Modeling web-based library service quality

Purpose – To examine the changing nature and adaptation of the Information Commons concept at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.Design/methodology/approach – This article is primarily a case study on the growth and development of technology at Lied Library, including its expansion beyond the physical confines of the original model of the Information Commons. Additionally, a cross‐section of articles regarding the principles of providing services and systems within an Information Commons is surveyed.Findings – Stresses the importance of maintaining a flexible model for the integration of technology and library services.Practical implications – A matter‐of‐fact source for the implications of rethinking and reinventing the Information Commons concept.Originality/value – This article addresses considerations important to the integration and evolution of technology services and space within academic libraries.

The evolving Information Commons

Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to present the current state and use of the web by university libraries in India and to examine the web‐based library services offered by some university libraries in different sections via their websites with the help of web‐based library automation software.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted through a structured questionnaire circulated personally among university librarians and the response rate was 100 percent. The responses received from the respondents to 22 questions are presented in the form of tables and figures and analyzed using a simple method of percentages.Findings – The findings show that many of the surveyed university libraries are yet to exploit full potential of the web forms, and are lagging behind in effective use of library website. A few libraries offer innovative web‐based library services in different sections. This study identified specific ways in which the web helps university libraries to improve and develop innovative ...

Web‐based library services in university libraries in India: an analysis of librarians' perspective

Metadata lies at the heart of every digital repository project in the sense that it defines and drives the description of digital content stored in the repositories. Metadata allows content to be successfully stored, managed and retrieved but also preserved in the long-term. Despite the enormous importance of metadata in digital repositories, one that is widely recognized, studies indicate that what is defined as metadata quality, is relatively low in most cases of digital repositories. Metadata quality is loosely defined as "fitness for purpose" meaning that low quality of metadata means that metadata cannot fulfill its purpose which is to allow for the successful storage, management and retrieval of resources. In practice, low metadata quality leads to ineffective searches for content, ones that recall the wrong resources or even worse, no resources which makes them invisible to the intended user, that is the "client" of each digital repository. The present dissertation approaches this problem by proposing a comprehensive metadata quality assurance method, namely the Metadata Quality Assurance Certification Process (MQACP). The basic idea of this dissertation is to propose a set of methods that can be deployed throughout the lifecycle of a repository to ensure that metadata generated from content providers are of high quality. These methods have to be straightforward, simple to apply with measurable results. They also have to be adaptable with minimum effort so that they can be used in different contexts easily. This set of methods was described analytically, taking into account the actors needed to apply them, describing the tools needed and defining the anticipated outcomes. In order to test our proposal, we applied it on a Learning Federation of repositories, from day 1 of its existence until it reached its maturity and regular operation. We supported the metadata creation process throughout the different phases of the repositories involved by setting up specific experiments using the methods and tools of the MQACP. Throughout each phase, we measured the resulting metadata quality to certify that the anticipated improvement in metadata quality actually took place. Lastly, through these different phases, the cost of the MQACP application was measured to provide a comparison basis for future applications. Based on the success of this first application, we decided to validate the MQACP approach by applying it on another two cases of a Cultural and a Research Federation of repositories. This would allow us to prove the transferability of the approach to other cases the present some similarities with the initial one but mainly significant differences. The results showed that the MQACP was successfully adapted to the new contexts, with minimum adaptations needed, with similar results produced and also with comparable costs. In addition, looking closer at the common experiments carried out in each phase of each use case, we were able to identify interesting patterns in the behavior of content providers that can be further researched. The dissertation is completed with a set of future research directions that came out of the cases examined. These research directions can be explored in order to support the next version of the MQACP in terms of the methods deployed, the tools used to assess metadata quality as well as the cost analysis of the MQACP methods.

Metadata quality issues in learning repositories

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of customer service in the academic library setting and ways in which its management can be best approached in the electronic environmentDesign/methodology/approach – The study adopts a two‐phase methodology First is a content analysis of the literature on customer service in libraries, focusing on electronic services, to identify main issues and strategies being used to address customer issues This is followed by a qualitative data‐gathering approach to explore user perspectives on the quality of electronic services, focusing on customer serviceFindings – The findings reveal that the concerns of library customers in the web environment are similar to those in the traditional library environment They are concerned about receiving online help for technical problems and also help to search and use information Reference services are still highly in demand with an emphasis on the characteristics of the online librarian Another major need is t

Customer service for academic library users on the web

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore key issues involved with opportunities, challenges, and future developing trends of delivering dynamic and distributed web‐based academic library information resources, services, and instructions for library users in the digital age.Design/methodology/approach – Based on the typical web‐based, three‐tier client/server architecture, this paper explores ten key issues how to leverage quality library user services in the digital age: roles of academic libraries; funding support; information resources; information access; information services; instructions and trainings; impacts of cutting‐edge technologies and emerging technologies; web contents management and knowledge base; assessment and evaluation; and Librarians. Also discussed are the next‐generation web‐based client/server library information architecture and services in the foreseeable future.Findings – With the rapid development of the internet and the world wide web, information exchange and informa...

LiLi Li

Papers

Leveraging quality web‐based library user services in the digital age