To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Digital libraries – Use studies.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Digital libraries – Use studies'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Digital libraries – Use studies.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Rahman, Faizur. "An exploratory study of factors that influence student user success in an academic digital library." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2007. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5127/.
Full textAbstract:
The complex nature of digital libraries calls for appropriate models to study user success. Calls have been made to incorporate into these models factors that capture the interplay between people, organizations, and technology. In order to address this, two research questions were formulated: (1) To what extent does the comprehensive digital library user success model (DLUS), based on a combination of the EUCS and flow models, describe overall user success in a prototype digital library environment; and (2) To what extent does a combined model of DeLone & McLean's reformulated information system success model and comprehensive digital library user success model (DLUS) explain digital library user success in a prototype digital library environment? Participants were asked to complete an online survey questionnaire. A total of 160 completed and useable questionnaires were obtained. Data analyses through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling produced results that support the two models. However, some relationships between latent variables hypothesized in the model were not confirmed. A modified version of the proposed comprehensive plus user success model in a digital library environment was tested and supported through model fit statistics. This model was recommended as a possible alternative model of user success. The dissertation also makes a number of recommendations for future research.
2
Bogel, Gayle. "Diffusion across the digital divide: Assessing use of the Connecticut Digital Library (ICONN) in K-12 schools in Connecticut." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2008. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12085/.
Full textAbstract:
State digital libraries are manifestations of the diffusion of technology that has provided both access to and delivery of digital content. Whether the content is being accessed and used equitably in K-12 schools has not been assessed. Determining patterns of the diffusion of use across socioeconomic groups in K-12 schools may help measure the success of existing efforts to provide equitable access and use of digital content, and help guide policies and implementation to more effectively address remaining disparities. This study examined use of the Connecticut Digital Library (ICONN) in K-12 schools in Connecticut by determining annual patterns of use per school/district over a four-year period, using transaction log search statistics. The data were analyzed in the paradigm that Rogers (2003) describes as the first and second dimensions of the consequences of an innovation - the overall growth and the equality of the diffusion to individuals within an intended audience --- in this case, students in K-12 schools. Data were compared by school district and the established socioeconomic District Reference Groups (DRGs) defined by the Connecticut State Board of Education. At the time of this study, ICONN used aggregate data (total searches) for K-12 schools, but did not have relevant data on diffusion within the public schools in Connecticut related to district or DRGs.
3
Greifeneder, Elke [Verfasser], Michael S. [Akademischer Betreuer] Seadle, Jeffrey [Akademischer Betreuer] Pomerantz, and Pia [Akademischer Betreuer] Borlund. "Does it matter where we test? : Online user studies in digital libraries in natural environments / Elke Greifeneder. Gutachter: Michael Seadle ; Jeffrey Pomerantz ; Pia Borlund." Berlin : Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Philosophische Fakultät I, 2012. http://d-nb.info/1024311317/34.
Full text
4
Vaughan, Misha, and Andrew Dillon. "Why structure and genre matter to users of digital information: a longitudinal study with readers of a web-based newspaper." Elsevier, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105924.
Full textAbstract:
In an effort to understand the impact of designing for digital genres on usersâ mental representations of structure, a two-phase study was conducted. In phase 1, six expert news readers and a panel of HCI experts were solicited for input regarding genre-conforming and
genre-violating web news page design, navigation, and story categorization. In phase 2, a longitudinal experiment with a group of 25 novice web news readers who were exposed to one of the two designs over 5 sessions is reported. During these sessions a variety of user data were captured, including: comprehension (recall, recognition), usability (time on task, accuracy, user satisfaction), and navigation
(path length, category node hits).
The between-group difference of web site design was signiï¬ cant for comprehension, usability, and navigation with the users of the
genre-conforming design demonstrating better performance. The within-group difference of time was signiï¬ cant across these three
measures as well, with performance improving over time. No interaction effect was found between web site design and time on
comprehension or usability. However, a surprising interaction effect was found on navigation; speciï¬ cally the breadth of navigation (i.e.
the number of nodes visited for two classes of tasks) increased over time more dramatically for the genre-violating group than for the
genre-conforming group. By examining the changes in these data over time and between the two designs, evidence for the development of
usersâ mental representations of structure was captured.
5
Dillon, Andrew, and Charles Watson. "User analysis in HCI: the historical lesson from individual differences research." Elsevier, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105824.
Full textAbstract:
This item is not the definitive copy. Please use the following citation when referencing this material: Dillon, A. and Watson, C. (1996) User analysis HCI-the historical lessons from individual differences research. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 45(6), 619-638.
Abstract: User analysis is a crucial aspect of user-centered systems design, yet Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has yet to formulate reliable and valid characterizations of users beyond gross distinctions based on task and experience. Individual differences research from mainstream psychology has identified a stable set of characteristics that would appear to offer potential application in the HCI arena. Furthermore, in its evolution over the last 100 years, research on individual differences has faced many of the problems of theoretical status and applicability that are common to HCI. In the present paper the relationship between work in cognitive and differential psychology and current analyses of users in HCI is examined. It is concluded that HCI could gain significant predictive power if individual differences research was related to the analysis of users in contemporary systems design.
