Irene Lopatovska

In transition: academic e-book reading in an institution without e-books

Purpose – This paper aims to report the results of a study that examined the ways in which graduate-level library and information science students make use of e-books and e-readers at an institution that does not offer e-books through its library. The paper can be used as a case study in the adoption of emerging technology. Design/methodology/approach – The study used three research methods – a survey, focus groups and interviews – to investigate library and information science students’ reading habits and preferences. Findings – The findings suggest that despite the barriers of access and usability, the students have generally incorporated e-books into their academic routines. The results also suggest the factors that contribute to reader preferences for e-book technology. Research limitations/implications – The study sample was limited to one academic institution without e-book collection. Originality/value – The article presents one of the very few studies that examine e-book reading of an academic pop...

Museum website features, aesthetics, and visitors’ impressions: a case study of four museums

In an effort to extend previous work on developing general recommendations for design of art museum websites, we evaluated four museum websites (the Tate, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Rijksmuseum) and examined the relationships between website features, virtual visitors’ impressions and estimates of repeat visits to the site. The study produced a comparative evaluation of the four museum websites and identified strengths and weaknesses in the sites’ navigation, design, and content features. The study found that website aesthetics was the strongest predictor of the visitor’s overall impressions. Ability to manipulate content (e.g., download, print, and zoom in and out) was also linked to the visitor’s inclination to make repeat visits to the site. This paper describes the methods and results of the study and proposes a set of recommendations for the development and evaluation of art museum websites.

The state of L-Schools: Intellectual diversity and faculty composition

In recent years, studies of Library and Information Science (LIS) disciplinarity developed original methods for examining the disciplinary composition of the field (Wiggins and Sawyer, 2012; Wu et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2013). However, most of these studies focused on one fragment of the field, specifically, iSchool programs. In order to gain a fuller understanding of LIS development as a whole, our study applied some of the recently proposed disciplinary measures to a sample of L-Schools, defined here as ALA-accredited LIS programs offering PhD degrees and not part of the iCaucus. Analysis of the faculty training and current research interests indicates that L-Schools are characterized by a strong presence of the LIS areas and notable interdisciplinary trends. The article speculates about some of the factors contributing to the iSchool and L-School differences and suggests directions for future research.

E-books in academia: Expectations and challenges

This paper reports on the results of a pilot study conducted as part of a larger project aimed at understanding the evolving role of e-books in academia. The study used a survey, a scenario-based usability test, and interviews to collect data on e-book reading habits, specific user expectations, and issues related to the usability of an academic library interface for e-book access. Future work will investigate factors affecting user preferences and patterns of use in context, including routine use of academic e-books.

Talk to me: Exploring user interactions with the Amazon Alexa:

Amazon Alexa is a voice-controlled application that is rapidly gaining popularity. We examined user interactions with this technology, and focused on the types of tasks requested of Alexa, the variables that affect user behaviors with Alexa, and Alexa’s alternatives. The data about Alexa usage were collected from 19 participants via the online questionnaire and diary methods over the course of several days. The results indicate that across all age groups, Alexa was primarily used for checking weather forecasts, playing music, and controlling other devices. Several participants reported using Apple Siri and Google Now applications in addition to Alexa for similar purposes except for controlling other devices. Alexa uses over the weekends were more frequent than on weekdays, but its overall usage tended to decrease over time. The users reported being satisfied with Alexa even when it did not produce sought information, suggesting that the interaction experience is more important to the users than the interaction output. More work is required to understand whether users treat Alexa and similar voice-controlled applications as primarily a traditional information retrieval system, a casual leisure system, a control interface for smart home devices, or, simply, a new toy.

Understanding academic reading in the context of information-seeking

Purpose A study examined reading strategies in relation to information-seeking stages, tasks and reading media in an academic setting. Understanding reading practices and needs in the context of information-seeking can refine our understanding of user choices and preferences for information sources (e.g. textbooks, articles, multimedia content) and media (e.g. print and digital tools used for reading). It can also help to examine the changes in reading practices brought about by digital devices and content. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected via an online questionnaire from a sample of graduate students over the course of two months. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings The authors found that all information-seeking stages and all academic tasks were characterised by a combination of “deep” and “surface” reading and a use of both print and electronic resources. Contrary to previous studies that linked digital media to “surface” reading (e.g. skimming, searching for keywords), the participants reported a high number of “deep” reading tactics (e.g. annotating, connecting text to prior knowledge) while using digital resources. Research limitations/implications The study relied on a convenience sample of library and information science students, so some findings can be attributed to the sample’s demographics and academic demands. The findings imply that at all stages of information-seeking for all academic tasks, graduate students were engaged in both deep and surface reading using both print and electronic resources. Practical implications The findings show that students read print and digital texts, suggesting that it might be premature for academic libraries to part with their print collections. Understanding relationships between academic task, information-seeking and reading can aid students in choosing the right reading resources for their academic tasks, educators in assigning appropriate materials for course projects, libraries in providing appropriate resources to their readers and information retrieval system designers in offering useful features for different reading needs and styles. Social implications The findings indicate a shift in academic work culture and reliance on digital texts for deep and surface reading. Originality/value The study produced preliminary support for the development of a unified information-seeking and reading model.

Book or NOOK? Information behavior of academic librarians

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand patterns in information behavior of academic librarians, individuals who influence information technology adoption in academic libraries and parent institutions. Librarians’ perception of their student patrons’ information behavior was also investigated. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory study investigated professional and personal information behavior of eight librarians employed by various academic institutions in the Greater New York City area. The data were collected in face-to-face interviews and analyzed using the content analysis technique. Findings – The study found that librarians’ institutional affiliations had no effect on their information behavior. The patterns in librarians’ information behavior at work and leisure suggest that those behaviors are influenced by contextual variables, personal preferences and tasks, and are no different from the general population. Overall, librarians had accurate, evidence-driven understanding of...

iSchools and l‐schools: Converging or diverging communities?

The panel will discuss the intellectual differences between iSchool and Information Science programs that are not part of the iSchool Caucus, referred here as L-Schools. The panelists, who represent both communities, will discuss the foundational, philosophical, and formal differences between the two types of programs, and focus on the intellectual diversity of the two academic communities.

Visual research methods with children and youth: Opportunities & challenges: Visual Research Methods with Children and Youth: Opportunities & Challenges

Visual research methods involve the incorporation of visual material such as photographs, artwork and video into the research process. This approach to research is particularly well suited for use with children and youth as it complements verbal and written data collection methods, which some children and youth may find challenging. This video presentation includes a brief overview of three specific types of visual research methods used in recent library and information science research studies with children and youth. An overview of each visual research method is provided, as well as a discussion of the advantages and challenges associated with each method. The video includes examples of the types of research questions for which the surveyed visual research methods might be best suited, as well as associated ethical issues.

Engaging young children in visual literacy instruction

Visual literacy is a critical skill that enables individuals to navigate the world of visual media. While research shows multiple benefits of introducing visual literacy early in life, there is a scarcity of visual literacy programs for young children. In an effort to advance development of visual literacy programs for children, we explored techniques for engaging young children in visual literacy instruction using artworks. Our paper reports preliminary study findings and recommendations and outlines directions for future work.