A study was conducted to see if the level of use, expertise, and problem solving abilities using information technology among Mississippi State University Extension agents was positively correlated with the performance quality of the agent as measured in the Mississippi State University Extension Service agent evaluation system. A second purpose was to examine how well agents self-assess their technology skills. Lastly, the study attempted to determine if there was a set of factors (including information technology skills) that explained a substantial portion of the variation in performance evaluation scores. The results showed that the Mississippi State University Extension agent evaluation system does not consider information technology skills and usage of agents. It was also found that agents are fairly adept at self-assessment of their technology skills. Lastly, no set of factors were found that would substantially explain performance evaluation ratings.

Extension agents are tasked with disseminating educational content, announcing events, and promoting the outreach efforts of Extension. Social media can be a powerful resource for Extension agents (Skrabut, 2014). Integrating social media into outreach efforts can be an efficient way for agents to meet increasing work demands (Gharis & Hightower, 2017). Still, many Extension agents are not fully integrating social media as a means to communicate with their audiences (Garcia et al., 2018). To address this, Extension communication units are developing social media technical support efforts to increase the agents’ social media activity (Garcia et al., 2018, Newbury et al., 2014; Kinsey, 2010.) Social media competency influences a professional’s willingness to integrate social media as a function of their employment (Zhu et al., 2018). If communication units wish to provide Extension agents with technical support efforts, such as trainings and professional development opportunities, to assist them with integrating social media as one of their duties, we should assess the influence of these support efforts on their perceived social media competency. The purpose of this study is to describe Mississippi State University Extension agents’ perceived social media competency levels and explore the effect that a variety of technical support efforts have on their perceived social media competency.

According to enrollment data from the National 4-H Headquarters, minority participation in Texas 4-H clubs has declined over the past five years. This descriptive study measured the perceptions of 4-H adult leaders and county Extension agents about minority youth recruitment and retention in Texas 4-H clubs. An electronic survey was distributed to 168 adult leaders and 58 county Extension agents who have participated in 4-H for at least two years from clubs in 54 counties across Texas that are comprised of at least 50% minority youth members. The results from this study show slight differences in the demographic makeup and project areas that are chosen among the minority youth members. Statistically significant differences do exist between the perceptions of county Extension agents and 4-H adult club leaders. While the county Extension agents tend to focus more on the competition aspects of 4-H, adult club leaders are more concerned with the views and feelings of the youth members along with the relationships that are developed. It is important to acknowledge decline in minority retention rates and develop new techniques for recruitment to improve future enrollment for the sake of the organization and prospective minority youth throughout the state.

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近年來我國致力於改善公共圖書館的資源與環境，希望能夠提供更好的服務給讀者，且提升公共圖書館的使用率，但從一些圖書館使用者的相關統計獲知，農業背景使用圖書館的比例皆不達百分之一。另外對於許多政策上的變革，增添農業推廣發展的難度，其中農業推廣人員，也因自認專業知識的不足，無法完善服務農民多變的需求，產生工作上的許多壓力。 基於以上的原因，且在農業推廣的體系中，家政推廣的內容較貼近於一般民眾，所以本研究針對家政推廣人員進行探討，瞭解其資訊需求，以及圖書館要如何提供良好的服務與館藏，吸引並協助家政推廣人員為主要的目的。 問卷調查的對象，以我國農會與漁會的家政推廣人員為主，分作資訊需求、閱讀習慣以及圖書館使用狀況三方面，根據問卷調查結果，發現到家政推廣人員，多基於工作上的需求，透過網際網路獲取所需資訊，所需的資訊內容也多與工作相關；最多家政推廣人員選擇閱讀的地點，是自家與工作的場所，閱讀資料的來源多是農漁會機構所提供，另外在每週閱讀的平均時數以及每年夠書金額，都高於我國國民平均。分析有使用圖書館習慣的家政推廣人員，大部分是平均每週去圖書館一次、一個月平均借書量為1-5本，鄉鎮圖書館是最多人使用的，使用圖書館的主要目是借還圖書，而一般圖書也是最多人使用的館藏，對於圖書館的最滿意的地方是地點設立的便利性，最不滿意的是圖書館的檢索系統。 依據問卷所得結果，提出鄉鎮圖書館改進的項目，以提升家政推廣人員的圖書館使用率，例如：改善開閉館時間、根據家政人員的推廣活動提供適當館藏、加強宣導圖書館服務項目、舉辦兒童教育與醫療保健相關的推廣活動、改善圖書館的檢索系統、與家政推廣人員合辦社區活動。並且建議我國能夠設立農業專門圖書館以及博物館、農業資訊服務中心應彙整網路資源以及農業推廣充電站可導入知識管理的技術，藉以提昇我國農業推廣的發展。 / In recent years, Taiwan government makes efforts to improve public libraries, and hopes to provide better services and environment to the readers for promoting library usage, but a number of library users studies showed that the users with agriculture background did not reach to 1%. Many policy changes make developments of agricultural extensions harder. Even some agricultural extension staffs feel lacking of professional knowledge to serve farmers, and that results in their pressure at agricultural extension work. Based on the above reasons, and the Home Economics’ services are closer to the general public’s life, so this study aimed at Home Economics Extension agents to explore and understand their information needs, and find out how to provide good library services and collections, in order to attract and assist in Home Economics Extension agents. The questionnaires survey aimed at the home economics extension agents in the framers’ association and fishers’ association. It includes three parts: information needs, reading habits and library usage. According to survey findings, the home economics extension agents would like to obtain the required information about working via the internet, most Home Economics workers prefer reading at home or the offices, and the most sources are from the farmers’ associations or fishers’ associations. Home economics extension agents’ average reading hours per week and spending on buying books every year are above the average of Taiwan populace. Analysis of the home economics extension agents with the habit of using libraries demonstrates that most of them go to the library once per week, every month borrow 1 to 5 books from the library, and primarily use the township libraries. They go to the libraries for the circulations as mainly goal, and feel most satisfied with the location of the library, and most dissatisfied with the library's OPAC system. Based on the results of the questionnaire, the township libraries could improve the following to attract and assist in Home Economics Extension agents: regulating the open hour, according to agents’ needs to provide adequate collections, enforcing marketing the services, conducting extension activities about education and health, improving the OPAC system, and organizing community activities with home economics extension agents. The study makes final suggestions to enhance the promotion of Taiwan's agricultural development as follows: establish the agricultural libraries and museums, agriculture science information center shall collect network resources about agriculture, and use knowledge management technology to manage agricultural resources in Council of Agriculture.