li Li

Chapter 8 – Virtual and Remote Reference

Virtual and remote reference often refers to reference transactions conducted remotely using online chat technology and other technical means such as instant messaging and interactive knowledge base. According to a study published in 2015, half of all academic libraries provide chat service on the web. This chapter discusses various virtual reference technologies and research findings on how successful virtual reference is and how users react to such a service.

Chapter 6 – Evolving Digital Library and Library Digitization

The prosperity of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) has led to a high tide for the digital revolution in libraries worldwide. To deliver and disseminate a world of information at users fingertips, many libraries have launched digital library or institutional repositories. This chapter explores the surging waves of the digital revolution and its impacts on libraries around the world. In the networked cyberspace, the mass digitization of library archives or published works does not represent only a way of preserving human civilization or promoting scholarly information across the academic landscape. The developing trend toward digital libraries and library digitization has thoroughly changed libraries from knowledge consumers to knowledge producers. It means that libraries worldwide have more power to deliver, disseminate, produce, and share information in the modern information society. To promote more library creation and innovation, a number of popular proprietary and open source software has also been reviewed in different IT architectures. Finally, practical suggestions have been made for initializing and implementing library digital projects.

Chapter 2 – Library Management Services

The next-generation integrated library system took on a new name: library management services or platforms. Motivated by the shift from print to digital collections, library management services incorporated new concepts in design and many advanced features. The new systems are much better in managing digital as well as print collections. This chapter discusses those new features with examples from Alma, Intota, and Worldshare.

Chapter 13 – Online Collaboration Tools

The Internet made online collaboration possible. Librarians use online collaboration tools for teaching, collaborative editing and writing, knowledge creation, project management, and more. This chapter discusses the collaboration tools and their possible values for libraries.

Chapter 9 – Library Public Services Promoted by Social Media

Propelled by the buzzword Web 2.0, the “irrational exuberance” of social networking services has indispensably provided libraries worldwide with additional platforms to extend the range and scope of their services beyond the physical library buildings. Although the constraints of library public and technical services are generally blamed on stringent operating budgets, all kinds of social media applications and websites have made it possible for libraries to reach more library users and strengthen interactive associations between libraries and library users. The purpose of this chapter is to explore how social networking services have helped libraries complete their transitions in the digital age and which social networking services could be used to improve library public services. More importantly, this chapter intends to assist librarians in preparing for future potential social networking services by following the developing trend in social networking services.

Chapter 4 – Metadata Management and the Semantic Web

Metadata is defined as data about data and information about information. Librarians have been involved with metadata creation and discovery since the pre-AACR2 and MARC era. In the digital age, the concept about metadata management has changed drastically. The modern library metadata should display entity relationships among data elements. They must be released from silos and be accessible through popular Internet search engines. The Semantic Web is the chosen technology to accomplish the above goal. FRBR, RDA, BIBFRAME, and Linked Data are a series of standards and technologies that will facilitate this process. Among many challenges ahead, libraries must reconcile the requirements of search engines and library metadata schemas and vocabularies.

Chapter 7 – Online Research Instruction

Libraries met the challenge of increased distance learning in higher education by creating and embedding animated tutorials in the online courses. This chapter discusses the tutorial-making technologies and achievements of libraries in teaching online research instruction. There is a debate as to what is the best way to teach online courses. However, research shows that students learn better from animated video tutorials.

Chapter 1 – Emerging Technologies Impacting Libraries in the Twenty-First Century

In the age of information explosion, the prosperity of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) has become an information super highway, speeding up information exchange and sharing for information users. Over the Internet platform, emerging technologies in the fields of computer technologies, network technologies, telecommunication technologies, web technologies, and so on have provided global libraries with innovative approaches toward the enhancement and integration of information resources and services. This chapter will explore the definition of emerging technologies and its relationship with libraries in the modern information society. It will discuss the evolving information technology architecture, which demonstrates general areas where emerging technology applications impact current library information resources and services. Finally, this chapter will examine how emerging technology could impact librarians as well as which emerging technologies might shape library services in the coming years of the twenty-first century.

Chapter 3 – Web-Scale Discovery Services

Discovery services are cloud-based user interfaces to search across most library resources. Libraries have come a long way from classic OPAC to federated search, discovery tools, and web-scale discovery services. This chapter discusses major discovery services and their impact on users and libraries. One major problem with discovery services is content coverage. Hopefully, vendors will follow some standards and make their content coverage transparent in the future.

Chapter 10 – Understanding Web Design and Web Content Management

As one of the most important information gateways inside an academic institution, the website of an academic library has been evolving into a web service platform. Consequently, academic libraries need to enhance and integrate their resources and web services to improve excellence in teaching and learning. Specific cutting-edge and emerging technologies in web design and development are discussed in this chapter to reflect a rapid shift both in computing devices and user demands. Also discussed are open source web content management software used to generate creation and innovation in academic library settings.