The academic information service enterprise should continuously react to the rapidly changing environment in which it functions. The theoretical research pertaining to the study has shown that such enterprises which embark on re-engineering because radical change is required, should be knowledgeable in terms of what the change entails, why it is important to change and how the change takes place through re-engineering, organisational design and an innovative leadership framework. In order to ensure efficiency within its operations while focusing on its own sustainability, the enterprise should establish leadership roles which involve all staff in leadership on a daily basis. The empirical research focused on the attitudes of staff towards such a leadership driven enterprise. Results revealed that factors such as whether staff participated in re-engineering, their engagement with re-engineering proposals, their work experience and their language have a significant impact on the attitudes of staff towards an innovative leadership framework. / Information Science / M. A. (Information Science)

Unter dem Titel „Mein Traum von Bibliothek“ wird demnächst an der Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig eine Vortragsreihe für Bibliothekare starten. Thema ist der von uns allen erlebte rasante Wandel in der Mediennutzung durch digitale Technik. Die Aufgaben der Bibliothek ändern sich, die Tätigkeiten der Bibliothekare ändern sich, die Funktionen der Bibliotheksräume ändern sich. Das hat Konsequenzen für alle wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken, ins besondere für ein komplexes System wie das der UB Leipzig mit derzeit noch 19 Zweigbibliotheken. Welche Räume hat eine Bibliothek, wenn sowohl die Informationen wie die Wege dahin digital formatiert sind? Welcher Service sollte geboten werden?

The academic information service enterprise should continuously react to the rapidly changing environment in which it functions. The theoretical research pertaining to the study has shown that such enterprises which embark on re-engineering because radical change is required, should be knowledgeable in terms of what the change entails, why it is important to change and how the change takes place through re-engineering, organisational design and an innovative leadership framework. In order to ensure efficiency within its operations while focusing on its own sustainability, the enterprise should establish leadership roles which involve all staff in leadership on a daily basis. The empirical research focused on the attitudes of staff towards such a leadership driven enterprise. Results revealed that factors such as whether staff participated in re-engineering, their engagement with re-engineering proposals, their work experience and their language have a significant impact on the attitudes of staff towards an innovative leadership framework. / Information Science / M. A. (Information Science)

This study investigated the management of information and communication technologies (ICTs) at academic libraries in selected public universities in Ghana. The purpose for this study was to investigate the managerial processes and challenges in terms of conceptualization, policies, planning, implementation and strategies involved in ICTs adoption in order to formulate strategies for their management in Ghanaian academic libraries. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to review and explore the status and level of ICT diffusion in Ghanaian university; audit the procedures, processes and factors that influence ICT adoption and implementation in Ghanaian university libraries; establish the institutional policies, strategies and human resource that is in place and available for the adoption; determine the factors that hinder the adoption and management of ICTs in Ghanaian university libraries; and design a framework for effective and efficient management of ICTs in Ghanaian public university libraries. The study adopted mixed-method research design approach combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches through the pragmatic worldview to achieve the main purpose of the study. Adopting a survey study design, data was collected from five selected Ghanaian public universities by interviewing the five university librarians/directors, using questionnaires on 313 library staff and making observations within the five libraries. The findings of the study established that the managerial tools/instruments required for effective ICTs management in Ghanaian university libraries include the availability of library ICT policies, a library ICT strategic plan, library ICT installation and maintenance manuals, library ICT integration plans, and standard operations manuals. In addition, adequate funds, skilled manpower, adequate and standard ICT infrastructures among others. However, the study also revealed that there are absence of library ICT policies, lack of processes and procedure guidelines, inadequate funds, lack of management support, inadequate ICT skills among libraries and staff ICT training policies in the academic libraries in Ghana. The study recommends the formulation of ICT policies and strategic plans purposely for the comprehensive management of library ICT systems. Furthermore, the university top management should support their libraries by providing the required resources and motivation for the library managers including the development of stakeholder partnership and collaboration. To galvanise these recommendations, the study proposes a framework for the ICTs adoption and management in Ghanaian university libraries. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Academic libraries are an integral part of higher educational institutions in Nigeria in order for them to achieve their mission of national development. Knowledge sharing has become a survival kit for academic libraries to improve service provision and remain relevant in today’s information world. This study explores the roles of knowledge sharing among staff at the Delta State University (DELSU) library, Abraka for improved service provision and also suggests strategies to enhance knowledge sharing among staff for improved service provision. The theory of organisational knowledge creation (SECI) and the Social Exchange Theory (SET) underpinned this study. The study adopted a mixed method research approach and case study research design. While questionnaires were the main data collection instruments, interviews were the supplementary instruments. The entire staff at the DELSU library, Abraka was the target population for this study. A census was taken on the entire staff of the library to collect data using the questionnaires while the heads of the different library sections were purposively sampled for the collection of data through interviews. The quantitative data collected using questionnaires was analysed with the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software and the results were presented in tables and simple descriptive statistics. The interview data was analysed and interpreted using thematic analysis and was presented in predetermined themes according to the research objectives. A total of 60 out of the 63 copies of the questionnaire administered were retrieved and interviews were conducted on all seven participants sampled. The study revealed that knowledge sharing among staff members play an important role in improving service provision in the library in terms of the provision of accurate and in time services, learning best library practices, avoidance of mistake repetition and solving problems encountered on the job. However, knowledge sharing is not formalised in the library. Therefore, effective knowledge sharing for service provision has not been achieved. The greatest barriers to knowledge sharing for improved service provision in the library are the lack of a knowledge sharing culture, information and communication technological tools and infrastructures and motivation as well as the inferiority and superiority complex among staff. The greatest motivation for the library staff to share knowledge is to improve service provision. The study suggests strategies to encourage knowledge sharing among the staff members in order to improve service provision. These strategies include an adequate reward system, as well as a continuous awareness and appraisal of knowledge sharing. / Information Science / M. Inf.

