PurposeThis study aims to examine the information needs of Ghanaian immigrants who have settled in Maryland in the USA.Design/methodology/approachUsing an ethnographic approach, immigrants from Ghana shared their information needs, challenges and sources they rely upon for information. In total, 50 Ghanaian immigrants participated in this study.FindingsFindings indicate that like many immigrant populations, Ghanaians who have immigrated to the USA primarily rely on personal networks, mediated through social media, as their primary sources of information. Despite the availability of immigration resources in the library, Ghanaian immigrants may not view it as a useful resource.Social implicationsWhile this study examines a single immigrant population, its social implications are important to libraries who aim to serve immigrant populations in their community.Originality/valueThis study provides new information about African immigrant population, a population whose information needs have rarely been covered in the literature.

PurposeThe purpose of this column is to examine artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential relationship to the library.Design/methodology/approachLiterature review and commentary on this topic have been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners.FindingsThe very disruptive nature of any new technology could be viewed as a threat to many institutions, including the library. But with the eventual acceptance and incorporation of AI into its services, it is certainly possible to speculate that this latest technology “intrusion” could also offer many potential positive enhancements into a multitude of library services, many of which are only being examined, considered and piloted in their early stages of development.Originality/valueThe value in exploring this topic is to present a look at the potential of using AI in the library and to open a discussion of its potential benefits.

Assessing value and impact in academic libraries in the 21st century: personal perspectives and views

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how to improve librarians’ skills, using an active and reflective participative process, to develop a university e-book service. This research involved librarians who could not participate in a formal learning course and explored the possibility of improving their skills with e-books by means of informal and non-formal learning.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative methodology framework, the research was a participatory action research (PAR) study, utilizing a recurrent five-phase cycle – analysis, plan, action, evaluation, reflection/sharing – that joins research and reflective practice in action. Each phase has been discussed by categories defined from the gathered data, highlighting the evidence of participants’ contributions, to analyse the situation, plan and carry out interventions, and evaluate outcomes. Participants suggested and put into action informal and non-formal methods of learning to develop e-book skills that they named and included in broader categories such as technical, content selection, purchase and management and use.FindingsParticipants increased their awareness of the topic, and the PAR process also contributed to their personal development. PAR is recommended as a research process that fosters learning outcomes, as well as personal and professional development.Originality/valuePAR has been applied in the Italian academic setting to understand how librarians can develop skills in e-book services through informal and non-formal learning methods.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to construct the basis for a research agenda that integrates participatory methodologies (PMs) into literacies (L) research and practice as a valuable methodological basis.Design/methodology/approachThe pros and cons of using PM on L research and practice are explained, as well as its possibilities, characteristics and the contributions of a research agenda under such integration (PM-L agenda). This analysis draws from the pertinent literature, Scopus publication data, the author’s own practice as an information literacy (IL) researcher and a questionnaire used to gather further insights from the research community in this matter.FindingsA further understanding of the contributions that a PM-L research agenda can bring to the library and information science field is achieved. The pros, cons, hesitations and eagerness that researchers might have toward the idea of using such integration are valuable for determining if this really is a perfect but not an explicit fit.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the questionnaire was promoted in a large international conference during a four-year period (2013-2017), it was answered by 34 participants; only 16 participants had previous experiences with the PM-L integration, and only an average of 8 participants provided significant answers to our open-ended questions. Thus, the amount of data available to analyze was limited. Certainly, using Scopus data provides a large but incomplete picture of the specialized literature that is peer reviewed and indexed, because it excludes publications not indexed that may be pertinent.Originality/valueThe PM-L integration is deemed as highly adequate, as PMs seek to improve participants’ conditions, situations and realities through reflection and engagement, while L-related activities and research (including information, digital, media literacy or new literacies) are conducted to improve people’s use and understanding of the media for which they are developing literacy. This contributes to their betterment as critical-thinkers, persons, citizens and learners. However, many researchers and especially practitioners do not formally use PM to conduct L activities, at least in many cases, this is not made explicitly. In the case of practitioners, some have conducted such activities empirically, without an appropriate methodological foundation. Hence, to establish PM as the methodologies of choice may help researchers and practitioners have a stronger methodological basis to conduct their work.

