The main theme of the BOBCATSSS 2021 conference is DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION. ​ Information and communication technologies have a great impact on society, namely with regard to the immediacy of access to information, the constant increase in the available information volume, the automation of services, the dematerialization of processes, the alteration of supports and formats, the attention to the client and changes in the behavior of individuals. These impacts are also felt in the way people interact with information, in professional, academic, personal and playful terms. Soon half of consumers will be digital natives and this will force the digital transformation in organizations, creating new opportunities for change, including in organizational, cultural and legal standards. Digital transformation as an effect of a process marked by the influence of ICT in society will influence changes in business models and in the way it develops, with ICT and, inseparably, information, having a leading role in any organization. According to Rogers (2016) and Herbert (2017), it is possible to identify five domains where the digital transformation takes place and which are based on the transversal use of ICT: 1. Customers, who interact dynamically with organizations 2. Competition, which presupposes a differentiation of organizations vis-à-vis the consumer / final customer 3. Information, which due to its essential nature for the business, whether structured or not, will require an increasingly strict management 4. Innovation, focusing on the development of new ideas 5. Value, which becomes volatile in the face of market demand Information professionals face challenges that can be characterized by the transfer and sharing of knowledge, their safeguarding, the selection and filtering of information, the management of information and resources, access through the use of national and international networks and the structuring information service appropriate to the organization. It will therefore be necessary for information professionals to be active elements in the digital transformation of organizations, as true informational mediators which is why the theme of the BOBCATSSS 2021 virtual conference is “Digital Transformation.”
In March 2020, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic, universities and schools around the world switched rapidly to online learning. In this talk, invited speakers Chris Morrison (University of Kent) and Jane Secker (City, University of London) will focus on the copyright and licensing issues that arose and the impact that they had on access to digital and print learning resources. The speakers will explain how issues associated with online learning point to the need for greater levels of copyright literacy, amongst educators and students. They argue that the pandemic could lead to a step change in the way in which content is produced and shared for teaching and learning, but only if those in education and research are able to critically examine the issues. In the first few months the shift to online learning, referred to as ‘’Emergency remote teaching” (Hodges et al, 2020) was largely an attempt allow students to progress with their studies. Libraries responded by trying to increase the number of digital resources available to support students studying remotely. Additionally, many publishers temporarily made a number of additional resources available for free. However, as the situation continued into the autumn, more sustained efforts were needed to plan for the new academic year and deliver high quality online teaching. As budgets across education became stretched, educators and librarians urgently considered the balance between maintaining access to existing collections and finding more sustainable solutions. The speakers’ experience suggests that copyright was a relatively low priority for many university lecturers and teachers prior to the pandemic. However, as experts in copyright and online learning (Secker and Morrison, 2016), and passionate advocates for greater levels of understanding of copyright (or copyright literacy), the speakers recognised that access to educational resources was likely to be an issue, as so few materials used in teaching are openly available (Gadd et al, 2019). In this presentation, they will discuss their response to the pandemic and highlight the actions of those in the copyright community to support online learning. They will also report on the increased traction that open educational practice has gained during this time. In March 2020, the speakers wrote a blog post reminding the education community about existing licences and copyright exceptions that support online learning, and also the wealth of open educational resources available. They also wrote and spoke at other events for those in the education community and for senior managers and policy makers in education (Morrison and Secker, 2020). They launched a webinar series, to help support the community and build confidence in answering challenging copyright queries. These webinars became an ongoing event featuring a number of guest presenters from national and international organisations such as Harvard University and Creative Commons. Many of the webinars were open to all and included contributions from a range of different people, including those representing copyright owners and legal academics providing the community with expert guidance (Hudson and Wragg, 2020). However, some sessions were closed to allow the community to discuss sensitive issues related the interpretation of copyright law. In autumn 2020, the speakers decided to set up a special interest group in Copyright and Online Learning as part of the Association of Learning Technology. This was intended to provide the community with a sustainable basis on which to continue the webinars and build on the work already done to draw together different perspectives. The crisis meant that despite not being able to travel, there were in fact more opportunities to speak to groups about copyright outside of the UK. The speakers presented at events in New Zealand, Jamaica and Switzerland, to name just a few countries, and it became clear that copyright issues were affecting educators worldwide. The speakers will conclude by describing their future plans, and reflect on what the pandemic has taught them about the need for ongoing community support to develop confidence and resilience in the education sector. They will also discuss the creative ways they have devised to continue working and teaching others about copyright. Finally, Chris and Jane will share their commitment to advocating for copyright literacy as an essential part of solving the challenges the education community is facing.
