Managing Interlibrary Loan Staff in Distributed Work Environments

Purpose: To examine link between conflict management styles used by university library managers with such demographic attributes such as gender, education, academic vs administrative status, experience, and their full vs. part time involvement with their role as library managers. Methodology: Data was secured by questioning library managers about their preferred treatment of staff conflicts. The tool used for data collection was a questionnaire designed by the researcher drawn on Thomas Kent’s model of five common conflict management styles. Analysis was carried out using SPSS software Findings: Managers preference for collaboration, compromise, and domination was evident. Accommodation and avoidance strategies were respectively less preferred. Analysis showed that gender, education, academic vs. administrative status had little correlation with the preferred style, whereas, full time mangers and managers with longer management experience expressed a tendency toward avoidance style. Also, male managers with longer experience preferred domination style more than their female counterparts. Originality: A similar research was not found in Iranian LIS literature Keywords: Conflict- Conflict Management- Conflict Management Styles University Library-University Library Managers.

This paper is an exploratory investigation on Information Literacy and Sustainable Development Goals Implementation: The Role of Libraries and Librarians. It is imperative to note that libraries and librarians can help streamline services that encourage the participation and acceptance of stakeholders through its sharing, collaboration and facilitation platforms and services. The familiarity of users to their respective libraries avails the library the opportunity to sensitize, recognize and make visible prospects and challenges recorded with the implementation of SDGs. As it was pointed out that every sector depends on the library, it could be concluded that the library has all that is required to support the sustainable development goals to be achieve because of its characteristic dependability and inclusiveness. This paper recommended that management of libraries should not see the libraries as avenue of enriching themselves as there have been situations where fund released by government has been misappropriated and embezzled at the detriment of effective service provision. There should be in a existence a body with integrity whose responsibility should be to monitor and audit every library project and anyone found culpable punished accordingly. Furthermore, librarians and libraries should get involve in advocacy programmes such as road-walk, distribution of informative flyers, radio jingles and social media campaign with a view to intimating the public on the SDGs.

The objective of this study was to examine how information literacy can aid in infodemic management in the context of university students in a developing country. A printed survey questionnaire was employed to collect data on information literacy and infodemic management from a sample population consisting of university students. A total of 300 responses were collected and analysed, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The results brought about a wide set of findings. The study found that students in the Department of Information Science and Library Management at the University of Dhaka exhibited a high level of awareness of information literacy and the COVID-19 infodemic. Despite the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation related to COVID-19, the students did not tend towards unreliable sources of information. The study examined the positive effect of information literacy on infodemic management through a multiple regression analysis. The empirical findings can aid in navigating the spread of misinformation and disinformation in the context of other developing countries.

Despite the prevalence of SWOT analysis in business management literature, there is a paucity of studies focusing on its application in the context of small-scale enterprises, particularly in rural areas such as Desa Kombangan. This research aims to bridge this gap by investigating how Mr. Taufiq's grocery store navigates its business environment using the SWOT approach.Focus and Research Objective: This study aims to examine the opportunities and challenges faced by Mr. Taufiq's grocery store in Desa Kombangan through the lens of business management, utilizing the SWOT analysis framework. The primary objective is to identify key factors influencing the business's performance and develop strategic insights to enhance its competitiveness.Methodology: Employing a qualitative research approach, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with Mr. Taufiq, observation of daily operations, and analysis of relevant documents. The SWOT analysis method was utilized to systematically assess the internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats of the business.Results: The findings reveal a range of opportunities, including growing demand for convenience shopping and a loyal customer base, alongside challenges such as competition from larger retailers and supply chain disruptions. Through SWOT analysis, strategic recommendations were formulated to capitalize on strengths, address weaknesses, leverage opportunities, and mitigate threats, thereby enhancing the resilience and sustainability of Mr. Taufiq's grocery store in Desa Kombangan.

A genuine commitment to ethics and compliance (E&C) programs means that top management adopt them for what they represent and not for other purposes. Only then can they truly build socially responsible behavior and a successful and sustainable business, as stated in the latest international standard for compliance management practice (ISO 37301:2021), which we found to be consistent with a new business narrative as conceptualized in Freeman's work. However, it also requires that top managers place a moral value on these practices, rather than simply using them for instrumental reasons. Building on Kohlberg's six stages of moral development as applied to managers' moral thinking, this manuscript offers a model to explain how top managers' moral valuing of these practices varies along a moral reasoning continuum, resulting in four distinct modes. It also theorizes that each mode of moral valuing yields an archetype of E&C programs. It thus offers a new approach that contributes to the business ethics and management literature by incorporating a morally grounded perspective on the adoption and implementation of E&C practices and how it might shape their features and characteristics. It also aims to improve professional practice and business contributions to Freeman's ideas through genuine ethics‐based E&C programs.

The ART of People Management in Libraries: Tips for Managing Your Most Vital Resource

Be in charge: a leadership manual: how to stay on top

Erwin Welsch's article in the April OCLC Micro described an automated OCLC dial access procedure using an IBM XT, AT, or compatible, a Hayes 1200‐baud modem, and ProComm communications software. Using the command file and keyboard macro capabilities of ProComm, the procedure streamlines access to the OCLC On‐line Catalog and eases the pain of microcomputer‐to‐OCLC keystroke translation. Using Welsch's online catalog searching procedure as a model, we created an application for our interlibrary loan staff.

