Zhixian Yi

Australian academic librarians' perceptions of marketing services and resources

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how Australian academic librarians marketed their services and resources, which marketing approaches were most effective, and the factors influencing the perceptions of the approaches used. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was sent to 37 academic librarians in Australia. The response rate was 54.1 percent. The information sheet and consent form for phone interview participants were e-mailed to 17 participants and ten signed consent forms were e-mailed back to the researchers. The response rate was 58.8 percent. The qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The collected quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations) and inferential statistics (correlations). Findings – Academic librarians were involved in a variety of marketing activities and had varied perceptions of the effective approaches used to market services and resources. Correlation analysis confi...

Knowledge management for library strategic planning: Perceptions of applications and benefits

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine academic library director and graduate student perceptions of knowledge management for library strategic planning, including its definition and potential applications and benefits.Design/methodology/approach – A multiple‐choice e‐mail survey was sent to 40 academic library directors and 19 graduate students of information and library science. Respondents were asked to define knowledge management for strategic planning and answer related questions on its potential applications and benefits. Respondents could also specify their own views on the subject.Findings – There are minor differences in how library directors and graduate students define knowledge management. However, there is a disparity in how these two groups view potential applications and benefits of knowledge management for library strategic planning. Less than half of the directors (41.4 per cent) but the majority of students (77.8 per cent) believes that knowledge management is being applied to...

Conducting meetings in the change process: Approaches of academic library directors in the United States

Purpose – This study aims to examine how academic library directors conducted meetings in the change process and the factors influencing the approaches used.Design/methodology/approach – Bolman and Deals reframing change model provided the foundation for this research. An online survey was sent to 1,010 academic library directors in the USA. The response rate was 59 percent. The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The collected quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations) and inferential statistics (binary and multinomial logistic regressions).Findings – Most directors used multiple approaches to conduct meetings in the change process. The structural and human resource approaches were the most frequent single approaches. Regression analysis confirms that demographics, human capital, and library variables play significant roles in conducting meetings.Research limitations/implications – Data in this study were co...

The factors influencing American academic library directors' approaches to evaluating change in the information age

Abstract This study examines how American academic library directors evaluate change in the information age and the factors influencing the approaches used. Bolman and Deal’s reframing change model provided the foundation for this research (Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership. 1st ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass, 1991). An online survey was sent to 1,010 academic library directors in the United States. The response rate was 59%. The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The collected quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations) and inferential (chisquare tests and correlations) statistics. Many directors used single and dual approaches to evaluate change. The human resource approach was the most frequently used single approach. Chi-square test and correlation analysis confirms that demographics, human capital and library variables play significant roles in evaluating change. Correlation results show that directors who are males, or work for a higher academic degree institution, or are at universities with higher enrolment, are more likely to use multiple approaches to evaluate change than their counterparts. Directors who hold more different professional positions, or oversee more subordinates, or work for a higher academic degree institution, are more likely than their counterparts to use dual and multiple approaches to evaluate change. Directors may use the results to reflect on different options of strategies for evaluating change and to balance the weight of the factors’ influences. The results may also help librarians better understand various approaches to evaluating change in the information age.

Setting goals for change in the information age: Approaches of academic library directors in the USA

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine how academic library directors set goals for change in the information age and the factors influencing the approaches used.Design/methodology/approach – Bolman and Deals reframing change model provided the foundation for this research. An online survey was sent to 1,010 academic library directors in the USA. The response rate was 59 percent. The qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The collected quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations) and inferential statistics (binary and multinomial logistic regressions).Findings – Most directors used multiple approaches to set goals for change. The structural and human resource approaches were the most frequent single approaches. Regression analysis confirmed that demographics, human capital, and library variables played significant roles in setting goals for change.Research limitations/implications – Data in this study w...

Effective techniques for the segmentation of academic library users

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how Australian academic librarians perceived effective techniques used to segment library users into smaller groups and the influencing factors for their perceptions of the used techniques. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was sent to 400 academic librarians in 37 Australian universities and 230 (57.5 per cent) respondents completed and returned surveys. The descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis method were used to analyse the collected data. Findings A variety of effective techniques were utilised to segment library users. Library variables such as number of staff and number of library branches and human capital variables such as education level, years of present position, formally studying marketing and attending a workshop on marketing in the last five years were significant predictors of perceptions of the effective segmentation techniques used, but this study indicates that other predictors such as number of different library professional positions and years involved in all library services and demographical variables made no difference. Practical implications This paper provides a useful overview of the effective techniques used to segment library users. Originality/value The value of this study is that librarians may utilise the results to better understand different techniques, to reflect on the effectiveness of the used techniques, and to balance the weight of the influencing factors. This will enable them to segment library users more effectively in the future.

Knowledge management for library building design

Purpose – In the digital age, constant changes in libraries inform contemporary building design. An innovative library building design is a complicated process and can be viewed as a continuous process of the use of tacit and explicit knowledge and innovative tools and approaches. Knowledge management (KM) can bring about the much needed innovation, and transform tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge. For the design of a library to be successful, it is necessary to apply KM to library building design. The purpose of this paper is to look at key change impacts, to explore how to manage knowledge in building design and to identify key design principles. Design/methodology/approach – This paper looks at key change impacts, explores how to manage knowledge in library building design and pinpoints design principles. Findings – This paper finds that KM can be vital to library building design, and it can be used in all stages: to examine the internal and external environments, transform tacit knowledge to explic...

A Case Study of Collaboration in the Building of China's Library and Information Infrastructure

The building of a nation’s library and information infrastructure relies upon more than books and computers, libraries, and other information centers. Although literacy and information technologies have long existed as part of China’s infrastructure, the social ideal of widespread access to information is remarkably recent and has largely been influenced by library collaboration and cooperation with other nations. Using a tripartite information access model, this article explores the role international collaborations played in building the foundations of physical, intellectual, and social infrastructures of libraries in China during the twentieth century and recommends future actions.

Techniques for Marketing Electronic Resources

This chapter mainly examines the effective techniques used to market electronic resources. It starts by exploring the strategic marketing of electronic resources. Then, a full examination of effective techniques used to market electronic resources on the basis of data analysis is included to confirm that demographics, human capital, and library variables played a significant role in academic librarians’ perceptions of effective marketing techniques used to market electronic resources. By the end of this chapter, the key points are summarized and the references are provided.