Library Review

Nicholas Joint

2006 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530610689310

Purpose – To compare and contrast national collection management principles for hard copy deposit collections and for digital deposit collections. Design/methodology/approach – A selective overview and summary of work to date on digital legal deposit and digital preservation. Findings – That the comprehensive nature of traditional print deposit collection often absolves national libraries from the more intractable problems of stock selection; whereas the difficulty of collecting the entire national digital web space means that intelligent selection is vital for the building of meaningful digital deposit collections. Research limitations/implications – These are indicative and partial insights based on small scale interrogation of trial digital deposit collections: the issue of collection development and selection biases in digital collection building needs greater in‐depth research before hard and fast recommendations about collection management criteria can be arrived at. Practical implications – The principles outlined may offer practitioners in national libraries some useful insights into how to manage their digital deposit collections. Originality/value – This paper emphasises the social and political aspects of digital deposit issues, rather than the legal or technical aspects.

Kristie Saumure; Ali Shiri

2006 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530610689329

Purpose – This paper aims to compare three virtual learning environments (VLEs) (WebCT, Blackboard and creation of study environments) with respect to how well they have incorporated elements of digital libraries. Design/methodology/approach – The comparative evaluation technique has been used to compare the three selected VLEs along five key dimensions of digital libraries: content/format support, metadata, search/browse features, customizability and preservation. Findings – Within the three selected VLEs, content reusability, search/browse functionality, along with customizability and personalizability appear to be the best addressed digital library elements. Research limitations/implications – This paper gives a sense of how well some current VLEs are implementing elements of digital libraries, as well as what areas are lacking. The results could have been further enhanced by examining additional VLEs. Practical implications – This study provides a window into what options currently exist with respect to the integration of digital libraries and VLEs, as well as where these packages should go in the future. It provides recommendations related to seamless access, metadata implementation, controlled vocabulary and preservation. Originality/value – This paper is of value to librarians, digital library developers, instructors and VLE designers – giving them feedback on how these environments should be structured to enhance information access. It is the first comparative evaluation of these three VLEs with respect to the implementation of digital library elements.

Janet Seaton

2006 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530610689338

Purpose – The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) was created at the end of the 20th century to meet the needs of the new Scottish Parliament. With the opportunity to start afresh, this paper seeks to analyse the most important elements on which new services were based. Design/methodology/approach – A discursive account giving a general overview. Findings – Library and information services increasingly face the challenge of justifying the value they are adding to their organisation. Experience showed the following requirements to be crucial factors in achieving this goal: the need to align your service with the objectives of your organisation, the need to build and maintain your credibility and the need to meet your customers face to face. Research limitations/implications – This narrative approach provides material for further research and more theoretical analysis of the relationship between government and its supporting information services. Originality/value – There are so few examples of establishing new parliamentary information services that this analysis of the initial and continuing challenges involved in creating such a service is uniquely instructive.

Nuray Kizilaslan

2006 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530610689347

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to investigate the agricultural information system in Turkey, with particular reference to the effectiveness of this system for farmers. Design/methodology/approach – A case study based on a review of the literature, established knowledge and national experience to date. Findings – That, in Turkey, there is insufficient connection between the publishing activities of research institutions and other institutions active in the field. This lack of coordination causes an incomplete distribution of agricultural information to farmers. In particular, this creates an information system in which there is no effective feedback in the “research–publishing–farmer” triangle. Yet distribution of agricultural information to users and reciprocal user feedback is vital, because it is the essential mechanism by which a consistently reliable and effective distribution of information can be maintained. Research limitations/implications – Although the central thesis of the paper is not advanced by reference to original research on the part of the authors, it is based on pre‐existing, well respected research which is intelligently interpreted and authoritatively synthesized by them. Practical implications – To solve problems of agricultural information flow, the lack of coordination among the various organizations concerned has to be dealt with effectively, and a single organization has to be set up where information is collected in and distributed from the center. Non‐public publishing and research services have to be supported and encouraged in parallel with this. Originality/value – The paper advances a clear plan of action for improving the information system in an area of great relevance to all developing countries.

Jih‐Hsin Tang; Heng‐Li Yang

2006 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530610689356

Purpose – To explore the relationship between emergent user roles and perceived importance of user requirements in a social‐oriented community. Design/methodology/approach – A field study was designed to uncover hidden online social networks, and to elicit and rate user requirements. Findings – User roles might have an impact on their perceptions of requirements. The study showed that significant differences of perceptual requirements on regulation and links exist across user roles. Research limitations/implications – Only a small‐sized online community (approximately 300 members) participated in this study. One‐quarter of the population filled out the online survey. Practical implications – Online community builders should invite a handful of different user roles to participate in the design and evolutionary processes of information systems. Originality/value – The paper challenges popular views about the design of online communities.

S.P. Singh

2006 Library Review

doi: 10.1108/00242530610689365

Purpose – Poor infrastructure facilities, outdated mindsets and lack of exposure among professionals to the latest developments have been bottlenecks against progress in Indian libraries for a long time. Today, with the advent of both information and communication technologies and global competition, the scenario for special libraries in India is changing fast. This paper aims to outline the emerging trends and developments taking place in special libraries in India: it aims to provide an overview of how special libraries in India function, particularly as a younger generation of library professionals is now actively becoming involved in developing new skills and competencies in order to become more customer‐sensitive and customer‐centered. Design/methodology/approach – This is a general review and survey of current development areas in special librarianship. Findings – In most Indian special libraries, features such as Internet resources and other electronic/digital resources, subject gateways and networks and consortia, are fast gaining acceptance. New trends include the development of libraries’ own web sites, the sophisticated application of digital technology, more professional marketing of information products and services, outsourcing, flexi‐workforce, knowledge management and participative management, which are becoming the order of the day. Originality/value – The paper clearly presents the changes coming in special libraries in India.