We have implemented a successful in-house outsourcing program between University of Oregon Library departments. Collaboration between interlibrary loan staff and subject specialists appropriates ILLiad e-mail routing capabilities to enable subject specialists to join the workflow in processing difficult ILL requests. The goals of the program are to fill more requests, fill requests more quickly, give subject specialists the opportunity to learn more about their faculty members’ research needs, and to create a stepping stone to a purchase-on-demand program.

Purpose Project management techniques for digital initiatives must shift with the transformation of content from analog to digital, from singular projects to mass-digitization and large-scale digital preservation. How are project management methods employed across digital practices, from digitization, to online access, to preservation? How can project management methods evolve to create a collaborative workflow across collection and service areas of librarianship, centered on digital stewardship? Methodology/approach Solutions for these questions are illustrated in an explanation of the workflows implemented at the University of Maryland, College Park Libraries and reflected upon in a case study of a recent digital initiative. Findings Centered on the efforts of two departments in the Libraries’ Digital Systems and Stewardship division, this chapter outlines the origins, techniques, and integration of digital project management with a focus on Waterfall and Agile project management. Furthermore, the integration and transition of project management methodologies and tools between groups is emphasized, mirroring the transformation of analog media to digital formats and the requisite shifts in thinking such projects require. Originality/value These case studies are based on research across the profession and implementation at the University of Maryland, College Park Libraries. The local application of two established project management techniques, Waterfall and Agile, are summarized and compared. Though regularly employed in application development, applying Agile project management in libraries is a relatively new practice and has not been widely documented in library literature.

The purpose of this research is to find out whether this library has met library management standards and whether there are supporting and inhibiting factors in implementing library management standards in the school. This research is a type of qualitative research with a descriptive approach. The data collection techniques used were observation, interviews and documentation. The techniques used in data analysis are data reduction, data presentation and drawing conclusions. Meanwhile, the sources of information in this research are the Head of the Library, the Head of the School and 1 Library Staff. The results of this research show that; 1) Planning the work program in managing the Library at SMP Maarif NU Wanasari is carried out by 1) preparing a work program; 2) organizing the library is carried out through coordination with the head of the library as coordinator in forming the organizational structure and is assisted by 1 staff member on duty; 3) Implementation of the work program in library management in accordance with what was planned at the planning stage; 4) the library carries out supervision every day, reporting library activities every 6 months. And evaluations are carried out at the end of every semester.

This study examines how international student library use relates to their information needs and the factors influencing their information needs. The collected quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentages) and inferential statistics (ordinal regression). The regression analysis confirms that demographics, human capital, and library use variables play significant roles in predicting international student information needs. Demographic variables such as age, human capital data such as education level, databases, interlibrary loan, e-journals, library reserve, ready reference, online subject guides, browsing the Internet, email and print materials are significant predictors of international student information needs, but this study indicates that gender, library catalog, and remote access to the library offerings make no difference. The findings will help library directors, managers and librarians to reflect on the factors’ influences and to use the results to break down international students into smaller groups and evaluate, develop and enhance services and resources to satisfy their increasing information needs.

Several library directors in the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) hypothesized that charging for interlibrary loan transactions was a false economy. They suggested that if ASERL libraries implemented ILL reciprocity, savings would be realized. From September 1, 1992 through June 30, 1993, thirty-six ASERL libraries participated in a pilot project. OCLC/ILL transaction data for borrowing and lending activity among the libraries was reviewed for two periods, one prior to and the other during the pilot project period. This paper reports on data analysis and a follow-up survey of participants. The results supported the hypothesis that ASERL library directors would accept terms of ILL reciprocity that were based on standard protocols and analysis of quantitative data.

Natural disasters can strike without warning anytime anywhere anyone. There are different types of disasters. The economic losses caused by these disasters are mainly more expensive for developing countries that are vulnerable to the disasters like India and Pakistan in this case. Different types of libraries including university libraries and museums are priceless storehouses of knowledge, which once lost could be lost forever. Disaster planning needs to be done in university libraries to save the knowledge for future generations. This is true for all types of libraries everywhere. To study the situation of disaster management in university libraries of India and Pakistan literature review will be done. Information from various websites of both the countries will be collected. Regarding information on university libraries in Pakistan emails will be sent to select university librarians to find out whether they have any disaster management plans and similar studies be searched in professional literature. Initial review of literature shows a nearly similar infrastructural planning in both the countries at central and state government level. Disaster management is an ignored subject in Pakistan as stated by leading newspaper Dawn. Very few papers on this subject are available from Pakistan and intensive and exhaustive review of literature can lead to valid conclusion. In India this was an ignored area but after tsunami there has been awareness at all levels. Majority of the university libraries are ignorant about this important aspect of library planning but there are a few where this is being practiced. This study will highlight similarities and gaps between the approaches to disaster management in university libraries of these two neighbouring countries with nearly similar disaster conditions.

Research-support librarians have to play an effective role in supporting learning, providing services and anticipating the requirements of academic researchers. However, previous studies revealed that these librarians lacked the competencies to keep abreast of new resources, services and technologies. Although there is a large body of literature discussing the comprehensive competencies required of research-support librarians, very few have attempted to investigate this issue in the Malaysian context. Based on this situation, this study attempts to investigate the self-directed learning traits and competencies of research-support librarians in Malaysian public universities. This study also aims to identify the influence of self-directed learning on competencies. A total of 215 research-support librarians from Malaysian public universities were selected. The findings revealed that the competencies of these librarians are still at medium level. The most noticeable and lowest competency was in information technology skills, followed by research and contributions to the profession and library management. The most prevalent competencies were interpersonal skills, followed by information literacy, entrepreneurialism, foundational knowledge and collections development.