Journal articles on the topic 'Demography libraries'

Purpose This study explored spatial usage of a public library based on activity logs produced by real users. The purpose of this paper is to provide preliminary data for decision-making when establishing the library operation policy. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the goal, the author collected a variety of data including 274,242 seat reservations logs, 3,361,284 collection usage logs, and 96,098 user information for the four years in which the National Library of Korea, Sejong actually operated. The crawled data were analyzed statistically in terms of demography, month, day of week, time of day and room by room. The author conducted additional in-depth analysis according to the external factors such as weather or social demographic environment. Finally, the author discussed several issues and verified feasibility of the proposals to support decision-making in operating a library in conclusion with a secondary librarian interview. Findings The usage rate in all the spaces of the National Library of Korea, Sejong, has been increasing since its opening, and, in particular, the usage rate increases sharply in January, February, July and August. In addition, the usage rate during weekends was higher than that during weekdays, and all the four spaces had a high usage rate during the afternoon. These results seem to be related to weather, users’ life pattern, users’ age, and position of PCs and seats. Based on the circulation logs analysis of children’s collections, users in their 10s and 40s showed the same space usage pattern. Originality/value This study has significance in that it attempted to analyze logs produced by real users during the actual library operation period, which has not been frequently attempted in the previous studies on libraries. The findings will be provided as basic data to support decision-making for efficient operation of libraries.

Public schools and public libraries often receive challenges—suppression or removal requests—to particular books, which can lead the book being banned. Research has examined challenges to books with multicultural themes and individuals, noted that authors of color are disproportionally targeted, and recognized the remarkable number of challenges to books deemed to be classic. This qualitative content analysis research utilized both with inductive and deductive elements—open coding and axial coding—to examine challenged books intended for primary elementary students. The theoretical framework blended critical multiculturalism, gay and lesbian identity, and radical politics in children’s literature. Findings included patterns based on era, frequency and location of challenge, demography of challenger, and oft-challenged themes, specifically sexuality (sexual reproduction and diverse sexualities), inappropriate humor, danger, death, racial and religious diversity, mysticism and wizardry, racially or culturally insensitive elements, concerning interpersonal dynamics, and evolution. Meaning is extracted for teachers, librarians, administrators, and researchers.

Objective – To assess how the age, gender, and race characteristics of library users affect their perceptions of the approachability of reference librarians with similar or different demographic characteristics. Design – Image rating survey. Setting – Large, three-campus university system in the United States. Subjects – There were 449 students, staff, and faculty of different ages, gender, and race. Methods – In an online survey respondents were presented with images of hypothetical librarians and asked to evaluate their approachability, using a scale from 1 to 10. The images showed librarians with neutral emotional expressions against a standardized, neutral background. The librarians’ age, gender, and race were systematically varied. Only White, African American, and Asian American librarians were shown. Afterwards respondents were asked to identify their own age, gender, race, and status. Main Results – Respondents perceived female librarians as more approachable than male librarians, maybe due to expectations caused by the female librarian stereotype. They found librarians of their own age group more approachable. African American respondents scored African American librarians as more approachable, whereas Whites expressed no significant variation when rating the approachability of librarians of different races. Thus, African Americans demonstrated strong in-group bias but Whites manifested colour blindness – possibly a strategy to avoid the appearance of racial bias. Asian Americans rated African American librarians lower than White librarians. Conclusion – This study demonstrates that visible demographic characteristics matter in people’s first impressions of librarians. Findings confirm that diversity initiatives are needed in academic libraries to ensure that all users feel welcome and are encouraged to approach librarians. Regarding gender, programs that deflate the female librarian stereotype may help improve the approachability image of male librarians. Academic libraries should staff the reference desk with individuals covering a wide range of ages, including college-aged interns, whom traditional age students find most approachable. Libraries should also build a racially diverse staff to meet the needs of a racially diverse user population. Since first impressions have lasting effects on the development of social relationships, structural diversity should be a priority for libraries’ diversity programs.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to carry out the demographic evaluation and analysis of the entrepreneurial orientation of librarians in Iranian public libraries using the Lumpkin and Dess model. Design/methodology/approach In this study, a structured questionnaire of entrepreneurial orientation was used. The research population consisted of 5,000 librarians of Iranian public libraries who were selected using Krejcie and Morgan table (95% confidence level and p-value of 5%) and stratified the random sampling method. A total of 365 individuals were selected as the study sample. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive statistics (frequency, percent, mean, standard deviation and standard error mean) as well as inferential statistics (Pearson correlation, one-sample t-test, independent samples t-test and ANOVA. Findings The results showed that the mean level of entrepreneurial orientation of librarians was 2.92 with an average level (µ = 3). Librarians were at an average level (µ = 3) in terms of components of innovativeness (2.98), risk-taking (2.93) and proactiveness (3.02). The status of the autonomy component (2.53) was at an undesirable level (3 < µ), and only the competitive aggressiveness status (3.12) was at the desirable level (3 < µ). The analysis of the librarian’s entrepreneurial orientation based on demographic characteristics indicated that the male librarian’s entrepreneurial orientation was higher than the female librarian’s (p-value = 0.039). Meantime, librarians with library and information science degrees have less entrepreneurial orientation than the librarians with other (non-librarian and information science) degrees (p-value = 0.01). Also, the higher the librarian’s degree, the lower their entrepreneurial orientation will be (p-value = 0.000). In addition, there was no significant relationship between librarians’ age (p-value = 0.14), marital status (p-value = 0.15) or work experience (p-value = 0.388) and their entrepreneurial orientation. Practical implications Entrepreneurial orientation is one of the significant concepts in entrepreneurship of organizations. Accordingly, studying the concept of entrepreneurial orientation and formulating an appropriate strategy is of great importance in improving the performance of libraries because libraries can be more useful and appealing to library members by enhancing the entrepreneurial orientation of librarians, delivering new, unique and tailor-made services to users’ needs. Originality/value Not much research has been carried out on entrepreneurship in library and information sciences. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the entrepreneurial orientation of librarians based on their demographic characteristics.

