Thesis--Columbia University. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 317-323).

Submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2018. / Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common health complaints in the working population and the advancement in technology is a big contributor. Many offices and work spaces have been revolutionised with technological advances, most notably through computer usage, which has become an integral part of life. Intensive use of computers has shown to result in MSDs. The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of MSDs in a library setting at a University of Technology with the objectives of: determining the prevalence of MSDs in the library staff, to describe the workstations of the staff, and to describe any associations between the workstations and MSDs. This was a cross sectional study at two libraries at a University of Technology with a sample of 59 library staff. The study involved a two part process in which an observational assessment of the library staff was conducted by the researcher with each staff member individually, followed by a questionnaire completed by each participant. The observational checklist was used as a means to assess the ergonomic environment of the library staff. The questionnaire included demographic information, pain-related questions, psychosocial questions, and perception-based questions regarding the participants’ work environment. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (version 24), including descriptive and inferential statistics. Statistics included frequencies, measures of central tendency, and variance and measures of association for example chi-square, Cronbach’s alpha and correlation statistics. The study indicated a prevalence of 96% for some kind of MSD. One out of every two participants had reported that the MSDs or pain interferes with their work. Certain risk factors were evident from the study, namely: inappropriate desk height, reaching for items in the work place, noise, inappropriate chairs and inadequate leg room. The most commonly reported MSDs related to neck (55.9%), shoulders/upper arm (55.9%), head (49.2%), and knees/legs (49.2%). The significant associations that were present included head and neck MSDs with noise and upper arm positioning in worker posture and hand pain. Significant rates of MSDs were reported by the participants with half of them reporting that pain caused interference with their work and only a small portion of participants seeking treatment for these conditions. It would be beneficial for the library staff to become more aware of MSDs and their ergonomic environments both at work and privately and to take corrective action to better equip themselves to mitigate MSDs and seek treatment when needed. / M

Web-based training has become a billion dollar industry in the United States. Electronically aided learning is viewed by many companies as a cost-effective way to deliver the up-to-date, up-gradable job-related training that the industry is demanding. This study sought to examine the relationship between learners’ satisfaction with online training as it relates to learner readiness, online features, and course relevance. The population for this study was adults seeking non-credit workforce training, specifically library professionals who were involved in web-based training through the Lifelong Education @ Desktop (LE@D) program at the University of North Texas, Denton. Online methods of training are used most extensively in the area of mandatory or compliance training, in which 35 % of training is conducted mostly or completely online. The total potential library population using LE@D product to date is approximately 4,000 unique enrollments nationwide. Participants were selected from a complete list of unique LE@D users over a 90-day period. A survey instrument was sent via e-mail to 514 enrollees who had completed a recent LE@D online training course. In total, 254 participants responded to the survey. Bivariate analysis of the variables using the Pearson product-moment correlation was used to determine the occurrence and strength of a relationship between each of the three independent variables and the dependent variable in order to test the three research hypotheses. A regression model was used to explain how significantly the three independent variables, that is, online features, learner readiness, and course relevance, would have an impact on learner satisfaction. Results suggest that learner awareness of issues surrounding online features, learner readiness, and course relevance have a statistically significant impact on the overall satisfaction of the Web-based training event. As companies continue to adopt eLearning as a training investment, attention should be given to the end-users experiences. Employee responses to Web-based training are important because employee satisfaction is an indicator that a company’s training investment will result in positive outcomes.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2009. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

M. Tech. Business Administration / This study was conducted at UNISA Library in 2012 in order to assess the perceptions regarding the process mapping exercise that was conducted by UNISA Library as a means of improving performance based on a random sample of 43 employees of UNISA Library. The study also focused on the implementation of continuous improvement at the UNISA Library.

