M. Inf. / Corporate library and information services were typically created in order to further the operational objectives of a parent organisation. The continued existence of corporate libraries was seen to be subject to management perceptions of value of its services. This study investigated strategies to measure the value of information services in the specialised environment of the South African incorporated law firm. Methodologies were developed to arrive at the unit cost of information and of the information services in an organisation at a particular period. A cost per practitioner value was calculated in order to correlate data relating to the information spending at seven South African law firms. Attempts were made to relate the unit cost of the information services at one law firm to the use that was made of the services. The potential for cost recovery and determination of return on capital employed were also investigated. These strategies were seen to have value as management tools for the information services but they failed to demonstrate the value of the investment. The study thereafter approached the problem of evaluation from the perspective of accountability. Certain accepted business practices were investigated with regard to their relevance to corporate support services. An information services audit was proposed in accordance with a recognised management process.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pittsburgh, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-160).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pittsburgh, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-160).

This purpose of this study was to develop evidence of a relationship between law libraries and private law firm profitability for law library administrators to use when making strategic decisions that influence the value of their libraries. The highest ranked administrator at each private law firm listed on the 2008 Am Law 200 was invited to complete an online benchmarking survey. The adjusted sample population totaled 179 firms. Fifty-one valid surveys were completed for a 28.5% response rate. Descriptive and statistical analyses were conducted using 26 independent variables (law library characteristics) and a single dependent variable, Revenue per Equity Partner, developed from data published for the Am Law 200. The most significant contributions of this study are: development of important law library financial and return on investment benchmarks; a listing of characteristics that have been empirically shown to impact law firm productivity; identification of optimum reporting structure for the law library administrator. Six characteristics positively impact Revenue per Equity Partner: to whom the library Administrator reports, number of library staff per library, number of Library staff per library, range in hourly bill rate for library staff time, practice areas most often supported. Two monetary measures were also established. The cost benefit of an Am Law library to its firm is $1.00 : $1.68. Each Am Law Library staff member is worth $295,000 in Revenue per Equity Partner to a firm. Law library practitioners can use the results to support evidenced-based strategic decision making in the administration of any private law firm library. Faculty and students in law librarianship programs will have a greater understanding of how to manage law libraries and collections to provide maximum value to their law firms. Benefits to library and information science research include validation of the research design and benchmarking as a theoretical framework for conducting research into ways libraries can deliver value and return on investment to their sponsors. This research design can be generalized and replicated in future studies. It demonstrates how rank can be used to operationalize relative measures of value for research purposes. Findings from future studies in both for-profit and non-profit settings using appropriate measures of rank may form the basis for development of a theory concerning the relationship between a library and their sponsor's success.

