Information Technology Skills and Competencies for Academic Library Staff

This research highlights the status of the information technology (IT) skills and competencies being taught at LIS schools in the United States. Results list specific IT topics that the library schools are teaching and the ones that are missing from the curriculum. Based on a literature review these skills are then juxtaposed with the expectations of the employers as well as the graduates of these programs. This research was conducted in multiple steps, starting from extensive literature review, secondary data collection regarding courses from top LIS schools’ websites, identifying and creating an IT competency list, content analysis on the course names and descriptions in relation to IT competencies and recommendations for further improvement. In conclusion, some potential courses consisting of the lacking IT skills are proposed as a recommendation.

Core Technology Competencies for Librarians and Library Staff: A LITA Guide

This wide-ranging essay touches on some aspects of health library and information service practice that today's librarians will recognize and some that will provide a jarring note, considering changes in practice since 1985. Despite the US setting of Garfield's perspective, many in the UK can relate to the topic of library services under threat. It may not be the direct threat as described in the article, with the removal of a legal obligation to provide library and information services (LIS); in the UK the familiar Health Services Guideline HSG (97)471 still requires that NHS staff have access to effective library services. However, LIS in this country are susceptible to the same financial pressures that affect all health-care organizations. Garfield begins with the 'key question' of whether hospital libraries are necessary for health-care professionals to keep up with current medical trends. He suggests that the exponential growth of information, of itself, does not justify hospital libraries. It is the 'need for more specific information that makes libraries, indexes and especially librarians more relevant' (p. 160). This rings true in 2008 where access to information is no longer the specialist province of library professionals. Routes to the knowledge base are made easier with summary resources such as systematic reviews and guidelines. The National Library for Health (NLH)2 is just one provider of customized and personalized portals to information. Garfield describes a range of service delivery methods to meet the need for specific, patient-related research information, including models such as Clinical Medical Librarianship (CML) and similar outreach services, well established in the US in 1985 and gaining acceptance in the UK in more recent years. His essay illustrates how such outreach services are adapted to best fit clinical requirements. Variation in practice occurs based on the urgency of the information need or the profession of the information-seeker. This reflects the multidisciplinary approach and the widening user base in UK outreach services. Garfield's description of CML services extending their practice to meet the information needs of patients and families illustrates 'recognition by the medical community of the consumer's growing participation in health care and the individual's right to make informed decisions about care and treatment' (p. 165). In an information literate society, providing information on treatments to patients often feels like a new phenomenon but clearly it is not. Divergence from the US prototype to match UK needs is explored by Garfield, referring to early NHS projects. More recently a UK 2005 survey3 of such services identified 25 such practitioners, probably an underestimate of the current position in 2008. The recent Review of NHS Library Services4 links the Clinical Librarian role to that of 'Team Knowledge Officer' which it recommends to ensure that the research evidence base is embedded in everyday practice; an opportunity for libraries to be central to the 'flow of information from the research front' (p. 160). An interesting commentary on our role as librarians is that we provide a balanced perspective on medical issues. As clinical librarians we are aware of differences in clinical opinion and can act as 'honest brokers' of information to guide final decisions. Inevitably, it is in the area of information technology (IT) where Garfield's essay seems the most dated. The use of personal collections of references as an 'auxiliary memory' feels like an anachronism. A personal file might contain research that has been superseded and online access provided for NHS staff should make such a resource redundant. Garfield expected a slowly increasing use of computers for organizing information. He refers to librarian 'fears of automation', reassuring the profession that physicians training in literature searching are better clients for literature search services. We would agree and our experience is that training end-users and also offering literature search services can work successfully in tandem. We now know that the use of personal computers (PCs) and other technologies has dramatically expanded. Further, librarians have taken a lead in using IT and exploring, for example, mobile technologies such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)5 to take research evidence to where it is needed. What Garfield does not identify is the expansion of computers to include multimedia and the influence of e-learning on continuing education. Librarians are combining their knowledge of IT systems and software with their educational role in developing online learning (e-learning) for teaching and learning.6 Online social networking, blogs and RSS feeds make current awareness alerts (referred to as 'SDIs' in the article) not only easier for the end-user to set-up but, with tightly focused content output, they can fulfil the need for specific information identified in 1985. Garfield does however, foresee the advent of native language searching, the interaction between clinical and information specialists, and the capturing of organizational data (i.e. knowledge management). He also describes the creation of 'expert systems' predicting decision support systems such as Map of Medicine.7 Garfield makes no reference to the term 'evidence-based', which was not used in a published article until 1992.8 But he was clearly aware of the concept and the thrust of his essay is about the importance of getting research evidence to the frontline and proving the value of LIS in bridging the research–practice gap. He identified the need in 1985 for LIS to provide regular quantitative evaluations of their services and supplies us with useful references that could support current funding bids. He specifically describes the need for evidence of effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and cost–benefit. This is a target that is equally relevant9 (and equally difficult to achieve) today. Evidence-Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP) encourages librarians to extend evaluation, using methodologies which provide stronger evidence. Such evaluations have proved a formidable task considering the role of confounding factors in influencing outcomes10 and the problems with recruitment to LIS studies.11,12 Recent reviews repeat Garfield's messages and encourage us to include the direct effect for patients among the outcome measures13 while re-emphasizing the need for value and impact studies.14 We hope that the NHS Libraries Review recommendation that 'Library' should figure within the naming of NHS LIS will mark the end of what Garfield calls the 'semantic problem of calling an information-switching centre a library' (p. 160). This is still a problem today with librarians aware that funding decisions may be made based upon outdated models of LIS. Marketing our services and justifying LIS has risen up our agenda. Comparing research questions suggested by librarians in 2001 and in 2006,15 the domain of marketing/promotion ranked higher in 2006 (18.5%, equal second with education) than in 2001 (1%) when it ranked lowest. The messages in Garfield's essay still resonate strongly today. We have made some progress but most of the issues remain. LW, SS, PD and LH have declared no conflicts.

