PurposeThe author first gained experience with library instruction scheduling at a large research university library as an Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) graduate assistant.Design/methodology/approachThe author would occasionally shadow the faculty librarians as they received instruction requests, which were vetted by an administrative assistant and entered into some mystical technology that would facilitate the reservations and populate a library staff calendar.FindingsThe author remembers it as a fairly mundane process that he did not think much of at the time.Social implicationsThe author soon became an instruction librarian who was put in charge of orchestrating the multitudes of course-integrated one-shots at a small, private four-year liberal arts college.Originality/valueThe author thinks back to this experience and marvels at the humble instructional requests (e.g. “just show them JSTOR”) and the primitive tool that their library used for scheduling their sessions: a spreadsheet on our network drive.

PurposeThis study completed action research in the library. The purpose of this study is to increase awareness of the QR code and the Augmented Reality Application (ARA) among library users.Design/methodology/approachThis is a technical review.FindingsThe researchers arranged tables in the library called “Scan Me” tables, and arranged academic books, journals and magazines with the QR code and the Layar material on a “scan me table”. The researchers designed one video using movie maker and other supporting software to provide guidelines on how to use the scan me table in the library. The researchers have shared this video among selected MBA libraries that have Wi-Fi and library software members.Originality/valueThis research also incorporates how to prepare virtual data and how they are linked with real data, how to give training to library staff to solve users’ queries and how to help them at the time of downloading the application or scanning material. Creating a better platform for this research required support from a library software design team as well as in-house technical or IT support staff for good maintenance of the library server, Wi-Fi equipment and so forth.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between public libraries, literature festivals (litfests) and reading habits in Chennai and Bangalore to understand publishing, reading and the role of public libraries to improve reading and learning among public.Design/methodology/approachA field visit to select book fairs and litfests in Chennai and Bangalore was undertaken in 2015 and 2016 to collect data. A predesigned questionnaire was used for data collection at the festivals to establish the correlation among the libraries, bookshops, book fairs and litfests. A sample of n = 445 responses were received.FindingsThe findings suggest that 47 per cent of the respondents do not have any kind of library membership, and most (n = 154) of the respondents say they own an electronic device for reading. In total, 25 per cent say reading books is one of the top leisure activities, and distance (31.7 per cent) hinders people from visiting libraries for reading. Eighty per cent agree that visiting litfests influences and improves reading habits. Further, 48.4 per cent read books several times a week, and 46.7 per cent read 5-20 books in any given year. In total, 84 per cent agree that there is a significant link between a family’s reading habits and a child’s future attitude toward reading. Also, 74 per cent agree that people who buy books from bookshops also borrow books from libraries and vice versa and endorse the fact that there is a strong relationship between book buyers and library visitors.Social implicationsLitfests are booming to promote literature in India. There is a lot to be done to promote public libraries as a public good for people in India as a third space for reading, inclusion and diversity. Innovations in social media and networks, information and communication technologies and internet give an opportunity to the library sector to tap the litfest phenomenon to celebrate reading to reach a large section of the society.Originality/valueThis is a unique exploration to connect the stakeholders – policy makers, publishers and libraries – associated with reading, as studies of this nature are rarely reported in India, when print and digital publishing is flourishing.

Purpose For those immersed in the environment of academic and research libraries, the word “data” seems to be everywhere. One hears about linked data, big data, open data, proprietary data, research data, metadata, geospatial data, data repositories, etc. Design/methodology/approach Some libraries even have data librarians and data services departments. Findings The author of this column wonders if she were to collect all of the library and information science literature published in the past three years and plug it into a word cloud app, which of the two, i.e. “data” or “books”, would be displayed in a larger font. Originality/value The author suspects that the chances are more than good that “data” would come out on top.

Purpose The use of mobile messaging (MM) or mobile instant messaging has grown in the past few years at astonishing rates. Design/methodology/approach This growth has prompted data gatherers and trend forecasters to look at the use of MM apps in different ways than in the past. Findings In a 2015 survey, The Pew Research Center asked about the use of MM apps separately from cell phone texting for the first time (Duggan, 2015). Originality/value Digital marketing site eMarketer.com published their first ever worldwide forecast for MM in 2015. This forecast report shows 1.4 billion current users of MM apps or 5 per cent of smartphone users accessing an MM app at least once a month. This is a 31.6 per cent increase from the previous year. The forecast predicts that by 2018, there will be two billion users, representing 80 per cent of smartphone users (eMarketer.com, 2015).

