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Article
Publication date: 20 October 2020

Younghee Noh and Sang-Yup Lee

The purpose of this study is to develop an evaluation index. For this, questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the educational value of the library. This study encourages…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop an evaluation index. For this, questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the educational value of the library. This study encourages librarians and users to gain confidence in the educational benefits of the library and enables the students and general users to capture and appreciate the educational presence of the library, thereby contributing to the increase of activity in libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

To develop an evaluation index for assessing the educational value of the library, domestic and foreign papers were collectively gathered and analyzed to develop a preliminary evaluation index. Next, ten experts were selected and the three-step Delphi method was used to develop a final evaluation index. Questionnaires were developed based on the final evaluation index, and librarians and users of 100 public libraries were asked to assess educational values of their respective libraries. In Korea, there are 978 public libraries (as of 2015), and in this study, 10% of the public libraries were selected. To select the libraries, every tenth library was chosen from the data of the national library statistics system.

Findings

By presenting the educational value of the library, this study encourages libraries to improve their services and increases library usage. The educational value has been divided into five evaluation areas of literacy improvement; learning and educational support; research support and information resources provision; improvement of the quality of educational environment and education; and strengthening of competency. The strengthening of competency evaluation areas were the highest at 3.87, and those of research support and the information resources provision were the lowest at 3.63. Statistical analysis comparing responses by social status, gender, age and number of visits revealed that the majority (23 of 39) of significant differences found occurred between librarians and users.

Practical implications

The evaluation indicator developed in this research is expected to be a basic tool that can be applied to public libraries as well as other types of libraries. In addition, the evaluation indicator developed in this research can be applied to nonprofit organizations and this research is expected to have an educational impact as a study that evaluates and presents the educational values of libraries. In addition, because the research was conducted in a personal context, the questionnaire survey was administered in 100 libraries with limitations among the public libraries nationwide. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the educational value of libraries of other kinds such as university libraries, school libraries and specialized libraries, using the indicator developed in this research.

Social implications

The biggest feat the present study achieved is the development of the evaluating indicator of the educational value of libraries. As examined in previous researches, the studies on the value of libraries are partly being executed but such studies tend to be mostly ones about such an institute’s economic merits. However, a library is not evaluated only by its financial significance but by its cultural, social and educational prominence. The present research can be extremely meaningful in that within it, the authors endeavor to estimate a library’s educational value, considering the countless papers mentioning the value of similar establishments within and outside Korea, and based on such data produce an indicator to evaluate the educational value of such institutes. Also, in the present research, it is noteworthy that the developed indicator is verified while at the same time the authors apply it in real life to estimate the educational value of such a hub for books. For such an application, the authors conducted a survey on 100 Korean public libraries, amounting to 10% of all the libraries in Korea, and the research is meaningful in that it even compared and analyzed the common notions of the librarians and users. Finally, the educational value of libraries is proven through such a process. It can be seen that the users evaluate that a library contributes to the improvement of literacy on the part of the user, and by supporting studies, education, research and academic activities adds to the user’s reading ability, character and creativity. To recount the specifics, it can be seen that they think that such an establishment heightens reading ability and results, contributes to continuing education and improves emotional stability. Such a research result is seen to be of particular use for the executive team of a library while they secure the budget or plan services to better user satisfaction with the value judgment of libraries at its basis.

Originality/value

There is very little research conducted on the educational influence or value of the library, although they are referred to in part when overall value of the library is discussed. Therefore, research that focuses on the educational value of the library is needed. In this respect, this research is meaningful; the evaluation index developed in this research is a basic tool that can be applied to all public libraries as well as other types of libraries. Furthermore, the evaluation index developed in this study may also be applied to nonprofit organizations, such as libraries, and will likely have a social impact as research that evaluates and presents the educational value of the library.

Details

The Electronic Library , vol. 38 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 June 2016

Eleanor Longden, Philip Davis, Janine Carroll, Josie Billington and Peter Kinderman

Although there is a growing evidence base for the value of psychosocial and arts-based strategies for enhancing well-being amongst adults living with dementia, relatively little…

Abstract

Purpose

Although there is a growing evidence base for the value of psychosocial and arts-based strategies for enhancing well-being amongst adults living with dementia, relatively little attention has been paid to literature-based interventions. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of shared reading (SR) groups, a programme developed and implemented by The Reader Organisation, on quality of life for care home residents with mild/moderate dementia.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 31 individuals were recruited from four care homes, which were randomly assigned to either reading-waiting groups (three months reading, followed by three months no reading) or waiting-reading groups (three months no reading, followed by three months reading). Quality of life was assessed by the DEMQOL-Proxy and psychopathological symptoms were assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire.