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This Conference Proceedings provides an overview of all selected papers, that were presented at BOBCATSSS 2021 Virtual Conference, 21st-22nd January 2021, on the main theme "Digital Transformation" (https://bobcatsss2021.sciencesconf.org/). The conference was jointly organized by the Porto Accounting and Business School - Porto Polytechnic (ISCAP), Portugal, University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (ULSIT), Sofia, Bulgaria and University of Leon, Spain. BOBCATSSS is an international annual symposium which addresses hot topics for librarians and information professionals in a fast-changing environment. It is created by and for students, teachers, researchers and professionals in the information field. BOBCATSSS is held under the auspices of BOBCATSSS Association (https://bobcatsss.info/, former EUCLID (European Association for Library and Information Education and Research). It is a tradition which has been passed on from one European country to another since 1993, providing a rich professional conference, accompanied by numerous opportunities for networking, personal exchanges, discussions, and learning. The 29th conference of BOBCATSSS was a virtual edition, due to the COVID-19 worldwide crisis. “DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION” was chosen as the theme for BOBCATSSS 2021. Information and communication technologies have a great impact on society, namely concerning the immediacy of access to information, the constant increase in the available information volume, the automation of services, the dematerialization of processes, the change in supports and formats, the attention to the client and changes in the behaviour of individuals. These impacts are also felt in the way people interact with information, in professional, academic, personal and playful terms. [...]
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A General Assessment Upon Postgraduate and Phd Theses Prepared Related to Digital Transformation in Turkey
In recent years, mainly in information and communication technologies, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, internet of things, big data, advanced robotics, etc. developments in technologies have revealed the concept of digital transformation. In other words, digital transformation is a transformation process that occurs when the internet, communication, informatics, sensor, automation, artificial intelligence - machine learning and robotic technologies significantly affect and change all social structures and systems. It is observed that this process deeply affects all social, cultural and economic institutions and structures in the world. In short, an intense digital transformation is taking place in every field where people and society take part. It is not possible for the scientific world to remain irrelevant to the issue of digital transformation, which has such a great impact. Indeed, when the literature related to digital conversion is assessed, it is seen that there were many academic works published in as papers, articles, books, projects, thesis and etc. in different branches of science both in the World and in Turkey. In these studies, it is seen that each discipline examines "digital transformation" from its own perspective. In this research graduate theses, which were prepared between the years 2013-2020, digital transformation was examined. Purposeful sampling method was used in this study, which was conducted in the documentary scanning model. The sample of the study consists of 43 theses archived by the Higher Education Council's Publication Documentation Department. "Thesis Evaluation Form" was prepared by the researchers to analyse thesis. 43 theses within the scope of the research are classified according to their types, subjects; distribution according to publishing years; distribution according to affiliated institutes and branches of science; distribution according to research methods used; distribution according to measurement tools and distribution according to sample groups were collected with using evaluation form. The findings obtained in the research were interpreted based on percentage and frequency values which were shown on tables and graphs. According to the results of the research, it has been determined that there has been a huge increase in the number of theses prepared on digital transformation since 2018, that there are more master’s degree theses than doctoral theses on this subject, and that quantitative research methods are used the most in theses and scales are used as measurement tools. In addition, it has been determined that the areas that mainly focus on public institutions, businesses and universities are discussed in the theses.
A Look at Digital Transformation: Can Society Be Persuaded To a New Authentication Method – Behavioral Biometrics?