Objective – To examine the human resources environment in Canadian libraries in order to assess readiness to accommodate change and to identify opportunities for human resources planning. The “8Rs” of the study were defined as recruitment, retirement, retention, remuneration, repatriation, rejuvenation, re-accreditation, and restructuring. Design – This study was undertaken in three phases over nearly three years through the use a variety of methods including literature review, analyses of existing data (Statistics Canada and library school graduate data), telephone interviews (with senior library administrators), focus groups (with representatives from Canadian Association of Research Libraries, Canadian Urban Libraries Council and Alberta Association of Library Technicians), print surveys (library institutions) and web-based surveys (of professional librarians and paraprofessional library staff). Setting – Canadian libraries that are not component branches of a system, and that employ professional librarians. Subjects – Stage I: 17 senior library administrators participated in telephone interviews and three focus groups were conducted. Stage II: Surveyed library administrators representing institutions. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to ensure geographical representation from each of Canada’s provinces and territories. Full census participation was conducted for members of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries and the Canadian Urban Libraries Council. The print survey instrument was distributed to 1,357 subjects; 461 completed surveys were returned (response rate of 34% with results for the total sample accurate within plus or minus 3.8 per centage points, 95 times out of 100). Stage III: Surveyed professional librarians and paraprofessional staff. Multi-stage random sampling was used to ensure representation of library staff from all library sectors and sufficient sub-sample sizes. Of the 12,472 individuals in the sampling frame, 8,626 were notified of their selection to participate in the web-based survey. Corrections were made to e-mail addresses and 7,569 e-mail invitations with the survey URL were sent successfully. Of the 8,626 potential respondents, 3,148 librarians and paraprofessionals participated (for a response rate of 37%). A non-random Canada-wide call for participation was distributed to library staff who had not been represented in the sampling frame via the listservs of 56 library associations. This provided an additional 1,545 respondents and the total sample size increased to 4,693 for a confidence interval of plus or minus 1.2%, 95 times out of 100. The non-random data from the Canada-wide call was kept in a separate dataset file. Methods – Stage I began with a literature review and analysis of existing Statistics Canada and library school graduate data. Three focus group sessions with representatives from Canadian Association of Research Libraries, Canadian Urban Libraries Council and Alberta Association of Library Technicians were held and in-depth telephone interviews were conducted in May 2003 with 17 senior library administrators. Transcripts were thematically coded and summarised. The interview guide is available as Appendix E of the report. The results of Stage I were used to inform the design of the two survey instruments (Stages II and III). Stage II was a 17-page print survey informed by insights gathered in Stage I and was sent to library directors in the summer of 2003. The print mail-out of the institutional survey was sent to libraries that employed at least one librarian and were not a component branch of another system. A copy of the institutional survey is available as Appendix C of the report. Stage III was a web-based survey of librarians and paraprofessional library staff undertaken in the summer of 2004 using random and non-random sampling methods. This survey was developed from insights gathered in Stages I and II. A copy of the individual survey is available as Appendix D of the report. Main results – The analytical focus of the 275-page report is on the broad Canadian library sector. Data and analysis are provided by type of library, type of staff, and by geographical regions where sufficient response rates have allowed reporting. Although the role of the paraprofessional is examined in many sections of the report, the principal focus is on the professional librarian. Nine sections of the report present results, analysis and strategic human resource planning implications. Highlights for the broad Canadian library environment are briefly described below. Each section of the report provides further breakdown by library sector, type of position, career stage and other variables that provide significant insight. Workplace Demographic Characteristics (Section C) This section provides demographic information about those in supervisory or management roles (62% of librarians), union density (67% of librarians and 79% of paraprofessional staff), longevity in career, part-time employment, and gender, along with other characteristics. Results conclude that visible minorities and Aboriginal staff are under-represented across all types of libraries and that few libraries recognise the credentials of immigrant librarians. Recruitment to the Profession and to the Organization (Section D) Positive exposure to libraries and librarians is the best predictor of librarianship as a career choice and there were no significant differences in the original motivations for choosing the professional librarian career between new professionals and senior librarians. In response to the open-ended question about motivation for choosing librarianship, none of the librarian respondents (n=1,823) indicated leadership, managing libraries or supervising others as their reason (p. 52). Many respondents indicated reasons for choosing the profession that are in alignment with the values of librarianship, but few indicated reasons that reflect the real nature of the librarians’ role. The average age of new librarian recruits is 37 (with little variation between sectors). Thirty per cent of paraprofessionals are interested in pursuing an MLIS degree; 29 per cent are not interested because they are satisfied with their current role. The major barriers for paraprofessionals wishing to pursue the MLIS degree are inadequate or unrecognised credentials (21% - although 45% of paraprofessionals have an undergraduate degree), geographic distance (33%), lack of money (48%), and lack of time (49%). Eighty per cent of libraries report that the major barrier to recruiting is budget constraints; other barriers include small size of library (60%), organizational hiring freeze (54%), inadequate librarian pay (54%), geographic location (52%), inadequate pool of qualified candidates (51%), and inadequate pool of interested candidates (50%). The ten most important and difficult-to-fill competencies when recruiting varied significantly for each sector: leadership potential, ability to respond flexibly to change, and ability to handle high-volume workload were the three highest-ranked competencies across all libraries. Retirement (Section E) Canadian libraries experienced librarian retirements (11% of total current workforce) and paraprofessional retirements (7% of total current workforce) between 1997 and 2002. During this period, 79 per cent of librarians retired before age 65. Forty per cent of librarians over age 50 estimate that they will retire between 55 and 60. Only 9 per cent of libraries have a succession plan. Staff Retention: Inter- and Intra-organizational Mobility (Section F) Librarians are satisfied with their work and stay in their organization because they like the job (85%), co-workers (84%), and workplace (79%). Seventy-seven per cent of senior librarians and 87% of senior paraprofessionals have been at their current library for more than 10 years. Sixty-nine per cent of librarians believe they are qualified to move to higher level positions, but 69% of institutions state that limited librarian turnover contributes to a lack of promotional opportunities. Education (Section G) Seventy-five per cent library administrators agree that MLIS programs equip graduates with needed competencies, but 58% recommended that the programs provide more management, business and leadership training. Seventy-six per cent of administrators believe that they have little or no input into curriculum content of MLIS programs. Overall evaluation of MLIS education by recent librarian entrants is not positive. Only forty-four per cent indicated that the program provided a realistic depiction of the job, while only 36% said the program provided a realistic expectation of work in their library sector. Recent librarian entrants (67%) were satisfied with the overall quality of their MLIS program, but few indicated that their program provided them with the necessary management skills (25%), leadership skills (20%), or business skills (12%) for their position. Recent library technician entrants were more satisfied (81%) with their programs’ success in providing general skills (87%), and providing a realistic depiction of the job (72%). Continuing Education (Section H) New librarians (72%) need a significant amount of ongoing training, but only 56% believe that their institution provides sufficient training opportunities. Only 30% of libraries have a routine method for determining training needs of librarians and fewer (13 %) have an evaluation method for training outcomes. In most cases, about half of those who received training reported that it improved their job performance. Quality of Work and Job Satisfaction (Section I) Librarians and paraprofessionals are satisfied with their jobs (79% for each) and librarians (72%) and paraprofessionals (61%) agree that their salary is fair. Most libraries offer a wide range of benefits to their employees, including life insurance (95%), pension plan (92%), and medical benefits (88%). Librarians (80%) and paraprofessionals (70%) are satisfied with their benefits. Although a low percentage of librarians agreed that they have little job stress (24%) and only 39% found their workload to be manageable, 62% of librarians agree that their work allows work, family and personal life balance. The statistics are slightly more positive for paraprofessionals. There is a gap between the desire to be treated with respect (98% for all workers) and the perception that respect is conveyed (77% of librarians and 75% of paraprofessionals). A similar gap exists between desire to be involved in decision-making and actual involvement. The two most important factors for job satisfaction for all library workers are respectful treatment and a job that allows them to learn new skills and grow. Numerical Librarian Demand-Supply Match (Section J) Libraries hired more librarians than they lost in 2002, for a net three per cent increase. Many library administrators believe that there will be a five-year increased demand for librarians (77%) and paraprofessionals (81%). The short-term supply (next 5 years) of new librarians to replace departures due to retirements is predicted to have the capacity to fill 98 per cent of the current librarian positions; the capacity to replace library technicians is 99 per cent. The long-term supply (next 10 years) of new librarians to replace departures due to retirements is predicted to have the capacity to fill 89 per cent of the current librarian positions; the capacity to fill technician positions is identical. These predictions are based on no growth in the number of positions in the future. Match Between Organizational Job Function Demand and Individual Staff Supply of Skills, Abilities, Talents, Interests (Section K) Libraries report that increased use of information technologies (87%) and re-engineering (61%) have contributed the greatest change in the roles of librarians. Libraries report that more librarians have been required to perform a wider variety of tasks in the past five years (93%) and that this trend will continue over the coming five years (94%). A high percentage of libraries (86%) reported that over the past five years librarians have been expected to perform more management functions and 56% of mid-career and senior librarians believed this had occurred. Libraries (88%) believe that this trend will continue; only 44% of librarians indicate interest in performing management functions. Mid-career and senior librarians report that job stress has increased over five years ago. Requirements to work harder (55%), perform more difficult tasks (56%), perform a wider variety of tasks (69%), and perform more managerial functions (56%) are the contributing factors. The performance of a wider variety of tasks and more difficult tasks was significantly related to the assessment by librarians that their jobs were more enjoyable, interesting, rewarding and challenging. Institutions (78%) reported the increased need for paraprofessionals to perform librarian tasks over the past five years and believe that this will continue (77%). Only 28% of paraprofessionals believe they are currently required to perform more librarian tasks. Conclusion – The need to confirm the existence and magnitude of the crisis that will be created by upcoming retirements in Canadian libraries was a primary motivator for this study. Conclusive results were obtained that should inform each sector and geographic area in Canada. The percentages of staff over the age of 55 (librarians: 25%; paraprofessionals: 21%) is much greater than that of the Canadian workforce (11%). If there is no growth in the number of positions needed, there will be no short-term supply-demand crisis to fill the gaps left by retirements. There will be a librarian and technician shortage in ten years (a shortfall of 11% of the current supply) and a more significant crisis if the predicted growth in staffing is factored in. Recruitment to the librarian and technician professions is critical and the paraprofessional staff may be a potential pool of future MLIS candidates if the accessibility issues associated with the programs are addressed. Only nine per cent of organizations have a succession plan in place. There is great opportunity for the development of strategic solutions. In response to the open-ended question about motivation for choosing librarianship, no respondent indicated leadership, managing libraries or supervising others as their reason. This is of concern when 62% of librarians today work in a managerial role. Management and leadership skills are a significant concern for recent graduates, administrators, and librarians, with all indicating that the workplace needs are greater than the current preparedness. More cooperation with MLIS programs and professional associations is essential to ensure that leadership and management skill development are supported through the curricula and continuing education planning. Organizations must also develop and support a culture where leadership is encouraged and expected, and recognised. There is a need for further development of continuing education opportunities, and training needs assessment and outcome assessment programs may be beneficial. Paraprofessionals and new librarians are less satisfied with the workplace training opportunities available to them than librarians in later stages of their careers. Role change will continue in libraries and planning will be essential to ensure that restructuring reflects the competencies that will be needed in the new mix. Workload and job stress appear to be rising and will require careful monitoring. There may be opportunity to define roles for “other” professionals in libraries. Library staff have a tendency to stay in their institution for much of their career, making decisions in the recruitment and hiring processes of critical importance. Loss of employees due to turnover is not a problem for most libraries, but the lack of turnover has affected the promotional opportunities for those who desire upward mobility. An interesting recommendation was made that two or more libraries may realise both cost savings and benefits through the sharing of staffing resources. If issues surrounding credentials can be addressed, there may be a potential pool of future immigrant librarians.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to stress the importance of including visible minority librarians in the process of succession planning in academic libraries. In Canada visible minorities is the accepted term used for librarians of color. This paper identifies the challenges faced by these librarians in putting their names forward for administrative/leadership positions and proposes ideas on how to include these librarians in the succession planning processes so the leadership/administrative pool can also reflect the multicultural student demographics. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is an extensive study of the literature on succession planning and visible minority or ethnic librarians in the academic libraries. Literature shows that the senior administration of academic libraries does not reflect the population demographic it serves. Findings – This paper shows that visible minority librarians are not proactively found, recruited, retained. They are certainly not being included in succession planning processes. It suggests that academic libraries follow certain processes and strategies to include these librarians in their succession planning. Research limitations/implications – The paper focusses widely on North American visible minorities, but this information is applicable to any community with visible minorities. Practical implications – Libraries can start thinking about creating strategies for including visible minority libraries in their succession planning processes. Originality/value – This paper addresses a gap in the literature. Literature review showed that there are no papers that speak to the importance of including minority librarians in the succession planning processes.

