Search results
1 – 10 of over 1000Maik Adomßent, Anselm Grahl and Felix Spira
The lack of change structures can be seen as an important reason why sustainability continues to suffer a niche existence in most higher education organisations. This is a problem…
Abstract
Purpose
The lack of change structures can be seen as an important reason why sustainability continues to suffer a niche existence in most higher education organisations. This is a problem because universities can leverage their teaching, research and operations to advance solutions to climate change, hunger and other Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of this study is to highlight the vital importance of self-efficacy approaches, in particular the Green Office (GO) Model that aims to strengthen collaboration among all members of higher education communities and provides inspiration for what a sustainability office on campus might look like.
Design/methodology/approach
The research presented follows a two-step methodology. First, the peculiarities and commonalities of already existing GOs were analysed to better understand drivers and barriers for their institutionalisation. Building on this, a peer-to-peer digital training programme was developed and tested, aiming to provide students, staff and academics with knowledge and skills to establish more sustainability offices and improve the work of existing ones.
Findings
Research revealed three main obstacles for the dissemination of the GO model: lack of adaptation of international experiences to other university contexts, missing educational offers and a limited scope of public relations. The findings adduce proof that GO provides a replicable model that can be both adapted to different university contexts and scaled internationally.
Research limitations/implications
This research has been limited by the availability and ability to procure information from the sampled universities’ actors beyond the close GO community.
Originality/value
This case study presents an original research and development undertaking that was realised in a unique collaboration between a non-profit, student-initiated social business and an academic institution.
Details
Keywords
Ying Dong, Mingshu Li, Meizhang Chen and Shengli Zheng
The Napster case has drawn enormous attention to digital intellectual property right problems of online file swapping. These peer‐to‐peer network technologies represent a powerful…
Abstract
The Napster case has drawn enormous attention to digital intellectual property right problems of online file swapping. These peer‐to‐peer network technologies represent a powerful new paradigm for networking. In this paper, we try to figure out the intellectual property right problems of peer‐to‐peer network, in order to deal with potential digital piracy to avoid similar litigation. If libraries can embrace peer‐to‐peer technologies into their own services, they will possibly develop new service models, or improve existing ones.
Details
Keywords
Purpose – This paper explores how the interactive dynamics of peer education models within independent youth media outlets facilitate and impede youth engagement in media activism…
Abstract
Purpose – This paper explores how the interactive dynamics of peer education models within independent youth media outlets facilitate and impede youth engagement in media activism and social change work, more broadly defined.Design/methodological approach – Ethnographic and participatory action research methods are used with the youth media hub, Youth Media Action (YMA), to examine the possibilities and challenges that peer media educators confront in cultivating a noncommercial space for the collective production of oppositional media. YMA specifically seeks to involve youth from marginalized communities.Findings – The results suggest that peer-to-peer education models do act as vehicles for political engagement as youth experience shared ownership, cultivate solidarity, and acquire community organizing skills through the collective production of oppositional media. At the same time, challenges can surface when peer educators juggle multiple roles and participating community youth groups espouse differing organizational values and pedagogical sensibilities.Research limitations/implications – This study offers a potential pathway for further research on how peer education and collective media making models influence youth citizenship and social change work.Originality/value – The focus on the organizational and social dynamics of peer education models is useful in understanding youth citizenship and digital access as a collective experience for youth living in disenfranchised communities that seek out these spaces for not only media making but also community building.
Details
Keywords
Latisha Reynolds, Amber Willenborg, Samantha McClellan, Rosalinda Hernandez Linares and Elizabeth Alison Sterner
This paper aims to present recently published resources on information literacy and library instruction providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present recently published resources on information literacy and library instruction providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering all library types.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2016.
Findings
The paper provides information about each source, describes the characteristics of current scholarship and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.
Details
Keywords
This paper presents a case study for the pilot of a peer-led service model that is centered on fostering student leadership, collaboration and advocacy. The authors, who serve as…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents a case study for the pilot of a peer-led service model that is centered on fostering student leadership, collaboration and advocacy. The authors, who serve as advisors to the program, discuss the Library's transition to this peer-led model for reference support, outreach, programming and campus engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
This case study examines the development and implementation of a new peer-led service at a mid-size public university aimed at centering student success, belonging and empowerment. Authors share practices, strategies and goals for training, onboarding and professional development with emphasis on student advocacy, leadership and retention in the program.
Findings
The authors found that developing the structures and opportunities to foster student-led initiatives and efforts for student success, belonging and engagement has helped the library better connect and engage with diverse student communities on campus.
