Evaluating a monolingual multinational digital library by using usability: An exploratory approach from a developing country

We present here the research work on data mining technologies for complicated attributes relationship in digital library collections. Firstly our work and ideology is introduced as the research ba ckground of this paper. Digital library evaluation is an important topic in information systems domain. We creatively import data mining technologies into it to get an intelligent decision support. But traditional data prediction algorithm didn't work well. This is the problem which would be solved in this paper. Secondly related preliminary research is introduced. We researched on attributes of digital library collections, proposed a parallel discretization algorithm based on z-score theory, and by the discretization algorithm disc overed a complicated condition attribute relation among attributes, it is the reason why traditional data prediction algorithm didn't wor k well. At last a stratified decision tree algorithm for value prediction about digital collection is put forward as the ultimate solution to solve the problem. Stratified attribute concept is imported in this algorithm. It can expand the selection of splitting attribute in decis ion tree from flat information to stereoscopic information, eliminate the influence of complicated condition attribute relationsh ip, nested use existing decision tree algorithms, and solve the bottleneck of data mining application in digital library evaluation.

Users’ evaluation of digital libraries (DLs): Their uses, their criteria, and their assessment

This paper presents a preliminary discussion on some of the results from a survey aimed to explore, describe and explain some of the usability characteristics in digital library evaluation in the Libyan context. The study is framed in the evaluation of a bilingual digital library: The National Oil Corporation (NOC) – Digital Library in Libya. It is worth mentioning in this context that this study is the first of its kind to address evaluation issues in the context of Arabic language and it is limited to evaluate the effectiveness of the design of the prototype digital library which was designed using Greenstone digital library software. This paper discusses the evaluation of the prototype and reviews the analysis of the questionnaire, which was used for gathering data pertaining to the digital library that was built. The paper intends to discuss the methodology used for evaluating the prototype digital library, the framework, and the steps implemented to reach the final goal. Users’ opinions and views on the digital library are also presented in this paper. Evaluating the prototype digital library is considered an important stage towards developing a full-scale NOC digital library

Summary As electronic reference services become routine in many libraries, it is time to systematically examine how they are being implemented and used. Unfortunately, few libraries have rigorously examined their electronic reference services. We still know very little about who uses electronic reference services or why. We also do not know how satisfied our users are with the new services we are providing. This article provides an overview of the chief methodologies available for conducting assessments of electronic services (e.g., surveys, usability studies, observation, etc.). Existing criteria for evaluating reference services are discussed with suggestions for how they can be applied or adapted to the online service environment.

Information Resource, Interface, and Tasks as User Interaction Components for Digital Library Evaluation

The purpose of this study was to examine the models and methods for evaluating digital libraries. Springer, Science Direct, ProQuest, Emerald, Wiley, LISTA, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, Magiran (Persian), Irandoc (Persian), SID (Persian) and Noormags (Persian) databases were searched systematically based on the defined criteria. Selection criteria included full-text articles and dissertations published in English and Persian languages in 2004-2017. The final included articles (n=64) were reviewed, selected and analysed by group discussions. The results of analysing 64 included articles for this systematised review specified that the evaluation of digital libraries is mostly focused on the service quality aspect, and DigiQual was the most frequently used model. Few studies have evaluated digital libraries in the health sector. The researcher developed questionnaire is the most frequently used method to evaluate digital libraries. Because there are fewer studies of digital libraries evaluation in the health sector, the specific features of health digital libraries should be addressed by librarians and health digital library designers to develop specific models.

The idea of ​​the project is to create a website (www.refdelivery.com) that aims to provide a reference service in six university libraries: (6 October University Library for Modern Sciences and Arts MSA - Khartoum Applied College Library - Omar Al-Mukhtar University Library in Al-Bayda City - Palestine University Library Technical attendance - Benghazi University Library - Faculty of Computers and Information Library, Fayoum University) in order to respond to reference inquiries for library users, including students, faculty members, and graduate students. In addition, the service in its early stages is provided free of charge until the site is developed and updated, and it reaches an advanced stage that provides everything required, based on studying the needs of the beneficiaries and interconnecting with other office sites, and companies that facilitate access to various electronic databases that allow access to them, and benefit from various sources, In addition to implementing various advanced workshops. The project monitored identifying the number of beneficiaries who logged in to the site and their categories, the volume of reference inquiries answered, identifying the most frequently asked topics, identifying the most requested categories of reference questions, the number of times electronic materials were downloaded, and the extent to which beneficiaries used the service and evaluated it. Among the most prominent results: The project recommended several recommendations, including: Urging those in charge of libraries to provide reference services that focus on providing information, answering reference questions that search for specific facts, in addition to providing guidance services, and calling on other university libraries to strengthen the partnership between them and create a unified platform. To provide a unified digital reference service, which will be a destination for researchers and scholars in all fields of human knowledge, and to create comprehensive awareness to introduce all categories of beneficiaries to the services provided by the library, most notably the reference service, while clarifying its major role in serving beneficiaries and scientific research. Within a period of less than a month since the site was made available on the Internet, approximately 39 beneficiaries were responded to, as a test broadcast of the site, and a response to reference inquiries, whether by providing the required sources or directing them to the platforms that most help them in obtaining them.