6
Monopoli, Maria. "User-based evaluation of academic digital libraries : case studies, Social Science Information Gateway, Art, Design Architecture & Media Gateway and the Electronic Journals Service of the University of Patras, Greece." Thesis, City University London, 2005. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/8440/.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of academic digital libraries from a user-oriented approach. For this purpose, end-users were invited to describe how they perceive and make use of academic digital libraries. The study was focused on Subject Based Information Gateways (SBIGs) and Electronic Journals Services. Specifically, two gateways were examined: the Social Science Information Gateway (SOSIG) and the Art, Design, Architecture and Media (ADAM) gateway, and an electronic journals service: the Electronic Journals Service of the Library and Information Service (LIS), the University of Patras, Greece. The target group was the academic community: academic staff, research staff and students (undergraduate and postgraduate). The research methods used were online questionnaires, face-to-face interviews and transaction logs analysis (TLA). Concerning the perception of academic digital libraries, users were invited: to provide the advantages and/ or disadvantages of electronic information over print, to compare the electronic and print version of a piece of information, to evaluate services or features as very important, important, or not important and to specify factors that would discourage them from accessing a digital library. Regarding the use of academic digital libraries, users were asked to specify: how frequently they use digital libraries, what reasons they use digital libraries for, what place they gain access from, what their preferred method of searching for information is, what their preferred method of storing and reading electronic information is, whether they use the support services provided, what types of information they want to be provided with and what the role of communication in a digital library is. The study concluded that end-users seem to appreciate the implementation of academic digital libraries. However, there are still some disadvantages that might prevent them from accessing them. A typical user would access them from their office or home for a variety of reasons, such as: for writing up a term paper/project or a thesis/dissertation, writing up a paper for publication, e. g. journal article or conference/workshop paper, keeping up with progress in the relevant subject area, supporting a lecture or for personal reasons. Concerning their search behaviour, they would adopt a relatively unsophisticated, simplistic approach to searching and limited use of Boolean operators or other commands. Notwithstanding their low search abilities, they would be reluctant to consult the online help function that could support their searches. Sometimes, they prefer to ask a person rather than attempt to use the online help. When they have identified information and want to read it, they print it out. But, when they want to store information for the future, they either print it out, or save it on disk. This information might differ in its formats, including electronic journals, reports and papers, digitised books, scholarly mailing lists and archives and educational software. Finally, some users would appreciate the opportunity to communicate with information scientists, authors, or other users who share the same interests with them. Some others emphasized the importance of the communication between users and digital library systems.
7
Tolle, Kristin M., and Hsinchun Chen. "Comparing noun phrasing techniques for use with medical digital library tools." EBSCO, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105749.
Full textAbstract:
Artificial Intelligence Lab, Department of MIS, Univeristy of ArizonaIn an effort to assist medical researchers and professionals in accessing information necessary for their work, the A1 Lab at the University of Arizona is investigating the use of a natural language processing (NLP) technique called noun phrasing. The goal of this research is to determine whether noun phrasing could be a viable technique to include in medical information retrieval applications. Four noun phrase generation tools were evaluated as to their ability to isolate noun phrases from medical journal abstracts. Tests were conducted using the National Cancer Institute's CANCERLIT database. The NLP tools evaluated were Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT's) Chopper, The University of Arizona's Automatic Indexer, Lingsoft's NPtool, and The University of Arizona's AZ Noun Phraser. In addition, the National Library of Medicine's SPECIALIST Lexicon was incorporated into two versions of the AZ Noun Phraser to be evaluated against the other tools as well as a nonaugmented version of the AZ Noun Phraser. Using the metrics relative subject recall and precision, our results show that, with the exception of Chopper, the phrasing tools were fairly comparable in recall and precision. It was also shown that augmenting the AZ Noun Phraser by including the SPECIALIST Lexicon from the National Library of Medicine resulted in improved recall and precision.
8
Houston, Andrea L., Hsinchun Chen, Bruce R. Schatz, Susan M. Hubbard, Robin R. Sewell, and Tobun Dorbin Ng. "Exploring the use of concept spaces to improve medical information retrieval." Elsevier, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/106253.
Full textAbstract:
Artificial Intelligence Lab, Department of MIS, University of ArizonaThis research investigated the application of techniques successfully used in previous information retrieval research, to the more challenging area of medical informatics. It was performed on a biomedical document collection testbed, CANCERLIT, provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) , which contains information on all types of cancer therapy. The quality or usefulness of terms suggested by three different thesauri, one based on MeSH terms, one based solely on terms from the document collection, and one based on the Unified Medical Language System UMLS Metathesaurus, was explored with the ultimate goal of improving CANCERLIT information search and retrieval. Researchers affiliated with the University of Arizona Cancer Center evaluated lists of related terms suggested by different thesauri for 12 different directed searches in the CANCERLIT testbed. The preliminary results indicated that among the thesauri, there were no statistically significant differences in either term recall or precision. Surprisingly, there was almost no overlap of relevant terms suggested by the different thesauri for a given search. This suggests that recall could be significantly improved by using a combined thesaurus approach.
9
Ram, Shri, and Sanjay Kataria. "Facilitating access and use of Bioinformatics Information Resources through Digital Library Systems." Society for Advancement of Library and Information Science, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/106089.
Full textAbstract:
As the Recombinant DNA, Gene Cloning and DNA sequencing technologies improved in 1970s the scientists began to think about the possibilities of sequencing the 3x109 nucleotide pairs in human genome. This led to the launch of the Human Genome Project (1990), and the greatest discovery in the field of life sciences, is near to completion. Vast and ever expanding diverse information on bioinformatics resources are being developed. These include databases of biological information, software tools etc. Advances in Internet Technology have largely affected to the bioinformatics resources as heterogeneous sources of information. It facilitates the uniform access to the educational, academic and research information sources to the bioinformaticians for their research and developmental activities. This paper describes awareness about the bioinformatics information resources and digital library needs of students at Jaypee University of Information Technology, Solan (HP) and how it can be helpful to access the information resources on bioinformatics through digital library techniques.
10
Theng, Yin-Leng, Dian Saputra, Dion Goh, Schubert Foo, Abdus Sattar Chaudhry, Jin-Cheon Na, Christopher Khoo, et al. "RELOMS: Designing for effective use and reuse of learning objects for e-learning systems." School of Communication & Information, Nanyang Technological University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/106142.
Full textAbstract:
There is a serious lack of conceptual clarity in the definitions and uses of learning objects, resulting in design and usability problems in current e-learning systems. The paper proposes ReLOMS, prototype reusable learning objects management system, being implemented to address the problem of usability and reusability of learning objects in e-learning systems.
11
Bogel, Gayle O'Connor Brian C. "Diffusion across the digital divide assessing use of the Connecticut Digital Library (ICONN) in K-12 schools in Connecticut /." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2008. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12085.
Full text
12
Recker, Mimi, Jim Dorward, Deonne Dawson, Sam Halioris, Ye Liu, Xin Mao, Bart Palmer, and Jaeyang Park. "You Can Lead a Horse to Water: Teacher Development and Use of Digital Library Resources." Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/106196.
Full textAbstract:
This article presents findings from approximately 150 users who created instructional projects using educational digital library resources. One hundred of these users were teachers participating in professional development workshops on the topic of digital libraries. Our iterative approach to tool and workshop development and implementation was based on a framework that characterizes several input, output, and process variables affecting dissemination of such technologies in educational contexts. Data sources involved a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, including electronic surveys, interviews, participant observations, and server log file and artifact analyses. These multiple and complementary levels of analyses reveal that despite teachers reporting great value in learning resources and educational digital libraries, significant and lasting impact on teaching practice remains difficult to obtain.