Research limitations/implications
Findings of this study may be limited at the time this case study is written due to it being a new and developing library student program for reference, outreach and programming.
Practical implications
The peer-led service model for reference and student engagement presented in this article serves as a case study that may be applicable for those who wish to imagine and develop a student-centered library program at their institution.
Social implications
This case study may provide an alternative approach useful to those who wish to reimagine and innovate library student programs at their institutions.
Originality/value
Although there are many peer-led initiatives in academic libraries for outreach and programming, this program explores the approach of fostering student leadership and advocacy within library student roles to lead and facilitate library efforts for campus engagement with structured guidance and support from librarian advisors.
Details
Keywords
Jose Rodolfo Hernandez-Carrion
Libraries face an uncertain situation in present times of the “digital revolution” while every single sector moved online. The purpose of this paper is to search and propose…
Abstract
Purpose
Libraries face an uncertain situation in present times of the “digital revolution” while every single sector moved online. The purpose of this paper is to search and propose potential library actions as response to the challenge of the peer-to-peer (p2p) sharing platform revolution in business models, a revolution to gain efficiency and to protect the environment.
Design/methodology/approach
This research focused on integrating economics and library concepts based on a selective literature review and real-world interaction. The main concern is to connect library possibilities with the emergence of p2p digital platforms, which has enabled individuals to make use of underused inventory via fee-based sharing, as a way of obtaining, giving or sharing access to goods and services. The authors balance the existing proposals to achieve how librarians can help.
Findings
This paper defines key types of potential applications for platform business models in the sharing economy promoted by librarians and describes their characteristics for the renaissance of the “New libraries”. First, “educating” society to face critically the disruptive change in networks of culture and information. Second, “growing” as key reference institutions and community service centres integrating “external” skills. Third, “promoting” the disruptive economy by creation or participation in digital platforms. Fourth, “creating” cooperative markets through social-economic currencies.
Originality/value
This research was carried out with the objective of determining how librarians contribute to sustainable development. All four proposals to implement represent possibilities that derive from the sharing economy approach at different levels of implementation according to the degree of commitment that librarians require to translate into specific actions.
Details
Keywords
Alfred Loo and Y.K. Choi
Heretofore, it has been extremely expensive to install and use distributed databases. With the advent of Java, JDBC and other Internet technologies, it has become easy and…
Abstract
Heretofore, it has been extremely expensive to install and use distributed databases. With the advent of Java, JDBC and other Internet technologies, it has become easy and inexpensive to connect multiple databases and form distributed databases, even where the various host computers run on different platforms. These types of databases can be used in many peer‐to‐peer applications which are now receiving much attention from researchers. Although it is easy to form a distributed database via Internet/intranet, effective sharing of information continues to be problematic. We need to pay more attention to the enabling algorithms, as dedicated links between computers are usually not available in peer‐to‐peer systems. The lack of dedicated links can cause poor performance, especially if the databases are connected via Internet. Discusses the problems of distributed database operation with reference to an example. Presents two statistical selection algorithms which are designed to select the jth smallest key from a very large file distributed over many computers. The objective of these algorithms is to minimise the number of communication messages necessary to the selection operation. One algorithm is for the intranet with broadcast/multicast facilities while the other is for Internet without broadcast/multicast facilities.
Details
Keywords
This article conceptualizes essential keys to the future of peer reference in academic libraries as extrapolated through the dual lenses of academic library history in the United…
Abstract
Purpose
This article conceptualizes essential keys to the future of peer reference in academic libraries as extrapolated through the dual lenses of academic library history in the United States of America and recent experiences of a peer program with prospective and actual out-of-the-building experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
A 30,000-foot historical view of the dispositions of space in academic library buildings, collections, spaces, technology and reference provision is integrated with a description of the responses and insights of a peer reference program during the program's prospective and actual out-of-the-building experiences. These components are then analyzed to extrapolate keys to peer reference provision in any learning environment.
Findings
Peer reference is a natural extension of the Learning Commons model as developed in many academic libraries. To find optimal success in leveraging the benefits of peer-to-peer learning, program coordinators should keep in mind the social aspects of peer learning and intentionally articulate a framework for service delivery that best matches the modalities of providers, patrons and the information environment. In reviewing training and service practices, coordinators should be particularly on guard for any bias due to traditional reliance on the affordances of a library building and/or physical service point.
Originality/value
This article founds its conclusions in regard to the future of peer reference by contextualizing the evolution and future of such programs in the wider historical context of academic library dispositions of space in support of learning. It proposes a conceptual framework for intentionally matching the modalities of providers, patrons and the information environment.
Details