Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed overview of the role and participation of embedded librarians in the academic e-classroom. More specifically, this paper reflects the perceptions of Greek academic librarians regarding the use of learning management systems (LMSs). Furthermore, it seeks to highlight the most popular software, to list the services provided through LMSs and to determine the level of librarians’ engagement with LMSs. Finally, it investigates the challenges and benefits of their use.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey research was used as the methodological design. An adequate questionnaire was created for the collection of quantitative data to study the activities and experiences of academic embedded librarians.
Findings
According to the study findings, a considerable percentage of academic librarians use the potential of LMSs, indicating that embedded librarianship is the future for Greek academic libraries. However, it seems that LMSs are not fully exploited even during the pandemic when the libraries remained closed.
Research limitations/implications
This study was exploratory in nature and thus its scope was limited. It was limited to embedded librarianship in academic libraries.
Practical implications
Embedded librarianship comes with many challenges for its practitioners; yet, it also has the potential to connect libraries and librarians directly to the overall institutional aims and enhance their positions in the academy.
Originality/value
The role and participation of embedded librarians in Greek academic institutions is a research area that has not been fully investigated. Therefore, this paper can give insights into this critical issue, especially during a pandemic.

Abstract

This study focuses on cataloging quality and how it is defined by information professionals, specifically university library catalogers. Although there is no single and objective definition of ‘cataloging quality,’ research aims to specify its core characteristics. The goal is to define the modern cataloging environment, as well as the tools and opportunities it provides, and to improve the success of academic library services for both professional catalogers and users, who are the final consumers of the information. Regarding methodology, a sample survey was chosen. The survey results revealed that the quality of cataloging is determined by several factors, including technical features of the data, adherence to standards, the cataloging process, user satisfaction, and the development of a general quality culture.

Abstract

Institutional repositories were created to collect, preserve, and make available the academic institution’s scientific output. The purpose of this study is to investigate and illustrate how Greek academic libraries with institutional repositories deal with copyright challenges. The study aims to identify and describe if institutional repository managers apply a certain copy- right clearance protocol, the problems they encounter, and how they deal with them. For this study, a quantitative research method based on questionnaires was employed. The questionnaire consisted of twenty-nine (29) questions separated into three (3) sections and was sent to thirty-one (31) academic libraries.
According to the survey results, the majority of academic libraries have an institutional repository and provide open access to its content. It was found that academic institutional repositories face intellectual property difficulties. The biggest issue highlighted was a lack of knowledge of the notion of copyright. Finally, communication amongst libraries seems to be the foundation for developing a common policy and addressing the difficulties that have arisen in institutional repositories as a result of Greek copyright legislation limits.

Abstract

Cataloging and metadata description is one of the major competencies that a trainee cataloger must conquer. According to recent research results, library and information studies students experience difficulties understanding the theory, the terminology, and the tools necessary for cataloging. The experimental application of teaching models which derive from predominant learning theories, such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, may help in detecting the difficulties of a cataloging course and in suggesting efficient solutions. This paper presents in detail three teaching models applied for a cataloging course and investigates their effectiveness, based on a survey of 126 first-year students. The survey employed the Kirkpatrick model aiming to record undergraduate students’ perceptions and feelings about cataloging. The results revealed that, although a positive change in students’ behavior towards cataloging has been achieved, they still do not feel very confident about the skills they have acquired. Moreover, students felt that practicing cataloging more frequently will eliminate their difficulties. Finally, they emphasized the need for face to face courses, as the survey took place in the coronavirus pandemic, during which the courses were held via distance learning.

Abstract

This paper aims to highlight the prevailing situation of uncertainty in Greece with regard to the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the functioning of indoor venues of cultural interest, with a focus on museums. It seeks to shed light on issues such as whether, in their daily lives, people, particularly young people, missed museums during the coronavirus times, how they responded to museums’ online presence during lockdown and, ultimately, what they expect from them in general. At the same time, it aims to record empirically visitors’ concerns regarding the new situation and discuss their perception of how they handle the question of visiting museums, as well as their attitude towards digital visits in lieu of their physical presence in them.

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this article is to investigate certain aspects, problems and benefits from the migration to a shared Library Management System (LMS).
Design/methodology/approach
A review of the literature and a quantitative survey was conducted, based on a structured questionnaire, with a response rate of 44.7%.
Findings
Among the crucial issues that should be taken seriously into consideration when transiting into a new and shared LMS, are the audit of the data quality before migration, the employees' training design and the composition of the LMS central support team. The benefits of a shared LMS are mainly effectiveness in terms of libraries' budgets and time for the employees' day-to-day work.
Originality/value
The survey presented in this article evaluates the merits of a shared LMS and contributes innovative aspects to the existing bibliography by investigating issues and problems that arose during the transition. This way, the professionals involved in similar initiatives will benefit by avoiding possible mistakes and drawbacks when implementing such a project.

Abstract

Libraries in Greece have lost much of their already limited funding due to the recent global economic crisis. It has therefore become necessary for them to seek alternative sources of income. One such strategy could be commercial advertising, which constitutes the renting of space within or outside the library or using the library’s website to place ads. However, an application of commercial advertising in libraries can trigger negative reactions from library patrons. In this context, the aim of this paper is to investigate stakeholders' views regarding the use of commercial advertising by Greek libraries, using a quantitative methodology. The results reveal that commercial advertising is considered as a possible profitable strategy for Greek libraries by both respondent groups, information professionals and users, alike.