The study explored the relationship between interpersonal relations and job satisfaction of librarians in the university libraries in Southern Nigeria. The study employed the ex-post-facto survey design with a population of 841 respondents consisting of all the librarians in federal, state and private university libraries that are located in Southern part of Nigeria. The study employed total enumeration (purposive) sampling technique to select eight hundred and forty-one (841) respondents for the study. The questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. Data were collected and analysed with descriptive statistics such as Mean and Standard Deviation (SD). The demographic data of the respondents were, however, analysed with frequency counts. One research question was answered and one research hypothesis tested in this study. Research questions 1 and hypothesis 1 were answered and tested using Pearson‟s Product Moment Correlation. The study found that, significant relationship existed between interpersonal relations and job satisfaction of librarians in the university libraries in Southern Nigeria. It was also found that interpersonal relations influenced job satisfaction among librarians. The study recommended that in order to boost job satisfaction of librarians in the university libraries, administrators of university libraries should create enabling environment that will motivate job satisfaction. Library administrators should ensure that they facilitate the sponsorship of librarians. In addition, management of university libraries in Southern Nigeria should endeavour to send staff on courses on interpersonal relations and workshops order to emhance their job satisfaction.

It is now commonplace to see surnames written in the Irish language in Ireland, yet there is no online resource for checking the standard spelling and grammar of Irish-language surnames. We propose a data structure for handling Irish-language surnames which comprises bilingual (Irish–English) clusters of surname forms. We present the first open, data-driven linguistic database of common Irish-language surnames, containing 664 surname clusters, and a method for deriving Irish-language inflected forms. Unlike other Irish surname dictionaries, our aim is not to list variants or explain origins, but rather to provide standard Irish-language surname forms via the web for use in the educational, cultural, and public spheres, as well as in the library and information sciences. The database can be queried via a web application, and the dataset is available to download under an open licence. The web application uses a comprehensive list of surname forms for query expansion. We envisage the database being applied to name authority control in Irish libraries to provide for bilingual access points.

A Review of: Rabina, D. L., & Walczyk, D. J. (2007). Information professionals’ attitude toward the adoption of innovations in everyday life. Information Research, 12(4), 1-15. Objective – This study examined the general characteristics and patterns of librarians in connection with their willingness to adopt information and communication technologies. Design – Online questionnaire. Setting – General distribution to information professionals through online inquiry. More than 70% of responders worked in public or academic libraries. Subjects – Librarians and library staff at mostly public and academic libraries. Methods – The study was conducted during a two week period in April 2006 through an online questionnaire that was sent to library and librarian-related electronic mail lists. The questionnaire was divided into two parts and contained a total of 39 questions. Part one contained eight questions that asked for demographic data and the respondent’s daily attitude toward the adoption of information and communication technologies. Questions regarding age, number of years worked in a library, career, type of library environment worked in, and primary responsibilities within that environment were asked. For one question the respondents were asked to identify which of the categories they fall under when adopting a new technology. The results from part one were used to consider the innovativeness of librarians. The results from part two were used for a study of opinions on innovations and their relative advantage. Main Results – A total of 1,417 responses were received. Of those, 1,128 were fully completed and considered valid and used for inquiry. The majority of respondents worked in public or academic libraries. Nine hundred and twenty-six respondents, or 88%, were from the U.S. and represented more than 300 distinct zip codes. Two hundred and two respondents, or 12%, were international respondents. This study notes that the sociologist, Everett Rogers, identified and defined five adopter categories in 1958. Those categories are: innovators, early adapters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. The findings of this study indicate that regardless of the demographic variables considered, more than 60% of respondents, the majority of librarians surveyed, fall into two contrasting adapter categories: early adopters and early majority. The study suggests that the efficient and effective diffusion of new technologies in library settings may be difficult. Three problematic areas among librarians for the dissemination of innovation were identified: conflicting opinions among multiple opinion leaders, deceleration in the rate of adoption, and improper re-invention. The findings of the study also suggest that “contrary to common beliefs, librarians in academic or special libraries are no more innovative than public or school librarians” (Conclusion, ¶3). Conclusion – The study concludes that librarians’ attitudes are unevenly distributed with most either accepting new innovations or being late adopters. The variables of age, role, tenure, and library type had little impact on the approach of the professional toward innovation. The identification of the three problem areas: opinion leadership, deceleration of adoption, and improper re-invention, represents where more time and effort may need to be spent to make the implementation of new technology a smoother process.

Formation of the Michigan Research Libraries Triangle consortium in 1991 served to bring the education librarians of Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University into a working relationship. The education programs at each institution have unique histories shaped by demographic, political and economic forces. The evolution of the programs profoundly influenced the physical and philosophical development of the education libraries at each institution and the education librarians have based their cooperation on the historic roles and unique strengths of each library 's collection. The level of activity and opportunityfor cooperation has fluctuated over the years due to institutional changes.

Policy surveillance is critical in examining the ways law functions as a structural and social determinant of health. To date, little policy surveillance research has focused on examining intrastate variations in the structure and health impact of laws. Intrastate policy surveillance poses unique methodological challenges because of the complex legal architecture within states and inefficient curation of local laws. We discuss our experience with these intrastate policy surveillance challenges in Indiana, a state with 92 counties and several populous cities, a complicated history of home rule, systemically underfunded local governments, and variations in demography, geography, and technology adoption. In our case study, we expended significant time and resources to obtain county and city ordinances through online code libraries, jurisdiction Web sites, and (most notably) visits to offices to scan documents ourselves. A concerted effort is needed to ensure that local laws of all kinds are stored online in organized, searchable, and open access systems. Such an effort is vital to achieve the aspirational goals of policy surveillance at the intrastate level.

Phylogenetic analyses can provide a wealth of information about the past demography of a population and the level of genetic diversity within and between species. By using special computer programs developed in recent years, large amounts of data have been produced in the molecular genetics area. To analyze these data, powerful new methods based on large computations have been applied in various software packages and programs. But these programs have their own specific input and output formats, and users need to create different input formats for almost every program. R is an open source software environment, and it supports open contribution and modification to its libraries. Furthermore, it is also possible to perform several analyses using a single input file format. In this article, by using the multiple sequences FASTA format file (.fas extension) we demonstrate and share a workflow of how to extract haplotypes and perform phylogenetic analyses and visualizations in R. As an example dataset, we used 120 Bombus terrestris dalmatinus mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cyt b) sequences (373 bp) collected from eight different beehives in Antalya. This article presents a short guide on how to perform phylogenetic analyses using R and RStudio.

Objective – To explore how public services librarians in academic libraries perceive their duties and experience job satisfaction especially in relation to faculty status (tenure track or non-tenure). Design – A multi-site study. Setting – Academic libraries in the United States. Subjects – Academic public service librarians. Methods – In March 2004, an online survey containing 25 questions was sent out to 1,510 academic librarians across the United States. The survey included demographic and professional work-related questions, but mainly focused on retrieving information about librarian feelings, thoughts, and perceptions in relation to six aspects of the role of the public service librarian, namely: reference, collections, publishing, teaching, committee, and management activities. The survey data was stored in an SQL database and analyzed in various ways to try to see if there were correlations in the replies. In some cases, Chi-square was used to test for statistical significance. Main results – 328 (22%) out of 1,510 potential replies were received. 74% came from public universities and 26% from private institutions. 23% of the respondent librarians had received their MLA before 1980, 34% between 1980 and 1994, and 43% 1995 or later. About 50% had worked as an academic librarian fewer than 10 years and 50% for 10 or more years. About 50% had worked at their current institution five years or fewer and the other 50% for six years or more. 49% had job descriptions which clearly indicated the relative emphasis of each of the main areas of their job. 50% came from tenure-track and non-tenure-track institutions alike. The librarians were asked to reply to “most” and “least” questions. The following lists show the most chosen responses (in %) to the questions. “Most” questions: 80% felt that they were most prepared for reference activities by their library school training. 50% felt most satisfied with doing reference activities. 25% felt that administrators viewed reference activities as being most important. 41% thought that reference activities had most service impact on users. 24% found teaching activities the most challenging aspect of their job. 49% had attended most training in the area of reference activities. 31% thought that reference activities would be most important for them 5 years later on (that is, at the date of publication of this review, 2009). For those with a position description, 49% had descriptions that most emphasized reference activity. For those in tenure-track positions, 78 % replied that publishing activities were most important for tenure. “Least” questions: 28% felt that they were least prepared for teaching activities by their library school training. 44% felt that committee activities were the least satisfactory part of their job. 33% felt that administrators regarded publishing as the least important aspect of the job. 49% thought that publishing activities would have the least service impact on users. 46% thought that committee activities were the least challenging. 31% had attended least training in publishing activities. 35% thought that publishing activities would be least important to them 5 years later. For those with a position description, 33% had descriptions that least emphasized publishing activities. For those in tenure-track positions, 31 % replied that management activities were least important for tenure. There was a correlation at an individual level between reference activities considered as having the most service impact on users and giving the most job satisfaction; and what the librarian thought was the most important to administrators. There was an overall correlation between what librarians found most challenging and the type of in-service training they had attended, with the notable exception of publishing. The area of scholarly publishing was perceived generally as the second most challenging area (18%) after teaching. However, very few (2%) replied that they had (recently) attended in-service training in this area. Librarians with publishing as a clear component of their job description were more likely to find publishing challenging and to say that it was an important component for their administrators. Publishing was clearly considered important for tenure. There were some statistically significant differences between more- and less-experienced librarians and more- and less-recently qualified librarians. In general (according to the authors), less experienced librarians tended to place more emphasis on teaching and committee activities, whereas more experienced librarians tended to emphasize collection development and management. Conclusions – Generally, the authors conclude that “librarians feel that they are in tune with their library administrators” (360). The authors found a clear link between in-service training opportunities chosen by librarians and the areas that the librarians thought that the administration regarded as important. However, there seems to be discord between the requirements for tenure (the majority ranked publishing as most important for tenure) and the service needs of users, librarian job satisfaction, and the perceived demands of administrators. The authors conclude that academic librarianship is at a “crossroads” where “librarians need to decide how and if publishing activities can be successfully balanced with other job components that are arguably more central to the library’s mission” (363).