Purpose Sean Follmer with his colleagues, Daniel Leithinger and Hiroshi Ishii have created inFORM, where the computer interface can actually come off the screen and one can physically manipulate it. Design/methodology/approach One can visualize 3D information physically and touch it and feel it to understand it in new ways. Findings The interface also allows one to interact through gestures and direct deformations to sculpt digital clay, and interface elements can arise out of the surface and change on demand. Their idea is that for each individual application, the physical form can be matched to the application. Urban planners and architects can use it to explore their designs in detail; using inFORM, one can reach out from the screen and manipulate things at a distance and also manipulate and collaborate on 3D sets, gesture around them and manipulate also. Originality/value It allows collaboration of people in ways hitherto not done. Posted on February 10, 2016, the Ted talk has received over one million views as at June 9, 2016. It is trending! The researchers are thinking of “new ways that we can bring people together, and bring our information into the world, and think about smart environments that can adapt to us physically”.

Purpose This paper aims to share the current state of embedded librarianship in learning management systems as reported by academic librarians. The paper highlights the best practices, as well as continuing questions, in the field of embedded librarianship. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected participant feedback in two active, participatory panel discussions at national conferences. The open forums were centered on three guiding themes of embedded librarianship: building connections with faculty and students; utilizing technology tools; and providing information literacy and assessment. Participants answered directed questions, and their responses were recorded and analyzed for this paper. Findings Librarians report an increasing demand for library services in learning management systems. Collaboration and partnerships across campus are required for successful embedded librarian projects. Technology tools continue to evolve and change, and most librarians can anticipate using multiple learning management systems over time. There is an ongoing need for professional development in online library instruction and assessment. Originality/value This paper provides a snapshot of the current state of embedded librarianship in learning management systems. It offers insights about what academic librarians value, what they have learned and what concerns they still have about library instruction in online environments.

Purpose – This paper aims to give step-by-step guidance for downloading data from any site that uses a simple object access protocol (SOAP) interface such as Web of Science (WOS)/Web of Knowledge. The SOAP interface is a method that is used widely by Web sites to allow automatic download of data. Using a case study approach, we also discuss some problems that can happen and ways to avoid them. The WOS is used as a demonstration. Design/methodology/approach – This case study explores ways to download large amounts of data from a Web site. As pitfalls were encountered, techniques were developed to circumnavigate them. The result is a specific procedure for accessing these types of databases. Findings – The paper provides a transferrable procedure that non-technical people can use to access WOS and other SOAP data sources. Practical implications – The set of scripts are presented in the paper that will allow others to download data from any site that uses a SOAP interface. Explanations are given so that the procedure can be adapted for other tasks. Originality/value – This paper clearly illustrates how to interact with a SOAP interface with explicit instructions for downloading from WOS. It is written for the non- technical with illustrations at each step. Instructions are given for modifying the scripts so that librarians can search using other keywords and dates as well as downloading from other Web sites.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the following question: What is cloud computing? Design/methodology/approach – This paper surveys the current literature. Findings – Cloud computing is described in many ways. Originality/value – This paper is one of the first pieces to examine the nature of cloud computing.

Purpose – The traditional library image that comes to mind upon hearing this word is of vertical files filled with newspaper clippings, photos, brochures, flyers on a popular topic or event. Design/methodology/approach – The modern image of ephemera, however, is now more nuanced and complex, as the increased creation of digital ephemera provides opportunities and challenges for libraries and archives. Findings – There now need to be considerations for dealing with digital materials and artifacts that are short-lived and temporary. These digital ephemera are increasing every day, with a presence in the world that is anything but temporary. Originality/value – The Library of Congress announced that it would be digitally archiving every public tweet since Twitter’s inception in March 2006 (Raymond, 2010). As of 2013, they had archived 170 billion tweets and were receiving nearly a half billion tweets a day (Allen, 2013). However, the magnitude of the project is being grappled with and currently the project appears to be in limbo (Scola, 2015).