IT POINT: A public library IT demonstrator project

The basic objective of the research consisted in the conceptualization of research and innovation centers as well as the elucidation of their significance as a factor for increasing the quality of the higher education offer. In order to achieve the mentioned objective, the following research methods were used: the synthesis of the conceptual approaches of the research and innovation centers, the opinion poll method, the generalization of good operating practices of research and innovation centers in different universities. Based on the educational, economic and social impact that can be exerted by research and innovation centers, their significance for increasing the effectiveness of professional education was argued.

Public libraries are indispensable institutions that contribute towards the socio-economic development of every citizen in every country by providing access to information. In South Africa, the provision of access to information through public libraries was marred by the inequalities of the apartheid laws. In order to address past injustices regarding access to information, the government of today, through the Department of Arts and Culture, is committed to allocating an annual library conditional grant to all the nine provinces to build and develop new and already existing public libraries, respectively. This study investigated the information needs of people who use these newly built and developed public libraries and information centres in Limpopo Province. The questionnaire was distributed to the library users of selected public libraries in Limpopo Province to collect information about their basic information needs and expectations. The results showed that the majority of public libraries and information services users in Limpopo Province are the youth and young adults, who specifically use these libraries and information services for study space and accessing the internet. The kind of information required by these youth, young adults and adults revolves around health matters, education programmes, career guidance and crime prevention. It is therefore recommended that library users be made aware of other services offered by public libraries and that user needs analysis studies be conducted from time to time in order for public libraries to meet the ever-changing needs of library users.

Libraries are clearly in a state of transition, and library space is also being shaped by new librarian roles. As illustrated in this year's building project column, space is rapidly being redefined in new and exciting ways. In some cases, library space is being transformed into community spaces such as cafes, galleries, and exhibit areas; health sciences libraries are quickly catching up to public and academic libraries that have pioneered these types of facilities and services. In others, library space is being used to solidify partnerships between library staff and other academic personnel collectively working on projects, grants, or other strategic alliances. In these cases, space is leveraged to the library's advantage by inviting in partners who share similar goals and objectives. Sharing space allows experts from different backgrounds and disciplines to share their knowledge and develop collaborative projects. Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) units and innovation centers are prime examples of these expert partnerships. Locating library staff adjacent to these experts has enabled them to share their knowledge and contribute to the shared projects as well. And finally, libraries can be spaces for discovery and creation of new knowledge in a much broader sense. They can be part of the larger learning or teaching center, providing study areas, test centers, laboratories, simulation centers, group collaboration facilities, and research evidence. Academic health sciences librarians and libraries need to remain agile as well as responsive to the needs of their organizations; for only then will they remain relevant. Four academic health sciences libraries exemplify the transformations that are underway. The University of Colorado is a fine example of a library that has created community space. They opened their library to the general community by establishing an art gallery for exhibits of works by local and visiting artists. The University of Utah invited their CTSA personnel into the library space to better support their researchers. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has an exciting new innovation center that encourages conversations about difficult or thorny topics. Their Edge of Chaos provides a place where all types of university personnel can collaborate to reach creative solutions to issues. All three descriptions of the resulting space supporting new roles for librarians can serve as models for how housing nonlibrary projects in library space can meet with success. Finally, the University of Arizona has strategically placed its new Phoenix library in a health sciences education building, next to an educational teaching lab, clinical education suites, and a simulation center. Their success in fully integrating their new library into a health education building provides a model of how a primarily electronic library collection complemented with librarian expertise can support the information needs of a new campus. Connecting community to campus through gallery space Submitted by Melissa De Santis, MLIS, AHIP, and Gerald J. Perry, MLS, AHIP; Health Sciences Library, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO

The government plans to establish a National Innovation Centre (NIC) and a network of Centers of Innovation Excellence while Malaysia march to the next phase of economic development, transforming from resource-based to innovation-based economy. Innovation Centers (ICs) have a crucial role to play in the successful commercialization of inventions and technology arising from research, business and development (RB&D) in order to establish NIC in the innovation led economy. In Malaysia, there are number of existing ICs operated by higher institution of learning and research centers such as SIRIM and FRIM. This study investigates the operation of innovation center in Malaysia and interpreted them in a model. The model will describe the components of the enterprise development in innovation centers operation in Malaysia's environment.

