Jessica Bates

Envisioning the Academic Library: A Reflection on Roles, Relevancy and Relationships

The focus of this article is to reflect on current and near future issues and trends concerning academic libraries. This includes an overview of the literature on embedded librarianship and a focus on the need for more participatory and collaborative approaches to library services. The core argument is that academic libraries need to continue to adapt their roles and develop stronger relationships across the university in order to maintain and promote their relevancy to all stakeholders. Embedded roles in research and teaching, and an embedded existence through collaboration and outreach will strengthen the academic librarys presence within its parent institution.

Student information behaviours during group projects: A study of LIS students in University College Dublin, Ireland

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of student information‐seeking and information‐sharing behaviours and communication during group projects. While a considerable body of literature exists on student information behaviour, less is known about the information behaviours of students working collaboratively, for example, in group projects. The aim of the study was to explore student information behaviours arising from group projects undertaken as part of their studies. The research questions were: What are the information seeking behaviours of students involved in group projects? How do students communicate with group members during group projects? How do students share information with group members during group projects? and What do students like most and dislike most about group projects?Design/methodology/approach – A total of 50 undergraduate and graduate students in the University College Dublin School of Information and Library Studies responded to an online questionnaire (the...

Migrants' information practices and use of social media in Ireland: networks and community

Migrants, having left their home society and community, often depend on electronic modes of communication to maintain contacts with distant friends and relations. Their practices illustrate the affordances provided by social media when face to face communication is not available. This paper describes the information and communication practices of Polish and Filipino nationals in Ireland, based on interviews with over sixty-five migrants in 2009. Migrants display increased dependence on the Internet as an information source and use various electronic media to maintain significant contacts with friends and relations in their home societies. Social media (including Web 2.0) practices have an impact on long distance relations that previous technologies have not had, due to differences in the way these technologies are utilized. Social media usage is a passive monitoring that complements the active communication of first generation technologies; this monitoring creates a background awareness and presence in terms of which active communication takes place, which facilitates bonding as well as bridging capital. This enables resilient and durable transnational links, while also facilitating greater mobility for migrants.

Use of the University Library, Elibrary, VLE, and Other Information Sources by Distance Learning Students in University College Dublin: Implications for Academic Librarianship

This paper reports on a study of the information behavior of Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS) distance learning students in the Quinn School of Business, University College Dublin (UCD). In order to gain a better understanding of the information behaviors of distance-learning students, the study sought to answer the following research questions: • What are the main sources of information for the BBS distance learning students? • What are student perceptions of the virtual learning environment (VLE), Blackboard employed by the Quinn School of Business? • To what extent, if any, is there evidence of collaborative information behaviors and practices? The full cohort of BBS distance-learning students was surveyed. A total of 55 out of 136 (40.4%) responded to the survey. Data were collected by means of a self-completion online questionnaire. The paper presents the findings of the study and considers implications for academic librarianship. The chief sources used by the students to assist them with study are web search engines (primarily Google) and content from the VLE (Blackboard). Search engines and the university elibrary are the main sources used by the students when conducting an information search for their course, however the students also rely significantly on their lecturers with regard to acquiring information for their coursework. The study also found that collaboration with regard to information sharing is a major facet of the information world of this cohort of students.

Emotional intelligent leadership: Findings from a study of public library branch managers in Northern Ireland

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on a study concerning what emotional intelligence (EI) leadership attributes branch managers in the public library service in Northern Ireland (Libraries NI) consider to be most important.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology in the study involved a survey of all branch managers in Libraries NI – an online questionnaire containing quantitative and qualitative questions was sent to 104 branch managers. Golemans Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) was used to examine what attributes and skills were considered to be more important.Findings – The study found that while EI was a new concept to the majority of respondents, they were valuing and demonstrating EI attributes and traits in their work. The top five leadership attributes were: communication; teamwork and collaboration; adaptability; integrity/trustworthiness; and organisational awareness. Likert‐scale questions showed that being able to empathise with staff was considered to be important, and...

Developing and Applying a Protocol for a Systematic Review in the Social Sciences

ABSTRACT The article reports on a systematic method of undertaking a literature search on the educational impact of being a young carer (16–24 years old). The search methodology applied and described in detail will be of value to academic librarians and to other education researchers who undertake systematic literature searches. Seven bibliographic databases and Google Scholar were searched between November 2015 and January 2016. Two and three concept search structures were compared, involving 28 search terms plus truncation variants. One hundred and eighty-one relevant articles were retrieved. Sensitivity, precision, and “unique articles retrieved” were used as metrics. Social Care Online and Google Scholar had the greatest sensitivity. As well as meticulous use of AND, OR, and bracket operators, the use of NEAR and NOT operators to increase precision were tested and are recommended as useful tools for conducting systematic searches.

School library staff perspectives on teacher information literacy and collaboration

Pupils need to develop information literacy (IL) skills in schools in order to be active members of a skilled workforce, for lifelong learning and digital citizenship. However, there has been little focus on the extent to which this happens in a classroom setting and on information competencies of teachers. As part of a broader study of teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of IL, librarians in schools in Northern Ireland were interviewed. Findings reveal low levels of collaboration with teachers. Recommendations are made regarding how to overcome challenges involved in developing teachers’ IL so that they can better support learners.