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The purpose of this paper is to discuss ranking factors suitable for library materials and to show that ranking in general is a complex process and that ranking for library materials requires a variety of techniques.

The relevant literature is reviewed to provide a systematic overview of suitable ranking factors. The discussion is based on an overview of ranking factors used in web search engines.

While there are a wide variety of ranking factors applicable to library materials, today's library systems use only some of them. When designing a ranking component for the library catalogue, an individual weighting of applicable factors is necessary.

While the paper discusses different factors, no particular ranking formula is given. However, the paper presents the argument that such a formula must always be individual to a certain use case.

The factors presented can be considered when designing a ranking component for a library's search system or when discussing such a project with an ILS vendor.

The paper is original in that it is the first to systematically discuss ranking of library materials based on the main factors used by web search engines.

This chapter outlines how search engine technology can be used in online public access catalogs (OPACs) to help improve users’ experiences, to identify users’ intentions, and to indicate how it can be applied in the library context, along with how sophisticated ranking criteria can be applied to the online library catalog. A review of the literature and the current OPAC developments forms the basis of recommendations on how to improve OPACs. Findings were that the major shortcomings of current OPACs are that they are not sufficiently user-centered and that their results presentations lack sophistication. Furthermore, these shortcomings are not addressed in current 2.0 developments. It is argued that OPAC development should be made search-centered before additional features are applied. Although the recommendations on ranking functionality and the use of user intentions are only conceptual and not yet applied to a library catalogue, practitioners will find recommendations for developing better OPACs in this chapter. In short, readers will find a systematic view on how the search engines’ strengths can be applied to improving libraries’ online catalogs.

The aim of this paper is to examine the phenomenon of search engine optimization (SEO) as a mechanism for improving libraries' digital content findability on the web.

The study applies web analytical tools, such as Alexa.com, in the collection of data about Canadian libraries' visibility performance in the ranking of search engine results. Concepts from the Integrated IS&R Research Framework are applied to analyze SEO as an element within the Framework.

The results show that certain websites' characteristics do have an effect on how well libraries' websites are ranked by search engines. Notably, the reputation of a library's website and the number of its search engine indexed webpages increase its ranking on SERPs as well as the findability of its digital content.

Most of the existing works on SEO have been confined to popular literature, outside of scholarly academic research in library and information science. Only few studies with a focus on libraries' application of SEO exist. No known study has applied an empirical approach to the examination of relevant libraries' website characteristics to determine their visibility performance on search engine result pages (SERPs). This study identified several website characteristics that can be optimized for higher SERP rankings. It also analyzed the impact of external links, as well as that of the number of indexed webpages by search engines on higher SERP rankings.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact and role of libraries of the Institutes of Management in India in their research output. The study is based on the seven point performance evaluation parameter, whereby each individual library has been ranked on the basis of aggregate performance against each individual parameter. Some of the key parameters evaluated, include, preference of resource procurement namely, electronic or print, utilisation of library budget towards the procurement of print and electronic resources, average fund utilisation on resource procurement against each published research article and average fund utilisation on resource procurement against each faculty member. Research output against each faculty member and various other similar aspects have been evaluated.

The study is limited to the management institutes of India, but the findings can be generalised to assess omit it the overall trend across the management institutes in general and India in particular. The study is based on 2016 ranking list of Institutes of Management in India, compiled and released by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Govt. of India for the period 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.

From the data analysis, it emerged that almost three-fourth of the library budget in the leading Management Institutes across India is being spent on the procurement of e-documents, mostly in the form of subscription of online journals. On average 1.18 research articles have been published by each faculty member during the period of study from each institute under study, with an average annual institutional research output of 19.63 research articles. In terms of resource allocation, on average Indian Rupees (INR) 0.986/million has been spent by each institutional library on the resource procurement against each published research article, and INR1.166/million has been spent on the resource procurement against each faculty member.

The study is an attempt to seek correlation between the money spend on the procurement of resources and its direct impact on the research output of that particular institution.

The study is original and first of its kind, undertaken in India.

An analysis of the ability of a particular library to significantly increase its Association of Research Libraries (ARL) ranking in a reasonable time period is presented. A discussion follows to show why this is not a useful objective at a time when academic libraries are transitioning to new types of products and services made possible by emerging technologies. Various initiatives are under way in the USA and Europe to create more meaningful performance measures for academic libraries.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the use of journal‐ranking lists for academic librarian promotion and tenure (P&T) decision.

Using a case study, the researchers analyzed a proposed journal‐ranking list created for P&T decisions. A quantitative analysis of peer‐reviewed journal articles was performed to support this analysis.

The paper shows that the use of journal‐ranking lists for P&T decisions inadequately conflates academic librarians with teaching faculty members.

The study relied primarily on a single case study, so it may not be scientifically generalized.

This study identifies journal‐ranking lists as an inadequate tool for the evaluation of academic librarians and encourages action to divorce the valuation of intellectual achievement from quantitative structures.

The analysis of the quantitative/metric underpinnings of intellectual labor in higher education is necessary for academic freedom.

School library is regarded as the heart and soul of the school. It acts as learning resource centre and support the school curriculum in all possible manners. The main aim of this paper is to document the factors associated with library management in selected school libraries in Varanasi, India.

