Bradley Wade Bishop

Utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) in library research

Purpose – The purpose of this research paper is to explore library research that uses geographic information systems (GIS) as a tool to measure and analyze library services and establish future directions for this research area.Design/methodology/approach – This study reviews the library literature using GIS. The study searched full text for geographic information systems in two databases, Library Literature and Information Full Text and Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA). The titles and abstracts of the search results were analyzed to gather only the research that used GIS as a tool to measure and analyze library services.Findings – This review of the literature reveals research using GIS as a tool in two ways: to analyze service area populations, including facility site location and other service and resource decision making; and to manage facilities, including in‐library use and occupancy of library study space.Practical implications – The findings are relevant for library an...

Exploring the GIS Knowledge Domain Using CiteSpace

Since the 1980s, geographic information systems (GIS) have developed rapidly and have been applied widely in the social, natural, and space sciences. In line with this explosive development and use, thousands of articles have been published on GIS, detailing both technical development and application-oriented research. Given this flood of material over the past thirty years, the purpose of this article is to apply a suite of scientometric and bibliometric approaches to help discover and benchmark the most important and highly cited papers in this burgeoning field. Not only do these techniques facilitate the connection of research themes and authors in the GIS community, but the approaches help highlight how research interests and foci evolve over time, greatly contributing to our understanding of the GIS knowledge domain. Although the scale and scope of this analysis are somewhat limited, the outlined method is highly generalizable and its results show that several key publications have helped forge the field and facilitate new trends in the literature.

Broadband for public libraries: Importance, issues, and research needs

Abstract U.S. public libraries provide free public internet services to the communities that they serve, but require robust, high-speed broadband internet connections to continue meeting public demands. The 2008–2009 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (PLFTAS) illustrates challenges that public libraries encounter in achieving broadband connectivity and equipment upgrades, and maintaining acceptable levels of services as they meet continually increasing internet-enabled service demands. This article: 1) analyzes the ability of public libraries to serve as a community-based public internet access point in the context of limited funding and access to telecommunications services and equipment; 2) discusses key policy issues that affect the provision of public library internet-enabled services through broadband; 3) provides recommendations for policy makers to include libraries as part of a larger national-level telecommunications policy; and 4) identifies a number of topics and issues that need further investigation and research in this shifting policy environment.

Job Analyses of Emerging Information Professions: A Survey Validation of Core Competencies to Inform Curricula

Job analysts examine the tasks performed by individuals in an occupation as well as the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform those tasks. Job analyses provide educators with a robust means to infuse feedback from real-world practice into curricula for emerging information professions. This article presents a survey validation study and findings of the American Library Association’s Map and Geospatial Information Round Table (MAGIRT) Core Competencies (CCs). Survey participants identified the importance of CCs required to obtain, discover, archive, and curate geographic information. The discussion includes the use and benefits of the survey validation method and findings, a detailed presentation of a potential next step for job analyses, and future directions for job analyses relating to librarianship.

Public Libraries as Post-Crisis Information Hubs

Like the crisis responses to hurricanes, after a tornadic event public libraries play emergency roles both in the short and long term. Community members rely on public libraries for Internet access to request aid, to help find missing family and friends, to file Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and insurance claims, and, in general, to begin rebuilding their lives. This article reports the quality of services and activities public libraries performed in response and recovery in twelve different communities impacted by tornadoes. The discussion includes an evaluation of the quality of the responses and some recommendations to improve preparedness and response.

Location-based questions and local knowledge

This article explores location-based questions, local knowledge, and the implications stemming from these concepts for digital reference staff in consortial question- answering services. Location-based questions are inquiries that concern a georeferencable site. Digital reference personnel staffing the statewide chat reference consortium used in this study respond to location-based questions concerning over 100 participating information agencies. Some literature has suggested that nonlocal digital reference staff have difficulties providing accurate responses to location-based questions concerning locations other than their own. This study utilized content analysis to determine the quantity of location-based questions and the question-negotiation process in responding to location-based questions. Key findings indicate location-based questions comprised 50.2% of the total questions asked to the statewide service, 73.6% of location-based questions were responded to by nonlocal digital reference staff, and 37.5% of location-based questions ended in referral. This articles findings indicate that despite digital references capability to provide anyplace, anytime question-answering service, proximity to local knowledge remains relevant.

The Geography of Virtual Questioning

This article explores the geography of virtual questioning by using geographic information systems to study activity within the Florida Electronic Library “Ask a Librarian” collaborative chat service. Researchers mapped participating libraries throughout the state of Florida that served as virtual “entry portals” for users as they asked questions of the statewide chat reference service and mapped users by their IP addresses to explore relationships between geographic location by IP address and online point of entry to the virtual reference service. Findings highlight the local nature of virtual reference services, as virtual users commonly asked questions about locally based library collections, policies, and services and also tended to access the statewide chat service through entry portals in the Web sites of their own local libraries. Implications are discussed for improvements to virtual reference services as well as for further uses of geographic analysis in digital reference service assessment.

Virtual Reference Services: Consortium Versus Stand-alone

Abstract Researchers performed a cost and benefit analysis of the University of South Floridas locally controlled chat service and compared the results to the advantages and expenses associated with a chat consortium. An evaluation of chat sessions revealed that a substantial portion of the inquiries received relate to university-specific interests. In addition to the local nature of chat questions, library staff used USF statistics to estimate the staffing, software, and training costs of the current chat reference service. The collaborative service under consideration involves both additional costs and benefits. A final decision, however, requires an in-depth assessment of several factors. Supplementary factors in this examination include a brief history of USF virtual reference service and the current trends in instant messaging that support the continuance of chat reference.Abstract Researchers performed a cost and benefit analysis of the University of South Floridas locally controlled chat service and compared the results to the advantages and expenses associated with a chat consortium. An evaluation of chat sessions revealed that a substantial portion of the inquiries received relate to university-specific interests. In addition to the local nature of chat questions, library staff used USF statistics to estimate the staffing, software, and training costs of the current chat reference service. The collaborative service under consideration involves both additional costs and benefits. A final decision, however, requires an in-depth assessment of several factors. Supplementary factors in this examination include a brief history of USF virtual reference service and the current trends in instant messaging that support the continuance of chat reference.

Opportunities and challenges for public libraries to enhance community resilience.

This study bridges a gap between public library and emergency management policy versus practice by examining the role of public libraries in the community resource network for disaster recovery. Specifically, this study identifies the opportunities and challenges for public libraries to fulfill their role as a FEMA-designated essential community organization and enhance community resilience. The results indicate there are several opportunities for libraries to enhance community resilience by offering technology resources and assistance; providing office, meeting, and community living room space; serving as the last redundant communication channel and a repository for community information and disaster narratives; and adapting or expanding services already offered to meet the changing needs of the community. However, libraries also face challenges in enhancing community resilience, including the temptation to overcommit library capacity and staff capability beyond the library mission and a lack of long-term disaster plans and collaboration with emergency managers and government officials. Implications for library and emergency management practice and crisis research are discussed.

Digital Curation and the GeoWeb: An Emerging Role for Geographic Information Librarians

The rise of the GeoWeb and the proliferation of volunteered geographic information (VGI) have permanently changed the volume and types of geospatial data available for consumption. This has simultaneously altered the role of data curation and information provision roles of geographic information librarians (GILs). The purpose of this paper is to provide a succinct history of geospatial data services in libraries and a discussion of current challenges encountered by information professionals with the GeoWeb. The paper concludes with an overview of the importance of incorporating the GeoWeb into future geospatial data curation training.