Text in English / The study sought to assess the quality of library services by investigating the gaps between various service quality variables using the LibQUAL, SERVQUAL and SERVPERF models. The pragmatic paradigm formed the basis of this study while the mixed methods approach was adopted. The convergent parallel mixed methods design where both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods and data were integrated was adopted. Using the side-by-side comparison style, both sets of data were separately analysed and presented. The results were then compared to establish if they confirm or disconfirm each other. Questionnaires were administered to 94 users of the library. To calculate the level of service quality, the study measured the service adequacy gap (SAG), service superiority gap (SSG), zone of tolerance (ZoT), and D-M scores. Followup focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to validate, supplement and further explore the issues that arose from data collected using the questionnaires. The findings revealed a gap between the users’ expectations and perceptions of service quality and that library services were not meeting users’ expectations. The users’ expectations exceeded their perceptions since all service quality scores (SAG, SSG, ZoT and D-M scores) were either low or negative. Generally, the library performed well in the dimensions that touch on human aspects of the library but did poorly in the aspects that touch on information collections, library space and equipment. There were no significant differences between the protocols, with the overall gaps between perceptions and desires being all negative. The findings of the FGDs confirmed those of the questionnaires. The study recommended that the Court should allocate resources in a way that ensures human aspects of the library remain at high levels of service quality, while the shortcomings on aspects of information control, library space and equipment addressed. However, while addressing the physical space aspects, the library should bear in mind that users did not rate them as important for their purposes. This means that the library will need to invest in electronic content that can be accessed remotely by users. In view of the findings, the study concluded by developing a service quality framework on quality improvement and its sustenance at the library and the Court at large. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Library and Information Science) in the Department of Information Studies at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2014 / Information seeking skills are important for students who are preparing to embark on information intensive professions such as the legal profession. Despite law libraries being available in all the Nigerian universities offering law as an undergraduate programme, law students generally do not seem interested in making optimal use of the available facilities and sources to find relevant information for their studies and to prepare them for their chosen career. Though many information behaviour studies relating to students do exist it is important to establish how and why students, especially those who have to rely on information to perform their duties as legal practitioners, seek for information and how they use the available information facilities and services to satisfy their information needs. The specific objectives of this study were to: investigate the information behaviour of law students in Nigerian university law libraries, determine the purposes for which law students retrieve information in Nigerian university law libraries, investigate the library information resources available to law students in Nigerian university law libraries, examine how law students utilise information resources in university law libraries, specifically ICT resources, determine the challenges faced by law students in the use of law library electronic resources and other law sources in the process of information retrieval in Nigerian university law libraries, provide recommendations for improving law library systems in Nigerian universities and to develop a theoretical model that suits the information seeking behaviour of law students in Nigerian university law libraries. The research paradigm followed a positivism and interpretive perspective using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The study adopted a survey research design. The study targeted all the law students in Nigerian universities. Out of the 30 universities offering law as a course of study in Nigeria, a total of 12 universities were chosen for the study namely: Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma; Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti; Imo State University, Owerri; Kogi State University, Anyigba; Nasarawa State University, Keffi; Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; University of Benin, Benin; University of Calabar, Calabar; University of Ibadan, Ibadan; University of Ilorin, Ilorin: and University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. From the 12 chosen universities, 1,534 law students were randomly selected; this represents the sample for the study. Data was collected using a questionnaire, an interview and observation methods. The findings revealed that the surveyed law students generally exhibited a positive attitude towards patronage of law libraries, and that printed information sources are the main information sources utilised by respondents in law libraries. Digital libraries found in the law libraries were found not to be optimally used. Reasons given were the unavailability and inaccessibility of computers and the lack of Internet connectivity. The majority of the respondents indicated that they possessed the ICT skills required to search for information using electronic information resources in the law libraries. The Internet facilities provided in the law library where only used by 33% of the respondents when it was necessary to find academic related information. An ability test showed that only 47% of the respondents tested had the Internet skills to effectively retrieve applicable information sources/databases on the Internet. It was revealed that access to ICT facilities in the law libraries was poor, and the existing electronic libraries and other sources like the Internet and law databases were underutilised by the surveyed law students for a variety of reasons, such as a lack of access to the electronic law libraries, lack of ICT resources, or the fact that the existing ICT sources were not intended for law students’ use. Observations showed that only three law libraries provided access to law databases out of the twelve law libraries. Other challenges identified concerning the use of the law libraries included: erratic power supply; Internet connectivity problems; slow downloading speed; non-subscription to law databases; lack of qualified staff to manage and maintain the electronic law libraries; inadequate amount of computers for student utilisation; unhelpful library staff; and inadequate funding to provide quality ICT resources in the universities’ law libraries. The study recommended that law students should be allowed access to all law library resources and be provided with current and relevant library sources, electronic sources and ICT equipment that will encourage them to frequent the law libraries and use its information resources. Additionally, the libraries need adequate support and enough funds to facilitate the purchase of current legal material; upgrade ICT equipment; subscribe to legal databases; upgrade Internet connectivity; and improve their power supply. The study also recommended that library sources (print and electronic) should be aggressively advertised to attract students’ attention and more library orientation and ICT training courses should be provided.. / Nigerian Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND)

D. Litt. et Phil. / The main research question addressed by this study is whether the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has an effect on the practice of law, and specifically whether information and knowledge management affects the process of legal research. Various issues are considered in this regard, including what the concept of knowledge management (KM) entails in a law firm and what the current KM trends are in South African law firms. To this extent an investigation follows of the global trends in the application of ICTs for legal research purposes and what the specific applications are of KM in support of legal research. Furthermore, this study investigates how information technology applications and KM systems and strategies can support the legal research process and what the benefits of KM are to legal research. This entails a study of the unique characteristics of legal research in a digital information environment and of the challenges legal researchers face in a changing information environment. Subsequently the skills and tools that are required for effective digital legal research are discussed. This research also considers the effect the changing information environment has on the role of the legal information professional, which includes an investigation of the reasons why legal information professionals can and should support lawyers in their legal research activities. Specifically, this study considers the roles, skills and competencies of legal information professionals as knowledge managers, digital librarians and trainers of legal research skills in a changing information environment. Lastly, this study investigates whether current legal research skills training offers useful guidelines to future digital legal researchers.