13
Pushpagiri, Vara Prashanth. "A Java-based Smart Object Model for use in Digital Learning Environments." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34048.
Full textAbstract:
The last decade has seen the scope of digital library usage extend from data warehousing and other common library services to building quality collections of electronic resources and providing web-based information retrieval mechanisms for distributed learning. This is clear from the number of ongoing research initiatives aiming to provide dynamic learning environments.
A major task in providing learning environments is to define a resource model (learning object). The flexibility of the learning object model determines the quality of the learning environment. Further, dynamic environments can be realized by changing the contents and structure of the learning object, i.e. make it mutable. Most existing models are immutable after creation and require the library to support operations that help in creating these environments. This leaves the learning object at the mercy of the parent library's functionality. This thesis work is an extension of an existing model and allows a learning object to function independent of the operational constraints of a digital library by equipping learning objects with software components called methods that influence their operation and structure even after being deployed. It provides a reference implementation of an aggregate, intelligent, self-sufficient, object-oriented, platform-independent learning object model, which is conformant to popular digital library standards.
It also presents a Java-based development tool for creating and modifying smart objects. It is capable of performing content aggregation, metadata harvesting and user repository maintenance operations, in addition to supporting the addition/removal of methods to a smart object. The current smart object implementation and the development tool have been deployed successfully on two platforms (Windows and Linux) where their operation was found to be satisfactory.Master of Science
14
Harrell, Charles B. "The Use of an Academic Library by University Students." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1988. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc279070/.
Full textAbstract:
Academic librarians have for a number of decades been interested in understanding more about how and why students use libraries. This study contributes to that area of library administration by focusing on nine factors thought to be associated with student use of academic libraries.
15
Lai, Catherine Wanwen. "Metadata for phonograph records : facilitating new forms of use and access." Thesis, McGill University, 2007. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=102835.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation presents a new metadata design, as part of a large digitization management system being developed, to assist in the consistent creation of digital libraries of phonograph records. The Metadata provides digital libraries with an effective tool for the description, discovery, management, control, delivery, and sharing of digital objects of phonograph record. The metadata design is the outcome of two pilot projects for the digitization of phonograph records that took place at the Marvin Duchow Music Library at McGill University. The new design offers an approach to maintaining and using digital sound and ensures the long-term viability of digital libraries of phonograph records.The dissertation discusses key areas of preservation and addresses the most common retrieval problems of music in digital libraries. These problems include challenges in the digital context of bibliographic control, cataloging, distribution, and copyright protection. The dissertation revisits traditional cataloging approaches, summarizes historical music cataloging and metadata development, sets up preservation principles and rationales for digitizing phonograph records, and presents state-of-the-art techniques for preserving phonograph records in the digital domain.
The dissertation contains three main parts. The first is an introduction to the new metadata design for phonograph records. The second is a metadata dictionary, which assigns precise syntactic and semantic meanings to metadata elements, to guide digitizers working in libraries, archives, museums, and heritage sectors. These will be followed by two case studies of phonograph record digitization projects using the Metadata and the Data Dictionary. The dissertation concludes by examining three challenges that are critical to future development in both the preserving of and access to phonograph records: the issue of interoperability between different metadata standards, the need for usability and quality evaluation of digitization management systems, and the importance of further development in digital library retrieval services and tools.
16
Belvin, Dena L. "Facilitating Retrieval of Sound Recordings for Use By Professionals Treating Children with Asperger's Syndrome." Thesis, School of Information and Library Science, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1901/432.
Full textAbstract:
Since the 1970s, music librarians have been discussing the challenges of cataloging music media. In the 1990s, they began work on a Music Thesaurus to provide a multi-faceted approach to indexing, cataloging, and retrieving music media. In 1999 Indiana University proposed a digital music library, to allow for better indexing and retrieval in addition to content-based music retrieval. In 2000, a commercial venture, The Music Genome Project ©, began cataloging sound recordings of popular music by hundreds of musical characteristics and has created a user interface that allows listeners to enter the title and artist of a certain piece of music and receive recommendations for similar music to then purchase via Pandora.com. The following paper will address the question: how might current analyzing and classifying methods be used to provide additional indexing that facilitates retrieval and use of sound recordings by special populations, specifically professionals treating children with Asperger’s syndrome?
17
Marumo, Tshipinare Renard. "A survey of the information seeking behaviour of the dental faculty lecturers and students at the University of the Western Cape's Oral Health Centre Library, in Mitchell's Plain." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2000. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_8949_1213362632.
Full text
18
Drake, Betty S. (Betty Sue). "Relationships of Selected Factors to Library Use and Attitudes Among Students in a College of Business Administration." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1985. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc279177/.
Full textAbstract:
This study was an inquiry into the use of the library and attitudes toward librarians and libraries by 484 academic business majors. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire administered to a sample of all business majors at one university. Demographic and social status data, based on Hollingshead's categories, and responses to statements concerning library use, librarians, and libraries were analyzed by means of the Kolmorogov-Smirnov Test, the Median Test and Spearman correlation coefficients.
19
Hicklin, R. Austin. "A consignment library of reusable software components for use over the World-Wide Web." Master's thesis, This resource online, 1995. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-01202010-020317/.
Full text
20
Talwar, Sonia. "Spatializing science and technology studies : exploring the role of GIS and interactive social research." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/755.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is an interdisciplinary study based on the interplay between science, technology and society in order to inform the design of knowledge exploration systems. It provides a rationale for the integration of science knowledge, geographic information, with digital libraries to build knowledge and awareness about sustainability. A theoretical reconceptualization of knowledge building is provided that favours interactive engagement with information and argues against a traditional model of science production and communication that is linear and unidirectional. The elements of contextualization, classification and communication form the core of the reconceptualization. Since many information systems entrench the traditional model of science production, the three elements are considered in light of library and information science and geographic information science. The use of geographic information systems is examined to identify how they can be used as part of a social learning model for scientific, social, cultural, and environmental issues to further assist people in connecting to place and sustainability. Empirical data was collected from four case studies. One case study centred on the design and development of a web-based digital library called the Georgia Basin Digital Library, another two case studies focused on the use of part of this digital library with youth, senior and environmental groups in south-western British Columbia. The remaining case study observed a community deliberation to consider how knowledge exploration systems might support deliberation in future processes. The case study research confirms that collaborative research with communities is a fruitful way to engage with sustainability issues. Such collaborations require consideration of institutional arrangements, information collections, relationship building, technology transfer and capacity building.
