KJCKorea
Journal Central

This study surveyed public library librarians on their perceptions and current use of new media platforms to explore future strategies for collection and preservation. The survey results indicated that while librarians highly value the preservation of new media content, they cited budget constraints and technical limitations as major challenges. In particular, they emphasized the need for clear collection criteria, resolution of copyright issues, and policy support. Additionally, the findings highlighted the necessity of education and support to enhance understanding and utilization of new technologies, such as immersive content and the metaverse. Based on these insights, public libraries should establish digital content collection and preservation policies, strengthen technical infrastructure, and increase professional capacity to improve their new media-based services.

This study aims to propose a plan for regional branches of the National Assembly Library to strengthen national knowledge capacity and promote balanced regional development. Through literature review, environmental analysis, and demand analysis, this study highlights the necessity of regional branches for several reasons. First, strengthening the national knowledge system is essential in preparation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the AI era. Second, regional branches are needed to address key social issues such as low birth rates, population decline, and regional extinction, contributing to sustainable development. Third, the creation and expansion of regional knowledge hubs are crucial for balanced regional growth. Fourth, the increasing demand for decentralizing national document storage highlights the need for regional branches, as demonstrated by advanced countries operating regional and preservation libraries. Fifth, decentralized preservation of analog and digital resources is vital for disaster preparedness. Sixth, balanced information services for supporting policy development by members of the National Assembly must be ensured. Lastly, enhancing the research library function is necessary to strengthen the legislative capacity of the National Assembly.

Despite the efforts of the academic community to solve predatory journals, the problem of predatory journals persists. In order to fundamentally solve the issue, collaboration and understanding between the various stakeholders involved in predatory journals is essential. The purpose of this study is to explore one of the key stakeholders in the predatory journals issue: Academic Librarians. To achieve this, interviews were conducted with five academic librarians who had experience regarding predatory journals. The narratives were analysed using Giorgi’s (1970) methods of phenomenological analysis and interpretive narrative analysis. The results show that the academic librarians’ experiences regarding predatory journals were organized into 11 categories of meaning structure. In-depth analyses show that the librarians’ perceived identity as subject specialists had a significant impact on the position of the predatory journal service. Librarians with a strong professional identity as subject specialists were more likely to provide predatory journal services based on greater responsibility and mission, and to adopt strategies for self-improvement. In contrast, those who felt confused about their identity as subject specialist were more likely to provide predatory journal services passively or to focus on pragmatic traditional library work. The findings of this study are significant in that they explore the issue of predatory journals in relation to the professional values of subject specialist librarians, which has important implications for future service design in libraries.