Findings

Compared to the waiting condition, the positive effects of SR on quality of life were demonstrated at the commencement of the reading groups and were maintained once the activity ended. Low levels of baseline symptoms prevented analyses on whether the intervention impacted on the clinical signs of dementia.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations included the small sample and lack of control for confounding variables.

Originality/value

The therapeutic potential of reading groups is discussed as a positive and practical intervention for older adults living with dementia.

Article
Publication date: 16 September 2011

Caroline Roe and Anne Garland

This paper is a shared endeavour between client (Caroline) and therapist (Anne) which aims to examine the use of poetry in the construction of meaning in Cognitive Behavioural…

336

Abstract

Purpose

This paper is a shared endeavour between client (Caroline) and therapist (Anne) which aims to examine the use of poetry in the construction of meaning in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (CBP).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a narrative account of the early stages of therapy and the role poetry played in developing an effective therapeutic relationship and in shaping the CBP formulation, which guides treatment. The text is illustrated with examples of poetry and song lyrics that have been used to construct meaning in the therapy and the authors' own reflections on this process. The paper begins with a brief outline of the theoretical principles of CBP and then moves on to discuss the use of metaphor as part of the therapy and its role in the development of a productive therapeutic relationship.

Findings

The paper provides a reflective narrative from the perspective of client and therapist and invites the reader to consider making links between the science of evidence based practice and the artistry necessary and inherent to the practice of CBP.

Originality/value

The interacting cognitive subsystems model (Teasdale and Barnard, 1993) from cognitive science is introduced as a theoretical rationale to provide an account of the efficacy and effectiveness of poetry in this context. This is the first time an evidence based theory from cognitive science has been used as the basis for an account of the utility of poetry in constructing meaning in CBP.

Details

Mental Health Review Journal, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-9322

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 December 2016

Josie Billington, Eleanor Longden and Jude Robinson

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether Shared Reading (SR), a specific literature-based intervention, is transposable to a prison context and whether mental health…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether Shared Reading (SR), a specific literature-based intervention, is transposable to a prison context and whether mental health benefits identified in other custodial and non-custodial settings were reported by women prisoners.

Design/methodology/approach

In all, 35 participants were recruited within an all-female maximum security prison and attended one of two weekly reading groups. Qualitative data were collected through researcher observation of the reading groups; interviews and focus group discussions with participants and prison staff; interviews with the project worker leading the reading groups; and a review of records kept by the latter during group sessions.

Findings

Attendance rates were good, with nearly half of the participants voluntarily present at =60 per cent of sessions. Two intrinsic psychological processes associated with the SR experience were provisionally identified, “memory and continuities” and “mentalisation”, both of which have therapeutic implications for the treatment of conditions like depression and personality disorder.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations included the small sample, lack of control for confounding variables, and constraints imposed on data collection by the custodial setting.

Originality/value

Although more controlled research is required, the findings indicate that women prisoners will voluntarily engage with SR if given appropriate support, and that the intervention has potential to augment psychological processes that are associated with increased well-being.

Details

International Journal of Prisoner Health, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-9200

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 October 2020

Keren Dali, Clarissa Vannier and Lindsay Douglass

Addressed to the audience of LIS educators at all levels, from full-time and adjunct faculty teaching in LIS programs, to librarians and library consultants delivering…

1266

Abstract

Purpose

Addressed to the audience of LIS educators at all levels, from full-time and adjunct faculty teaching in LIS programs, to librarians and library consultants delivering professional development training, to practitioners who work with readers in all types of libraries, this article makes a case for replacing the term “readers' advisory” with the term “Reading Experience (RE) librarianship” as a designator of the current professional practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Using historical and discursive analysis based on the extensive literature review, this article argues that a number of factors call for the change in terminology: changes in the human factor (i.e., changes in readers and reading behavior; and changes in relationships between readers and librarians) and changes in the library environment (the rise of “experience” in libraries; a greater commitment to outreach and community engagement; and the fact that librarians are already practicing RE librarianship without recognizing it as such). It also examines the role of LIS educators in fostering and supporting RE librarianship.