21
Smith, Marvin LaVerne. "Relative use libraries by students perceived advantages and deficiencies of the T.J. Jones Memorial Library /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1985. http://www.tren.com.
Full text
22
Phillips, Mark Edward. "Exploring the Use of Metadata Record Graphs for Metadata Assessment." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2020. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1707350/.
Full textAbstract:
Cultural heritage institutions, including galleries, libraries, museums, and archives are increasingly digitizing physical items and collecting born-digital items and making these resources available on the Web. Metadata plays a vital role in the discovery and management of these collections. Existing frameworks to identify and address deficiencies in metadata rely heavily on count and data-value based metrics that are calculated over aggregations of descriptive metadata. There has been little research into the use of traditional network analysis to investigate the connections between metadata records based on shared data values in metadata fields such as subject or creator. This study introduces metadata record graphs as a mechanism to generate network-based statistics to support analysis of metadata. These graphs are constructed with the metadata records as the nodes and shared metadata field values as the edges in the network. By analyzing metadata record graphs with algorithms and tools common to the field of network analysis, metadata managers can develop a new understanding of their metadata that is often impossible to generate from count and data-value based statistics alone. This study tested application of metadata record graphs to analysis of metadata collections of increasing size, complexity, and interconnectedness in a series of three related stages. The findings of this research indicate effectiveness of this new method, identify network algorithms that are useful for analyzing descriptive metadata and suggest methods and practices for future implementations of this technique.
23
Peper, Michael T. "The Effect of Remote Storage on the Use of Books." Thesis, School of Information and Library Science, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1901/480.
Full textAbstract:
Remote storage has become an increasingly popular response to the overcrowding of open-stack areas in academic libraries. While many institutions have chosen this option and there has been much discussion about administration of such facilities, its impact on patrons is still unclear. Some potential user limitations of remote storage considered by this study are delayed retrieval, loss of browsability, and the barrier of making a retrieval request. The current study was conducted at the Chemistry and Art Libraries at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It observed the use of materials that had been selected for transfer to remote storage, where half of these selected materials were transferred to remote storage and the other half remained on open library stacks. After an average of approximately two months of observation, none of the selected books had circulated, suggesting that their selection for remote storage was appropriate.
24
Smith, Marvin LaVerne. "Relative use of libraries by students perceived advantages and deficiences [sic] of the T.J. Jones Memorial Library /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1985. http://www.tren.com.
Full text
25
Foudray, Rita Catherine Schoch. "An Investigation of Differences in Public Library Usage Patterns Between Gifted Adults and Members of the General Public." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1989. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc935588/.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this research was to isolate the variable giftedness in a pipulation and determine whether that variable could be used as a predictor of public library use. The analysis of data indicated that public library use was higher for the general public than for the gifted adults. There was less variation among the factors of age, level of education, and public library use for the gifted adults than for the general public. Books as a resource for information were mentioned by the general adults public more frequently than by the gifted adults. Friends were listed more often as an information resource by the gifted population than by the public. Gifted adults both read and owned more books than did the general public. There was no correlation between amount of reading and number of library visits in either sample. 35 of the general public has a Library Usage Index Value of less than 4, 97 of the gifted adults did. There was almost no difference between the first ten information sources listen by both samples.
26
Pumptow, Marina Isabel [Verfasser]. "Digital Media in Higher Education – The Use and Importance of Digital Media in Contemporary University Studies / Marina Isabel Pumptow." Tübingen : Universitätsbibliothek Tübingen, 2020. http://d-nb.info/122423281X/34.
Full text
27
Casselden, Biddy. "A delicate balancing act : an investigation of volunteer use and stakeholder perspectives in public libraries." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2016. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/30232/.
Full textAbstract:
This research aims to investigate current volunteer use in public libraries in England. Volunteer use is not a new phenomenon, and has been an integral part of public library provision for many years. However recent Government policies, together with greater financial austerity, have resulted in a change in public service delivery. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of volunteers involved within the public library service, and the growth of community run libraries, resulting in much public and professional concern. An interpretivist research approach was used to investigate stakeholder opinions regarding volunteer use, and involved a two phase process. Initially a Delphi survey explored attitudes of 15 English public library service managers, followed by in-depth investigation of two case study library authorities, located in the North-East of England. Surveys, interviews and focus groups, helped to build a rich picture of volunteer use amongst the groups of stakeholders. Findings clearly indicated that volunteer use has moved from additionality to replacement of staff, and is increasingly being used by local authorities as a solution to budget reductions required as a result of economic austerity. A hybrid approach to library service provision has developed, using a combination of paid staff and volunteers, which indicates a fundamental culture shift within public libraries. Research results identified concerns relating to the long term viability of a hybrid approach, and how this impacted on the wider community in terms of service provision. Key concerns were raised concerning advocacy, sensitivity, the fragility of relationships, and the provision of an accountable and high quality service. Formal and informal control mechanisms need to be employed by library service managers to ensure that they reap the benefits of volunteer use, thereby avoiding social exclusion, clarifying stakeholder boundaries, and delivering a high quality accountable service. Training library managers in new volunteer management skills, and adopting a volunteer relationship management approach may help to ensure that this new arrangement is mutually beneficial for all concerned.
28
Bean, Carol. "Meeting the Challenge: Training an Aging Population to Use Computers." Southeastern Library Association, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/106048.
Full textAbstract:
Older adults present a special challenge to libraries offering computer training. Many of those seeking training have little, if any, prior experience with the concepts and skills necessary to use computers, yet their ability to learn those concepts and skills is hampered by the aging process. This article summarizes the factors in aging which most affect learning computer skills, and how those factors can be mitigated.
