of the importance of knowledge management and the value of the intranet as a knowledge management tool. However, the potential of the intranet as a knowledge management tool is not utilised fully.
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Professional education in the library and information sector has only provided for first qualification level: through undergraduate and postgraduate programmes which meet the…
Abstract
Professional education in the library and information sector has only provided for first qualification level: through undergraduate and postgraduate programmes which meet the criteria required for accreditation by professional bodies (including the Library Association, Institute of Information Scientists, British Computer Society). The management curriculum within such programmes has offered knowledge and skills relevant to earlier perceptions of the needs of first professional posts, with middle and senior managers lacking substantial information‐sector‐ specific programmes to meet their needs for advanced education and training. Two British Library sponsored short courses provided a model which stimulated the development of the Loughborough MBA (Information and Library Management) programme, offered jointly by Loughborough University's Business School and Department of Information and Library Studies. This flexible, part‐time, advanced masters degree, ‘badged’ for the LIS sector, also provides intensive short‐course opportunities for UK and overseas participants.
This article reviews recent preservationactivity in Britain, considers the place ofpreservation in library management andlooks to its future development. The manyand broad aspects…
Abstract
This article reviews recent preservation activity in Britain, considers the place of preservation in library management and looks to its future development. The many and broad aspects of preservation which impinge on library management are indicated. Much progress has been made in recent years, but there remain those who need persuading to reassess their attitude towards it. If the current preservation impetus is to be maintained and extended, then the question of funding, in particular, must be successfully addressed. Co‐operative programmes and integration of preservation into overall library management and policy will be significant in achieving this.
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Mohd Ismail Abidin, K. Kiran and Samsul Farid Samsuddin
This study examines the preparedness and responsiveness of Malaysian academic librarians in handling disruptions in library services during a disaster.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the preparedness and responsiveness of Malaysian academic librarians in handling disruptions in library services during a disaster.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative approach involved semi-structured interviews with decision-makers, chief librarians and library managers from five selected public universities.
Findings
Thematic and qualitative data analysis produced several key themes based on (1) disaster preparedness involving policies, plans, asset protection, risk management, coordination of disaster management and preparative measures; and (2) disaster response involving strategies for information and communication access, community engagement, emergency response teams and procedures, and resource availability.
Practical implications
The findings are expected to be useful for policymakers in formulating policies and guidelines for library disaster management plans.
Social implications
The interruptions of academic library services during a disaster may result in the disruption of the information sources and social information networks of students, academics and researchers alike. Effective disaster management is also the library’s responsibility to protect collections that belong to society at large.
Originality/value
This is one of the first attempts in disaster management research to focus on the preparedness and responses of academic libraries in Malaysia in the face of disasters. Therefore, the results of this study can be used as a baseline for policymakers to prepare policies, guidelines and manuals for management in the event of a disaster.
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Kiran Kaur, Pauziaah Mohamad and Sossamma George
This paper aims to describe the steps in attaining the ISO 9001:2000 quality management system certification at the University of Malaya Library.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe the steps in attaining the ISO 9001:2000 quality management system certification at the University of Malaya Library.
Design/methodology/approach
This article includes description of the planning, implementation and maintenance of the quality management system by the library, along with continual improvement efforts to provide quality service to the library clientele.
Findings
Finds that the move towards a quality management system within quality standard requirements, such as the MS ISO 9001:2000 proved challenging to obtaining the management commitment and the reorganization of services. Customer feedback becomes the focus of on‐going planning to fulfill customer requirements. A quality management system has brought about informed decision making and increased customer satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to only four university libraries, thus generalization to Malaysian academic libraries is premature at this stage.
Practical implications
This paper will be helpful to libraries planning to implement a quality management system to improve its quality service and increase customer satisfaction.
Originality/value
This paper will be helpful to libraries planning to implement a quality management system to improve its quality service and increase customer satisfaction. As libraries strive to provide quality services to their clients, it is important that their quality standards be accepted globally, therefore the implementation of a quality management system based on ISO 9001:2000 may be helpful in providing clear guidelines on measuring performance.