Information technology (IT) systems are becoming increasingly indispensable for organisations in their daily operations. Organisations therefore invest considerable capital in IT assets to support the IT needs of employees and other stakeholders. As the contemporary global business environment becomes increasingly reliant on IT, the need for IT to be governed effectively and efficiently grows. Boards play a critical role in the governance of organisations, yet despite the continued call for improved IT governance, there has been little research into how boards actually govern IT. Current research indicates boards appear to struggle to understand the state of IT within their companies and/or they lack appropriate IT skills in discussing IT issues. This study therefore assesses IT competences of boards using a model developed from a review of IT competence frameworks in three domains, namely IT organisations/associations, professional accounting associations and academic research. The model is then tested, using Malaysia as a case study to evaluate the level of Board IT competence. Malaysia was chosen in light of the attention drawn to corporate governance in the 9th Malaysia Plan report. A survey instrument extracted from the competences model lists 33 current critical IT issues facing boards. It then asked chief information officers (CIOs) of companies, to evaluate the importance of each issue and the level of competence their board has to deal with them. The results appear to show that there is a difference in the ranking of importance of issues and the level of IT competence boards currently hold based on what CIOs consider appropriate within a company. The findings will contribute to the research base on board IT competences from a Malaysian perspective thus highlighting areas for further improvement. If successful, the model can then be used to evaluate the state of IT governance in other international domains

This study investigated how employees’ information technology (IT) competency is associated with employee agility via perceived task structure. Most scholar’s emphasis is on the impact of IT competency on individual work performance; however, it seems as if no attention has been given to explore the relationship between IT competency on employee’s agility through perceived task structure. This research offers and tests a new comprehensive model that links the individual’s IT competency with perceived task structure and employee agility. Data were gathered from 167 representatives who used various IT applications for daily work routines in the organization. Findings showed that IT competency is positively related to task interdependence and autonomy. Task autonomy also has significant effect on employee agility; however, task interdependence has shown insignificant effect on employee agility. Furthermore, work expertise positively moderates the relationship between IT competency and perceived task structure. Theoretical and managerial implications of study are also discussed in the last section.