29
Tandwa, Nobubele Lindela. "An investigation into the use of literacy materials by adult learners : a study of the education programmes in two Cape Town public libraries." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8073.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-143).The paper deals with the role of literacy materials in adult education in two Cape Town public libraries, namely Bellville South and Milnerton public libraries. Adult education is education that is provided to adult who lack basic education. It involves the teaching of writing, reading, calculation skills and developmental and functional skills such as income generation skills. Literacy programmes are supported by both teaching and reading materials that are usually made available in public libraries and literacy classes. The objectives of the study were to investigate the availability of locally produced literacy materials for use in literacy programmes in public libraries, the types and features of these materials and the suitability of literacy materials in acquisition of literacy skills. Milnerton and Bellville South public libraries were used as case studies because they had literacy programmes and literacy materials in their libraries. The Stikland Learning Centre was also included because it was partly managed by the Bellville South librarian. The enrolled learners in these literacy programmes, facilitators, librarians and providers were interviewed using face to face interviews. Publishers, (Viva Books. New Readers Project and Project literacy) were also interviewed. The study showed that both public libraries provided literacy programmes that aim to equip the learners with survival and functional skills. Although they also provided literacy materials to support and maintain the literacy skills, such materials were not sufficient in literacy classes because some learners did not have literacy materials in their classes. The available reading materials in public libraries also need to be adapted so that they can meet the educational and cultural needs of the users. The research also showed that there are two types of literacy materials, namely learning or instructional and reading or informational materials. Learning materials include study guides, manuals and worksheets. They are usually provided by the literacy providers and their main aims are to support the acquisition of literacy skills and they are also used for assessment purposes. Reading or informational materials are usually provided by the public libraries and they are used to maintain the newly acquired skills. The availability of these materials is important for the success of literacy programmes and to avoid relapse into illiteracy. These materials are published by various publishers such as New Readers Project (NRP), Viva Books. Project Literacy (literacy provider) and government departments such as the Department of Education. They are published in various South African languages. Both learning and reading materials were characterized with simple languages, colourful pictures and large fonts, aiming to equip learners with the developmental and survival skills that are based on their daily activities. The learners' daily activities included reading the bus/train schedule, writing CVs and job searching related skills, reading medical prescription and reading road signs. The use of either local languages or official language in these materials is determined by the needs of the learners and the language that is used in their literacy programmes.
30
Keller, Margaret S. "Perceptions of unaffiliated users in academic libraries and other issues associated with this user group." Thesis, School of Information and Library Science, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1901/403.
Full textAbstract:
This study describes a questionnaire survey of seven university libraries across the country. The study was conducted to determine the perceptions of librarians in regards to unaffiliated users, and how well librarians understand the policies at their institutions. The results show that while affiliated patrons are seen most in instructional sessions and at the reference desk, there is no dominating area of interaction with unaffiliated patrons. And despite the multitude of opinions surrounding how unaffiliated users are and should be treated compared to those associated with an institution, librarians still show a strong desire to treat all patrons as fairly as possible.
31
Masango, Charles Akwe. "Contemporary copyright fair dealing management issues and their impact on access to information sources and services : South African academic libraries in the transition to the digital environment." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8727.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-205).This study investigated the perceptions of academic librarians, managers of consortia, users of digital content, and rights holders whether licensing agreements effectively inhibit access to digital content and whether there is a need to establish an equivalent to the fair dealing exemption in the digital environment. The protection that is accorded to digital content is complex. An empirical survey based on qualitative method was conducted in 2003 - 2004 in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, to examine whether licences inhibit access to digital content and whether an equivalent to the fair dealing exemption was necessary in the digital environment. Methodology used in the survey consisted of interviews from structured questions. Using grounded theory, certain perceptions and misconceptions were found in the interview responses. Thereafter it was possible to suggest that the debate as to whether licences inhibit access to digital content and whether an equivalent to the fair dealing exemption is needed in the digital environment is perhaps inconclusive. However, it is proposed that as licences theoretically inhibit access to digital content, it may be necessary for an equivalent to the fair dealing exemption to be instituted to balance the rights of rights holders with those of consumers of digital content. The new fair dealing exemption would be able to theoretically balance the alleged inhibition caused by licensing agreements.
32
Demishkevich, Maya. "Small Business Use of Internet Marketing: Findings from Case Studies." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1340.
Full textAbstract:
Internet marketing is critical for meeting changing consumer needs and staying competitive in the business environment. Small business owners need strategies on how to use Internet marketing to promote their products or services. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how 5 small business owners in Maryland developed and implemented an online marketing strategy. Participants were recruited for their roles as the chief decision maker of their business; additional prerequisites for their participation were that they used Internet marketing, represented different industries, and had fewer than 20 employees. Data came from semi-structured interviews with the small business owners, direct observations of the firms' online marketing processes and technology, and evaluation of companies' use of different Internet marketing channels. The data analysis strategy drew on resource-based view theory propositions, examinations of conflicting explanations discovered during the literature review, and cross-case synthesis. The 5 emergent themes encompassed unstructured planning, limited Internet marketing knowledge and expertise, use of Internet marketing channels and tools, lack of systematic approach to the management of Internet marketing, and inadequate measurement of Internet marketing efforts. By engaging in Internet marketing strategy planning, acquiring specialized Internet marketing knowledge, measuring marketing performance, and extending their Internal marketing resources through outsourcing, small business owners may develop and implement successful online marketing strategies. These findings may influence positive social change by contributing to more effective and efficient marketing practices in small firms that can lead to better financial performance, higher survival rates, and a healthier economic system.
33
Amarasiri, Saumya Priyadari. "Use of Innovative Computer Technology and Optical Texture Properties in the Analysis of Pavement Digital Images." Scholar Commons, 2011. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/2984.
Full textAbstract:
Digital image based automated pavement crack detection and classification technology has seen vast improvements in the recent years. In spite of these developments, although pavement crack lengths and widths can be evaluated using state-of-the-art software with a reasonable accuracy, no reported evidence is found in extending this technology to evaluate crack depths. Hence a preliminary study was carried out to model the digital image formation of cracked concrete pavements based on the Bidirectional Reflection Distribution Function. It was revealed that a definitive theoretical relationship exists among the crack widths and depths and the maximum pixel intensity contrasts in the images of cracks. The above relationships fortified by appropriate calibration were verified using actual crack data not used in the calibration that can be useful in predicting crack depths. Secondly, a number of innovative techniques in computer vision such as image characterization using quantification of optical texture properties of images and a number of widely used optical texture related techniques for characterization of digital images which have not been exploited adequately in pavement evaluation, were introduced highlighting their useful applications in pavement evaluation. One such application, the automated and accurate detection of correspondences in progressive images of the same pavement captured during different times, would be essential for close monitoring of cracks or wear at the project-level. Two reliable methods for determining correspondences among pavement images illustrated in this work are; (1) texture masking and minimum texture distance method applicable to locations with no significant distress, and (2) homogeneous coordinates based geometrical matching and the maximum texture distance to detect the locations of distress and be applied to detect exact locations of crack propagation and excessive pavement wear. Thirdly, the BRDF based pavement image formation model revealed that quantifiable changes in the brightness of images occurs due to pavement wear-related changes in texture depth and spacing (wavelength). The traffic induced pavement wearing process was simulated by gradual smoothening of the modeled surfaces and then images corresponding to each wearing stage were generated. The theoretically predicted variation of the image brightness due to wear was experimentally verified using images from a gradually worn out concrete specimen. Finally it was illustrated how the brightness evaluation of wheel path images has the potential to be a screening tool to monitor the degradation of macrotexture and hence the skid-resistance of pavements at the network level.
