Public Relation Practices in Polytechnic Libraries for Effective Service Delivery in North-Central,Nigeria

This study investigated public relations practices for effective service delivery in polytechnic libraries in North-Central,Nigeria.The study was guided by two research questions.The descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study.The population of the study was 107 library staff consisting of both federal and state polytechnic libraries in North-Central,Nigeria.There was no sampling as all the population of the study was used as sample.Two sets of instruments were used to collect data for the study:questionnaire for library staff and interview guide for the polytechnic librarians.The instruments were subjected to face validation by two experts.Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while the qualitative data were transcribed,coded,and analyzed through document analysis as confirmatory to the quantitative data collected.The formulated hypotheses were tested using t-test.The findings revealed that public relations practices used by librarians were attending to users’enquiries on the public information desks and providing suggestion boxes to collect users’opinions,etc.(X=3.20,Sd=0.77;X=3.10,Sd=0.73);Projectors and bulletin boards were the facilities employed in public relations practices(X=3.21,Sd=0.86;X=3.18,Sd=0.69).Based on the findings,it was recommended that,the library management should create awareness on the public relations practices used for effective service delivery through such fora as workshop,orientation,and seminar to educate library users on the relevance of public relations;also librarians should use every possible avenue to be abreast with state-of-the-art facilities that can be employed in public relations practices in polytechnic libraries for effective service delivery,among others.

The Optimization Path of Research Support Services in University Libraries from the Perspective of Affordance Theory

University libraries,as an integral component of university research capabilities,are tasked with serving education by providing research support to faculty and students.This study adopts an affordance research perspective originating from ecological psychology to explore the optimization path of research support services in libraries in the new media era.Based on the characteristics of university library services,this research analyzes three aspects:production affordance,mobile affordance,and social affordance,and proposes practical recommendations to guide future research service practices of university libraries.

The Role of Library and Information Science Education in the Development of Community Health Information Services for People Living with HIV/AIDS: Perspectives of Directors and Managers of Public Libraries

This article identifies the role of library and information science (LIS) education in the development of community health information services for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Preliminary findings are presented from semi- structured qualitative interviews that were conducted with eleven directors and managers of local branches in the Knox County Public Library (KCPL) System that is located in the East Tennessee region in the United States. Select feedback reported by research participants is summarized in the article about strategies in LIS education that can help local public librarians and others in their efforts to become more responsive information providers to PLWHA. Research findings help better understand the issues and concerns regarding the development of digital and non-digital health information services for PLWHA in local public library institutions.

In search of service innovations by public libraries in Chinese urban centers:A case study of Dongguan Library

This article introduces several of the more significant service delivery innovations and their resulting accomplishments instigated by Dongguan Library(thereafter abbreviated as DGL) in recent years. The textual exposition of this paper is based on a case study of DGL by this author about its user-centered vision, mission, immediate objectives and the exhibited service performance within a contextual environment of collegial support from its professional peers. After a five-year period of intensive efforts on such focused professional development and practice, DGL has completed its information service mapping and information delivery for the entire municipality of Dongguan on a 7-day and twentyfour-hour(7/24) basis. This singular feast of accomplishment seems to suggest the moral that any significant development of scale of a municipal library has to be in keeping pace closely with the progress of the society at large in general and with the changing information demands of its local clientele in particular.

Sports Education Library Information Services

Library website,is the first window for readers to understand library information services.Sports Education academy library fully take advantage of homepage,combine open access resource searched with the library collections,after targeted collection,selection,sorting,processing,clustering or reorganization,establish a navigation system of open access resource of physical Sports Education.

A multidimensional and hierarchical model of library mobile service quality

Purpose:Based on the understanding of the characteristics of mobile services(m-services)provided by libraries,we attempt to develop a multidimensional and hierarchical model and a specifically designed measurement scale for the assessment of libraries' m-service quality.Design/methodology/approach:The research has been conducted sequentially in two stages.At the first stage,a multidimensional and hierarchical model of library m-service quality and a measurement scale are developed through literature review and focus group interviews.At the second stage the model is tested using partial disaggregation technique for an analysis of the data collected from over 400 library users in 3 Chinese universities.Findings:The proposed model is shown to fit the data well.The empirical analysis provides strong support for the model,which includes 4 dimensions(service environment,service interaction,information control and service effect) and 12 corresponding sub-dimensions.Research limitations:The sample size needs to be enlarged and the user types need to be expanded to make the sample more representative.Practical implications:The study provides a conceptual framework and measurement tool that can help library managers understand the users' needs in the context of mobile network environment,and boost their libraries' competitiveness by carrying out better services to meet the user demands.Originality/value:The proposed model and measurement scale specifically designed for the assessment of libraries' m-service quality fully reflect the hierarchical structure of libraries' m-service quality.In addition,by using partial disaggregation technique for model testing,we believe our research can serve as a practical reference to those engaged in the development and examination of a multidimensional and hierarchical model.