A Review of: Oltmann, S. M. (2019). Important Factors in Midwestern Public Librarians’ Views on Intellectual Freedom and Collection Development: Part 1. The Library Quarterly, 89(1), 2-15. https://doi.org/10.1086/700659 Abstract Objective – The article sought to explore whether librarian attitudes regarding intellectual freedom conform to the stance of the American Library Association (ALA). Design – Electronic survey. Setting – Public libraries in the Midwestern United States. Subjects – Subjects were 645 collection development library professionals employed in public libraries. Methods – An electronic survey was distributed to public library directors in nine Midwestern states and was completed by the library professional primarily responsible for collection development. The survey focused on community information and probed the participants for their stances on several intellectual freedom topics. Main Results – The survey was sent to 3,018 participants via each state’s librarian and had a response rate of 21.37%. The first section of the survey focused on broad strokes statements representing the ALA’s stance on intellectual freedom for public libraries. The results revealed widespread agreement on these issues. More than 88% of participants agreed with statements like “public libraries should provide their clients with access to information from a variety of sources.” Despite strong agreement among participants, particular demographic characteristics were more likely to lead to disagreement with all statements including working in rural communities and not holding a master’s degree in library science. The next section of the survey focused on how strongly participants’ personal beliefs conformed to the intellectual freedom statements in the ALA’s Library Code of Ethics. Again, there was widespread agreement, with 94.9% of participants indicating that they agreed with the statement “we uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library materials.” Only one participant disagreed with the statement “it is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction.” When asked whether the ALA’s stance on intellectual freedom ever conflicted with their personal beliefs, 39.8% of participants indicated that it did, 22% were unsure, and 40% had never experienced conflict. Participants holding a master's degree in library science and librarians in large cities were less likely to experience conflict between their personal beliefs and the ALA’s stance on intellectual freedom. In the free text comments, several participants indicated that they experienced conflict when the ALA’s stance did not reflect their personal beliefs or community values. Conclusion – While the overwhelming majority of respondents indicated that they agreed with the ALA’s stance on intellectual freedom, a minority of participants experienced some conflict. Respondents indicated that personal belief could create conflict when librarians committed to intellectual freedom were required to make choices in their professional work that conflicted with their own views. Conflict could also arise when collection choices made to support intellectual freedom were not supported by patrons in the community.

This article describes a mixed methods research study of current Pennsylvania librarians to understand the phenomena of cultural intelligence within Pennsylvania libraries. The researcher surveyed Pennsylvania Library Association membership in September 2019. Survey participants took a cultural intelligence assessment, responded to qualitative questions, and addressed demographic questions. Overall, participants had varying levels of cultural intelligence, felt that cultural intelligence was important to their organizations and found value in its application. The results can inform library professionals and human resources about the importance of incorporation of cultural intelligence within everyday practices and communication with staff within libraries. Developing cultural intelligence through training and other activities will also impact the communities in which we serve. Best practices with cultural intelligence should be recorded and shared with other Pennsylvania libraries.

Introduction: As the other worker, librarian could be got occupational stress because of their duties. However, the duties of librarians and library staff seem trivial and monotonous to the general public. Precisely because it looks trivial and monotonous, research needs to be done related to work stress experienced by librarians and library staff. Aim of this study were to assessed the work stress experienced by librarians and library staff also analyze work stress related factors among librarians and library staff. Methods: In this observational analytic research that has cross sectional designed, occupational stress level was measured by HSE questionnaire and role conflict, carrier development and responsibility to person in organization were calculated by questionnaire in Manpower Minister Decree number 5 2018. Results: Most of the librarian and library staff experienced moderate level of occupational stress. Analysis of chi-square results proved that role conflicts and carrier development significantly related to occupational stress that was experienced by librarian and library staff in Airlangga University. On the other hand, the other variables of socio-demographic and responsibility to person in organization have no significant relationship. Conclusion: Almost all levels of work stress on librarians and library staff are middle to high level with factors related to role conflict and career development.Keywords: Indonesia, librarian, occupational stress, university

A review of: Markey, Karen, Annie Armstrong, Sandy De Groote, Michael Fosmire, Laura Fuderer, Kelly Garrett, Helen Georgas, Linda Sharp, Cheri Smith, Michael Spaly, and JoniE. Warner. “Testing the Effectiveness of Interactive Multimedia for Library-User Education.” portal: Libraries & the Academy 5.4 (Oct. 2005): 527-54. Objective –To demonstrate the effectiveness of interactive multimedia tutorials in delivering library educational content, and to evaluate librarian experiences of developing multimedia tutorials, both as part of the LUMENS (Drabenstott) project. Design – User study (questionnaire and interviews) using pretest-posttest design. Setting – Four academic libraries in the United States. One library dropped out during the course of the project. Subjects – Ninety university students from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame participated in the main study to evaluate three of the tutorials: “Doing research an introduction to the concepts of online searching,” “How to read a scientific paper,” and “Hungry for information?” Another group of 15 subjects from UIC, consisting of 10 graduate students, 2 faculty, 2 librarians, and one fellow, assessed a fourth tutorial “Keeping current in your field.” Librarians were interviewed about their experiences producing the interactive multimedia tutorials. Methods – The 90 students were given a pretest containing questions about library educational content and five demographic questions. The students used the multimedia tutorial for 15-30 minutes and immediately afterward were given a posttest containing comparable questions to the pretest in terms of content and difficulty. The students were also asked to rate their experiences of using the tutorials in various ways on a scale from 0-10. At UIC, the experiences of the subjects using the multimedia tutorial were assessed by personal interviews. Librarians producing the multimedia tutorials were asked about their experiences of developing multimedia tutorials through e-mail, listserv discussion, phone calls, and face-to-face personal and group interviews. Main results – All three libraries measured a significant increase (using a one sample t-test, p75%) of students were familiar with tutorial content before start. Despite this, most of the students found the tutorials useful and enjoyable, and the majority were fairly likely to recommend the tutorial to a friend. Interviews with subjects at UIC revealed similar experiences, except that the subjects were less familiar with the tutorial content at the beginning, and they were more likely to return to the tutorial for a refresher. The tutorial with the highest amount of interactivity was the most popular. The librarians found it difficult to find time to learn Macromedia Flash and to work within the LUMENS project generally. Eight out of 15 librarians remained with the project over the entire period. Conclusion – Students learned library educational content by using multimedia tutorials and seemed to enjoy the experience, and educational librarians should lead multi-expert project teams in tutorial production. Finally, the educational value of multimedia tutorials must be offset from the time and effort needed to produce them.

The paper presents for the first time the analysis of the main aspects of multicultural library work in Russia and the Federal Republic of Germany, based on the data of questionnaire survey conducted by the author in the libraries of two countries. The author considers the terminology used by modern Russian and German libraries in the course of work with migrants. The paper gives definitions and shows the difference in approaches to the use of terms “intercultural library work”, “polycultural library service” and “multicultural library service”. The author reveals that both Russian and German libraries do not mostly maintain statistical records on migrant users. The paper compares the data indicating insufficient knowledge on the interests of readers with migration background. The author revealed institutions of different levels providing statistical data that use the libraries of two countries to analyze the ethnic groups living in the library service area and to clarify the demographic and social characteristics of individual migrant groups. The paper highlights the forms of upgrade qualifications for librarians involved in the development and provision of multicultural services. The survey shows that the important characteristic of German librarians who work with multicultural users is their belonging to a group of migrants. Based on the data obtained, the author concludes that work with migrants in Russia and Germany is mainly funded from the general budget of the library. The author identifies the sources of targeted funding for multicultural work in libraries, as well as the approximate size of the budget allocated for the acquisition of collections for migrants. The paper considers the forms of acquisition and criteria for selecting documents in the languages of migrants. The author presents the comparison of the main forms of mass work with migrants in the libraries of Russia and Germany, as well as identifies the activities that are not held in Russian libraries, but are of interest from the point of view of implementation in the domestic practice.

