Library Review

Ali Shiri

2003 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530310476689

This column gives an overview of current trends in digital library research under the following headings: digital library architecture, systems, tools and technologies; digital content and collections; metadata; interoperability; standards; knowledge organisation systems; users and usability; legal, organisational, economic, and social issues in digital libraries.

Alenka Kavćić‐Ćolić

2003 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530310476698

Technological developments have changed the concepts of publication, reproduction and distribution. However, legislation, and in particular the Legal Deposit Law has not adjusted to these changes – it is very restrictive in the sense of protecting the rights of authors of electronic publications. National libraries and national archival institutions, being aware of their important role in preserving the written and spoken cultural heritage, try to find different legal ways to live up to these responsibilities. This paper presents some legal aspects of archiving Web pages, examines the harvesting of Web pages, provision of public access to pages, and their long‐term preservation.

Fiona Salisbury; Jenny Ellis

2003 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530310476715

This paper reports on an evaluation project conducted at the University of Melbourne during 2002. The objective of the project was to evaluate selected information literacy programs that were provided to students in the Arts Faculty. The three programs that were evaluated used different modes of delivery. The paper discusses the rationale of the project, the methodology and the results of the evaluation.

Mohammed Reza Davarpanah

2003 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530310476733

This paper examines the contemporary university library system in Iran. The eight key factors studied are: library systems, resources and collection building, technical processing, services, information technology applications, co‐operation and exchange of information resources, administration and staffing, and financial administration. While examining these variables, the problems being faced by university libraries are also discussed and suggestions for dealing with them are offered.

A.A. Oduwole; C.B. Akpati

2003 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530310476742

This paper examines the accessibility and retrieval of electronic information in the Nigerian University of Agriculture Library. A three‐part questionnaire was given to 1,000 out of an estimated 5,030 users of electronic information in the university library using a simple random sampling technique from whom 789 responses were returned and found usable. This constituted a 78.9 per cent response. The study revealed that non‐final year undergraduates use mainly the automated library catalogue (OPAC) while final year and postgraduate students as well as academic staff regularly use bibliographic databases tools such as TEEAL and CAB abstracts. A majority of users were satisfied with the information obtained and reported that they find these automated services to a greater or lesser extent easy to use. The major constraints to information accessibility and retrieval of automated library services were infrastructural: the limited number of terminals available for use and power supply outages.