Unter dem Titel „Mein Traum von Bibliothek“ wird demnächst an der Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig eine Vortragsreihe für Bibliothekare starten. Thema ist der von uns allen erlebte rasante Wandel in der Mediennutzung durch digitale Technik. Die Aufgaben der Bibliothek ändern sich, die Tätigkeiten der Bibliothekare ändern sich, die Funktionen der Bibliotheksräume ändern sich. Das hat Konsequenzen für alle wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken, ins besondere für ein komplexes System wie das der UB Leipzig mit derzeit noch 19 Zweigbibliotheken. Welche Räume hat eine Bibliothek, wenn sowohl die Informationen wie die Wege dahin digital formatiert sind? Welcher Service sollte geboten werden?

This study investigated the contribution of staff training and development programmes to effective library and information services in selected university libraries in Ghana. The rationale of the study was to establish the relationship between training and development of library staff and work performance of individual library staff, university libraries and the institutions as a whole, which should reflect in effective and efficient provision of library and information services. The researcher reviewed extensively literature on relevant subject areas related to staff training and development including: the concept of training and development, training needs analysis and assessment, staff training and development, monitoring and evaluation of training, effects of training on job performance, measuring return on investment in training and effectiveness of library and information services. The researcher adopted a survey research method because of the large geographical areas over which the university libraries are located and therefore dispersed population. The researcher adopted mixed methods research approach and thus data was collected using interviews, observations and questionnaires. The researcher also used a mixed sampling method where the researcher combined both probability and non-probability sampling methods in sampling the population. The population for the study comprised library staff, faculty and students from five selected universities in Ghana. The total population from the five universities was 139,463 based on which a sample of 860 was chosen. Thematic content analysis technique was use to analyse qualitative data, while statistical package for service solution was used to analyse quantitative data. The main findings of the study were that staff training and development programmes contributed to the improvement of the knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences of library staff in the universities in Ghana, thereby made university library staff in Ghana more effective and efficient in the provision of library and information services to the university community. However staff development practices alone did not contribute to job performance. Staff development practices were supported with human resource management strategies such as rewards, promotions, bonuses, salary increase and other motivational strategies. Finally the study identified inadequate funding and short falls in the training policies as some of the challenges facing the implementation of staff training and development initiatives in the university libraries in Ghana. It recommends the establishment of training units within the university libraries and adequate budgetary provisions to invest in staff training and development programmes for library staff as well as the adoption of train the trainer concept where staff who participated in training and development programmes are asked to train colleagues and submit a report for the benefit of colleagues as a way of improving staff development practices in the university libraries in Ghana. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on staff training and development and work performance in university libraries. / Information Science