The 21st century brings many technological novelties and modifications to existing solutions. The digital transformation that we undergo in every aspect of life often affects us against our will, with varying results. Thousands of years ago, when a human rubbed two stones together, he caused a spark that started a chemical phenomenon, but above all - a revolution. Today, lighting a bonfire does not arouse great emotions, we are faced with many other technological novelties aimed at making our lives easier. In the past, when human didn’t need the fire, he had a choice. The present shows that we are becoming strongly dependent on technology and our choice becomes very limited or impossible. As a result, we agree to the terms offered. It is worth to investigate whether we take a bold decision overnight? What guides us in making such key decisions in our lives? The main goal of this paper is to take a look at safeguards used to protect our goods, in information technology. Until now, the security measures used to authenticate the user were in the form of i.a. login and passwords, two-factor authentication (2FA), universal 2nd Factor (U2F), biometrics. Each of these solutions has its advantages and disadvantages. It would seem that these are the best solutions, and using them together would provide a multi-layer security. However, does it not become a significant obstacle in everyday use? Then behavioral biometrics comes to the rescue, which aims to learn our behaviour using machine learning and to clearly confirm in real time whether the person using the service or device is the owner. Using this method, many doubts and concerns arise about the technology itself. Based on the available research, literature and other sources, I will look for answers to the question „Can the public be persuaded to use this method of authentication?”. Justifying the reply, I will analyse the available tools and refer to the document of General Data Protection Regulation.
Academic Libraries in The Digital Transformation: The Case of the Library of the Faculty of Economics of Porto
different means, for the training of students. This work aims to show how a university library - that of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto (FEP) - meets the needs of students, namely in terms of information literacy (IL) and digital literacy (DL), using for this the new technologies which enable the referred digital transformation and new ways of teaching and learning. Due to the current importance of the librarian's role as a trainer, the authors - the trainee of the degree in Documentation and Information Sciences and Technologies (LCTDI) of the Higher Institute of Accounting and Administration of Porto (ISCAP), the FEP librarian and the internship advisor - designed a set of training sessions for IL within the scope of the curricular internship of said course in the academic year 2019-20. This project had as main objectives: (1) to provide distance learning; (2) to reduce the on-site training provided by the library; (3) to allow any member of the FEP community to have access to information that is relevant to them, whenever and wherever they want; (4) to offer training to the entire educational community, including Erasmus students, with the production of materials in Portuguese and English. The methodology adopted consisted of a review of the literature on the subject and a practical part carried out in the library involving the production of videos based on the observation of training sessions. From a theoretical point of view, the themes of IL and DL in AL are addressed, the role of the librarian in the development of such skills in students, the exploration of new digital tools used for training, more specifically, the production of tutorial videos, as well as distance learning. In the practical component of this project, eight video tutorials were produced on the search and location of information using the online catalog, the subject of one of the training activities given by the FEP library, and which addresses the most basic resources of the library, which is an essential resource for students. In conclusion, the creation of support materials that will soon be made available on the institution's website will surely contribute to the development of IL skills of a greater number of students. In addition, the new format of these contents will serve as a complement and / or substitute for face-to- face training sessions, responding to a problem detected by the institution itself - that the training for IL is not sufficient nor the most diversified among the academic community. Finally, the sharing and availability of information designed with a specific target audience in mind and disseminated through the right communication channels, is crucial for a profitable use, leading to the consequent satisfaction of users.
Bulgarian Projects in the Field of the Digital Transformation of Education and Their Role in Building Digital Literacy in the Children in Primary School
In the recent decades the digital transformation has been radically changing every aspect of our social life on both global and national level. Following the development of the new ICT technologies, there has been a growing need for rapid adaptation to the new professional, educational and recreational possibilities. In 2020 was developed a strategic document outlining the national guidelines for the digital transformation of Bulgaria for the 2020-2030 period. It contains the essential principles of digital transformation and aims to facilitate the development of innovative models in a number of areas, such as scientific research, digital education etc. The contemporary education requires the development and implementation of flexible platforms and appropriate electronic content suitable for all age groups. This calls for modern ICT equipment and software as well as trained educators that can provide appropriate digital education and relevant learning content. The article examines the Bulgarian projects for digital transformation in education and their key role in ensuring the learning process (improving the learning conditions) for primary school children in the current situation of a global pandemic as well as their prospects in the context of the evolving modern information environment. The good practices and projects in Bulgarian education and the challenges they are facing in the implementation of a successful digital transformation are described.