The purpose of this master’s thesis is to find out how free music can be promoted in a meaningful manner towards young people living in an age of streaming and experience-orientation. This is achieved by investigating what music library work consists of, and how music streaming is perceived in relation to this. The investigation consists of qualitative interviews with library personnel working with music at public libraries in Sweden. The results show that there is a democratic reason to keep physical media such as CDs, although they are currently borrowed by a limited audience. This indicates a vacuum in terms of offering music free of charge to the entire population. While licencing commercial streaming services could prove too costly and might be regarded as somewhat superfluous, the interviewees in general seem positive towards libraries offering their own service. A library-specific service would ideally promote local musicians and could according to the author put public libraries on the map in a national as well as international sense. In conclusion suggestions are made to consider the value in keeping physical media by putting them in experience-oriented contexts, for example in involving adolescents in active listening and music discovery; regenerate Demoteket by working with it in a digital context; and focus on reaching adolescents by offering musical instruments and putting music in a context where the adolescents are rather than viewing the music department as exclusively an adult section. There is also reason for putting music in historical, lingual and geographical contexts, something that current streaming services lack. Both the physical space and the web can play important parts in exposing the music collection, which should be used as a means for experiences rather than as a goal in itself.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Technology Degree in Library and Information Studies in the Department of Information and Corporate Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2008. / This study investigated the job functions of university and university of technology graduates and diplomates in the staff structures of special libraries and engineering firms in KwaZulu-Natal. The objective of the study was to draw on possible trends and best practices in the latter for the Library and Information Services (LIS) work environment, as engineering like LIS draws its personnel from both traditional universities and universities of technology (UoT). Hence, the main target population for the study was university and UoT graduates and diplomates in special libraries and engineering firms in KZN. Graduates and diplomates were chosen for inclusion in the study using a census because of the smallness of the staff complements in these organizations. Two sets of self-administered questionnaires were distributed, one to graduates/diplomates and the other to employers in the selected organizations. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings of the study revealed inconsistencies with the National Diploma: Library and Information Studies (ND: LIS) where these diplomates occupy paraprofessional as well as professional positions in special libraries whilst engineering graduates and diplomates tend to occupy job titles according to their highest academic qualifications. In both special libraries as well as in the engineering environment there is much task overlap and downshifting of job functions between paraprofessional and professional university and UoT graduates and diplomates. This study has revealed a valuable best practice from the engineering discipline for the LIS profession, which is that of professional registration. Professional registration of engineering staff with the Engineering Council of South Africa is a statutory requirement in the engineering profession and allows for the growth and development of those in the profession. It is recommended that the LIS profession, and the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) specifically, investigate a mechanism for professional registration of library and information workers.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Technology Degree in Library and Information Studies in the Department of Information and Corporate Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2008. / This study investigated the job functions of university and university of technology graduates and diplomates in the staff structures of special libraries and engineering firms in KwaZulu-Natal. The objective of the study was to draw on possible trends and best practices in the latter for the Library and Information Services (LIS) work environment, as engineering like LIS draws its personnel from both traditional universities and universities of technology (UoT). Hence, the main target population for the study was university and UoT graduates and diplomates in special libraries and engineering firms in KZN. Graduates and diplomates were chosen for inclusion in the study using a census because of the smallness of the staff complements in these organizations. Two sets of self-administered questionnaires were distributed, one to graduates/diplomates and the other to employers in the selected organizations. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings of the study revealed inconsistencies with the National Diploma: Library and Information Studies (ND: LIS) where these diplomates occupy paraprofessional as well as professional positions in special libraries whilst engineering graduates and diplomates tend to occupy job titles according to their highest academic qualifications. In both special libraries as well as in the engineering environment there is much task overlap and downshifting of job functions between paraprofessional and professional university and UoT graduates and diplomates. This study has revealed a valuable best practice from the engineering discipline for the LIS profession, which is that of professional registration. Professional registration of engineering staff with the Engineering Council of South Africa is a statutory requirement in the engineering profession and allows for the growth and development of those in the profession. It is recommended that the LIS profession, and the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) specifically, investigate a mechanism for professional registration of library and information workers.

The aim of this thesis is to examine how library employees view and work with UX or User Experience. It also examines how they view library users, the library and their own professional roles and how these views are connected with the concepts of documentality, legitimacy and identity. The concept of power is also used. The study was carried out thorough a series of ten semi-structured qualitative interviews with employees at Karolinska Institutet University Library and Linköping University Library and is based on a social constructivist perspective. The results show that UX is viewed as a mindset where one tries to look at the library from the users’ perspectives and adapt the library after their needs. This was seen as a new perspective where the library aims to stand in the users’ shoes. Through the use of methods like interviews, observations and usability tests the informants try to understand their users and their needs. However, there was a strong emphasis on balancing the users’ wishes with the aims and conditions of the library which indicate a strong internal legitimacy. It also shows that UX does not indicate a loss of power in the informants’ minds. The study shows that an emphasis on the users’ perspective can also be linked to the core of librarianship further strengthening the internal legitimacy. The results also show that arguments can be made for the importance of both constitutive and performative documentality in academic libraries today. Among the informants there was a strong emphasis on a communicatively oriented professional identity with its focus om dialogue and cooperation with library users. In conclusion, the study shows that UX can be viewed as a way for academic libraries to cope with the many changes the last decades have brought and continue to be relevant in years to come. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

Introduction. The concept of emotional labour can be described as the strategies used to express emotions required of a job, and the strategies used to suppress those emotions that are inappropriate in the workplace. This paper aims to examine the emotional labour of Swedish high school librarians. Method. For this study, six high school librarians were interviewed about emotional situations in the workplace and how they handle their emotions. The interview transcripts were analysed thematically, using QDA Miner Lite software. Analysis and results. Emotional labour theories and role theory were used to understand the librarians' emotional labour. The findings show that emotional labour occurs in interactions with students, teachers/colleagues and managers. Situations that require emotional labour include students that make a racket in the library, students in need of support in personal matters and challenges of instructional work. However, the most prominent theme concerns teachers/colleagues and managers who do not have accurate knowledge of the librarians' competencies. The librararians use deep and surface acting strategies to handle their emotions, as well as situation modification, situation selection and venting. These strategies are used both during interaction and before/after (outside of) situations. Conclusion. Interactions with students are not the primary cause of the librarians' emotional labour. Rather, the main reason for emotional labour is managers' and colleagues' limited knowledge of school library work and the competencies of school librarians. One effect of this limited knowledge is that the librarians do not always get the opportunity to practice their competence. Another effect is the risk that the students do not get equal access to the librarys' and the librarians' services – in turn, the risk of this inequality affects the librarians' emotional health negatively. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.