PurposeThis study aims to develop both an activity and an instrument to support college students’ learning of the proper ways to paraphrase.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a participatory action research approach, consisting of four phases. A survey was used to collect information, as well as a rubric to evaluate students’ competencies in paraphrasing, before and after an educational intervention activity. The tools were designed by the authors.FindingsThe findings suggest that students only have a partial understanding of the elements that are needed to write an adequate paraphrase, despite the declared importance in academic dialogue by the majority of them. The findings also suggest that a short-range intervention can help students develop their skills in paraphrasing.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was conducted mostly with a small group of first-year college students and a professor they have known for a year. Therefore, a level of trust had been established. This trust relationship is necessary to achieve a participatory action in an unscheduled activity. Only some of the major results are presented.Originality/valueLittle actual research has been conducted on college students’ perception on paraphrasing and its importance, as well as on their abilities to paraphrase, especially in the Latin American context. This study demonstrates the usefulness of a short-range intervention that can be easily applied in any course or information literacy program.

<p>Guest Editorial for a special issue of <em>Information and Learning Sciences</em>: “Using participatory methodologies for conducting literacy activities: Conceptual issues, methodological alternatives and professional experiences”</p>

PurposeThis paper aims to report the findings from a survey of secondary school students in Chile by exploring their use of social networking services for information-seeking purposes.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was distributed via Chile’s Ministry of Education and 12,354 responses were received.FindingsThe results indicate that young people in Chile extensively use SNSs, but there are differences in the ways in which they use these services, specifically for information purposes. When considering school-related activities, there are differences in the use of SNSs by students in different types of schools. Those in academic-focussed institutions are more likely to use SNSs for school-related information purposes and are more likely to publish most types of information on SNSs than their counterparts in vocational schools.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample was self-selecting and excluded students without online access to the survey.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate more needs to be done in schools serving lower socio-economic communities to support students’ use of SNSs for information-seeking, especially for academic purposes.Social implicationsThe findings suggest that school-associated social capital may have a role in shaping students’ use of SNSs for information and learning purposes and, potentially, in exacerbating digital inequalities.Originality/valueThe focus on the use of social media specifically for information-seeking distinguishes this research. The findings challenge possible assumptions about the links between social media use and social class and suggest that differences may be exacerbated by school practices.

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the extent of use of social media by Pakistani female librarians for professional development and their perception of its usefulness. The paper also attempts to find out social characteristics that influence the use of social media among female librarians for career and professional development (PD).Design/methodology/approachData were collected through an online survey (using self-administered structured questionnaire) from 102 female librarians in Pakistan regarding usage frequency, perception, choice of librarianship as a profession and perceived benefits of social media. The list of participants was obtained from the Directory of Pakistani Library Professionals compiled by Sada-e-Librarian (a non-profit LIS professional organization). Data collections also include online interviews through Facebook chat with 20 key informants selected from the participants of the questionnaire survey.FindingsThe study reveals that the majority of Pakistani female librarians is well aware of social media and uses it frequently. They are found to make extensive use of social media for PD and perceive social media as a useful tool for PD. However, social media is judged to be less helpful in acquiring technical skills. The study found a number of factors affecting the use of social media for PD among female librarians in Pakistan. These factors include social characteristics such as privacy, parent’s years of schooling, marital status and family support.Originality/valueThis study is among the first attempts to discover social characteristics, the use of social media and its relationship with PD among female librarians in Pakistan.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find out whether the students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS) in Osijek, Croatia, interact online with any sort of e-democracy or e-government information.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents the findings of a pilot-study conducted among the undergraduate and graduate students of the FHSS in Osijek. The research was conducted in May 2015 on a sample of 246 students. The research was carried out by means of an online and paper survey and reached 59.91 per cent of the population of students enrolled in the first year of undergraduate and graduate studies.FindingsStudents in our sample spend a lot of time online. They are relatively active online when it comes to finding information connected with their academic responsibilities (e.g. 77.2 per cent of the students of the sample have gone online for finding information about exams, scholarships, etc.), but rarely engage in democratic processes within the academic community (only 11.8 per cent have contacted their student representative on the University Student Board). They are even less interested in democratic processes within the local community (8.1 per cent have contacted their local authority representatives regarding an administrative or communal matter).Originality/valueThis is the first research of FHSS students’ perceptions and views regarding their engagement and their information behavior regarding e-democracy and e-government processes and one of the very few such researches in Croatia.