Introduction: Previous research has identified various types of embedded librarianship – the clinical informationist, the academic liaison librarian, and the special librarian within a corporation. There is far less mention of librarians who are embedded in health research teams; however, the authors’ personal experiences indicate these positions are not rare. The research-embedded health librarian (REHL) provides tailored, intensive information services to a health research team in which the REHL is integrated. This research study aims to describe the REHL workforce in Canada, noting how the characteristics of both the positions and the individuals holding them differ from those of health librarians in more traditional librarian roles. Methods: As Part I of a two-part mixed methods study, an electronic survey was distributed to Canadian health librarians. The survey gathered demographic data on all respondents and information on the work environments and experiences of self-identified REHL respondents. Descriptive data analysis was conducted, and statistical differences between REHLs and non-REHLs were calculated. Results: One hundred and ninety-one individuals completed the survey, with 39 (20%) self-identifying as REHLs. The results indicated that REHLs tend to be both younger and newer to the profession than librarians in non-REHL positions. They are more likely to work for research institutes and nonprofit organizations, and they are less likely to work in hospital environments. They are also more likely to be hired on term-specific contracts than on a permanent basis. Discussion: More survey respondents identified themselves as REHLs than was anticipated, which may indicate that this a growing segment of the health librarian workforce. The high number of contract positions could be one explanation for why REHLs tend to be younger librarians or librarians who are newer to the profession, as they are just starting out in their careers. The predominance of contract positions is likely influenced by the high number of jobs in research institutes or nonprofit organizations where continuance of the positions is dependent on securing grant funding.

A Review of: Soria, K. M. (2013). Factors predicting the importance of libraries and research activities for undergraduates. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 39(6), 464-470. Objective – The purpose is to analyze characteristics and perceptions of undergraduate students to determine factors that predict the importance of library and research activities for the students. Design – Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey questionnaire. Setting – Nine large, public, research universities in the United States of America. Subjects – 16,778 undergraduates who completed the form of the survey that included the academic engagement module questions. Methods – The researcher used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze student responses. Descriptive statistics included coding demographic, collegiate, and academic variables, as well as student perceptions of the importance of library and research activities. These were used in the inferential statistical analyses. Ordinary least squares regression and factor analysis were used to determine variables and factors that correlated to students’ perceptions of the importance of libraries and research activities. Main Results – The response rate for the overall SERU survey was 38.1%. The results showed that the majority of students considered having access to a “world-class library collection,” learning research methods, and attending a university with “world-class researchers” to be important. The regression model explained 22.7% of variance in the importance students placed on libraries and research activities; factors important to the model covered demographics, collegiate, and academic variables. Four variables created in factor analysis (academic engagement, library skills, satisfaction with libraries and research, and faculty interactions) were significantly correlated with the importance students placed on libraries and research activities. The most important predictors in the model were: student satisfaction, interest in a research or science profession, interest in medical or health-related profession, academic engagement, and academic level. Conclusion – Based on the results of this study, librarians should be able to tailor their marketing to specific student groups to increase the perception of importance of libraries by undergraduates. For example, more success may be had marketing to students who are Hispanic, Asian, international, interested in law, psychology or research professions as the study found these students place more importance on libraries and research activities than other groups. These students may be targeted for being peer advocates for the libraries. Further research is suggested to more fully understand factors that influence the value undergraduate students place on libraries and find ways to increase the value of libraries and research activities for those demographic groups who currently rate the importance lower.

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a business plan for libraries to offer profitable passport services to patrons.Design/methodology/approachGives an overview of demographic, financial, and management profiles of California libraries that offer passport services. Presents a plan for introducing passport service in two California libraries.FindingsCurrent political and demographic environments for the two libraries make the introduction of passport services a potentially lucrative opportunity.Research limitations/implicationsLittle to no correlation was found between patron demographics of libraries currently offering passport services and the amount of revenue the services produce.Practical implicationsPassport services may provide libraries a simple but effective way to supplement their budgets.Originality/valueSuggests an innovative way for libraries to increase relevance to patrons through services as well as create a stable funding source.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to create an information literacy (IL) instruction assessment tool that responds to the unique needs of individual institutions and provides a strategic and relevant model for assessing IL skills among undergraduate students. Design/methodology/approach – The research team designed a post-test questionnaire comprised of two demographic questions, two open-ended questions and a pool of skill-based multiple-choice questions mapped to Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy (ACRL IL) Competency Standards for Higher Education. Participating librarians used a customized questionnaire to assess student learning at the end of their one-shot instruction sessions. Findings – In their responses to the multiple-choice questions, students demonstrated a clear understanding of ethical use of information and a strong ability to select appropriate tools for accessing information sources. Student responses to the open-ended questions revealed a wide range of confidence and ability levels, and provided insight into the frequency, depth and breadth with which various ACRL Standards are being addressed in library sessions. Research limitations/implications – This paper reports on student responses to questions that have subsequently been identified as problematic; therefore, strong inferences cannot be made about student learning from these responses. Questions have since been improved with further revision. In addition, the sample sizes for individual questions were too small to be generalizable. Practical implications – The intentional and strategic approach to the development of the assessment tool and its implementation is that it be practical and easy to implement for partner libraries. It is intended to make assessment of IL in the undergraduate context be assessable to all academic librarians who desire to participate. Originality/value – This paper describes a unique assessment tool that is designed to be responsive to local needs and provide a cost-free assessment option for academic libraries.

Local government units are developing in an increasingly complex environment that is a place of concentration of economic activity and is a creator of local and regional development. Their activities target all types of resources, i.e., financial, human, material and information. The aim of the article is to rating the diversity of infrastructure of rural communes of Eastern Poland in relation to development. The measurements were carried out using a synthetic measure in a system of 484 communes. Data from the Local Data Bank for 2009-2018 was used as the source material. Development is a general process, multi-dimensional process, covering economic, social, environmental, political and cultural aspects. Regions with a high level of infrastructure development are areas recognized by investors and residents as attractive places for doing business and living. The level of infrastructure development in a given local system in terms of its structure, location, quality and accessibility has a very strong impact on its development. In 2018, the infrastructure measure ranged from 0.23 (best unit) to 0.91 (the weakest unit), and from 0.35 to 0.91 in 2009. In 2018, the measure of development ranged from 0.43 to 0.82, while it ranged from 0.52 to 0.84 in 2009. This indicates a similar range of unit diversity and similar actions undertaken in the economy. Units in the aspect of the measure of development and infrastructure differed the least in the aspect of entrepreneurship, demography and labor market as well as the financial situation, and the most in the aspect of infrastructure and development. The level of infrastructure of Eastern Polish rural communes was shaped primarily by the development process and financial situation but also by the number of people costing from libraries, sewage system and water supply as well as housing resources.

A Review of: Murray, A. (2015). Academic libraries and high-impact practices for student retention: Library deans’ perspectives. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 15(3), 471-487. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/pla.2015.0027 Abstract Objective – To investigate the perceived alignment between academic library services and high-impact practices (HIPs) that affect student retention. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – Public comprehensive universities in the United States of America with a Carnegie classification of master’s level as of January 2013. Subjects – 68 library deans or directors out of the 271 who were originally contacted. Methods – The author used Qualtrics software to create a survey based on the HIPs, tested the survey for reliability, and then distributed it to 271 universities. Library services were grouped into 1 of 3 library scales: library collection, library instruction, or library facilities. The survey consisted of a matrix of 10 Likert-style questions addressing the perceived level of alignment between the library scales and the HIPs. Each question provided an opportunity for the respondent to enter a “brief description of support practices” (p 477). Additional demographic questions addressed the years of experience of the respondent, undergraduate student enrollment of the university, and whether librarians held faculty rank. Main Results – The author measured Pearson correlation coefficients and found a positive correlation between the library scales and the HIPs. All three library scales displayed a moderately strong positive correlation between first-year seminars and experiences (HIP 1), common intellectual experiences (HIP 2), writing-intensive courses (HIP 4), undergraduate research (HIP 6), diversity and global learning (HIP 7), service learning and community-based learning (HIP 8), internships (HIP 9), and capstone courses and projects (HIP 10). The library collections scale and library facilities scale displayed a moderately strong correlation with learning communities (HIP 3) and collaborative assignments and projects (HIP 5). The library instruction scale displayed a strong positive correlation with HIP 3 and a very strong positive correlation with HIP 5. Each of the positive correlations was of high significance. As the rating of library alignment with each HIP increased, so did the total rating of each library scale. Along with the quantitative data, various themes for each HIP relating to the library’s support practices emerged from the qualitative feedback. No significant trends were noted from the demographic questions. Conclusion – Library deans or directors can utilize the conceptual framework presented in this study to connect the impact of library services to terminology and practices commonly understood by university administrators. Further research using the conceptual framework would benefit future discussion on how academic libraries measure impact or success of their library services.