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Robert C. Ward and Michael Carpenter
An international management movement known as New Public Management (NPM) emerged during the 1970s and 1980s. It relies on the normative use of economic market models, transaction…
Abstract
An international management movement known as New Public Management (NPM) emerged during the 1970s and 1980s. It relies on the normative use of economic market models, transaction cost theory, and public choice theories to deliver public services. While the manifestations of this new approach have taken many different avenues across the world, in the United States the primary manifestations have been found in the “Reinventing Government” movement (Gore, 1993), and the “Competitive Sourcing” plan of the Bush Administration (Office Management and Budget, 2002, 2003). A central component of NPM practices in the United States is the use of “outsourcing” of government service delivery to private or non-profit organizations.
Maureen L. Mackenzie and James P. Smith
This chapter explores the question of where and how leaders in the library field gain the knowledge, skills, and ability to lead and manage people. The authors report empirical…
Abstract
This chapter explores the question of where and how leaders in the library field gain the knowledge, skills, and ability to lead and manage people. The authors report empirical evidence to answer this question based on the results of the third stage of an ongoing study—a study which examines the academic preparation of professional librarians who have become directors of libraries. The results of a survey inquiring into the formal training received by practicing library directors are detailed. Among other findings, 55.1% of the library directors surveyed and observed that graduate library school did not prepare them to become library directors. There is some evidence that a shift of perception regarding the need for traditional management training has begun to occur in library schools. The authors contend that this trend needs to accelerate if the information profession intends to prepare library directors to assume leadership roles in the future. This chapter briefly reviews the research findings from stage one and two research, which provided the foundation for the current study. As a result of this research a fourth stage of research is planned which will use in person in-depth interviews of library directors. The influence of leadership on organizational results has been explored within the broader management literature. There is clearly a relationship between leadership and results. What is unclear is how and where these leaders gain the knowledge, skills, and ability to lead and manage.
The United Nations action plan on sustainable development, called Agenda 21, is applied as a new framework to strategic management of libraries and information services is…
Abstract
The United Nations action plan on sustainable development, called Agenda 21, is applied as a new framework to strategic management of libraries and information services is described in this chapter. Strategic management with Agenda 21 involves adapting the library to its social and ecological environment. It affects the entire organization including institutional and individual strategies. Key issues are ecology, social responsibility, accountability and ethics. The chapter is not about climate change, but is about goal definition and resource allocation. The message is that library management should contribute to the sustainable development of society on a local level, in addition to its particular cultural or scientific objectives. The global approach of Agenda 21 helps to evaluate library performance as a system, against criteria derived from the action plan, and to develop sustainable scenarios integrating social and ecological impact. Also, following the Agenda 21 philosophy, no performance level such as service quality, information technology, financial balance or carbon footprint should be evaluated unrelated to the other levels. In the new societal context, social, economic and ecological aspects are inter-connected. The author’s conviction is that the traditional cultural and scientific functions of libraries cannot be isolated from this environment, and that strategic library management must integrate sustainable development, not as a marginal element, but at the heart of analysis and decision-making.
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Mohammad Anas, Jafar Iqbal and Parvez Ahmad
– The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of automation on library management services of four selected management institutes at Aligarh.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of automation on library management services of four selected management institutes at Aligarh.
Design/methodology/approach
The investigators used a fashioned questionnaire and informal interviews. They chose samples on the basis of a stratified sampling method and administered the questionnaire according to a random method for collecting the data.
Findings
The study revealed that 3 of 4 libraries are partially automated, with the exception of Al-Barkaat which is completely automated. Seventy per cent of librarians believe that automation has improved their library’s services, while 85 per cent of users believe that an automated library system is better than the traditional manual system. Of the four libraries, three have a shortage of general staff and three also lack qualified specialized staff to deal with automation.
Research limitations
The investigators could only select four management institutes because of time and logistic constraints, despite Aligarh being the educational hub of western Uttar Pradesh.
Originality/value
Although many studies of the same kind have already been conducted on library automation in different areas of world, this paper revealed the current status of automation in libraries of selected management institutes at Aligarh.
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