In this companion dissertation findings are reported of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. Ample prior evidence confirmed that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The case study contexts are common in higher education in general: a) an external partnership, (b) an ad hoc team, (c) a traditional, cross-divisional service unit, and (d) a grant-funded student service unit. Emerging positive organizational theory and research shows promise for revealing performance-influencing phenomena and behaviors that are not adequately represented in standard measures. Therefore, this collaborative case study research was designed to explore positive influences on the success of the four community college units. The companion dissertation consists of three manuscripts. Chapter 2, a technical report, is a collaboratively-written synthesis of findings from the four individual case studies. Key findings across the units suggest the influence on performance of: (a) a people-first culture, (b) authentic, trusting, inclusive leadership, and (c) resource richness beyond constrained tangible resources. In Chapter 3, the author presents in journal article format one of the case studies that contributed to the findings reported in Chapter 2. The academic library chosen for this research serves an urban community college campus near the geographic center of its city. The research asks how the library consistently performs well despite severe budget and staffing constraints and a series of disruptive events. Key findings in Chapter 3 include the following influences on performance: (a) valuing people and building relationships; (b) a culture of service that shares duties, resources, and expertise; and (c) leadership that effectively translates formal goals into an enabling matrix of behaviors and phenomena. In Chapter 4, a scholarly narrative, the author reflects on transformative aspects of the doctoral experience on learning and life. Practical recommendations are offered. Additional research is needed to explore causal relationships, how to influence greater resource amplification, and how to increase awareness of positive organizational dynamics.

Objetivo: Avaliar os resultados da capacitação de usuários de buscas informatizadas, através do Curso de Acesso às Bases em CD-ROM MEDLINE e LILACS, modalidade do Programa Educativo da Biblioteca da Faculdade de Saúde Publica da USP, oferecido a docentes e alunos da pós-graduação em saúde pública. Método: Questionário estruturado enviado aos 92 participantes dos Cursos, no período de 1993 e 1995. Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que após a participação no Curso 65,2% deles conseguiram autonomia no acesso às bases de dados, 15,2% solicitaram buscas intermediadas pelo bibliotecário, e 19,6% não realizaram forma alguma de busca nas bases da Biblioteca. O usuário que busca esse tipo de capacitação é principalmente o aluno de cursos de pós-graduação (79,3%), com formação básica na área de ciências biológicas (81,5%), para suas atividades acadêmicas (79,4%), com o objetivo de buscar autonomia no acesso à informação (72,8%). A intermediação dos bibliotecários foi solicitada por motivos como: pouca familiaridade com as bases, dificuldade em lidar com tecnologia, confiança na busca realizada pelo bibliotecário e falta de tempo para busca, evidenciando a necessidade do usuário contar também com os serviços de busca realizado pelo bibliotecário, confirmada por 79,4% dos participantes do Curso. O Curso também foi avaliado quanto ao seu conteúdo, estrutura, metodologia, material didático e demais aspectos específicos à organização de capacitação desse nível. Conclusão: O Curso MEDLINE/LILACS está atendendo às necessidades dos usuários das buscas informatizadas, porém a Biblioteca deve ter o compromisso de mantê-lo pois quanto mais tecnologia a Biblioteca disponibiliza, maior é o seu compromisso em capacitar seu usuário. / This study analyses the results of end-user instruction through the databases modulated course in CD-ROM MEDLINE / LILACS, modality of the Library of the School of Public Health of University of S.Paulo Educational Program, offered to health sciences scientists and postgraduate students. It uses a mailed questionnaire which was answered by 66% of the 140 course participants between November/1993 and November/1995. The whole of the category studied was 92 end-users. The results demonstrate that former students, who have done researches in the Library, managed, in most cases (65,2%), to acquire autonomy in using databases, some of them (15,2%) requested librarians interventions, and some of them (19,6%) didn´t use the databases of the Public Health Library, during this period. It determines the end-user searching profile and it shows that the course is mainly looked for by the postgraduate students (79,3%), health area (81,5%), for their academic activities (79,4%) and by those who look for information access autonomy (72,8%) when they decide to participate in such courses. The users who do intermediary searching, appear to use an intermediary mainly for reasons such as: the lack of information technology, lack of familiarity with databases, reliability in the searches made by librarians and, lack of time for searching. The results demonstrate that 79,4% of end-users would like to do both end-user searching and intermediary searching. This study also analyses the Course contents, structure, methodology and didactic materials. This paper gets to the conclusion that end-users, in the whole, consider to be more important that the Library maintains this course and this kind of information user continuous educational program. This survey findings suggests other evaluations to be held to check the end-user’s performance.

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