The teacher is the determinant in the success of the learning process; it requires teachers who have professional Information Technology (IT) competence. In reality, many teachers have low IT competence. This study aims to determine IT competence for Early Childhood Education teachers in Bekasi, West Java. This research used the Survey Method. The techniques used in data collection are questionnaires and interviews—questionnaire in the form of ten questions that must be filled by respondents. The respondents in this study were 50 Early Childhood Education teachers taken by random sampling. The results of this study show the IT Competence of Early Childhood Education Teachers in Bekasi City is still low, and the need for the policies of certain parties to require Early Childhood Education teachers must have IT competence. Policies that require Early Childhood Education teachers to have comprehensive IT competencies need to be supported by regular monitoring and evaluation to ensure the effectiveness of the IT devices as media in the latest integrated technology learning. The teachers did competence due to the application of IT equipment in Early Childhood Education. They can be in line and contribute positively to the development of children's cognition, psychomotor, and practical. Moreover, Early Childhood Education is the initial phase of a child's formal education.

The main responsibility of Information Technology (IT) in business is to acquire, implement and maintain technology investments, which belonged within the Information Systems. In order to achieve successful IT planning and implementation, shared knowledge becomes an important enabler of the alignment of business and IT objectives. This research evaluates how cross-functional competence in business and IT people provides the basis for effective partnership to develop. The objective is to conceptually define and empirically measure the variables of IT competence in business managers and of business competence in IT professionals, and test the measurements for validity and reliability. A Simple Percentage Method, chi-square tests, Tables and weighted average were used to get clear picture of analysis with results showing how both IT knowledge and IT experience are instrumental in defining IT competence of business people. The results of these showed that IT service delivery dimensions, IT system dimensions (quality, delivery, trustworthy and management) and IT core characteristics have statistical significant influence on effective IT competences among IT business people and IT cognitive dimensions which included knowledge, skills and experience.

This paper identified the training strategies for distance education academic libraries that could improve remote clients’ access to information resources during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The positivism research paradigm anchored this study and employed a quantitative approach. Eighty-two (82) online questionnaire was sent to the library staff working in academic libraries that operate in a distance education environment in Gauteng Province of South Africa. The collected data were analyzed with frequency counts and percentages. The hypothesis was tested using multinomial logistic regression statistics. The findings revealed that academic libraries provided training through the library staff to ensure that remote clients cope with the technological advancement facilitated by the emergence of COVID-19. This study recommended that the library staff should consider training intervention in the areas that seem to be neglected, such as identifying information resources relevant to their information needs, introduction to library products and services, and introduction to reference techniques to facilitate the usage and access to information resources by the remote clients.