Abstract

Workplace incivility and its consequences have been studied by many scholars; however, little attention has been given to the phenomenon in the library environment. More specifically, empirical research in the LIS literature has focused on deviant behaviors, such as bullying, mobbing, and aggression, mainly from colleagues and supervisors rather than from users. Nevertheless, not only incivility in the workplace is more common than other forms of negative behaviors, such as aggression, but also in service organizations uncivil behavior from customers is more frequently encounter than from co-workers and supervisors. In this vein, the current exploratory study aimed to investigate the manifestations and frequency of user incivility, as well as employee reactions to these behaviors in Greek academic libraries. Employee perceptions regarding the causes of user incivility were also explored. Results indicated that users are mainly impatient, angry and make unreasonable demands. These behaviors are attributed to user personality. Findings also suggest that library employees directly react to uncivil behaviors either by arguing with them or by refusing to serve them, although they claim that they rarely engage in anti-service work behaviors. Implications of the findings for library leaders are also discussed.

Abstract

During the past few decades, it seems that personalizing and adjusting the e-courses’ content based on individual learning styles is rather important. Indeed, several studies have been carried out throughout the years regarding the a priori personalization and adjustment of e-courses systems. This way modern LMSs could identify beforehand the learning styles of the e-course attendants and adjust the lesson content flow and content type based on personal learning styles. Nevertheless, little bibliography exists on how to assess the compatibility level between educational content and learning styles dimensions of an LMS, in a real-life environment. With the above thoughts in mind, the current work attempts to introduce and verify an innovative framework for the students' learning styles and e-courses compatibility assessment, based on the content type and volume of the latter. The proposed framework is validated through its application at the LMS in a real-life academic environment. Such an approach could be very beneficial for already deployed e-courses and traditional LMSs that aim to differentiate educational content based on users’ profiles.

Abstract

Gatekeeping theory has evolved in recent years to encompass new patterns and influences in a rapidly changing digital environment. The boundary between creating and disseminating digital content is increasingly blurred, as organizations adapt both content and services to the shifting needs of their audiences. In the current case study, viewing museums as content and cultural news providers, we examine digital gatekeeping influences that lead online visitors to museum websites. Recognizing vast changes in gatekeeping patterns, we revisit Shoemaker and Reese's hierarchical gatekeeping model, but in a cultural news context where consumers have evolved as gatekeepers and gate checkers. As we survey a multitude of data in this descriptive endeavor, we trace various gatekeeping nodes that lead users toward museum content.

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to compare and evaluate the usability, usefulness and effectiveness of an Interactive, Information Retrieval – IIR system with a DSpace-based digital library.

Design/methodology/approach – The proposed evaluation approach consists of two subcomponents. The first one refers to a log file analysis capable of revealing quantitative features of the systems’ usage. The second part refers to a user survey that compares the new IIR system against the traditional subject-based search functionality provided by DSpace in terms of usefulness and effectiveness.

Findings - Based on the evaluation results, it seems that users are very interested in employing new methods and techniques in information seeking and retrieval, especially when such new tools and methods help them in fulfilling their information needs accurately and timely. The results also revealed that the users are more satisfied when employing the new search functionality and the search and retrieval process is improved.

Originality/value - A novel IIR system for subject-based browsing was evaluated and interesting results for the future of such tools are shown.

Abstract

Nowadays, libraries contain material deriving from various electronic resources and in different formats. The fact that libraries provide information from different resources has brought up several difficulties regarding the organization and the dissemination of such material to the end-users, such as information research and retrieval in separate services and in different graphical user interfaces. In order to confront such difficulties, libraries started to focus on digital technologies, which provide tools and techniques for the formation and the creation of software that can help end-users in information search and retrieval process. In these lines of thought, tools that provide federated search functionality for the library services were created.

Abstract

The linked data movement is a relatively new trend on the web that, among other things, enables diverse data providers to publish their content in an interoperable, machine-understandable way. Libraries around the world appear to be embracing linked data technologies that render their content more accessible to both humans and computers. This paper focuses on linked data URIs that refer to authority data. We attempt to identify the specific MARC fields that are capable of hosting linked data information. Additionally, seven major national libraries are examined to determine to what degree they have adopted the fundamental linked data principles.

Abstract

One of the most important tasks of a librarian is the assignment of appropriate subject(s) to a resource within a library’s collection. The subjects usually belong to a controlled vocabulary that is specifically designed for such a task. The most widely adopted controlled vocabulary across libraries around the world is the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). However, there seems to be a shifting from traditional LCSH to modern thesauri. In this paper, a methodology is proposed, capable of incorporating thesauri into existing LCSH-based Information Retrieval–IR systems. In order to achieve this, a mapping methodology is proposed capable of providing a common structure consisting of terms belonging to LCSH and/or a thesaurus. The structure is modeled as a Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) ontology, which can be employed by appropriate subject-based IR systems. As a proof of concept, the proposed methodology is applied to the DSpace-based University of Piraeus digital library.

Abstract

In this article, an effort is made to take advantage of the inherent semantic wealth existing within Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSHs) in order to provide more efficient subject-based information retrieval in digital libraries. To formally express such wealth, an ontology schema is presented that is capable of modeling the semantics of LCSHs into adequate ontologies. Finally, in order to show the way towards exploiting such ontologies in favor of the development of more effective subject-based information retrieval in digital libraries, a prototype system is presented. The system contains an ontology modeling the LCSHs that are employed within a digital library of theses and dissertations. Serving as a proof of concept, the prototype describes a system capable of making the expressiveness of the underlying ontology readily available to end users while at the same time retaining simplicity and ease-of-use.