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The purpose of the article is to investigate readiness of academic librarians toward the use of robotic technologies in Nigerian university libraries. The article provides further insights on the following areas: •What are the levels of readiness of university libraries in Nigeria towards robotic technologies in terms of digital infrastructure, policy framework and human development for the adoption and use of robotics in the libraries? •What services are available in the university libraries that can be handled by robotic technologies? •Are academic librarians aware of the potential benefits of robotics in library operations? •What are the potential challenges that university libraries may face in the adoption and use of robotic technologies?

The study is a survey research anchored on positivism paradigm. The questionnaire was used as data collection instrument. Furthermore, 100 academic librarians were selected from the ten purposively selected ten universities. Snowballing sample technique was used to select ten academic librarians from each of the university libraries.

The findings of the study revealed that the readiness of university libraries in Nigeria towards the adoption and use of robotic technologies in Nigeria is nothing to write home about. It indicates that university libraries in the country are not ready to adopt the use of this technology despite the high benefits they have to offer in library operations.

The limitations of the study lay on the fact that very few librarians from each of the selected university libraries were selected; and at the same time, it covers only ten university libraries in the country.

The study is very important to university library management on the necessary steps that need to be taken for the effective adoption of robotic technologies. This research can be a guide to them. In addition, the empirical analysis of the study contributes to social informatics development in Nigeria.

Purpose – This chapter gives an overview of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on institutional corrections in the United States and the responses correctional institutions have taken to lessen those impacts.

Methodology/Approach – A review of the extant literature was conducted to gather information on COVID-19 and the institutional corrections systems within the United States.

Findings – The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on correctional institutions within the United States were more pronounced due to the demographic characteristics of inmates and facility challenges. Responses to outbreaks or potential outbreaks in jails and prisons in the United States included screening measures, restricted inmate movement and visitation, and decarceration efforts.

Originality/Value – This chapter builds upon literature by discussing the challenges posed to correctional institutions in the United States in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and summarizing the measures taken to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on inmates, institutional staff, and community members alike.

This chapter aims to identify, analyse, classify and rank the sustainability indices and internationalisation challenges of the footwear industry in the emerging economy of Iran. This would provide deeper decision-making insights into Iranian footwear businesses. First, a list of sustainability indices and internationalisation challenges was obtained by reviewing the literature. Then, a combination of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches was implemented. The initial sustainability indices and internationalisation challenges were screened using the fuzzy Delphi method, keeping a total of 14 criteria. The best–worst method (BWM) was employed to weigh and rank the criteria. The interpretive structural modelling (ISM) technique and cross-impact matrix applied in MICMAC were employed to visualise the conceptual model based on the levels and classification of the important criteria for the internationalisation of the Iranian footwear industry. The 14 criteria were demonstrated to be important in internationalisation. The most critical sustainability indices were reducing hazardous substances in leather tanning and labour education and training. In contrast, exchange rate instability in Iran’s economy and strict chemical regulations for clothing and footwear were found to be the most important internationalisation challenges. Hence, these criteria should be considered in the internationalisation strategies of the Iranian footwear industry. A combined multilayer sustainable decision-making approach was used to analyse the Iranian footwear industry’s essential sustainability indices and internationalisation challenges. Furthermore, implications and insights are offered to footwear businesses for future decision-making.

AS J. L. Hobbs shows so clearly in his recent book, the interest in local history is growing enormously at present. The universities, training colleges and schools, as well as the institutions of further education, are all making more use of local studies—geographical, economic, social and historical—in their regular courses, in their advanced work, and in their publications.

WE are pleased to devote this Special Number of THE LIBRARY WORLD to a discussion of Irish libraries and librarianship. Our contributors are all distinguished members of the profession in Ireland, none more so than Dermot Foley, to whom we are greatly indebted for having convened this issue.

The empirical estimates for the money demand function reported here are based on quarterly time series for Thailand for the period 1973:1 to 1985:4. The money demand function estimated is novel in that it takes into account the potential effect of external monetary developments on domestic money demand in the open economy of Thailand. The empirical results show that foreign interest rates do play an important role in the Thailand money demand function. Hence the Thailand monetary authorities should not ignore the response of domestic money demand to external factors in formulating their stabilisation policies.