Attitude of Library and Information Science Professionals Towards Resource Sharing and Networking of Academic Libraries

Information explosion is the common phenomenon in the modern era in which no library can stand alone in fulfilling the information needs and requirements of its users. Resource sharing provides the means to maximize the usage of library collection irrespective of its type. Networking of libraries facilitates resource sharing among the participating libraries in an effective manner and it indirectly facilitates marketing of library sources among a group of libraries. Technology alone is not sufficient to bring together the sources. The attitudes of the people involved in the information dissemination are also a decisive factor in determining the success of resource sharing through networking of libraries. This chapter presents the attitude of information professionals for effective resource sharing and networking of academic libraries in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India. The study revealed that library and information science professionals have a positive attitude towards resource sharing and networking of libraries.

Library Anxiety

Recent surveys on usage of library services reveal that nearly one third of the user population uses the library resources effectively to fulfill their information requirements. The remaining two thirds are either under-utilizing or using at minimal level. The reasons for non-usage of library resources include the anxiety towards the information system. Library anxiety is a kind of psychological fear experienced by the users while using information services or accessing the ICT-based information resources in a library. Library anxiety is characterized by negative emotions including tension, fear, feelings of uncertainty and helplessness, negative self-defeating thoughts, and mental disorganization that are experienced in the library setting. It is a kind of psychological barrier that hinders the effective usage of library-based information resources. It is more prevalent among the beginners than others. This chapter highlights anxiety, types of anxiety, different types of library users, causes of library anxiety, and the remedial measures to overcome library anxiety.

Cutting Edge

Libraries and librarians are constructing a better world by experimenting with the latest technology for their patrons. As technologies evolve from time to time, new tools have been discovered to provide optimal services in minimal time. In developed countries like USA, UK, and Germany, the libraries are adopting new technologies for learning, research, and information to give the patron the best possible services. Librarians are struggling more to implement these cutting-edge technologies for learning, research, and information for their users.

Innovative Marketing Strategies in Academic Libraries

Advancements of Science and Technology have made a tremendous impact on all walks of life. Library and Information centers are no exception. The ICT-based marketing techniques are employed in libraries in an innovative way to maximize the usage. A similar approach can be followed in academic libraries, especially in higher educational institutions with an intention to maximize the use library resources to user's satisfaction. In this context, the chapter analyzes the various facets of marketing techniques in academic libraries. This chapter highlights the intention of academic libraries to use the resources at maximum level. The library home page in the institutional websites and links provided in them to the variety of e-resources play a pivotal role. Social Medias, blogs, and other promotional materials are extensively used as innovative marketing strategies in academic libraries. Efforts to familiarize the library professionals in adopting different marketing strategies help to use the resources at optimum level.

Ethics for Knowledge Resource Centers in the Era of Information Overload

Every professional body has a moral code for the conduct of its members. For example, physicians follow the oldest Hippocratic Oath for their professional code of ethics. Every member of the profession should adhere to their ethical code. Eventually, in the era of information overload millions of Terabyte information is found in the web. The e-formats of the information pose challenges to its user. The information service providers have a moral responsibility of providing the right information to the right user, in the right form. The knowledge workers have an added social responsibility in the democratic set-up. The ALA, CILIP, and some other professional bodies have their own ethical code. However, many developing nations do not have such code. This chapter discusses what ethics is, and its relevance to information science professionals. In addition, it gives a glimpse of the various ethical codes available and formulates a set of codes for information producers, re-packers, and seekers.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using other's writing without properly crediting the author. The act itself may involve a violation of copyright. It definitely violates academic ethics. In the age of the internet, proliferation of information available online has made it extremely easy to plagiarize. There are various types of plagiarism and academic misconduct, though scholars often disagree as to exactly what constitutes a proper definition of plagiarism. Very often teachers, as well as students, practice it in some form or other due to sheer ignorance. It is the responsibility of the teachers and the librarians to devise strategies to combat plagiarism within the academia by raising awareness within both the teaching and student communities.

User-Friendly Information Accessibility and Deschooling Among Teenagers

Information explosion has reached its zenith and provides the accessibility in a user-friendly manner. Time, space, situation, assistance, facilitation, tutor, conventional, traditional; all these types of information acquisition modes had been reduced to user-friendly pattern of interaction. Deschooling among teenagers has become an inevitable topic of discussion due to the user-friendly information accessibility. Deschooling is the escapism of teenagers from normal, traditional, and systematic style of information as well as knowledge acquisition. This chapter provides the misuse as well as the negative thinking aspects of teenagers in marketing of information services. The chapter ultimately enhances the quality of designing and realistic ethical norms and values in marketing of information services.

Functional Model to Online Information Seeking

This chapter focuses on developing a Functional Model of Online Information Seeking Behavior of Academicians to the effective seeking of an online platform. The unavailability of standard, uniform, and multilingual supportive model is the major reason to prepare this proposal. The proposed model will help in an enhancement of the utilization of the databases provided by government-funded agencies. The main aim of this chapter is to explore the online information seeking behavior and provide a functional model to effective seeking approaches for the academicians.

Information Security

Scientometrics is the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of scientific literature. Information security is the art, science, and technique of securing the computer's systems, the data and information stored in computer systems, computer networks, and also the information security management. Information security is critical while designing an information system or an information service. Data related to information security research are downloaded from the Web of Science and analyzed for literature growth, top productive country, institution, and author, top funding agency, top contributing source title, and the area of research. This chapter reveals USA is the top contributing country while China is also making rapid strides in this field. Chinese funding agencies fund most of the research. However, English is the preferred language of communication.

Designing Library Atmospherics for Information Delivery

Learning environment comprises providing physical environment, cultural context in which students learn, and growth and development of institutions at large. However, learning environment is influenced by multiple factors such as institutional factors, physical infrastructure tools, budget, services, ICT, marketing the services, and evaluation of the services. Given the advent of web 2.0 technologies, there is need to provide active and two-way, student centric learning environment for effective learning and gaining of skill set. The chapter explores the aspects of how a conducive learning environment can be created by designing library atmospherics for information delivery.