<p>Electronic resources (ERs) in academic libraries have become a global phenomenon, and as libraries rely more on these resources managing them effectively becomes crucial. Electronic resource management (ERM) has consequently become a core function which many academic libraries around the globe appear to find challenging to implement effectively. Challenges of managing ERs are particularly pronounced in developing countries such as Ghana where the introduction of ICTs has typically been characterised by inadequate resources. Although there is an extensive literature on both the management and use of ERs, little research has studied how the two aspects could affect each other. Ineffective management of ERs could negatively affect their use; likewise, low usage of ERs could negatively impact on the management of these resources. Studying the concepts of management and usage of ERs together would result in better recommendations to inform practice and eliminate the challenges. In addition, the literature on the management of ERs is predominantly centred around libraries in the developed country context. Moreover, academic libraries in Ghana do not appear to be effective in managing ERs. There is a lack of understanding on how academic libraries in Ghana are managing ERs, and the ways in which this is affecting their usage and vice-versa. The study therefore fills the gaps by exploring the connection between the management and usage of ERs in academic libraries in a developing country context. Placed within a post-positivist worldview, this mixed-methods research employed a multiple case study approach, involving two public and two private universities in Ghana. Stakeholders included in the study were library staff, faculty, students, and consortium executives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with library staff and members of the governing council of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH) concurrently with surveys of faculty and postgraduate students of the institutions investigated. These were supported by document analysis. To guide data collection and analysis, the Techniques for Electronic Resource Management (TERMS) framework (Emery & Stone, 2013), and an initial conceptual model of factors developed using constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis 2003) and the literature underpinned the study. The interview findings revealed inadequate planning for ERs in the case institutions owing to operational challenges including inadequate policies for ERs, inadequate funding, and understaffing. Although efforts were being made to follow standard procedures some components of ER workflow were absent in both public and private case libraries, whereas other aspects of the workflow were responsibilities of parties external to the libraries. The document analysis showed that, the total average completeness of collection development policies of case libraries was 25% which indicated the lack of vital elements in these policies. The survey findings showed a generally low awareness and usage of ERs by faculty and students due to inadequate promotional efforts by the case libraries, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of relevant content. Consequently, respondents had a negative perception on the usefulness of the ERs which may have caused the observed low usage. The study also found three main factors as affecting the management and usage of ERs in academic libraries in Ghana which were governmental, organisational and individual factors. Governmental factors such as regulations on staffing, inadequate funding, and nationwide rationing of electricity supply were hindrances. At the organisational level, an enabler was collaboration with stakeholders, whereas obstacles included inadequate policies, staffing challenges, resource-related factors, lack of investment for sustainability, centralised management structure, low institutional commitment, poor communication, and low usage of ERs. Enabling individual factors consisted of religious beliefs, social influence, oral information, and interest in IT. Hindering individual factors comprised negative effects of oral information, resistance to change, fear of speaking against authority, reluctance to submit contents to institutional repository, negative perception on the ERs and lack of time. The findings also established various ways in which the management and usage of ERs affected each other. Low user input in the selection of ERs, access related challenges, inadequate publicity, training, and evaluation of ERs negatively affected the usage of ERs. However, case libraries that occasionally allowed users to schedule training sessions observed increased attendance to training with a corresponding increase in ER usage, which provided a basis for institutional budgetary support. On the other hand, failure of users to attend training programmes after signing up, low referral of students to the ERs by faculty and low usage of ERs of the library negatively affected ERM particularly in the areas of budgeting for ER subscription and sustainability. However, faculty and students facilitated the management of ERs of the library in terms of creating awareness of the ERs among their colleagues and peers, and also accessing the resources using mobile devices to supplement the library’s inadequate computers. The TERMS framework and initial conceptual model of factors were revised based on the findings. The study adds to the Library and Information Science research relevant to the understanding of the management and usage of ERs, factors affecting both concepts and how these two concepts are related. In addition, the study contributes to practice by recommending strategies for effective ERM to encourage increased usage of ERs. It is also hoped that academic libraries in other developing countries can draw lessons from the findings. The study also provides advanced countries with a deeper insight to guide them in providing support to developing countries. The findings also have implications for policy and decision makers in terms of prioritisation and allocation of resources for effective ERM and usage in academic libraries as contemporary issues are revealed. Keywords: Academic institutions, Academic libraries, Electronic resources, Electronic resources in Africa, Electronic resource management, Electronic resource usage</p>

Having agreed to talk about the challenges involved in providing the Court Service with a library and information service, I started to think about this year's conference theme – knowledge without frontiers – and how it applies to that service. The more I reflected on this role, the clearer it became to me that the service's challenges are also its opportunities. By sharing with you some of the challenges that face Library and Information Services (LIS) staff based in Regional libraries and offices throughout England and Wales, I hope to highlight the opportunities that are also afforded.

The deployment of Information Technology (IT) in modern academic libraries has fundamentally transformed their functions and services, enabling education and attracting users. This paper evaluates the multifaceted impact of IT on academic libraries, pointing out the dynamic transformation from traditional whirling book warehouses to more engaging active evocations to collaborative as well as digital types of learning. Modern library services evolution based on technology, including digital resources, automated systems to recover and disseminate information, and online platforms democratizing information access, are discussed. The study also considers some challenges faced by libraries along with staff's needs for new skill acquisition to match up with emerging technologies, hence a culture of lifelong learning. By suggesting some best practices and future trends, this paper emphasizes the progressive role of IT in molding the academic library and, therefore, it’s potential to contribute to educational objectives in the dynamically transforming digital age.