The main objectives of the study were to identify key features of the digital library management system (DLMS) for developing and managing digital libraries, to reveal the satisfaction level of the library professionals in using digital library management system, and the problems being encountered in using these systems. The current study was quantitative in nature as quantitative measures were applied through a survey research strategy. Keeping in view the nature of the study, a purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from the target librarians who had been involved in operating digital library systems for building digital libraries in their respective libraries. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that in most of the university libraries in Pakistan, free and open source software (FOSS) had been implemented. DSpace was the most widely used software by library professionals in Pakistan. Key features of the digital library software included a user-friendly interface, customization, reliability and security, use of metadata standards (Dublin Core), web-based, advanced searching, consultancy and technical support, sharing e-books to devices (mobile, tabs), full-text searching, use of Boolean operators, and access control. The study recommended that library professionals of universities should be careful in planning library digitization and they should consider the above features before implementing any digital library software in their libraries.

University libraries have a unique place in teaching and research activities. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the fulfillment of educational needs and maximum support to users through university libraries has been hindered, as most activities were paralyzed. As a result, e-services such as Digital Repositories, Past Paper Repository, Subject Liaison, Library Services (SLLS), Chat Services, Audio Book Collection, Braille Collection, Mobile App, Webinar Series have been established as challenges to the COVID-19 epidemic. The case study research method was used for this research, and for data collection, users of the University of Kelaniya were taken as the entire population, and data was collected from all the students. Online questionnaire-interview methods were used for data collection. In focusing on the use of electronic library services by Kelaniya University students, it was possible to identify the lack of awareness of the use of electronic services and those services as a major problem. Also, the inability to use the mobile app for some phones, the non-functionality of some programs, the nonimplementation of reader education programs on new electronic programs started with the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, and the non-availability of books in electronic form as required by each subject, as well as other problems, were possible. The library already has a mobile app. Taking the department as a whole to carry out awareness programs about electronic services in the library through librarians, implementing information delivery services for students who do not have internet facilities, and starting courses for readers that include the English and computer knowledge required to use library electronic services have been suggested. keywords: Library, University Library, Covid-19, Library Services, Electronic Library Services

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate open source software (OSS) for digital libraries and collection management and to propose different utilization scenarios based on the characteristics of the tools. Design/methodology/approach – The tools are assessed on the basis of their technical features and options, the type of the content they manage, the support for common library operations such as cataloging and circulation, the searching support and the interoperability options. Then they are evaluated by users and finally a number of usage scenarios are analyzed based on the results of the evaluation. Findings – The basic findings of the study is that open source digital library and collection management tools offer advanced operations and support various metadata and interoperability protocols with easy and user-friendly interfaces. Most of the tools are extensively used under various settings and establishments already. Language support for the interfaces should be extended with more languages and some tools with limited operations should be improved to be of practical use. Practical implications – The findings of the paper could be used support the selection of specific open source tools for various types of establishments. Originality/value – The study reviews the characteristics of a few OSS for digital libraries and collection management and reveals their specific strengths and weaknesses. It also presents a number of realistic scenarios and proposes the usage of specific tools based on time, technology and staff constraints.

A digital library is an extensible knowledge network system under internet environments; it is also a community service organization which can provide information and knowledge services. There are many professional libraries in country, which provide characteristic contents in professional field for customers. In order to provide integrated information or multiform contents to customers, these professional libraries should be united to establish digital library alliances. EA is one of the most popular architecture methodologies for information and service sharing. In this paper, a cooperative framework of sharing chain for digital library is proposed. Based on the analysis of the building concept of the construction of the Digital library Cultural Information Service Union, This chapter putted forward Digital library Cultural Information Service Union's system framework which based on enterprise architecture, and have choose the architecture tool - PowerDesigner15 which supports the shape, integrated enterprise modeling environment to specific design information architecture, application architecture and technical architecture's sub-architecture model of the digital library union. And it makes the various sub-framework organically combined, to achieve the harmonious and unified between the business processes and technical facilities of the union. In our future work, we will study the key technologies of EA and construct the cooperative platform of service chain for digital library.