The rapid development of information and communication technology provides many changes in the implementation of eLearning. Now, the model of collaborative learning business process becomes the implementation orientation of eLearning. Changes in the orientation of business processes also affect the business architecture. In an educational institution, eLearning business process design needs to involve elements of the institution's internal resources. It aims to anticipate the development of ICT, support the achievement of educational institution goals, and accommodate the diversity of student learning needs. This research proposes perspective of Education Enterprise Architecture (EEA) business architecture to analyze the needs of eLisa business architecture design, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Describing the design of eLisa learning process currently using modeling process data flow diagrams and use case diagrams. Process modeling analysis uses the comparison of instructional processes of eLisa learning with the instructional process of the EEA business architecture. From the comparison of the current eLisa learning process with the EEA instructional process it is evident that the development of the eLisa learning process model requires the involvement of the Directorate of Education and Teaching, Directorate of Research, Directorate of Business Development and Incubation, Directorate of Community Services, Publishers and Publications Board, Library, and Centre for Innovation and Academic Policy.

Report on the business of acquisitions regional institute

Describes a British Library Research and Innovation Centre‐funded project to investigate the provision of European information in public libraries in the UK, via the establishment of the Public Information Relay (PIR), a European Commission initiative to provide information about the European Union to the general public. Discusses the background to the PIR and the literature to date. Describes the project methodology and discusses the major findings of the project. The project found that libraries were making very positive efforts to develop their European information services, but that there were concerns about the future development and resourcing of membership of the Relay. While the support of the European Commission was seen as valuable by respondents, the majority of libraries served a wider community of need than was envisaged by the remit of the PIR, in particular being heavily used for educational and business related purposes.

Universities are at the center of innovation. The process through which innovation comes from universities to industries, also called intellectual property (IP) commercialization, tends to be affected by various factors and contexts. The broad objective of this study was to explore the current status of IP commercialization in Malaysian universities. This study aimed to examine IP commercialization’s intensity, its processes, and the factors affecting it in selected Malaysian universities. University Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) were selected for convenience, and top-, middle-, and low-level university officials were interviewed using a semi-structured, in-depth interview protocol. The findings indicated that the intensity of IP commercialization depends on experience, industry linkage, properly planned research areas, and active researchers from various research institutes. This research will contribute to the existing understanding of IP commercialization in the Malaysian context, along with the necessary measures to take at the policy, industry, and university levels, in order to foster innovation and socioeconomic development in the country.

We report findings from a recent study of how public libraries are using on‐line community networks to facilitate the public's information seeking and use in everyday situations. These networks have been lauded for their potential to strengthen physical communities through increasing information flow about local services and events, and through facilitating civic interaction. However, little is known about how the public uses such digital services and what barriers they encounter. This article presents findings from a 2‐year study that comprised a national survey with public library staff, followed by extensive case studies in three states. At each site, data were collected using on‐line surveys, field observation, in‐depth interviews, and focus groups with Internet users, human service providers, and library staff. The on‐line surveys and the follow‐up interviews with respondents were based on sense‐making theory. In our article we discuss: (1) how the public is using networked community information systems and the Internet for daily problem solving, (2) the types of barriers users encounter, and (3) the benefits for individuals and physical communities from public library–community networking initiatives and the emergence of “information communities.”

Louis Stanley jast (1868 – 1944) was one of the most progressive and respected public librarians of his day. As Chief Librarian of Croydon, and later of Manchester, and as a writer on the advantages of libraries, he exercised a considerable influence over his contemporaries.1 In 1908 he was invited by Luton Borough Council to examine and report on the state of their public library. Luton was hardly a go-ahead library authoritY, but the Council was willing to take advice and act upon it. Luton Library had a curious history. Established by the Council in 1877, with a new building opened in 1883, the Public Libraries Acts were not adopted until 1894, by which time only a resolution of the Council was necessary. The Library relied purely on money raised from wellwishers. As a consequence the stock was small and poor, and initially only subscribers could borrow books. The first librarian, David Wootton, had been hired as a caretaker, and ‘librarianship’ was exercised by its Committee. Jast's views are clear in this report and show him well in the vanguard of contemporary library thinking. He opposed the purchasing of newspapers and the provision of separate reading rooms for ladies, and favoured open access and card catalogues, all contentious topics in their time. Within days of receiving Jast's report the Committee had applied to Andrew Carnegie for funds for a new library. This was granted, the unqualified chief librarian was dispensed with, and, in a new building, Jast's recommendations could be implemented. Luton soon had a public library to be proud of.2 Jast's printed, but previously unpublished, report is a revealing source for the history of the Edwardian public library, both as it was in reality and as it ought to be,according to one of the leading practioners of the day.