Research on the One-Stop Information Service Model for University Library

Following the advent of and continuous progress of technology,computer network and information management have gradually being incorporated into the daily operation and management of university libraries all around the world.The service system of university libraries has also transformed from the conventional reference consulting model into a knowledge-based service model.This transformation has improved the professionalism and individualism of university libraries.Therefore,establishing a competent one-stop information service model has significant and important values.In this work,we analyzed the basic functionalities and the feasibility of one-stop information service model for university libraries.We also discussed in details the construction methodology for different modes,for reference only.

Public library services to older adults in China:An empirical study based on content analysis

Purpose:The research is undertaken to help the Chinese public libraries answer the growing needs for library services to the elderly.Based on an investigation of the current situation of the services to older adults in China and a comparative analysis of the services in the U.S.,we attempt to explore what improvements the Chinese public libraries can make to better serve the needs of older adults.Design/methodology/approach:We empirically analyzed the older adults services of 271public libraries in China from 2002 to 2011 via content analysis of both the print materials such as the regulations and policies released by these libraries and the related information on the libraries' websites and the Internet Web pages.Findings:Great strides have been made in the Chinese public libraries' services to older adults in constructing service systems,providing facilities and equipment,exploring cooperative programming,and planning diversified and regularly scheduled activities.Compared with American counterparts,however,the Chinese public libraries need to catch up in understanding the elderly people as library users,planning customized services,formulating service guidelines and evaluation systems,and working with other local agencies for cooperative programming for seniors in communities.Research limitations:It is hard to collect more data covering more geographical areas and longer periods of time.The content analysis of libraries' policies and regulations is a very rough approximation of the libraries' 'real' services.The study should be extended to visits to public libraries in the future.Practical implications:This study provides useful information for the Chinese library policymakers to formulate regulations and policies to provide services to older adults.Originality/value:To the best of our knowledge,the comprehensive survey reported in this paper is the first in-depth investigation of the current situation of public library services to older adults in China,providing the analysis framework for more in-depth surveys in the future.

A study on service quality evaluation of digital libraries in China based on tetra-class model

Purpose: This study intends to evaluate the service quality of academic digital libraries(DLs)in China. By utilizing tetra-class model which concentrates on categorizing services according to their contributions to user satisfaction, this paper attempts to visually categorize the specific DL service elements to reveal their present performances, and then further explain the categorizing variations among different groups of users to discover the user preference.Design/methodology/approach: This paper carries out a survey to evaluate user experience on 27 typical DL services summarized from our investigations of representative Chinese university DLs. Based on the five-point Likert-type scale evaluation, the users’ attitudes toward specific service element are divided into negative and positive dimensions. Afterwards,a correspondence analysis is applied to calculate the contributions to satisfaction and dissatisfaction of each service element based on tetra-class model. As a result, the DL service elements of Chinese academic libraries are classified into four categories(i.e. Basic, Secondary,Plus, and Key). Finally, we compared the categorizing variations.Findings: The results show that the DL service elements of Chinese academic libraries are all distributed in Basic and Key services regarding information retrieval and informationorganizing; 80% of the interaction services elements are Plus services, while 50% of the Secondary services are information-providing services. The results also reveal that service categorization is obviously influenced by the users’ education background, especially their disciplines. Furthermore, the users who are older, more highly-educated, or studying in higher reputation universities are more likely to evaluate DL services as either critical or useless.Research limitations: Tetra-class model cannot reveal the interplay among the DL service elements. In addition, the user segmentation in our studies is limited to the sample structure.Practical implications: This empirical study focuses on the evaluation of DL services of academic libraries in China, the analyses of their current performances could provide useful reference for the assessment of other types of Chinese DLs. Moreover, the consideration of user characteristics(gender, age, and education background, etc.) in the DL evaluation would help librarians improve DL services to meet the users’ various needs in teaching and doing scientific research.Originality/value: Different from the frequently-used factor analysis which focuses on the relationship among factors and user satisfaction, this paper tries to use and compare element distributions of different user segments while focusing on various service objectives. Factor analysis shows some flaws as used to measure the element with selected indicators, for it ignores the fact that the indicators which measure the same factor would have different degrees of impacts on user satisfaction. However, the tetra-class model can better visually analyze the performance of each DL service element from its contributions to satisfaction and dissatisfaction, which would help librarians to better understand users’ need and offer DL services more efficiently.

