2010, Vol.44, No.4

T. D. Wilson | 2010, 44(4) | pp.5~18 | number of Cited : 0

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Library and information research is often directed towards either the management of resources (e.g., the economics of resource management), their storage and retrieval (e.g., much information retrieval research), and the users of these resources (the whole area of information behaviour. However, the question that is less often asked is, “What research do librarians want to have carried out to help them in their work?” Clearly, some of the topics just mentioned will fall into the priority areas, but what do librarians actually perceive will be of use to them. There is a notion that a research-practice gap exists in the field and perhaps the reason for that is that researchers do not ask the practioners what research will be of value to them. To find an answer to this question on a global basis would, of course, be impossible – at least impossible without the level of funding that would be difficult to obtain from any source. However, it is possible to carry out research on a national level that could prove useful both to practitioners and to the library and information research community. This was the aim of a project, supported by the Svensk Biblioteksförening (Swedish Library Association), which was carried out in 2008/2009. Ideas on potential research projects were collected from librarians themselves, from discussion group archives and from the professional journals in a number of countries. These ideas were then grouped thematically and formed the basis of two rounds of a Delphi process to solicit the opinions of a panel of librarians in different sectors, recommended by their peers as ‘expert’ in their field. The Delphi process was concluded with a workshop involving a subset of the panel. This paper will report on the results of the investigation, which attracted a great deal of interest within the profession in Sweden, and will also reflect on issues that were ranked lowly in the investigation. For example, not a great deal of priority was given to topics relating to the development and use of technology: why was this? And would the same result be found in other countries? One major area of research interest was into the future of libraries and a topic of relevance here, especially for academic and research libraries, is the changing information behaviour of researchers: what, now, do researchers want of libraries? Clearly, technology is playing a role here, but digitized resources and the World Wide Web may not be the answer to every researcher’s need. Research into libraries and research for libraries ought to figure largely in the profession’s view of its aims, objectives and visions of the future: but for it to do so requires a recognition that the work will not be done unless researchers and practitioners come together to determine how to approach the future.

Measuring (and Increasing) the Value of Academic Libraries

Carol Tenopir , Donald W. King | 2010, 44(4) | pp.19~31 | number of Cited : 1

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Libraries for Life: A Case Study of National Library Board, Singapore

Schubert Foo , Chris Tang , Judy Ng | 2010, 44(4) | pp.33~59 | number of Cited : 0

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Library 2.0 advocates a socially rich, multimedia enabled, user originated and communally innovative environment that poses significant opportunities for the libraries to evolve and make themselves even more relevant and significant for her users. This paper presents a case study of the National Library Board of Singapore, in playing a vital role to facilitate the realisation of a long-term key national program, The Singapore Memory (SM) Project. SM embraces the attributes of the Library 2.0 environment to enable the nation’s memory to be collected, organised, preserved, discovered, researched, augmented and created. The output of is an evolving collection of knowledge assets on Singapore along a Singapore Memory Content Continuum of existing content that is steadily augmented with new content. The content will be collected across all formats, in any language, from Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans, from any institution and agency, from Singapore and abroad, and from official and unofficial sources. The utopian scenario of SM Project is that any person, community, group or institution who has ever experienced Singapore in any way or has any material on Singapore will engage actively in the contribution, discovery and creation of content for the project, and thus become advocates to further encourage and catalyse more contribution, discovery and creation. The paper outlines the key approaches, concepts and ideas for the project. An important element is the proliferation, exposure and accessibility of the rich contents envisaged in the project. The SM proliferation plan along with examples of how two existing resources, namely, the Singapore Infopedia, a database of articles on Singapore’s history, culture, people and events and NewspaperSG, an online resource of current and historic Singapore and Malayan newspapers, have been designed are presented to demonstrate how content can be exposed, searched and discovered.

‘I Only Hate Broccoli’: The Library as Place in 21st Century America

Wayne A. Wiegand | 2010, 44(4) | pp.61~74 | number of Cited : 0

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An Experimental Study Investigating the Retrieval Effectiveness of a Video Retrieval System Using Tag Query Expansion

Kim, Hyun Hee | 2010, 44(4) | pp.75~94 | number of Cited : 2

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A Preliminary Examination on the Multimedia Information Needs and Web Searches of College Students in Korea

Eunkyung Chung | 2010, 44(4) | pp.95~114 | number of Cited : 3

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Archival Description and Records from Historically Marginalized Cultures: A View from a Postmodern Window

Donghee Sinn | 2010, 44(4) | pp.115~130 | number of Cited : 1

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From Information to Knowledge: The Information Literacy Conundrum

Ross J. Todd | 2010, 44(4) | pp.131~153 | number of Cited : 3

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The fusion of learning, information, and technology presents dynamic challenges for all librarians, educators and students in 21st century libraries and schools. At the heart of this fusion is the growth of a pervasive, integrated information environment characterized by vast quantities of digital content, open choice, collaborative and participatory digital spaces, and the transition of the web environments from consumption of information to creation of information. This environment heralds important opportunities for librarians and teachers to rethink, re-imagine and recreate a dynamic approaches to information literacy instruction. Drawing on an extensive body of research undertaken through the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL), and published research on both information literacy and constructivist learning, this paper provides a critical examination of the current status of information literacy: its multiple conceptualizations, competing models, viewpoints, and its operationalizations in educational and library environments. The paper will challenge information literacy practices which center on simplistic, reductionist approaches to information literacy development, and the separation of information process and knowledge content. In particular it will address apparent contradictions in espoused conceptions of information literacy which revolve around “knowledge”: knowledge construction, critical thinking, problem solving and the development of knowledgeable people; and information literacy practices which revolve around “information”: a predominant focus on skills of access and evaluation of resources and with less attention given to engaging with found information to develop deep knowledge and understanding. The paper will present a series of challenges for moving forward with information literacy agendas in libraries and schools.

Participatory Web Users’ Information Activities and Credibility Assessment

Soo Young Rieh | 2010, 44(4) | pp.155~178 | number of Cited : 0

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Assessment of information credibility is a ubiquitous human activity given that people constantly make decisions and selections based on the value of information in a variety of information seeking and use contexts. Today, people are increasingly engaging in diverse online activities beyond searching for and reading information, including activities such as creating, tagging and rating content, shopping, and listening to and watching multimedia content. The Web 2.0 environment presents new challenges for people because the burden of information evaluation is shifted from professional gatekeepers to individual information consumers. At the same time, however, it also provides unprecedented opportunities for people to use tools and features that help them to make informed credibility judgments by relying on other people’s ratings and recommendations. This paper introduces fundamental notions and dimensions of credibility, and contends that credibility assessment can be best understood with respect to human information behavior because it encompasses both the level of effort people exert as well as the heuristics they employ to evaluate information. The paper reports on a survey study investigating people’s credibility judgments with respect to online information, focusing on the constructs, heuristics, and interactions involved in people’s credibility assessment processes within the context of their everyday life information activities. Using an online activity diary method, empirical data about people’s online activities and their associated credibility assessments were collected at multiple points throughout the day for three days. The results indicate that distinct credibility assessment heuristics are emerging as people engage in diverse online activities involving more user-generated and multimedia content. A heuristic approach suggests that people apply mental shortcuts or rules of thumb in order to minimize the amount of cognitive effort and time required to make credibility judgments. The paper discusses why a heuristic approach is key to reaching a more comprehensive understanding of people’s credibility assessments within the information-abundant online environment.

Analysis of Word Based Classification of U.S. Public Libraries and its Implications

ji-won baek | 2010, 44(4) | pp.179~201 | number of Cited : 9