From its inception in 2012, the Dissertation and Thesis Bootcamp at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) has included a library component. Unfortunately, librarians were used more as computer technicians, assisting students with technological access issues and occasional citation help, than as information specialists. In Spring 2015, the new Graduate Librarian and the Distance Education Librarian proposed significantly expanding the librarian's role in the program by adding targeted workshops to address physical and virtual workspace organization and research strategies. In the exit surveys for Boot camp, students have expressed high ratings and appreciation for these formal library instruction opportunities. Familiarity with the embedded librarians greatly increased the interaction between students and librarians, allowing for timely, point of need interventions during boot camp, as well as continued personal consulatations afterwards. This infographic-based poster will use graphed data, linear progression and photographs to showcase the different function performed by the librarians embedded in bootcamp. It will clearly and systematically demonstrate visually how what began as a teaching research and data management skills improved student ability and confidence and progressed to one-on-one and group sessions. This case study will provide inspiration and guidelines to help others reproduce our success. Links to the content of our workshops will also be available.

This BC Digitization Survey Results presentation was one of several presentations delivered at the BC Digitization Symposium 2008 held on December 1 & 2, 2008. For more information, please visit the BC Digitization Symposium 2008 website at: http://symposium.westbeyondthewest.ca.

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of electronic information resources by postgraduate students at UNISA Regional Learning Centre in Ethiopia and to identify the problems they experience when using the UNISA online library. The literature review focuses on students’ information-seeking behaviour, with a particular emphasis on their usage of electronic information resources. Previous studies indicated that the context in which students’ information needs and their information-seeking behaviour arise can be determined by contextual and personal elements or factors. This study adopted a qualitative case study approach. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data from eight postgraduate students which were conveniently selected. The data were analysed by using a thematic data analysis technique. The study established that the majority of the respondents used electronic information resources. However, the availability of Internet connections and electricity determined the frequency with which e-resources were used. The students used information resources for various purposes, including for course work, doing assignments, preparing for examination, writing proposals, for literature reviews, for writing Master’s dissertations and doctoral theses, and for research. The study revealed that postgraduate students had basic computer and information literacy skills; however, they lacked more advanced skills and this negatively affected their usage of electronic information resources. The findings also reported that a lack of ICT infrastructure, such as limited Internet access, inadequate Internet connectivity and frequent electric power interruptions were the main factors that affected postgraduate students’ electronic information-seeking behaviour. Besides, the remoteness and poor facilities of the Akaki Branch Library also had a negative impact on students’ information usage. Recommendations are made in order to maximise the utilisation of electronic information resources and address students’ skills deficiencies experienced while they are using electronic information resource. / Information Science / M. A. (Information Science)

In this study, research was conducted on the information needs of Unisa students. Most distance students do not personally visit the library, which makes it difficult for librarians to determine whether or not they are meeting their needs. The library plays an important support role in any university, especially in the open distance learning context. It is therefore important for librarians serving distance learners to continually evaluate their services in order to see if they are still meeting their client’s needs. The aim of this study was to determine if students are aware of the library services to which they are entitled, and if the library is successfully reaching and assisting remote students, and how its services can be improved. Questionnaires were posted to students, and interviews were conducted with on-campus students and staff. Chapter 1 covers the orientation and background to the study. Chapter 2 discusses the research methods used to collect information. In Chapter 3, the library needs of distance learners were discussed, while Chapter 4 presented a discussion of the findings drawn from the questionnaires and interviews, and Chapter 5 makes recommendations based upon these findings. It was found that some of the students surveyed were not aware of their library privileges. It is recommended that the Unisa library employ better strategies to market the library services available to students. Furthermore, the library needs to find better ways to reach out to remote students who have no access to information and communications technology upon which the modern library is so reliant.

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

The diploma thesis deals with grammar school libraries and their activities for reading literacy and information literacy development in the Czech Republic and Sweden. The first part of the thesis defines theoretical methods for reading and information literacy development, current level of reading and information literacy in the Czech Republic and Sweden. Part of the thesis describes school system and legislation of school libraries of both countries. Practical part of the thesis is composed of analysis of websites of the libraries and comparison of one Czech and one Swedish school library.