The University of Maryland, Maryland Advanced Simulation, Training, Research and Innovation (MASTRI) Center

Cork oak (Quercus suber) forests are vital for maintaining ecological balance and supporting socio-economic stability in Morocco. However, these forests face significant degradation driven by climate change, human activities, and inadequate regeneration practices. A critical factor influencing successful cork oak regeneration is the timing of acorn harvesting, which directly impacts germination rates and seedling quality. This study aimed to determine the optimal acorn harvesting periods to maximize germination and produce robust seedlings suitable for nursery and field planting. Conducted at the Center for Innovation, Research and Training under the National Agency for Water and Forests, the research involved collecting acorns from the Maâmora forest across six harvesting periods: August, September, early-October, mid-October, November, and December. The methodology included acorn sorting, phytosanitary treatments, and standardized nursery substrate preparation. Key parameters such as germination rate, seedling height, collar diameter, survival rate, and root system development were systematically monitored. Results indicated that acorns harvested in mid-October and November yielded the highest germination rates (86% and 85%, respectively), superior seedling growth (average heights of 21.40 cm and 10.09 cm), and better survival rates (95% and 75%). In contrast, acorns harvested in August showed the lowest germination (50%) and reduced seedling vigor, reflecting the detrimental effect of immature acorns. Early harvests in August and September corresponded with slower growth and lower survival. The findings underscore the critical influence of harvest timing on cork oak regeneration success. Acorns collected during mid-October and November demonstrated faster germination, enhanced seedling vigor, and robust root development. The study recommends focusing on these optimal harvesting windows, combined with proper storage and nursery management, to improve reforestation efforts and support the sustainable restoration of Morocco’s cork oak ecosystems.

In <i>the</i> NEWS: A ROUNDUP OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY

The idea of creation an optimal environment and ecosystem for the business activity, technology and innovation is not new, but over the years it has not lost its relevance, because today there are already more than 700 industrial parks in different countries of the world, which are a strategic tool for the policy of new economic development. The article analyzes the works devoted to the content of the "industrial park" concept, the definition of its functions, industrial parks’ classification, etc. in order to generalize the approaches and results of studies of the economic essence of industrial parks and propose a modern definition of the concept of "industrial park". It has been established that foreign authors usually do not focus on the definition of the concept of "industrial park", using the definition to identify the compliance of the industrial park with the criteria specified by international associations. The interpretation of the term "industrial park" by Ukrainian researchers is almost identical to the definition provided in the Law of Ukraine "On industrial parks" with some differences related to the methodological aspects of the authors' research. It has been recognized that industrial parks are classified according to the presence of ready-made industrial premises for the implementation of economic activities by residents (Greenfield, Brownfield, Greyfield). They also differ in scale and list of services. Industrial parks can also include research parks, innovation centers, science and technology parks. As a result of summarizing definitions and characteristics of industrial parks given by the researchers, authors present a definition of the term "industrial park" as a territory, specially organized and managed by a specialized company for accommodating new industries with distribution according to certain latest industry functions, provided with infrastructure, energy, legal conditions for creating a pool of users (tenants or owners) with a single development concept and management system. The common features of industrial parks are highlighted – support of a local and/or regional economic development; creating an environment conducive to work with the knowledge base, establishing contacts and exchanging ideas; provision of premises and other support services; connection with one or more higher educational institutions, research institutes; promotion customers’ innovation and competitiveness; assistance in investments in knowledge-intensive business and development of start-ups. Further analysis and evaluation of the functioning of industrial parks should be focused on revealing new aspects of their use in the national economic system in the context of aggravated geopolitical confrontation affecting the economy of Ukraine.

Russia, as one of the largest economies in the world, strives for sustainable and dynamic growth. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to actively develop innovations and invest in human capital. Innovations, playing a key role in the modern economy, make it possible to create new products, services and technologies that increase production efficiency and competitiveness of enterprises. Also, the introduction of innovations contributes to the growth of labor productivity, improvement of product quality and cost reduction. However, the successful development of innovations requires the availability of highly qualified specialists. Human capital, that is, the knowledge, skills and experience of employees, is one of the main resources determining the competitiveness of the economy. In Russia, there is a need to improve the level of education and professional training in order to ensure access to the latest technologies and innovations. For the development of innovation and human capital in Russia, it is necessary to create a favorable investment environment. This includes improving legal regulation, protecting intellectual property, reducing the bureaucratic burden and encouraging investment in research activities. It is also important to develop cooperation between government, business and scientific institutions for the exchange of knowledge and experience. One of the important tasks is the development of innovative infrastructure. This includes the creation of technology parks, innovation centers and accelerators that provide support and financing for startups and innovative projects. Such infrastructure facilities contribute to the development of entrepreneurship and attract investment in innovative projects. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the development of research activities. Public and private investments in science and research allow the creation of new knowledge and technologies that can then be commercialized. It is also important to develop cooperation between universities, research institutes and enterprises for the exchange of experience and the implementation of joint projects.