Findings

On the one hand, the new terminology will be more reflective of the work that reader service librarians currently do, thus doing justice to a wide range of activities and expanded roles of librarians; on the other hand, it will serve as an imperative and a motivator to further transform reader services from in-house interactions with and programs for avid readers into a true community engagement, with much broader goals, scope and reach.

Originality/value

The article stands to coin a new professional term for the transformed library practice, thus recording a radical change in longstanding professional activities and encouraging new community-oriented thinking about the expanded role of librarians in promoting reading in diverse social environments.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 77 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1998

Fiona Shield

Closure of a Hospital in an area with a high percentage of elderly people created a need for good‐quality, cost‐effective rehabilitation services. The paper describes the setting…

Abstract

Closure of a Hospital in an area with a high percentage of elderly people created a need for good‐quality, cost‐effective rehabilitation services. The paper describes the setting up of a rehabilitation team and centre, and the benefits that it has provided.

Details

Journal of Integrated Care, vol. 6 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1476-9018

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1963

I AM MOST GRATEFUL for the opportunity to contribute a foreword to this special Ghana issue of THE LIBRARY WORLD. Barely ten years ago, there was nothing of a library service…

Abstract

I AM MOST GRATEFUL for the opportunity to contribute a foreword to this special Ghana issue of THE LIBRARY WORLD. Barely ten years ago, there was nothing of a library service worth the name in Ghana. Today we have a national wide library service, and a great measure of the success in this great experiment to provide books for a predominantly unlettered population is of course due to the support and patronage of the Government. The first step towards a national library service was taken in 1950 with the passing of the Ghana Library Board Act. By this legislation, not only did the Government give its recognition to the need for inculcating the reading habit among the literate masses, but also committed itself to providing the necessary financial support.

Details

New Library World, vol. 64 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2017

Ruth J. Tully and Alex Barrow

There is limited research on Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) in forensic contexts; this case study therefore significantly contributes to the knowledge base. The purpose of this…

Abstract

Purpose

There is limited research on Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) in forensic contexts; this case study therefore significantly contributes to the knowledge base. The purpose of this paper is to present the assessment and treatment of an adult male offender with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The client’s offence involved intimate partner violence and was committed at a time of acute psychiatric relapse.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 12 sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy and CAT informed treatment were individually designed to meet the needs of the client, delivered in an in-patient setting in the UK. The client’s progress was assessed using psychometric, observational, and narrative/descriptive methods.

Findings

Psychometric evidence was limited by distorted responding. However, narrative/descriptive assessment indicated that progress had been made in some areas. Recommendations for further treatment were made.

Practical implications

In total, 12 sessions did not meet all of the client’s needs. The use of CAT as a model that his team could use in understanding his violence was conducive to risk management. Overall, insight gained through CAT-based psychological intervention contributed to risk reduction.

Originality/value

This case study demonstrates the applicability of CAT to forensic settings.

Details

Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-6599

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 February 2014

Martin Guha

116

Abstract

Details

Reference Reviews, vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0950-4125

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 March 2012

Liz Brewster, Barbara Sen and Andrew Cox

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the use of self‐help bibliotherapy developed from a local pilot scheme to become national policy in Wales. Analysis aims to focus on…

1840

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the use of self‐help bibliotherapy developed from a local pilot scheme to become national policy in Wales. Analysis aims to focus on the use of evidence‐based practice (EBP) as a justification in the process of policy creation.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methodological approach was used to gather data, incorporating semi‐structured interviews, documents, and descriptive statistics. Actor‐network theory (ANT) was used as a critical lens to frame analysis.

Findings

The study finds that the translation from local pilot to national initiative was achieved using legitimising discourses including EBP. These discourses were used selectively, and in response to the needs of the focal actors in the network. The complex relationship between EBP and self‐help bibliotherapy is explored in connection with healthcare policy, concluding that the use of EBP legitimises a lack of patient‐centred evaluation.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of the research include a lack of engagement with patients using the scheme, and future research should aim to present a more patient‐centred account to complement this policy‐focused work.

Originality/value

Little in‐depth work has been conducted on the strategy behind the introduction of bibliotherapy schemes in the UK or elsewhere, and this paper presents an in‐depth theoretical analysis of the first nationwide bibliotherapy scheme in the world.

1 – 10 of over 8000