Purpose – Libraries need library leaders who are able to follow the changes and developments and keep pace with them, manage and shape the changes, bring theories and practices together, be solution-oriented, people-oriented, environment-oriented, well-appointed, successful, and creative, because of the rapid developments and continuous changes. In this context, it has become more important for library managers to improve their leadership skills. In the scope of this study, a questionnaire study has been conducted with staff working in 168 different university central libraries. Information form, consisting of 16 questions about librarians’ demographic characteristics and manager satisfaction and Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire is used for data accumulation. The purpose of this paper is to determine library managers’ leadership approaches in private and public university libraries of Turkey and to survey library staff's satisfaction with their managers. Design/methodology/approach – This research is a methodological and descriptive research. Original sample of this research consists of 168 university central library in total (103 public-65 private) and approximately 500 library employee 183 library employees from 20 public university central libraries (108 employees) and 13 private university central libraries responded. Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, so sample of this research consists of 33 libraries and 183 questionnaire answers. 20.62 percent of the library employees of the target group had responded the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Findings – In total, 183 employees (108 public and 75 private university central libraries) from 33 university central libraries are responded to Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Multiple responses were gained from 183 library employees of whom 57.4 percent (105) were female and 42.6 percent (78) were male. When the age distribution is concerned it has determined that 25.1 percent (46) of the participants were centered on 26-34 age group. Other age distributions are defined as in the following: ages 20-25, 19.7 percent (36); ages 31-35, 18.6 percent (34); ages 36-40, 13.7 percent (25); ages 41-45, 15.8 percent (29); and age 46 and over, 7.1 percent. Originality/value – As with all organizations, library managers with leadership qualities are needed in the field of library science. Organizational structures of libraries are constantly changing. Libraries need library leaders who are able to follow the changes and developments and keep pace with them, manage and shape the changes, bring theories and practices together, be solution-oriented, people-oriented, environment-oriented, well-appointed, successful, and creative, because of the rapid developments and continuous changes.

This paper explores the dynamic international student populations within Canadian academic institutions and their relationship with the academic library. The international student body has evolving needs that must be adequately addressed by the library and institution if growing numbers are to continue being supported. Plagiarism, language barriers, and an unawareness of library services are well-known barriers to success, while more current issues such as changing technologies are equally problematic. Through such efforts as hiring an international student librarian, academic libraries may discover the specific issues facing their institution’s international students and begin the process of addressing them in a tailored manner. Data collection would be a priority for better understanding the international students, as would partnering with professors and student organizations to market library services and promote information literacy in a Canadian context. The international student librarian may also provide continued outreach to this demographic that is inclusive, proactive, and collaborative, which would in turn create an atmosphere that fosters international student success and is able to support rising numbers.

A Review of: Oltmann, S. M. (2019). Important factors in Midwestern public librarians’ views on intellectual freedom and collection development: Part 2. The Library Quarterly, 89(2), 156-172. https://doi.org/10.1086/702203 Abstract Objective – To explore how librarian attitudes regarding intellectual freedom and demographic factors influence collection development decisions. Design – Online survey. Setting – Public libraries in the Midwestern United States. Subjects – 645 collection development library professionals employed in public libraries. Methods – An electronic survey was distributed to 3,018 public library directors in nine Midwestern states and completed by the library professional primarily responsible for collection development (Oltmann, 2019, p. 6). The survey had a 21.37% response rate. The survey focused on intellectual freedom in the management of collections and probed the participants for their experiences and influences in making collection development decisions. The survey also asked participants to make hypothetical purchasing and holdings decisions for library materials based on a short description of the material. Main Results – Participants indicated that they used a variety of different tools for the selection of materials including patron requests. Of the participants, 45.7% indicated that their library had a policy, practice, or metric to assess the balance of their collections, while 54.3% indicated that their libraries did not have policy or method in place for ensuring that their collection was balanced. Of the respondents, 73.4% felt that local community values should be considered in collection development decision, but 62.3% said that this should not be the most important factor in decisions. Overall, the political leaning of the community did not have an impact on participants’ alignment with the ALA's stances on intellectual freedom. Most respondents (73.4%) felt that government library funding bodies should have an influence over collection development decisions. Some respondents indicated they felt internal pressure from other library staff or the library board to purchase particular materials (28.1%) or relocate materials (14.1%). Respondents also indicated that they felt external pressure from their communities to purchase (32%) or restrict or withdraw (19.1%) materials. In the hypothetical purchasing scenario, most librarians indicated that they would purchase the majority of items. Some participants (39.8%) felt tension between their personal and professional views on intellectual freedom. Conclusion – The first part of this article found that holding an MLS degree had a significant impact on participants' stance on intellectual freedom and alignment with the American Library Association (ALA) principles. This part indicated that they also felt greater pressure to withdraw, acquire, and manage particular materials in their collections and felt more tension between their personal and professional stances on intellectual freedom. Age, gender, duration of work, and community political affiliations significantly impacted only some of the participants' responses. Overall, there was general support for intellectual freedom and alignment with the ALA principles; however, 40% of respondents indicated tension between their personal and professional beliefs about intellectual freedom.

This article attempts to identify the interests and values of modern teenagers who live in a large peripheral city and attend events that are regularly held in municipal libraries. The main possible types of work of a modern library and secondary school are not only the recommendation of educational and extracurricular literature, events, Olympiads and competitions, but also the education of library culture among schoolchildren. The library is forced to infiltrate the school to keep up with school education. To do this, it is necessary to organize joint work with representatives of specific schools (their principals, head teachers, interested teachers and parents), as well as with higher-level organizations of municipal and regional levels. It was supposed to find out what is the basis of the attitude of adolescent schoolchildren to reading as a process and as a value. The article is based on the eponymous research conducted by the Izhevsk city libraries in 2019. The study showed a fairly high degree of interest of modern schoolchildren in the services that can be provided in municipal libraries. The main topics of information needed by respondents were identified. We also managed to determine the preferred genres of books. Respondents named their favorite authors and expressed their attitude to reading and reading people. Thanks to the results obtained, librarians are able to improve the culture of library services for library visitors of different socio-demographic groups and plan their professional activities more carefully.

A Review of: Arch, X., & Gilman, I. (2019). First principles: Designing services for first-generation students. College & Research Libraries, 80(7), 996–1012. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.80.7.996 Abstract Objective – To provide recommendations for academic libraries in supporting first-generation college students, defined by the study’s authors “either as those whose parents have no college experience or did not graduate with a bachelor’s degree” (p. 996). Design – Multidisciplinary literature review and two qualitative survey questionnaires. Setting – United States secondary and post-secondary schools. Subjects – College Counsellor Survey: 300 private/parochial, private/secular, public, and charter secondary/high schools in rural, suburban, and urban areas randomly selected from across all 50 states. Academic Library Survey: Academic libraries at 100 four-year institutions. Methods – College Counsellor Survey: An online survey was sent to potential subjects via email. The survey included basic demographic questions and open-ended questions about counsellors’ perceptions of the challenges faced by first-generation college students, the types of institutional support they need, and how academic libraries could offer support. The answers were analyzed in NVivo using a combination of inductive and axial coding in order to develop a set of themes reflecting the most commonly-mentioned challenges and support needs. Academic Library Survey: A survey invitation was sent directly to library deans and directors at 100 four-year institutions and to two academic library electronic mailing lists. The survey included questions about services academic libraries offer for first-generation students. The data were analyzed to determine whether academic libraries were offering services that matched the thematic areas identified in the College Counsellor Survey. Main Results – College Counselor Survey: The response rate was 24% (n=78). There were six themes which were identified regarding challenges and support needs for first-generation students: Academic and Tutoring, Social and Cultural, Home and Family, Navigating College, Financial, and Mentoring and Advising. Recommendations for library support included library participation in first-generation student orientations, library instruction in research methods, and conveying that librarians are welcoming and friendly. Academic Library Survey: Out of the 59 responding libraries, 19 reported offering services designed for first-generation students, while 6 additional libraries reported offering services they believed would be useful for first-generation students, though they were not designed for them specifically. The library services addressed needs relating to the Academic and Tutoring, Navigating College, and Financial themes. The library services did not address the needs relating to the Social and Cultural, Home and Family, and Mentoring and Advising themes. Conclusion – Based on the surveys and literature review, the authors provide recommendations for academic library services for first-generation students that address each of the six thematic areas of need. The recommendations include, but are not limited to, assigning liaisons for first-generation programs, working to create an inclusive and affirming library environment, designing library spaces that support the multiple social roles and identities of first-generation students, helping family members of first-generation students become aware of the library as a resource, providing training on applying for financial aid, and having librarians either provide outreach to mentorship programs or become mentors themselves.

The socially-demographic and political features of an information society influencing libraries on the basis of information and globalisation megatendencies are characterized in the paper. Mission of libraries as humanistic symbol of the nation is specified

Do librarians with different characteristics, such as type of work responsibilities or age, have different learning styles? The authors analyzed results from over 1,500 responses to a version of the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire based on the Felder-Silverman Learning Styles model. This model consists of eight dimensions paired on four scales: Active/Reflective; Sensing/Intuitive; Visual/Verbal; and Sequential/Global. In addition to their scores on the ILS questionnaire, respondents were also asked about demographic and professional characteristics. Statistically significant differences in learning style scores were found to exist between librarians with different types of position responsibilities. In particular, for three out of four scales, catalogers have statistically different learning styles than other librarian groups. Recognition of different learning styles and thoughtful integration of appropriate teaching styles may improve workplace interpersonal communication, enhance professional development and staff training, and strengthen teaching.