Public libraries, globally, are adopting the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in order to improve services to the users. ICTs in public libraries are enhancing services to the users by ensuring that services are available to them quickly and efficiently. ICTs in public libraries include computers and their Internet-based facilities, printers, photocopiers, laminators, faxes, telephones, televisions, compact discs, (CDs) and digital video discs (DVDs). This study focussed on the utilisation of ICTs in public libraries at Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM). The general aim of the study was to assess the utilisation of ICTs at EMM public libraries by the users. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches through a survey research method were deployed. The study targeted all public libraries at Ekurhuleni and within the libraries; library users and control librarians (librarians in charge of libraries at Ekurhuleni) were targeted. Control librarians participated in the study as key informants. The researcher needed to find out if they would corroborate what users said. There is a total of 43 public libraries at Ekurhuleni and eight were included in this study. These eight libraries were selected through stratified sampling. Out of 24033 registered users at Ekurhuleni libraries, 332 were randomly selected to take part in the study. All eight control librarians of participating libraries were included in the study. The total response rate for the targeted library users was 51% (170). The findings of this study indicate that although ICTs in EMM libraries are highly utilised, staff attitudes, cost of ICTs services, users’ lack of ICTs knowledge and skills, slowness of ICTs and power failure, make it difficult for users to maximise the full benefits offered by ICTs. The study recommended that the cost of ICTs services be reduced, customer care workshops and ICTs training be prioritised for staff, structured ICTs training programmes be developed for library users, users’ access time to Internet be extended, subscription to online databases be prioritised, Internet bandwidth be increased, uninterrupted power supply be installed in libraries and that positions be created for librarians specialising on ICTs. / Information Science / M. Inf.

Diploma thesis " Information and library services for students of art schools with a focus on dramatic and musical art in the Czech Republic " aims to analyze the environment of libraries with a fund focused on music and theater, which serves students of art schools. This thesis also describes library and information services and the impact of copyright law to provide services in libraries with a fund containing score, audio and audiovisual media. The last section describes methodology of qualitative research and evaluates research by force field analyzing method and also analyzed findings and recommendations to address the identified facts.

The objective of the thesis is to describe and evaluate services of public libraries aimed at immigrants and national minorities in the Czech Republic and programs to support them. The first part defines the principal terms related to libraries and minorities. An overview of legislation follows, focused on the same topic. The third part introduces five most common national minorities and immigrant groups living in the Czech Republic. The fourth chapter describes all regional libraries in the Czech Republic, two of municipal libraries near the national border where the percentage of minorities is higher and one specialized library with a focus on their foreign- language equipment, events, meetings or exhibitions about or for national minorities or immigrants, their cooperation with various organizations, employees' interest in minorities and a possibility of registration of foreigners at libraries. Following part is about programs and projects supporting foreigners in Czech libraries. The sixth chapter describes selected organizations working in the migration field. Next is an own survey which was made in 32 public libraries in the Czech Republic. Chapter next to last describes a situation abroad, in Sweden with a focus on their Immigrant Institute. The last part is an evaluation of data about the...

(in English) The master thesis describes formation and activities of the Geographical Library of the Faculty of Science of the Charles University in Prague (http//www.natur.cuni.cz/geografie/knihovna/). The thesis deals with the formation of the library in the 1880s and outlines its development to the present. The focus of this work is to describe the current situation and outline the anticipated direction of the library's development in the coming years. Emphasis is placed on the growing importance of the Geographical Library as one of the most distinctive information institutes of the Faculty of Science, as well as the gradual introduction and use of new technologies and finally on cooperation with other information and academic institutions. In addition, all the program units (that are in use in the library) of the automated library system Aleph 500 are described. The author also focuses on the description of services, divided into basic and complementary, which the Geographical Library provides for professionals and general public. This work also provides information on projects, in which library participates, especially the Czech Geographical Bibliography Online. In the future, Geographical Library intends to pursue the digitalization and preservation of the library collection as well as...