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Driven by globalization and subsequent advancements in technology, higher education has experienced exponential growth in student enrolment and increased diversity in the student population. Among the major changes are new models of learning that have supported both onsite and remote learners for quality education. In response to these major changes in education, the processes, resources and services in library and information science have been redefined to meet the information needs of all users, anytime and anywhere. Historically, libraries shifted from being curators of knowledge to creators and disseminators of knowledge. This paper aims to address the path forward for academic libraries using as example, the Main Library at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus (UWI).

This paper explores the evolution of reference services, circulations, digitization, people engagement and how new technologies have fundamentally changed the way librarians at The UWI work. Of equal importance in this discussion of the future of academic libraries is students' ability to navigate the diverse ways in which they access resources and services. Finally, the interests, needs and the practical implications of artificial intelligence in academic libraries will be examined. This digital disruption poses both opportunities and challenges for academic libraries and students within the Caribbean in the 21st Century and beyond. A review of literature as well as a look at trends in academic libraries forms the basis of this discussion.

Library processes and services advanced from automation in the 1980s, internet and online facilities in the 1990s to web-based and consortia offerings in the 2000s rendering old models obsolete. Information products and the process of information sharing have reduced the focus on print collections and face to face interactions to fully online or hybrid offerings. What is evident is that Caribbean Libraries must continue to evolve or risk being left behind in this burgeoning technology age.

Often the Caribbean is overlooked when examining the impact and application of technology and the availability of resources to students and the wider society. This paper presents an opportunity to look at the unique status of Caribbean academic libraries, specifically The University of the West Indies Library System.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of benchmarking and its application as a total quality management tool. It provides librarians with insights into one strategy that may be used to prove that the library is contributing to the bottom line of the parent organization.

The paper has two sections. The first half is a discussion on the need for strategic measurement and evaluation in special libraries in the Caribbean. Ranganathan's five laws of library science are reconsidered in the context of the changing library environment and are used to demonstrate how libraries can remain relevant. An overview of quality management and the application of benchmarking in libraries is also presented. The second half highlights a benchmarking pilot project that is being considered by a group of librarians in the special libraries section of the Library and Information Association of Jamaica and how one special library has adopted appropriate measurement and evaluation techniques to define its value in the organization and to keep its position in the Library Association of Jamaica as a focal point for the Socio‐Economic Information Network (SECIN).

Special libraries in Jamaica must move away from being cost centres to being value‐added units. Proactive strategies that will create new value in the organization or allow the organization to remain on the cutting edge must be developed and implemented.

The paper enables special librarians to have a better understanding of how to implement a benchmarking project in their organizations.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the recent outreach service efforts of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Main Library in the form of a Hall of Residence Librarian Programme. The aim of the programme was to minimize library anxiety through partnership with the Office of Students Services.

The transition from the secondary to the tertiary level is not always the smoothest for some students. On the islands of the English-speaking Caribbean, such as Jamaica, it can be especially difficult as some matriculants have never used an automated library. These students often experience great difficulty in effectively using the library which may result in them shying away from doing so and thus negatively impact the quality of their work. The UWI, the UWI Main Library, Mona campus, Jamaica has sought to address this challenge through the development of an outreach project to the first-year students entitled the Halls of Residence Librarian (HRL) programme.

This new form of library outreach on The UWI Mona campus has yielded the offering of library services in new locations, strategic partnerships, increased interactions with the first-year students and a greater awareness of these students ' needs. Most importantly, it was very effective in reducing library anxiety among the first-year students.

The “low” turnout to Research Rescue was largely attributed to the fact that this programme was entirely optional for the students, and it was not affiliated with any compulsory course or class. There was also the issue of a lack of incentives to boost student attendance at these sessions.

This initiative is untested in the English-speaking Caribbean. The paper explores the outreach efforts of the library at the Mona campus of The UWI and seeks to add to the limited body of literature on Academic Library Outreach in the Caribbean.

In the age of Industry 4.0, digital advancement is reshaping manufacturing models towards product–service systems (PSS). The drivers, readiness and challenges to move to a PSS model are not well understood, and the exploitation of the digital era presents the gap of this research.

The research was conducted using semi-structured interviews in six manufacturers. Two forum debates were also conducted to supplement and validate the findings.

Social and economic motivations rather than environmental considerations were driving the change to PSS. Digital technologies could be an important driver if manufacturers reached a certain PSS maturity level. A high level of technical readiness was offset by a low level of social investments and the strategic development of human resources. Value co-creation was a main challenge though manufacturers had the advantage of digital connectivity, which indicated new human requirements; the greater the enabling power of digital technologies, the greater the need for advanced human skills.

