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1 – 10 of over 3000Shailendra Kumar and Gareema Sanaman
– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the challenges faced by blind/vision-impaired users during the web access in the leading academic and special libraries of Delhi, India.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the challenges faced by blind/vision-impaired users during the web access in the leading academic and special libraries of Delhi, India.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey methodology has been used as the basic research tool for data collection with the help of questionnaire. A total of 125 users surveyed in all the five libraries are selected randomly on the basis of willingness of the users to participate in the survey with the experience of working in digital environment. The survey results were tabulated and analysed with descriptive statistics methods using Excel software and “Stata version 11”.
Findings
There are various barriers faced by blind/vision-impaired users in the libraries of Delhi (India) during the “web access” with the help of assistive technologies as assistive technology like “Screen Readers” available today are “somewhat compatible” with the web. The facility of “web-based catalogue” is generally lacking in Delhi libraries.
Research limitations/implications
The paper does not offer a comprehensive set of web accessibility issues, concentrating instead on the most common problems as epitome of this study.
Practical implications
The paper raises awareness of web accessibility issues in libraries of Delhi, India.
Originality/value
The paper highlights the web accessibility issues faced by blind/vision-impaired users of leading academic and special libraries of India including the users’ recommendations for the accessible web page/website design for the first time.
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This paper aims to analyse features and functions of indigenously developed web‐based catalogues of academic, special and national libraries of Pakistan.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyse features and functions of indigenously developed web‐based catalogues of academic, special and national libraries of Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
The assessment of 16 OPACs is based on a 91‐item checklist developed with the help of previous studies conducted in other countries.
Findings
The paper finds that indigenous web OPACs are at an initial stage of development and only offer basic facilities to their users. They do not offer facilities many OPACs in advanced countries already offer. Their shortcomings include the absence of MARC format and Z39.50 protocol, which are indispensable for shared cataloguing. A very few catalogues can accommodate non‐Roman scripts like Urdu and other local languages.
Originality/value
The comparison of features and functions of web OPACs can be useful to understand the level of OPAC development in Pakistan. It can also be helpful for future improvements in this regard.
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Afshin Mousavi Chelak and Fereydoon Azadeh
This paper aims to focus on the formation of union catalogues and union lists in Iran and discuss the development of these tools in electronics and online environments. It also…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on the formation of union catalogues and union lists in Iran and discuss the development of these tools in electronics and online environments. It also aims to identify the obstacles regarding their development.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper takes the form of a case study.
Findings
Despite the long history of the creation of union catalogues in Iran, this paper demonstrates that projects dealing with this subject either have totally ceased functioning or have been moving ahead at a snail's pace.
Originality/value
This paper is the first and the most comprehensive paper discussing the process of the formation and development of union catalogues in Iran and can be used by all researchers.
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This study has the aim of evaluating the compliance of bilingual Arabic scripts web‐based catalogues in the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC). It also seeks to highlight some of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study has the aim of evaluating the compliance of bilingual Arabic scripts web‐based catalogues in the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC). It also seeks to highlight some of the challenges facing the exchange of bibliographic records and resource sharing among Arabic script online public access catalogues (OPACs).
Design/methodology/approach
Ten OPACs in the GCC countries accessible via the internet were surveyed. Modified guidelines of OPAC displays published in the literature were used for evaluating the Arabic script display in the surveyed web‐based OPACs. The study emphasizes the absence of a dominant model for the display of bibliographic data in the surveyed OPACs. There is inconsistency in label wording, access points provided in record default display, hyperlink to bibliographic elements, and data sequence. MARC format is not utilized in over two thirds of the surveyed catalogues, as well as the Z39.50 protocol. The study argues that the web‐based OPAC could play a landmark role in networking the catalogues of the GCC University libraries as a web‐based e‐union catalogue.
Findings
OPACs have broadened the capacity of the academic library in recording, indexing, archiving, and organising its growth‐oriented collections. The advent of the internet into the library setting has also provided OPACs with powerful searching and retrieval capabilities at a one‐stop portal. Meanwhile, great efforts are currently being done to design and operate an Arabic version of OPAC to be compatible with agreed‐upon MARC standards. This challenge sparked strong interest in evaluating the compliance of the bilingual (Arabic/English) web‐based OPAC operated particularly by some GCC University libraries.