34
Sutorus, Jessica Ann. "Development of a strategic plan for the Highland Environmental Learning Center." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2006. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3042.
Full textAbstract:
The project focuses on the development of a strategic plan for the Highland Environmental Learning Center (HELC), the completely integrated environmental learning center located in the Highland Branch Library of the San Bernardino County Library system. The plan was developed through the investigation of other nature centers, interpretive centers, and environmental learning centers to help define the purpose and mission for environmental education in a non-formal setting. It is also meant to serve as a guideline for future programming, budgeting, promotion, and staffing of HELC. The plan supports HELC's goal to foster environmental sensitivity and environmentally responsible citizenship.
35
Moore, Vince. "Use of Digital Fabrication Tools and Curriculum with Gifted Students in Rural Middle Schools." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2018. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1404600/.
Full textAbstract:
This study focuses on the use of American Invention Kits from the Smithsonian Institute in conjunction with a 3D printer. In conjunction with a large dataset from a study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), this innovative research focuses on the effect the digital fabrication curriculum unit has on gifted and talented students' knowledge and affinity toward the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Students from two rural middle schools in north-central Texas (N = 190) took part in this quantitative study; the students were divided among four subgroups: gifted-contrast (n = 12), gifted-treatment (n = 8), nongifted-contrast (n = 76), and nongifted-treatment (n = 94). The surveys utilized include the STEM Semantics Survey, TIMSS-Limited, and a knowledge assessment for the specific curriculum unit focused on the solenoid. The STEM Semantics Survey is divided into five subsets. Thirty-two separate one-way repeated measures ANOVAs were performed across the surveys and subgroups. Statistically significant results were found on four comparisons. This research holds implications in the areas of advocating for gifted education, collecting field data, utilizing large datasets, and understanding rural schools.
36
Granberg, Matilda. "Datorplatser och it-hjälp på folkbiblioteket : En diskursanalys av digital delaktighet i biblioteksplaner." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för ABM, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-389345.
Full textAbstract:
Introduction. The aim of this study is to investigate how digital inclusion is constructed in Swedish library plans. This is done by examining: how discourses produce digital inclusion in twelve library plans, which motives for working with digital inclusion are expressed in these discourses and which factors are present in digital inclusion according to the library plans. Method. A discourse analysis is conducted on statements regarding public libraries’ work on digital inclusion in twelve library plans from twelve different municipalities in Stockholm county. The model used identifies signs and articulations about digital inclusion in the material, and analyzes the relationship and consequences of these. Analysis. The type of discourse analysis chosen for this study is discourse theory as presented by Winther Jørgensen and Phillips. A model of digital technology access, by Van Dijk, completes the analysis. Result. Three discourses on digital inclusion are present in the material: one democratic discourse, one digitalization discourse and one discourse of exclusion and inclusion. The digitalization discourse dominates and is closest to hegemony, but the democratic discourse is strong as well. Physical access to digital technology and skills access are the types of access most prominent in the discourses. Motivational and usage access are rarely mentioned. Conclusion. According to the dominating discourse in the studied library plans, digital inclusion is produced as a consequence of digitalization. This might lead to technological determinism. The important factors of digital inclusion involve having physical access to digital technology and the appropriate skills to handle the technology. Usage access is the type of access with the biggest inequality gap, but is the least present in the material. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.
37
Xia, Hong. "Library CD-ROM LAN Performance and Patron Use: a Computer Simulation Model." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1996. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc279383/.
Full textAbstract:
In this study, a computer simulation model for library CD-ROM LAN systems was created. Using this model, the system optimization problems were examined. The simulation model imitated the process of the actual decision variables changing their values and generated the corresponding results. Under a certain system environment, if the values of decision variables are changing, the system performances are getting changed also. This study investigated these relationships with the created model. The system users' interarrival time, service time, and other relevant data were collected on randomly selected days in a university library. For data collection, both of the observation and the system automatic metering software were used. According to the collected data, a discrete events simulation model was created with GPSS/H. The simulation model was proven valid and accurate by a pilot test and by the calculation with queuing theory. Statistical tests were used for data comparison and analysis. In addition, animation technique was used to show the simulation process by using Proof Animation. By this technique, the simulation process was monitored on the screen.
38
Lommen, Candice M. "How does the use of digital photography affect student observation skills and data collection during outdoor field studies?" Montana State University, 2012. http://etd.lib.montana.edu/etd/2012/lommen/LommenC0812.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this project was to determine if adding digital photography as a tool for collecting data during outdoor field study would increase student engagement and also improve the quality of the data students brought back to the classroom. Too often my students would come in from the field with data that focused on surface or irrelevant features. They were unable to use their data to make connections to the ecology concepts we were learning in the classroom. During the non-treatment phase of the study, students recorded all of their data through drawings and written observations. While at their plots, students inventoried the vegetation present and also took specific measurements such as tree circumference, canopy cover and invasive plant cover. Before taking the cameras out to the field, students practiced with the macro settings to take close up pictures of vegetation brought into the classroom. During the treatment phase, students took digital cameras out to their new plots to inventory and measure plants. Student engagement data was measured using a self-assessment questionnaire, outside observer behavior checklist and teacher field journal. Although interest and engagement were high for most students during the entire study, students who were not initially engaged in the field study activities reported higher engagement levels when cameras were used. The outside observer and teacher journal data supported this finding. The quality of student data was measured using both the student self-assessment questionnaire and drawing or photo rubrics. Rubric scores increased when students used photographs, rather than drawings, to write observations. Students felt they had more to write about when looking at their pictures as compared to their drawings. Interestingly, students reported they wrote less while at their plots when they had the camera, relying on their pictures to tell the story of their plot. Using photos only slightly increased students' ability to positively identify their plants. Pictures lacked those complex features that would enable students to easily work their way through a basic key. To increase the complexity of observations, additional content knowledge about plant structure and ecology is needed.