Purpose This study aims to explore the factors affecting the adoption of digital reference services (DRS) among the university librarians in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Based on the adapted unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, the proposed study tested 12 hypothetical relationships through structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques. The study approach was quantitative based on a questionnaire distributed online to a sample of Pakistani university librarians and completed by 289 respondents. The questionnaire used in this study was developed from other validated instruments used in past empirical studies. Descriptive and inferential data analyses were performed through SPSS and AMOS for SEM. Findings The results revealed usefulness, ease of use and information and communication technology (ICT) skills as the significant predictors of the adoption of DRS. However, moderating influence of the demographic factors (age, gender and type of library) on the relationship of predictors with outcome variable was found insignificant. The findings of this study imply that individuals’ readiness for the adoption of DRS is present in the university libraries of Pakistan. Originality/value In the context of Pakistan, this study was the first attempt that investigated factors of the adoption of DRS at individual level. In addition, two new factors – namely, ICT skills and library type – were incorporated into the UTAUT model and were then evaluated in the Pakistani context. However, these two factors were found insignificant in influencing librarians towards the adoption of DRS. The intended study is equally useful for librarians in other countries in terms of understanding the factors that impact the effective adoption of DRS.

Objective – To determine the frequency and nature of perceived beneficial outcomes of public libraries on individuals, and to identify demographic differences in these perceived outcomes. Design – Self-administered, online questionnaire asking respondents to rate the frequency of benefits they received from public libraries in 22 areas of life including education, work, and business; everyday activities; and leisure activities. Setting – United States of America. Subjects – 1010 respondents from 49 states: 50% female, 76% white, 55% urban or suburban. Methods – Correspondence analysis was used to visualize relationships between demographic variables and perceived outcomes. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify structures among the outcomes and summarize data into three core dimensions: everyday activities and interests; reading and self-education; and work and formal education. Multiway ANOVAs were used to test the significance of demographic differences on perceived outcomes. Main Results – The most highly ranked areas of perceived benefits were reading fiction and non-fiction, self-education during leisure time, interest in history or society, and health. Outdoor activities, exercise, and sport ranked the lowest. Respondents in younger age groups reported benefits in “education and work,” as did ethnic minorities and people with lower household incomes. “Everyday life” benefits were reported by male, suburban, White, middle-income respondents. “Reading and self-education” benefits were reported by high-income, older age groups, White, and female respondents. Two demographic groups did not correspond to any benefit categories: those who did not graduate high school and those over age 65. Conclusion – There are significant differences among demographic groups in how the benefits of public libraries are perceived, and these demographic differences have implications for program planning, marketing, and outreach in public libraries. Specifically, libraries should work to increase and improve service to less-advantaged groups, including low-income earners and ethnic minorities, and make available more services and resources relevant to older people.

A free public library is the cornerstone of most American communities. Libraries offer a variety of far-reaching services, ranging from books for self-education and leisure reading, to informational and cultural programs. Carnegie libraries constructed in the early 1900s through the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie played a significant role in transforming the library movement from subscription libraries for special interest groups to free public libraries with services accessible by all. Of the 1,412 communities in the United States to build Carnegie libraries, twenty-nine communities in New Jersey benefitted from this program. This research project draws primarily on original correspondence between New Jersey communities seeking library building funds and Andrew Carnegie. The letters supporting funding applications create a unique demographic and economic snapshot of New Jersey communities during the early 1900s when the Carnegie libraries were erected in the state. This study offers historical insights and informs the role that the Carnegie libraries played in their respective communities.

Objective – To determine whether and how Danish university and higher education students use public libraries for study purposes. Design – Online survey. Setting – Post-secondary students in Denmark. Subjects – 1,575 students in university-level programs or other higher education programs (vocational three-to-four-year programs) in Denmark. Methods – A sample of students was drawn from the national database of students by selecting every student born on the 15th of every month (approximately 4,900 students). A letter describing the study and with an invitation to fill out an online questionnaire was sent to all students in the sample. There were 1,694 valid responses (approximately 35% response rate). Students following short vocational programs were deemed to be under-represented and these subjects were omitted from the analysis of this report, which reflects the response of 1,575 students. The online questionnaire gathered demographic details (gender, age, educational institution, study topic, study year, geographical location, access to the Internet, etc.) and used 110 questions or statements to gather information about student information-seeking behaviour related to study purposes. These included use of the physical library and satisfaction with services, use of search engines, awareness and use of library Web-based services, study behaviour, and participation in information literacy activities. Main results – For the purposes of this study, “academic library is used as a generic term covering university libraries, research libraries, educational libraries and all other kind of libraries outside the field of public libraries” (p. 278). The survey results confirmed many of the previous international reports of student information-seeking behaviour: 85% of students use the academic library for study purposes; fewer than 10% of all students are able to cope without any library use; students in technology and engineering, the sciences and arts, architecture and music have a higher rate of non-use of their academic libraries; a large percentage of students access the electronic resources from home; the physical library is still considered important to students; Google is used extensively and is nearly the exclusive choice for search engine. The public library is used for study purposes by about 58 percent of all students with the highest use (76%) by students in higher education institutions (HEI); students of education, social topics and psychology are very frequent public library users. Female students in HEI were the most frequent users of the public library independent of study subject or year, or any other demographic variable. Seven per cent of students rely exclusively on the public library for study purposes and first-year HEI students in the subject areas of education, social topics and psychology are over-represented in this group (which additionally has less Internet access from home than the other students). Students perceive nearly all aspects of service in the academic library as superior; HEI students rate ambience, electronic resources and speed of inter-library loan provision in the public library as higher than the academic. University students give a low rating to the collections of public library, although the students use the public library principally to supplement the collections available in their academic libraries. Another high use of public libraries by HEI students is for inter-library loans placed through the national resource sharing system. Public library reference services are used often by only one per cent of students and only two per cent use the public library on a regular basis for “study related group activities.” Conclusion – Students use physical libraries to a great extent to support their studies and students have embraced digital access to collections, especially access from home. Google is the most heavily used search engine and is used by nearly all students; use of Google complements and supplements library use. Nearly 60% of all students use public libraries for study purposes and to supplement the collections of their academic library, but they find that the public library collections are insufficient to meet their needs. The inter-library loan policies of public libraries are more lenient and accommodating to student needs and may drive the high use of public libraries. Students form a large constituency of the public library user population and they generally rate most aspects of service as substandard to those of academic libraries. There is a call for review of the public library’s role in meeting the information needs of students, and in particular, those of HEI programs who are most dependent on the public library.

A Review of: Oltmann, S. M. (2016). Public Librarians' Views on Collection Development and Censorship. Collection Management, 41(1), 23-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01462679.2015.1117998 Objective – To examine public librarians’ perspectives on censorship and intellectual freedom in relation to collection development activities. Design – Survey combining questions from previous studies by Moody (2004) and Harkovitch, Hirst and Loomis (2003) with additional questions regarding intellectual freedom and demographics. Setting – Public libraries in the State of Ohio. Subjects – 251 directors and librarians responsible for collection development. Methods – The researcher created a survey in Qualtrics, a software that supports online data collection and analysis. It contained thirty-two structured and open-ended questions and took approximately 15-25 minutes to complete. To recruit participants, an explanatory letter and survey link were sent to every public library director in the State of Ohio. Directors were also asked to share the survey with librarians under their leadership who were responsible for collection development. To analyze the data set, cross-tabulations were run to identify statistically significant correlations between demographic and community variables. Main Results – The response rate was 43% (108 out of 251). Participants agreed with the American Library Association’s (ALA) definition of intellectual freedom, and to build collections that neither promote nor suppress specific ideas or beliefs. Only 3.7% of respondents reported decisions not to purchase materials due to fear of negative feedback from the community. Nearly 40% of participants reported conflict between personal and professional values at some time. All said that this dilemma had no bearing on professional collection development decisions. Contrary to anecdotal evidence that suggests librarians in rural or conservative communities are less likely to purchase controversial materials, the researcher found that community and political variables were not statistically significant; across the board, participants were most concerned with building balanced, well-developed collections. Gender, however, was statistically significant in terms of pressures felt to restrict access to materials; male librarians reported a higher number of instances where they felt internal or external pressures of this nature. However, as the number of male respondents was relatively low (15 out of 108 participants), the researcher did not draw concrete conclusions as to why this discrepancy exists. Conclusion – Study findings demonstrate a strong professional allegiance to intellectual freedom as defined by the ALA. In a practical sense, the participant group applied the principles of intellectual freedom to collection development activities regardless of demographic, community, or political variables.

Background and Objective: This study examined the use of modern technology to absorb audience in public libraries under the Public Libraries Foundation.Methodology: This is a survey- kind of descriptive study. The statistical population are authorities of public libraries with standard and central level. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. Reliability of the questionnaire was calculated using Cronbach's alpha of 0. 871. Software SPSS19 was used to analyze data analysis.Findings: The results showed that the use of new technologies in public libraries is lower than the average level. The most use of these devices is shown in Tabriz Central Library at 58 percent. Also, there is no significant difference between respondents' opinions in terms of demographic variables, level and degree of education.The possible results and applications: The results of this research are useful for decision making and effective use of new technologies to attract and expand audiences in public libraries.Originality / value: This study is among the first research that examines new technologies in public libraries to attract audience. Earlier in marketing literature and web technologies, several studies have been conducted for public libraries, however, in this study the application of new technologies in libraries is used to increase to attract audience.