Information seekers are generally on their own to discover and use a research library's growing array of digital collections, and coordination of these collections' development and maintenance is often not optimal. The frequent lack of a conscious design for how collections fit together is of equal concern because it means that research libraries are not making the most of the substantial investments they are making in digital initiatives. This paper proposes a framework for a research library's digital collections that offers integrated discovery and a set of best practices to underpin collection building, federated access, and sustainability. The framework's purpose is to give information seekers a powerful and easy way to search across existing and future collections and to retrieve integrated sets of results. The paper and its recommendations are based upon research undertaken by the author and a team of librarians and technologists at Cornell University Library. The team conducted structured interviews of forty-five library staff members involved in digital collection building at Cornell, studied an inventory of the library's more than fifty digital collections, and evaluated seven existing Open Archives Initiative (OAI) and federated search production or prototype systems. The author will discuss her team's research and the rationale for their recommendations to: present a cohesive view of the library's digital collections for both browsing and searching at the object level; take a programmatic (rather than project-based) approach to digital collection building; require that all new digital collections conform to library-developed and agreed-upon OAI best practices for data providers; and implement organizational structures to sustain the library's digital collections over the long term.

Information seekers are generally on their own to discover and use a research library's growing array of digital collections, and coordination of these collections' development and maintenance is often not optimal. The frequent lack of a conscious design for how collections fit together is of equal concern because it means that research libraries are not making the most of the substantial investments they are making in digital initiatives. This paper proposes a framework for a research library's digital collections that offers integrated discovery and a set of best practices to underpin collection building, federated access, and sustainability. The framework's purpose is to give information seekers a powerful and easy way to search across existing and future collections and to retrieve integrated sets of results. The paper and its recommendations are based upon research undertaken by the author and a team of librarians and technologists at Cornell University Library. The team conducted structured interviews of forty-five library staff members involved in digital collection building at Cornell, studied an inventory of the library's more than fifty digital collections, and evaluated seven existing Open Archives Initiative (OAI) and federated search production or prototype systems. The author will discuss her team's research and the rationale for their recommendations to: present a cohesive view of the library's digital collections for both browsing and searching at the object level; take a programmatic (rather than project-based) approach to digital collection building; require that all new digital collections conform to library-developed and agreed-upon OAI best practices for data providers; and implement organizational structures to sustain the library's digital collections over the long term.

The aim of the research is to highlight the concept of the technology acceptance system and its application in measuring the quality of the performance of Arab and international libraries through a set of models, experiences, and trends of electronic libraries in Sudan towards its use as a basic means in the process of measuring the quality of the performance of electronic libraries and meeting the needs of beneficiaries according to the technology acceptance model, with the proposal of an advanced model of the technology acceptance model, as well as to measure the quality of the services of electronic libraries in Sudan and test the effectiveness of the technology acceptance model as a theoretical basis for applying quality in the provision of their services to beneficiaries. The researcher relied on the descriptive analytical curriculum to identify the opinions of (25) faculty members and (50) students from the Open University of Sudan in the quality of electronic library services. One of the most important findings of the research is the quality of electronic library services based on behavior and technical standards and the ease of use of information systems in libraries and information centers. In addition, the electronic services are effective in improving the educational process. according to these results, it is recommended that there is a need to pay attention to improving and developing the electronic library services in Sudan, and work on applying the technology acceptance model in investigating the effectiveness of the application of the technology in libraries and information centers to provide the services that characterised by modernity and keep pace with the digital age.

Purpose: The uniqueness and functionalities of library services in acquiring, organizing, preserving and publicly make available and accessible information resources either in an electronic or printed formats have called for re-evaluation of all institutions that work with information, data and knowledge. Digital innovation trends has automatically paved the way for knowledge sharing among Libraries, specifically, within the information professionals and institutions. This paper explores and assesses comprehensively the various facets that are involved in knowledge sharing and digital innovation that would put vast development to the practicing of librarianship globally. Methodology: The exploratory approach was adopted by the study. The exploratory literature review approach is a research method that involves systematically reviewing existing literature to gain preliminary insights into an emerging or under-researched topic. It is commonly used to identify knowledge gaps, generate new research questions, and establish a foundation for further study. The major elements of knowledge sharing and digitization of library practices enabled by socialization, externalization, internalization and combination (SECI) model, are explored in detail. Implication: Library and information professionals need to brace up to meet the future challenges and take the lead in every competitive environment of information as communication technology evolves. Value/Originality: The challenges of the emerging digitization and knowledge sharing innovation that develops the practice of librarianship has to be regularly updated to engage the rapid growth of knowledge accumulation. The paper also elaborates on how digital innovation and knowledge sharing among libraries have improved library services in the era of information digital economy. Keywords: Digital Libraries, Innovation, Information, Knowledge Sharing and Librarianship Paper type: Conceptual / Exploratory