PurposeThis is the second article focusing on rural library services in Bangladesh. The main aim of this paper is to empirically measure the performance and impact of rural library activities in northern districts of Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachThe study was carried out separately in ten rural communities with library facilities. Background data about library collections were collected. Point‐of‐exit interviews with library users were carried out to gather their opinion on library collections, performance and impact.FindingsThe point‐of‐exit interview highlights the users' demographic characteristics, their library use and information needs, and their opinion on library collections, performance and impact. The constraints faced by users in using these libraries are also identified. The results show that most users are generally satisfied with the performance and impact of these libraries.Originality/valueThis paper is the first attempt to measure empirically the performance and impact of rural library activities in Bangladesh. The authors expect more research on impact assessment of rural library activities in other developing countries.

PurposeThis paper aims to provide an overview of current research on the use of e‐books and e‐book readers as they gain popularity in libraries.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a literature review and a case study of a public library which has a Kindle lending program. An e‐book case study is examined, highlighting a mid‐sized public library which implemented a Kindle e‐book lending program. The article includes a follow‐up discussion as to how libraries are including digital content in their collections, and changing the way they do business to accommodate the new technologies that people are increasingly asking for. The paper also gives tools for librarians looking to start their own e‐book lending program, and provide additional information on what resources are currently available.FindingsOne conclusion can be made. E‐books will not be going away any time soon. The Kindle lending program at the library has been extremely successful and well received by patronsResearch limitations/implicationsBecause of this very small case study approach, the research results may not be generalizable.Originality/valueThis research trend is new, and has not had much study. It gives a wide variety of opportunity for pilot studies, and subsequent ones.

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the implementation and analyze the outcomes of the Diversity Book Display initiative at the University of the Pacific's Library. Through this program, curated displays were used to promote multicultural learning and inclusivity, as well as to build intra‐institutional relationships with curricular and co‐curricular units engaged in diversity work on campus.Design/methodology/approachThe paper places the University of the Pacific's program within the context of academic library outreach through displays and exhibits, as well as situating it in relation to recent trends regarding library outreach to and collaboration with student services. An overview of the development and implementation is provided along with the results of a multi‐year assessment of the initiative.FindingsThe mindful leveraging of collections not only provides opportunities for student learning regarding diversity and inclusion, but also can be a platform to build collaborative campus relationships and elevate library visibility. The Diversity Book Display initiative has been a positive way to engage patrons with library collections as well as with social and cultural issues pertaining to multiculturalism and inclusivity.Originality/valueThis paper describes a unique approach to cultivating partnerships with students, faculty and staff, through co‐promotions of campus diversity and inclusion efforts and the library's collections.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find out what the Greek library and information science (LIS) students want from their studies concerning the use of Web 2.0 in education. Based on the results of this study, this paper will seek to identify problems and propose solutions that will tackle students' needs and improve the quality of their studies.Design/methodology/approachA web‐based questionnaire was distributed to students of the Library Science and Information Systems (LSIS) Department of ATEI of Thessaloniki, Greece. Students had to answer 61 questions, divided into ten sections about Web 2.0 tools. First, they were asked to state the knowledge and personal experience on Web 2.0 tools and then to express their views for the LIS curriculum and the use of Web 2.0. Interviews with four members of staff from the LSIS Department were followed in order to review the research findings and express their views concerning Web 2.0 and LIS education.FindingsThis research revealed that most of the students are aware of the majority of Web 2.0 tools. Thus, they are willing to attend training concerning Web 2.0 because they believe this will enrich their knowledge on the subject. Blogs and wikis are the first choices of the tools they would like to learn about. Students believe that computer scientists are more qualified to teach Web 2.0 tools, while some respond that cooperation between librarians and computer scientists will be to the benefit of the profession. As advantages of using Web 2.0 they name acquiring new knowledge and facilitation with the assignments. The faculty staff have positive views introducing Web 2.0 tools in classes as a way of communicating with students but they feel that it is too early for these tools to play a learning role in LIS teaching.Originality/valueThe implementation of Web 2.0 in schools, especially LIS departments, is very important nowadays. There are only a few studies about Web 2.0 in Greece. This study will help LIS faculty to understand students' needs about Web 2.0 in order to improve their units and LIS curriculum and adopt Web 2.0 applications to their classes. On the other hand this research records for the first time the views of the Greek faculty members concerning Web 2.0 and social networks.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to define and describe informal screencasting (i.e. capturing your actions on a computer screen with the goal of showing others how to accomplish tasks on a website or in a given software environment). Customer‐satisfaction survey results from 103 faculty, staff, and students are presented.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey revealing customer satisfaction with informal screencasts was made available in Spring 2010 to faculty, staff, and students of a mid‐sized public university in Arlington, Texas, USA. Results are compiled, analyzed, and presented here.FindingsMost participants' reactions to the librarian's informal screencasts were positive or quite positive, but many participants still noted that they would prefer to receive e‐mail instructions in answer to their questions.Research limitations/implicationsThe survey was not distributed to a representative sample of the population; instead, the author solicited participants via e‐mail, so the participant pool was a convenience sample, which could introduce bias in the results.Originality/valueThis survey is the first to assess academic library customers' attitudes toward informal screencasting as an instructional tool, as far as the author has been able to determine after an extensive literature search.