A Review of: Albarillo, F. (2018). Super-diversity and foreign-born students in academic libraries: A survey study. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 18(1), 59-91. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2018.0004 Abstract Objective – To evaluate the relationship between academic and public library usage and various characteristics of foreign-born students. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – Medium-sized public liberal arts college in the northeastern United States. Subjects – 123 foreign-born students enrolled at the institution in fall 2014. Methods – The researcher emailed a five-part survey to participants who indicated on a screening survey that they were foreign-born students currently enrolled at the college. Of the participants emailed, 94 completed the survey. The survey used a super-diversity lens to assess academic and public library use by foreign-born students in relationship to multiple variables, including student status, race and ethnicity, immigration status, first-generation student status, gender, age, age of arrival in the United States (US), years living in the US, and ZIP Code (used to approximate median income based on the US Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey). Respondents reported frequency of use on a Likert-type scale of 1=Never to 6=Always. The author adapted items from the In Library Use Survey Instrument (University of Washington Libraries, 2011). Usage types included: computer, Wi-Fi, staff assistance, electronic resources, physical resources, printing/scanning/photocopying, program attendance, and physical space. Independent sample t-tests were used to evaluate mean differences in reported library usage based on demographic variables. The author used Somers’ d statistical tests to explore the relationship between library use and age, age on arrival in the US, years lived in the US, and median income. The survey asked participants to describe both academic and public libraries in five words. To show term frequency, the author used word clouds as a visualization technique. Main Results – The study reported on the results of the library use survey section. Overall, foreign-born students used college libraries more frequently than public libraries. The author reported on findings that were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.5), focusing on those with mean differences ≥ 0.5. Key findings included: undergraduate students used public libraries and Wi-Fi/e-resources onsite at college libraries more often than graduate students; first-generation students gathered at the library with friends more frequently; no significant difference was reported in library resource use by gender; and non-white students used the college library more frequently as a study space and for printing. The author was surprised no significant differences in usage were found between participants with permanent vs. temporary immigration status. Somers’ d associations showed an inverse relationship between age and Wi-Fi use and age of arrival in the United States and likelihood of eating in the library. Overall, both library types were positively described in open-ended responses as places with social and academic value. Conclusion – The author suggested the concept of super-diversity equips librarians with a more inclusive approach to studying library user perspectives and behaviors. The author used survey data and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Standards (2012) to highlight library service considerations for foreign-born students. Examples of suggested service improvements included supporting printing in Unicode non-English fonts, cultivating a diverse library staff, and providing culturally appropriate library orientations and outreach. The author recommended that more research with foreign-born students was needed to assess culturally appropriate areas for eating and socializing, unique information needs, and expectations and awareness of library services. The author suggested first-generation students’ use of the library for socializing and non-white students’ higher use of libraries for studying as two areas for further qualitative study. The author also suggested creating services and partnerships between public and academic libraries could support foreign-born students, even recommending cross-training of library staff.

Objective – To discover the factors that influence frequency of high school students’ usage of public libraries. Design – Structural equation modeling (SEM) using the person-in-environment (PIE) framework to test latent variables and direct and indirect relationships between variables. Setting – Public and school libraries in the United States. Subjects – Three datasets: Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), provides data about individual students; Public Libraries Survey of 2004, then conducted by NCES, provides data about public libraries in the United States; and Summary Files 1 and 3 of U.S. Census 2000, provide neighborhood-level demographic data. Methods – Using ArcGIS, the researcher prepared and linked three datasets. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, regression, weighted least squares, and path analysis in order to test relationships between variables exposed in three large datasets. Main Results – Frequency of public library use by high school students may be influenced by several factors, including race and/or ethnicity and access to resources like school libraries, home computers, and public libraries with adequate service levels. Conclusion – Increased funding for public library spaces and resources may be warranted by the finding that high levels of public library service may increase high school students’ use of public libraries, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Two academic libraries in North Carolina replicated the Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources global survey. This paper examines whether student responses in this survey are similar to the 2005 OCLC study and whether they are similar to each other. The authors examine potential reasons for similarities and differences, including student body profile, institutional differences in library services and demographic factors. The findings indicate that local factors dramatically affect the responses and should drive local service decisions rather than relying on global aggregate data.

Objective – To study the information-seeking practices of hospital staff and weigh the impact of hospital libraries on effective information-seeking. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – Large public cancer hospital in Greece. Subjects – The authors surveyed 49 physicians, 43 nursing staff members, 25 administrative staff members, 23 paramedical staff members, and 5 technical staff members, totaling 145 health professionals. Methods – Participants were given a questionnaire comprised of five parts: general information (including gender, age, education, position, and professional experience); questions on computer and Internet accessibility; questions regarding individual information needs; questions on information-seeking obstacles; and a question regarding the satisfaction with the current degree of information availability in the hospital. The last question was ranked using a 5-point Likert scale. Each questionnaire was distributed with a cover letter explaining the anonymity and consent of the respondent. Hospital members were randomly selected using a number generator and respondents returned completed surveys to the hospital personnel office in a sealed envelope within a specified time frame. The sampled group was representative of the overall population of the hospital. Main Results – The authors discuss demographic data of respondents: 65.7% were women; 56.7% were over 40 years old; 29.0% were graduates of higher technological institutes; 28.3% were university graduates; 9.7% held a postgraduate degree; 8.3% had a PhD; and 1.4% had only secondary education. As for the remainder of the survey questions: 64% of respondents had access to the Internet both at home and at work, while only 8.2% had no access to the Internet at all; most respondents noted using the Internet for seeking scientific information (83.0%) and e-mail communication (65.3%); the main obstacle respondents noted experiencing when seeking information was the lack of time (3.7 score on Likert scale). A lack of information services was second to the time issue with a Likert scale score of 3.6. Conclusion – Based on the research results, the authors affirmed the invaluable role of hospital libraries. The hospital library can help to eliminate the obstacles faced by healthcare professionals by providing support in the areas of weakness based on the survey results. This can be made possible through the hospital library’s involvement in educational activities, investigation of information technologies, and development of information services to accommodate the difficulties regularly experienced by hospital staff. Researchers revealed that funding for hospital libraries in Greece is an issue preventing many new initiatives, that there is no association to represent hospital libraries in Greece, that the few libraries operating in hospitals in Greece are understaffed with no administrative control, and the majority of Greek hospitals do not have adequate library facilities. These drawbacks contribute to the information-seeking challenges experienced by Greek healthcare professionals.

A Review of: Boykan, R., & Jacobson, R. M. (2017). The role of librarians in teaching evidence-based medicine to pediatric residents. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 105(4), 355-360. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2017.178 Abstract Objective – To identify the use and role of medical librarians in pediatric residency training, specifically in the teaching of evidence-based medicine (EBM) to medical residents. This research also aims to describe current strategies used for teaching evidence-based medicine in pediatric residency training programs. Design – Web-based survey. Setting – Pediatric residency programs within the United States of America. Subjects – 200 members of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD). Methods – The 13-question, web-based survey used multiple choice and short answer questions to ask how pediatric residency programs used medical librarians. The survey collected demographic information such as program name, geographic region, and program size. Where respondents indicated their programs utilised librarians, the survey asked about their specific role, including involvement in EBM curricula. For respondents who indicated their programs did not use librarians, the survey asked about their reasons for not doing so, and to describe their EBM curricula. Researchers used SPSS software to analyse the quantitative data. Main Results – Overall 91 (46%) APPD-member program directors responded to the online survey. Of these, 76% of program directors indicated a formal EBM curriculum in their residency programs. Medical librarians were responsible for teaching EBM in 37% of responding pediatric programs. However, only 17% of responding program directors stated that medical librarians were involved in teaching EBM on a regular basis. The EBM skills most commonly taught within the pediatric residency programs included framing questions using PICO (population, intervention, comparator, outcome), searching for relevant research literature, and critical appraisal of studies. The strategies reported as most effective for teaching EBM in pediatric residency training programs were journal clubs, regular EBM conferences or seminars, and ‘morning reports.’ Conclusion – The study concluded that medical librarians may be important in the teaching of EBM in pediatric residency programs, but are likely underutilised. The librarian might not be seen has having a significant role in forums such as journal clubs, despite these being a predominant venue for EBM teaching. The authors recommend that program directors and faculty work together to better integrate medical librarians’ expertise into clinical teaching of EBM.

Abstract Objective – This research project explored Native American students’ perceptions of the Edmon Low Library at Oklahoma State University (OSU). The study sought to understand how Native American students perceived the role of the academic library in their lives, and which elements of the library students depicted and described as holding meaning for them. Methods – Photo-elicitation, a form of visual research and a participatory research method, was the primary method chosen to explore students’ perceptions of the library. To qualify for this study, students self-identified as Native American and as frequent library users. They also had completed three or more semesters of study at OSU. Five students followed a photo prompt for taking at least fifteen pictures of the library, then participated in two separate interviews with the primary researcher. Participants also completed a demographic/questionnaire form, answered semi-structured questions, and ranked the photos they took. Results – This study produced several emergent findings. First, students expressed uncertainty about the library’s books. Second, functional library tools such as express printers and library signage played a valuable role for facilitating student work. Third, the method of photo-elicitation was enjoyable for students and served as library discovery. Fourth, Native American resources and exhibits in the library had varied salience for students. Conclusion – Limited research focuses on Native American students in academic libraries, particularly on how students use and experience the library. Exploring how individual students who identify as Native American perceive the university library enhanced our understanding of how libraries in Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) can best serve and support students. This study provided insight into the method of photo-elicitation interviews. This research also provided practical benefits for student participants through increased library knowledge.