The college students' response to customized information services based on Library2.0 technologies at universities in Nanjing

Through a questionnaire survey of students’ response from 6 universities in Nanjing, this paper aims to determine their varying degrees of satisfaction about the customized information service based on Library2.0 technologies. In so doing, the authors carefully examined the data collected from the returned questionnaires about such key issues as the students’ perceptions about the customized information service via a Library2.0platform, self-initiated use experience of such a mechanism, their achieved information searching results vis-à-vis their expectations, etc. In addition, the authors also made a comparative study between information providers(i.e. librarians) and information consumers(i.e. students) at Chinese and American academic libraries.

Deployment of Soft Skills for Effective Customer Service in the 21^stCentury Library

The advent of information communication technology in the information environment has brought dramatic changes in the way information is being handled and managed today. This wind of change engineered by ICT has also changed the information seeking behavior of users making them to place more demands on libraries. There is a need for libraries to strive to be effective in their services to customers in order to remain relevant in the information age. The paper considered the deployment of soft skills expressed in terms of staff appearance, approachability, effective communication, positive attitude, ability to cope in difficult situation, and so on, for more effective customer services in the 21st century library. The paper concluded that, effective customer service in libraries is imperative in the 21st century library as it will make library users feel important, improves learning, increases patronage, and promotes library and university image. The outcome of this paper will help the management of libraries irrespective of the type to be more effective in the services they render to their clients. This will ultimately increase patronage and clients retention.

Current Status and Analysis on Space Service in East China Public Libraries: A Case Study

This paper provides references for the space service of public libraries in China. 51 public libraries in East China were investigated in terms of space type, space facilities and space service reconstruction;the current situation of space service was analyzed and some problems were revealed. Based on the investigation, the characteristics of public libraries’ space service in East China are summarized from the perspective of space type, space service concept and space service mode. And the problems in the aspects of new space service level, space service facility construction and space service evaluation mechanism are pointed out. Through the analysis, space service strategies of public libraries in China are proposed: libraries’ overall quality should be strengthened;space service based on information technology should be promoted;users’ needs should be respected and evaluation mechanism should be developed.

New Measures of Chinese University Library Knowledge Service under the Cloudization Background

This article mainly explores and analyzes the application of network broadcast in the lecture service of university library under the cloudization background. By using the online survey method to investigate the lectures in some universities, it introduces the classification and characteristics of the network broadcast and obtains the advantage of network broadcast applied to lecture training through making contrast between the means of network multimedia. The result shows that the introduction of network broadcast can realize more customized, virtual and specialized lecture services, and facilitate the transformation of university library services in the digital era.

From New Media to Cloud Service,Can Independent College Libraries Face It Calmly?—Based on the Investigation and Analysis of Relevant Applications of Independent College Libraries in Jiangsu Province

The emergence and application of new media are both opportunities and challenges for the development of libraries.In light of statistical analysis of development and use of new media platform tools such as the library portal websites of independent colleges in Jiangsu Province,WeChat,MicroBlog,and mobile libraries,etc.,the author in this paper is aimed at studying independent college libraries’self-development level and innovation of service models under the new information network environment as well as how to win favorable time and space so as to easily face the advent of cloud service era.