PurposeThis paper aims to compare biographical content for literary authors writing in English among Biography Reference Bank, Contemporary Authors Online, Wikipedia, and the web.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 500 names was gathered from curricula and textbooks used in English courses and searched in the Contemporary Authors Online portion of Literature Resource Center, Biography Reference Bank, Wikipedia, and the web; the results and content were compared.FindingsEach source has core content plus its own unique offerings and specific challenges, as evidenced in searching, evaluative techniques such as authority and currency, and content.Research limitations/implicationsThis study can only offer a small part of the picture of what information resides where and a single snapshot in time.Practical implicationsThis study will help librarians decide whether to subscribe to a biographical database. It also reinforces the need for evidence‐based practice in librarianship.Originality/valueWhile the study is only a small part of the picture, it still makes use of a significant sample size to validate/refute assumptions about the availability of biographical information and the sources studied.

PurposeWith the aim of developing a conceptual framework which aims to facilitate semantic metadata interoperability, this paper explores overarching conceptual issues on how traditional library information organisation schemes such as online public access catalogues (OPACs), taxonomies, thesauri, and ontologies on the one hand versus Web 2.0 technologies such as social tagging (folksonomies) can be harnessed to provide users with satisfying experiences.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviews works in relation to current metadata creation, utilisation and interoperability approaches, focusing on how a social constructivist philosophical perspective can be employed to underpin metadata decisions in digital libraries. Articles are retrieved from databases such as EBSCO host and Emerald and online magazines such as D‐Lib and Ariadne. Books, news articles and blog posts that are deemed relevant are also used to support the arguments put forward in this paper.FindingsCurrent metadata approaches are deeply authoritative and metadata deployments in digital libraries tend to favour an objectivist approach with focus on metadata simplicity. It is argued that unless information objects are enriched with metadata generated through a collaborative and user‐driven approach, achieving semantic metadata interoperability in digital libraries will remain difficult.Practical implicationsIn this paper, it is indicated that the number of metadata elements (fields) constituting a standard has a direct bearing on metadata richness, which in turn directly affects semantic interoperability. It is expected that this paper will contribute towards a better understanding of harnessing user‐driven metadata.Originality/valueAs suggested in this paper, a conceptual metadata framework underpinned by a social constructivist approach substantially contributes to semantic interoperability in digital libraries.

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to examine the various information literacy (IL) practices in university libraries in Nigeria, to identify the likely barriers facing information literacy programmes in Nigeria, and to provide suggestions on how best to improve the IL practices.Design/methodology/approachLibrarians from 36 university libraries participated in the survey which adopted an online method.FindingsThe study revealed that university libraries in Nigeria were found to be engaging in different information literacy (IL) practices ranging from library tour/orientations sessions to introductory information skills, database searching skills, bibliographic training and use of the library. Barriers such as lack of interest by students, teachers, and management, inadequate human resources to handle IL training, lack of facilities, low acceptance of online IL delivery approach and absence of IL policy were identified as factors militating against librarians' efforts when advocating and providing IL programmes in university libraries in Nigeria.Practical implicationsThe study will inform librarians or library administrators in developing countries who want to train users on information literacy skills in order to facilitate full exploitation of information resources and services in their libraries.Originality/valueThe paper describes information literacy practices in university libraries in Nigeria. The findings may be of help to librarians who want to improve on their IL programmes in university libraries in Nigeria and other developing countries.