39
Morlok, Tina Natalie [Verfasser]. "Information Privacy in Personal Use of Digital Technologies : Empirical Studies on Interdependent Privacy and Ephemerality / Tina Natalie Morlok." Berlin : epubli, 2019. http://d-nb.info/1192228456/34.
Full text
40
Martínez-García, Agustina. "Development of self-archiving tools to support archiving, analysis and re-use of qualitative data." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2013. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/4486/.
Full textAbstract:
The potential to share and re-use qualitative archived data has garnered much interest in recent years. This increased attention can be attributed mainly to advances in both data documentation standards and digital archiving technologies, which provide users with the ability to archive, share and disseminate qualitative research materials. However, there remain theoretical and epistemological barriers to and implications for the sharing and re-use of qualitative study data. One way to address these issues is by studying research practices (with practitioners’ active involvement), in combination with developing software tools that support digital archiving of qualitative studies. Semantic technologies, combined with metadata standards and documentation schemas have the potential to enhance qualitative data documentation, archiving and analysis. In fact, it has been established that data documentation is one of the key elements that enables data archiving. The use of appropriate standard documentation frameworks is crucial to data archives’ exposure and has a direct impact on the discoverability, search and retrieval of archived data. The technological aspect of this study has been the development of a self-archiving toolkit that makes use of such technologies. The purpose of this work was to allow users, with varying levels of research experience (e.g. from undergraduate student researchers up to more experienced senior researchers) to avail of the benefits offered by qualitative digital archiving. To complement the technological developments undertaken, the present study also explored the practices of different researchers: undergraduate student researchers, researchers involved in teaching research-oriented modules, as well as senior researchers. This exploration focused on the collection, organisation, analysis and presentation of qualitative data and how these relate to and can be supported by digital archiving to enable researchers to organise, disseminate, and visualise research collections.
41
McSwiney, Carolyn M(Carolyn Mary) 1942. "Internationalisation of the university implications for the academic library." Monash University, School of Information Management and Systems, 2001. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/9301.
Full text
42
Park, Il-jong. "Evaluation by Korean students of major online public access catalogs in selected academic libraries." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1994. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/33376824.html.
Full text
43
Karlsson, Kristin. "Det friska på sjukhuset : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om användares och bibliotekariers syn på patientbibliotek." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för ABM, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-353880.
Full textAbstract:
The aim for this master’s thesis is to clarify users’ and librarians’ views on patient libraries today. This aim is achieved by answering the following research questions: Which are the most important functions and tasks of the patient library, according to users and librarians? Which views on the patient library’s activity come with these functions and tasks? How does the connection to different cultural institutions, such as the library and the hospital, affect users’ and librarians’ views on the patient library? In what ways is the patient library regarded as an asset for health care? As a background for my study, and to give a context to the results, a historical background on the evolvement of hospital libraries in general, and of the case of S:t Görans patient library in particular, is given. Previous research on the subject of hospital libraries from different perspectives is presented and discussed. Aspects such as the hospital library as a bearer of cultural activity, hospital libraries as information centers and collaboration between library and hospital are discussed. Studies from the field of culture and health, about how cultural activity can improve patients’ health and about how health professionals can benefit from reading fiction, are included in the background of the thesis. The theoretical framework is a sociocultural perspective based on the works of Roger Säljö, with the concept of cultural institutions as a tool to analyze the views on the patient library. The method used is qualitative semistructured interviews with library users and librarians. One of the tasks and functions that arise from the interview is to make literature available for more people. Another is to be a calm room within the hospital. The conclusion is that the patient library has a strong connection to the public library as well as to the hospital. Users connect the patient library more to the public library, but the function of being a part of the hospital is important too. The librarians connect the patient library strongly to the public library. At the same time, they express loyalty towards the hospital.
44
Pan, Bing. "Capturing Users' Behavior in the National Science Digital Library (NSDL)." 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/106332.
Full textAbstract:
This is a report prepared by the author in the Human-Computer Interaction Group, Information Science Program,
Department of Communication at Cornell University. It firstly gives an introduction to NSDL; then the complexity of capturing userâ s behavior on the Internet is discussed. The report then discussed the details of this project, including the web log analysis tools used, data cleaning process, the results of data analysis and its interpretation. Finally a general conclusion was given and its implication for digital library design is provided.
45
Moyo, Sharon. "Elementary school children’s acceptance and use of digital school libraries at Crawford Preparatory Pretoria School in Gauteng Province, South Africa." Diss., 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/19899.
Full textAbstract:
The use of the digital school library depends on many factors, including end-users‘ acceptance. The issue of designing information systems that will be used appropriately is growing and thus user acceptance of new technology is now receiving much attention by researchers. Without acceptance, discretionary users will seek alternatives, while even dedicated users will most likely manifest dissatisfaction, negating many, if not all, the presumed benefits of the digital library. Whereas the traditional focus of digital libraries has drawn research on technological developments, there is a call for user-focused research. This study sought to identify the dynamics of elementary children‘s (11- to 13- year olds) decision-making in the context of accepting or resisting making use of digital school libraries at Crawford Preparatory Pretoria School in Gauteng. To be accepted, the digital library must satisfy basic usability requirements and be perceived as useful by the children. The constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were used to generate an understanding of acceptance of the digital school libraries. The study adopted a quantitative case study research approach to compare the empirical data and the TAM theory. Data triangulation of a wide range of data collection methods, including observation, questionnaires, focus groups and tasks given to the children to work on using the International Children‘s Digital Library was analysed. The findings revealed that, just like adults, children make decisions regarding accepting and using the digital school library based on how easy it is to use and how relevant it is to their needs. The study recommends that software designers, teachers and librarians work with the children when designing digital school libraries to ensure that their acceptance factors are taken into consideration when designing for them.Information Science
M. Inf.
46
Krige, Neeltje A. C. (Ansie). "High school students' use of licensed databases and digital resources via the public library in the East cobb area of Atlanta, Georgia, USA." Diss., 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/1489.