Activity-Based Costing of Library Services in Universities——A Case Study of a Private University

An organization’s costing system is a system that helps the management with the strategy planning while the system plays an important role in providing accurate cost information about the products and customers.In other words,the costing management system is important to provide timely and quality information to help managers in their decision-making process.Producing quality graduates is the main objective of any university and the cost of quality or the cost of poor quality is one that is often difficult to measure in higher education.This can be partly attributed to the fact that most accounting systems are not structured to capture important cost-of-quality information.In order to succeed,many organizations tend to shift from conventional or traditional costing system to Activity-based costing(ABC).ABC provides both higher education administrators and policymakers with better information on which to base decisions.The use of multiple cost pools and drivers under ABC leads to more detailed and accurate product costing than that provided by traditional cost systems.This paper attempts to investigate the possibilities and limitations of implementing ABC in universities.More specifically the study makes use of the case study method to illustrate the implementation of activity-based costing of library services in a private university in the Kingdom of Bahrain.The research methodology of the case study is a combination of both descriptive and quantitative analyses.The study identified six categories of cost pools which are related to the activities of the library as well as 17 relevant cost drivers.Accordingly,ABC should lead to a better understanding of what drives costs and,by extension,what changes are necessary to reduce costs.Unnecessary activities that do not add value to services can be identified and eliminated.Further ABC is feasible in an academic library and that much can be gained from the process of analyzing activities.However,more work needs to be done in terms of designing accounting and other information systems to capture cost and activity transaction data in a more routine and disaggregated form for ABC analysis.

Exploration on the Construction of Mobile Library Service Quality Optimization Model

The emergence of science and technology and big data has promoted the emergence of major resource platforms.Mobile libraries have emerged as the world progresses.Users have put forward high requirements for service quality in the process of using mobile libraries.Optimizing service quality is one of the important topics of mobile libraries today.In our paper the mobile library service quality optimization model is constructed from three aspects,including the starting point of the optimization model,the optimization content,and the final construction.While keeping up with the pace of the times,we will meet the needs of users and enhance user satisfaction in order to promote the development and advancement of mobile libraries.

Marketing Strategies for Reading Promotion Activities in Academic Libraries:A Case Study of the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology

In the contemporary digital age,traditional reading habits have been compromised by digital media,a situation that has forced academic libraries to adopt proactive marketing approaches to promote reading among students and faculty.This article investigates the implementation of marketing strategies in promoting reading activities within academic libraries,taking the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology as a case study.The paper explores various marketing strategies employed by academic libraries,including market segmentation,utilization of new media platforms,and the creation of personalized content for readers.Drawing from an extensive literature review and real-world examples,the study establishes a framework for marketing reading promotion activities tailored to academic libraries.These findings underscore how effective marketing strategies can enhance user participation,expand library influence,and optimize resource utilization.

Research on the Status Quo and Countermeasures of Socialized Service Based on University Library

With the continuous improvement of China’s social and economic level,education,especially college education,has been highly valued by people and has achieved certain results.For the development of colleges and universities,library construction is an important part of it and to a certain extent promotes the stable development of colleges and universities.Judging from the actual development of domestic university libraries,many university libraries have gradually entered the path of socialized service.Due to the profound influence of traditional education mode and test-oriented education concept,many university libraries in China are currently developing socialization.There are some problems that need to be solved in the service work process.The existence of these problems makes many domestic university libraries unable to play their own roles and individual values,and it also seriously affects the rapid development of China’s college education.Based on this situation,the author makes an in-depth analysis and discussion on the status quo and optimization strategies of the socialization service of university libraries in China,hoping to provide reference for the social service work of college libraries nationwide.

Improving the Service Level of University Library by Using Micro-Blog and WeChat

In order to improve the service level of the University Library and increase the utilization rate of the students' libraries, the domestic libraries began to use micro-blog and WeChat. The use of micro-blog and WeChat is in line with the characteristics of college students and can improve the service level of University libraries effectively. In this article, I will start with introducing micro- blog and WeChat, briefly describe the current situation of using micro-blog and WeChat in university libraries, and the measures to improve the service level of university libraries by using micro-blog and WeChat.

The Difficulties and Obstacles of Socialized Service in University Library

University library plays an important role in serving all lecturers and students as it is a place where books and other information resources are collected and gathered for the purposes of reading and reference.As time goes by,university libraries have gradually open to the public to fully make use of its function as an educational and social platform.The socialized service of university library has the advantages of promoting cultural virtue and moral integrity to the public.However,there remain many issues during the development of socialized service in the university library.Besides,analyzing the difficulties and obstacles faced in socialized services of the university library,this paper aims to provide countermeasures to solve the problems.