Originality/value
Provides an evaluation of the compliance of bilingual Arabic scripts web‐based catalogues in the GCC.
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Margam Madhusudhan and Shalini Aggarwal
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…
Abstract
Purpose
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.
Design/methodology/approach
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.
Findings
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.
Practical implications
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.
Originality/value
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.
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An e‐mail survey of seven Arabian Gulf university libraries was conducted in order to ascertain which types of Web‐based services they offer to users. The study specifically…
Abstract
An e‐mail survey of seven Arabian Gulf university libraries was conducted in order to ascertain which types of Web‐based services they offer to users. The study specifically looked at the provision of access to Web‐based services such as catalogues, search engines, forms, etc. through the respective library Web sites. Findings showed that almost all libraries are offering Web‐based services to users in one way or the other. This paper also discusses ways to improve and reinforce provision of such Web‐based services, including effective methods of creating awareness and delivering the orientation and training necessary to create a positive environment for change. Finally, the results of the study may be helpful especially to librarians of the Arabian Gulf libraries in enhancing or developing quality web‐based services.
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A well‐integrated multi‐channel format enables consumers to examine goods at one channel, buy them at another channel, and finally pick them up at a third channel. Multichannel…
Abstract
A well‐integrated multi‐channel format enables consumers to examine goods at one channel, buy them at another channel, and finally pick them up at a third channel. Multichannel retailing offers synergies, as it can result in an increased customer base, added revenue, and higher market share. Common characteristics of a well‐integrated retail strategy include: highly‐integrated promotions, product consistency across channels, an integrated information system that shares customer, pricing and inventory data across multiple channels, a process that enables store pick‐up for items purchased on the Web or through a catalog, and the search for multi‐channel opportunities with appropriate partners. This article provides a check‐list to enable a retailer to assess its readiness to undertake a multi‐channel strategy.
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Sever Bordeianu, Christina E. Carter and Nancy K. Dennis
As technology changes, so do methods for delivering electronic information resources to library users. Describes Web‐based online public access catalogs (Web OPACS) and other…
Abstract
As technology changes, so do methods for delivering electronic information resources to library users. Describes Web‐based online public access catalogs (Web OPACS) and other Web‐based tools as gateway methods for providing access to library collections. Solutions for overcoming barriers to information, such as through the implementation of proxy servers and other authentication tools for remote users, are also addressed.
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Nancy K. Dennis, Christina E. Carter and Sever Bordeianu
Many academic libraries are migrating to Web‐based online catalogs from traditional text‐based versions. These Web OPACs function as gateways to resources held not only locally…
Abstract
Many academic libraries are migrating to Web‐based online catalogs from traditional text‐based versions. These Web OPACs function as gateways to resources held not only locally, but beyond the library’s physical boundaries, using a Web browser as a common user interface. As library planners prepare to shift to a Web‐based online catalog, they face a range of complicated challenges. The coordinated efforts of staff throughout the library organization are required to implement the new paradigm. This article presents the issues that will be confronted in implementing a Web OPAC by systems, reference and cataloguing staffs.
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Diane K. Kovacs and Angela Elkordy
Building a Web‐based e‐library may be the most important thing a library ever does. An important role for librarians in all types of libraries is the planning and/or building of…
Abstract
Building a Web‐based e‐library may be the most important thing a library ever does. An important role for librarians in all types of libraries is the planning and/or building of Web‐based e‐libraries. Offers a practical discussion of developing and implementing a collection plan for building Web‐based e‐libraries. The starting point for developing any collection plan is an assessment of the function of and need for an information collection and the audience it will serve. Discusses some guidelines and practical strategies on where and how to find, identify, evaluate and select appropriate Web‐based information resources. Focuses on Web‐based information resources rather than other electronic information resources such as CD‐ROM or fee‐based databases that have been discussed extensively in recent literature.
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