Full textAbstract:
The study aimed to examine high school student usage of licensed databases available through public libraries in Atlanta-USA. A descriptive quantitative survey was conducted via a web-based questionnaire among 135 East Cobb high school students.
The findings revealed that most students are aware of these licensed databases, but their usage is low (1:10) compared to Google. However, as students advance in grade levels, their database usage increases and GALILEO is the most-used licensed resource. Factors that influence student database usage include: specific academic needs; teacher instruction to use specific databases and frequent Digital Information Literacy (DIL) instruction. Most students receive DIL instruction at school, but their DIL skills are still inadequate. To increase usage of licensed databases as reliable information resources, the study recommends collaboration between public libraries and high schools, including incorporation of Generation Y's digital information preferences such as Google-type simplified interfaces, cutting-edge technology and time-saving search features.Information Science
M.A. (Information Science)
47
Muniram, Budhu. "Creating and Operating a Digital Library for Information and Learning - the GROW Project." 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105219.
Full textAbstract:
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, this project is the first phase of the National Civil Engineering Education Resources Library (NCERL). The aim is to provide high-quality educational resources in the field of civil engineering and meet the needs of a diverse audience by developing Interactive Learning Objects that are easy to use, measured, and meet learning objectives.
48
Govender, Kasturi Sandra. "Meeting information needs through the use of public library websites : a case study of Chinese immigrants' information behaviour in Auckland, New Zealand." Diss., 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/4846.
Full textAbstract:
Public library services in New Zealand are being re-examined in light of the developments in ICT and an increasingly multicultural population.
The research question investigated was “Can an internet portal on a public library website be used to meet the information needs of new Chinese Mandarin immigrants to the Auckland region of New Zealand?”
In an attempt to effectively answer the research question and sub-questions the researcher conducted a literature review on two aspects relevant to the study: immigration theory and information behaviour (IB). Thirty Chinese Mandarin speaking recent migrants to the Auckland region of New Zealand were interviewed in-depth to determine their information behaviour (IB) and resources used. The findings indicate that respondents were in need of everyday survival information. The findings suggest that a more coordinated approach to information provision, for example through a library web portal, will assist respondents in their search for information relating to their initial settlement.Information Science
M. Inf.
49
Audenaert, Michael. "CritSpace: An Interactive Visual Interface to Digital Collections of Cultural Heritage Material." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2011-12-10596.
Full textAbstract:
Cultural heritage digital libraries have become an important and prominent tool within humanities scholarship, offering increased expressive power for representing complex networks of relationships and the ability to use computational tools and interactive environments to help researchers ask new questions. While digital libraries offer tremendous advantages for publishing the final products of scholarship, in the words of Bradley and Vetch, "as they currently are delivered, do not intersect terribly meaningfully with the process of scholarly research." In this work I investigate how scholars use visually complex source documents-materials where access to a visual representation of the original object is required and present a prototype system, CritSpace designed to facilitate scholarly engagement with digital resources. Rather than creating a one-size-fits-all application, CritSpace is a web-based framework for building interactive visual interfaces that support scholarly use of digital libraries. The theory and design behind CritSpace is based on a formative study of the work practices of scholars from different disciplines and prior research in field of spatial hypertext. To illustrate a concrete example of using CritSpace and to evaluate its usefulness, I conclude with a case study that walks through the process of deploying CritSpace to support work in a specific scholarly domain, textual criticism and presents a summative usability study of the tool. The results of this study show that CritSpace is effective at supporting textual criticism. More significantly, they also indicate that the innovations added in CritSpace promote the intensive analysis of visual material in addition to knowledge organization and structuring.
50
Finlayson, Avenal Jane. "Patterns of use of web-based library e-resources among students on the Howard College Campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/2680.
Full textAbstract:
This study explores the use of electronic information services (EIS) by students at the
Howard College (HC) campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in the
faculties of Engineering and the Humanities, Development and Social Sciences
(HDSS). The objectives were to establish usage among students; identify
determinants of usage and to make recommendations. To achieve these objectives,
the study concentrated on answering these research questions:
• Do UKZN students use library e-resources?
• Which e-resources are UKZN students using?
• Where do UKZN students access library e-resources?
• Why do UKZN students use library e-resources?
• What characterises non-users of library e-resources?
• What barriers exist to the use of electronic information services (EIS)?
A review of the literature identified a mix of quantitative, qualitative and combined
methods used to investigate EIS usage. In various research studies, the variables
considered to be determinants of use included age, status, discipline of study,
subject content, computer proficiency, ease of use, availability and print formats in
academic environments. The barriers experienced when using EIS formats, the
adoption of technology and the usability characteristics of EIS were also important
aspects evident in the literature.
The methodology adopted was based on a pragmatic philosophical approach and
sought to establish baseline data. A quantitative research design was used which set
out to achieve the research objectives through data collection on two fronts. Firstly,
the overall usage environment at UKZN was established by reviewing vendor usage
statistics. The COUNTER compliant statistics for selected databases and e-journals
were collected and analysed. As COUNTER statistics were not available for e-books,
the statistics available from the vendors were used. Secondly, a stratified, random
sample of students on the HC campus was surveyed by means of an online
questionnaire. A response rate of 22.5% was achieved. Data collected established
the characteristics of users; whether they made use of e-books, e-journals and
databases; where they used them and how often; why they made use of them; and
what barriers and problems they experienced when using them. Data from non-users
was also solicited. Data is presented in graphs and frequency tables. The Chi-square
test was applied to establish significant associations between variables and these
results are produced in contingency tables.
The findings established that EIS are used by students and usage fluctuates during
the course of the academic year with peaks occurring in each semester and low
points during the vacation periods. e-Journals and databases are used more than ebooks,
while postgraduate students use EIS most. Non-users made up almost a third
iv
of the sample; while habitual, frequent and infrequent users were reflected in almost
equal numbers among those who use EIS. Age, gender or discipline of study were
not in evidence as determinants of use. Students undertake searches mainly from
computers in the LANs but off-campus computers are also used, which highlights the
importance of remote access. The library website is most often the starting point for
navigation, although search engines are also popular as a virtual starting point.
Locating information was the prime motivation to use EIS, and students largely rated
the EIS they used as good or excellent. Barriers were experienced by as many as
37% of users who reported that the non-availability of EIS was the main problem,
although they experienced other difficulties.
In concluding, issues of library service delivery and recommendations regarding
usage are made.Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.