Survey method is used to conduct this research in which close-ended questions were provided to the school librarians. Simple random sampling was used to collect samples from secondary schools of Varanasi.

It was found that 34% school libraries affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education are managed properly and they are termed as first class library. Rest of the schools are not managed as per rules and regulations of school librarianship. Some librarians themselves are not properly aware of the significance of the library and hence the management is suffered accordingly.

This research will help in exploring the existing status of library management in school libraries. The work is designed specifically for school libraries. Simple ranking system for school libraries will be helpful to make an exhaustive school ranking based on library management.

This research will bring on record the ground reality of school librarianship in India and the way they are managed. Simple ranking system for school library is given in this paper that will help to find out which school library is functioning properly or not.

The purpose of the paper is to examine the various features and components of web‐based online public access catalogues (OPACs) of IIT libraries in India with the help of a specially designed evaluation checklist.

The various features of the web‐based OPACs in six IIT libraries (IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Guwahati, and IIT Roorkee) are evaluated. The evaluation approach taken was similar to that of Luong and Liew with minor modifications, comprising 122 dichotomous questions with 174 features and categorized as 11 broad categories.

The study explored different features of web‐based OPACs, of which page layout received the highest average scores with 93.33 percent, followed by the general features category with 90 percent. In contrast, session filters was the weakest category with only 40.47 percent. The results indicated that some web‐based OPACs reached the maximum scores for some categories. The results also indicated that VTLS‐based and LibSys‐based OPACs had the higher score on average (74.7 percent) and the iitKlas‐based OPAC of IITK received the lowest score of 44.2 percent. None were rated excellent. Only 50 percent of the web‐based OPACs studied achieved an above average ranking, of which Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) had the highest total score (131), and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) had the lowest total score (77). Almost all of the web OPACs studied lacked federated search, adjunct thesaurus help and spell check facilities, which seems to raise many questions regarding the facilities provided in the OPAC 2.0 environment of today and hence needs to be addressed as a priority in the subsequent generations of the web‐based OPACs and their development.

It is hoped that the libraries at the IITs will attend to the lacunae and soon develop fully functional web‐based OPACs with Web 2.0 and 3.0 technologies.

The findings of the study will not only guide study librarians and other newly established institutions but also ILMS vendors, so that they can overcome the limitations faced by users and improve their products as OPAC 2.0. This will also help the in‐house web‐based OPACs of IIT Kanpur and IIT Roorkee to compete with other reputed ILMS‐based OPACs.

This paper aims to examine and analyse the status and differences in different components of e-resources management of business/management school libraries in India. It also examines the factors responsible for criteria/methods used in the life cycle of e-resources and e-resource management (ERM) system.

This study uses convenient sampling method as the management institutes in India are many and scattered around India. A suitably designed questionnaire has been prepared and sent to the libraries. Data collected from the librarians/library in-charge on managing e-resources in their libraries selected under study were entered into SPSS software for analysis. Further, coding and decoding of data are being done for analysis. Simple cross tabulation, simple statistical tools like mean and standard deviations and advanced statistical tools like ANOVA, chi-square test and multiple regression analysis, etc. have been applied for analysis.

E-resources management is one of the most important concepts in any academic library. After automation and digitization of library resources, there is a challenge for library professional to manage this tremendous increase in e-resources. In this study, it is observed that all libraries are not following all the steps of different components of ERM such as selection, evaluation, acquisition, license agreement and renewal/cancelation of e-resource which are essential for the better management of e-resources. The voluminous e-resource can easily be managed through the ERM system. However, this study found that better management of e-resources directly effected by the facilities of IT infrastructures available in the library and proportion of non-professional staff to total staff.

This study is confined to 38 libraries of ranked management institutes/business schools in India based on the report published in Business India, Business World and Business Today. This study is confined to issues relating to e-resources collection development, the status of IT infrastructure, life-cycle process of e-resources and tools and technology implemented to manage e-resources.

This paper provides how electronic resources are being managed by business/management school libraries in India. What are the methods/criteria they are being used in different components of the life cycle of e-resources management? In this paper, the hypothesis has been tested by using simple and advance statistical tools.

Little is known about the information‐seeking behavior of practicing visual artists; what research exists has focused largely on art students, art faculty and librarians, although an untested model does emerge. The aim of this paper is to report the findings of an empirical study of a community of practicing visual artists, and to determine whether the model can be applied to such communities.

A quantitative study was administered to a sample of a community of practicing visual artists in order to determine the community's use of various information sources in the service of creative and sales activities.

The paper finds that the model may be applied to practicing visual artists. It provides a portrait of the information behavior of a specific community of practice, and suggests how information use may differ, while following the model, among different demographic groups within the community.

The research approach and findings do not conclusively define the uses that artists make of information. The sample size prohibits definitive analysis by demographic data. The quantitative approach facilitates effective identification of community behaviors, but qualitative research might enhance these findings by illuminating the information‐seeking and use processes of individuals.

Information providers will have a means of gathering and analyzing data about the information behaviors of specific communities of visual artists to be used in the creation of enhanced information environments.

The paper presents the first published research into the information behavior of a community of practicing visual artists without regard to alternative sources of income, academic affiliation, or library use. It presents a means of focusing on these unstudied and underserved communities.