The aim of the study was to investigate customer care services and strategies in academic libraries in tertiary institutions in KwaZulu-Natal. The study used both quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect data from academic staff, students and library staff. The population targeted was sampled using a stratified random sampling technique. Three hundred and eighty six (386) questionnaires were distributed to academic staff and students (library users/customers), and interviews were conducted with fifteen (15) library management, unit and/or committee responsible for customer care. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) was used to analyze quantitative data collected from the library users/ customers, and Microsoft Excel was used to analyze data collected from the library staff of the five academic libraries studied. The libraries revealed by the users to have customer care policies in place were Mangosuthu Technikon and the Durban Institute of Technology. In contrast the University of Durban Westville has no customer care policies while at the University of Zululand, there is no difference between those aware and unaware. Interviews with the library staff of the five academic libraries revealed that only two (Mangosuthu Technikon and the University of Natal) have a unit/person responsible for customer care. Furthermore, the results revealed that academic libraries do not have proper methods and strategies for conducting customer care. The findings revealed that library users/customers are generally satisfied with knowledge resources offered to them by their libraries. Subsequently, the study recommends that academic libraries incorporate a unit/person or committee responsible for customer care. Library staff should also be given regular training regarding customer care.

The systematic review analyzed 27 works of literature related to the skills and competencies needed by academic librarians to use information technology (IT) tools effectively in the digital age. The review is carried out following the recommended Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Relevant literature was extracted from eight major academic databases, including EBSCOhost, Emerald Insight, Scopus, Sage Journal, Web of Science, Taylor and Francis, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The retrieved articles were exported to RefWorks to identify duplicates and screen articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Only articles that are empirical in nature, published in a peer-reviewed journal, written in English, published between 2020 and 2024 with affiliation from five countries (Nigeria, South Africa, Pakistan, India and the USA) and addressing either one or all the objectives of this study were used. The study determined various IT tools used in academic libraries to improve service delivery in terms of efficiency, accessibility, and quality. This trend requires librarians to develop advanced digital skills and competencies to cope with the digital world. The study also identified challenges encountered by academic libraries regarding the implemented IT tools. The recommendations based on the findings were outlined.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore stress among reference library staff in academic and public libraries in one of the European countries. The study has been conducted to ascertain whether members of the reference staff undergo stress, whether they consider the reference work stressful, how often they are exposed to stress, which situations are most stressful and how they cope with stress in the workplace and in their private lives.Design/methodology/approachA semi-structured interview is applied as a data collection technique so that interviewees are able to express their opinions on stress and to describe stress as an individual experience. A convenience sample of members of the reference library staff in ten academic and ten public libraries is prepared.FindingsThe reference library staff in the academic and public libraries is aware of stress causing damage to one’s health and work performance. The reference staff in the public libraries is more frequently exposed to stress than those in the academic libraries. The users are considered the main stressor owing to their complex reference questions, vague information needs and requests, wanting information and materials immediately, not following the library rules, etc.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample is small and not representative, including only two types of libraries. The research may serve as a preliminary study, as it offers insights into the work-related stress among the reference staff in the academic and public libraries.Originality/valueThis is the first research on the stress of the reference library staff in the academic and public libraries in the country. It contributes to the understanding of the work-related stress in the libraries. Identifying stressful situations can help the reference staff and employers take appropriate strategies to cope with stress.

ABSTRACTThe pervasiveness of information technology (IT) in businesses has altered the nature and economies of accounting activities. In particular, the emergence of cloud computing, eXtensible Business Reporting Language, and business analytics in recent years have transformed the way companies report financial performance and make business decisions. As a consequence, there is a surge in demand for advanced IT skills among accounting professionals. In this research, we aim to review selected articles published between 2004 and 2014 based on selected search phrases. The outcome of the review may serve as an important input for current and future accounting curriculum revisions.