Human resource management has underpinned lean models; yet, the role of employees within PSS is underdeveloped despite the impact of staff in exploiting digitalisation and value co-creation. A “learning organisation” and socio-technical fit are required for the “diffusion of innovation” of PSS.

This research attempted to explore drivers, readiness and challenges for PSS from a socio-technical systems (STS) perspective. Three levels of PSS maturity with STS features were derived from the research, providing guidance for manufacturers.

The aim of this paper is to develop a contribution to knowledge that adds to the empirical evidence of predictive condition-based maintenance by demonstrating how the availability and reliability of current assets can be improved without costly capital investment, resulting in overall system performance improvements

The empirical, experimental approach, technical action research (TAR), was designed to study a major Middle Eastern airport baggage handling operation. A predictive condition-based maintenance prototype station was installed to monitor the condition of a highly complex system of static and moving assets.

The research provides evidence that the performance frontier for airport baggage handling systems can be improved using automated dynamic monitoring of the vibration and digital image data on baggage trays as they pass a service station. The introduction of low-end innovation, which combines advanced technology and low-cost hardware, reduced asset failures in this complex, high-speed operating environment.

The originality derives from the application of existing hardware with the combination of edge and cloud computing software through architectural innovation, resulting in adaptations to an existing baggage handling system within the context of a time-critical logistics system.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the factors affecting the success of succession planning in family businesses.

The study reports on a panel discussion in which the former chairman of the William Jackson Food Group describes the processes put in place to manage succession at this family firm and his own experience of handing over to his successor.

Once upon a time, saying that you were going into the family business marked the end of any career discussion. Now it’s just the beginning – interest in family firms has never been greater. Succession planning is a subject guaranteed to generate questions – everyone wants to know how to get it right. Fortunately, it’s an area where some are happy to share their experience.

The paper highlights the need for more longitudinal research on family firms.

This paper provides a practical guide to structures and processes that can facilitate succession planning in family firms.

It draws attention to the emotional and psychological impact of succession on the retiring individual and the need to create life structures to replace former business involvement.

This paper aims to present a frank discussion of the approach to succession planning taken by one family business and the broader research questions that it raises.

This article examines efforts of late nineteenth century educational reformers in Boston, Massachusetts (USA), to meet the pedagogical needs of an industrial age by balancing manual work and intellectual activity. Led by Swedish educator Gustaf Larsson and Boston philanthropist Pauline Agassiz Shaw, they employed traditional Swedish wood handcrafts (slojd, or ‘sloyd’ in English) to teach theoretical academic subjects and foster individualised learning. The reformers hoped to create, for students in kindergarten through to twelfth grade, a progression of manual work to parallel intellectual activities in the curriculum. That task became difficult as tool work moved from wood to steel, machines replaced hand tools, and artistic handcraft fell victim to efficient production. The school failed to sustain itself following the deaths of Shaw and Larsson. Today sloyd is credited as being a forerunner of technology education as well as an important influence on arts education in the United States.

Examines the reward structures used by private-sector firms in different locations.

Analyzes the prevailing incentive pay practice configurations in 14 countries over four continents. Investigates the extent to which local factors constrain firms’ use of personal and team bonuses or profit-sharing.

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do” – an old saying but still relevant for the growing number of firms operating in several countries. A well-thought-out incentive scheme encourages employees to think and act in ways that support company objectives. But people in different places can have different ideas about what is fair and appropriate. Human resource professionals have to decide whether to follow the local norms or to introduce the firm’s established practices – and an informed decision can make the difference between having a motivated workforce or making an expensive mistake.

Observes that organizations in some countries show a strong preference for a particular bundle of incentive options. Warns that introducing a different approach may prove counter-productive unless combined with a careful process of change management.

Highlights the importance of institutional context and social norms in determining the incentive pay configurations adopted in different countries.

Provides an international guide to prevailing patterns of incentive payment adoption. Shows that external constraints specific to individual countries can have a significant impact on the flexibility of incentive system design.

Reviews literature related to several aspects of interlending and document supply. Examines the impact of World Wide Web delivery and the ever‐increasing number of periodicals being published electronically. Interlinked with these two factors is the creation of digital libraries. Discusses some of the projects undertaken by higher education institutions to deliver electronic material to researchers and students. Includes articles on various resource sharing activities highlighting the usual access versus ownership issues.