Corporate Email Management Policy: How to Improve Digital Communication
The purpose of this paper is to explain the specifics of email as corporate mail and to underline some of the main transformations that it has allowed to organizational communication and the challenges to information management in professional contexts. The need to create an email management policy defining usage rules, in order to overcome some administrative, ethical, legal and economic problems or the loss of organizational memory will be emphasized. A set of documents produced by five archival national agencies, from Brazil, Canada, South Africa, United Kingdom, and USA, will be analysed in order to define the main topics that should be considered in any corporate email management policy. The five documents will be presented comparatively using an analysis grid. As an output of the content analysis from these national documents on email management policies, a set of recommendations about the main topics to be included in a corporate email management policy will be presented.
Digital Library Services During the Covid-19 Crisis: Librarians' Perspective
The purpose of this paper is to show how Croatian libraries responded to the crisis caused by the outburst of the COVID-19 pandemic in early March 2020. This research covers period when almost all public services were in complete lockdown, including libraries. Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) and Civil Protection Headquarters issued a measures to restrict social gatherings, ‘non-essential’ shops working-hours, services and organization of sports and cultural events for 30 days (19/03/2020-19/04/2020). The aim of this research is to gather personal experience of public librarians during the complete lockdown. Theoretical background of this paper is grounded in crisis management. Dealing with the crisis include development positive attitude towards the crisis and the situation, setting up business activities organizations in line with environmental expectations and seeking opportunities in a crisis (Funda & Majić, 2011). This research will focus on the role of the library in the local community and wider, since during this period all library services were transferred in an online environment. This research is divided into two parts. The first part will use Tisno Public library as a case study and will show how it transformed and transferred their existing, everyday services into digital platforms, and also how librarians have adapted their existing services and how successful they were in implementing virtual content into their standard programs. The second part uses semi-structured interview with 10 public librarians in order to gain knowledge about personal experiences on their activities and how they personally dealt with the crisis. This research will answer following research questions: 1. How did Tisno Public Library and their librarians respond to crisis? 2. What difficulties did public librarians in Croatia experience during the COVID-19 lockdown period and how did they overcome them? This health crisis has shown that libraries can exist between traditional and digital libraries, i.e. librarians are adaptable to any situation and so called ‘traditional’ and digital services can easily coexist. Both, services provided in physical library can be equally good and beneficial to the patrons as those provided in the virtual environment. Results of the first part showed that due to local activities, the Tisno Public Library was the first to provide assistance to citizens in overcoming difficulties with access to information during the crisis. The second part of the research gave insight knowledge on personal view of the libraries on the crisis. This crisis has also demonstrated that libraries have increasing potential to reach diverse public domain and ensure access to information. The global pandemic of COVID-19 has created rising need for digital libraries service by providing more quality and free service, but it will not change the primary role of library. In response to the crisis, the American Library Association (ALA) surveyed the community public libraries to understand the immediate effects of the crisis on their business, staff, programs and services (ALA, http). It is important to bear in mind Skip Prichard’s words (OCLC): "These are unprecedented times for all of us. Libraries around the world are moving into the new and an insecure environment. Their commitment to sharing information and serving the communities has never been shaken” (OCLC, http).
Digitalization of People’s Daily Routine in the 21st Century
Through the ages of time, mankind has always been in a constant motion towards revolutionization – abandoning old habits and paving new paths for the next generations so they could live a better and more easeful life, was and always will be number one priority of our ancestors. Digital Revolution began in late 20th century and we are still living in it though it is nearing the end of its lifespan. Another problem for our society is that digitalization is perceived in different ways by generations such as Х, У, Z, Alpha. The focus of our research is the ongoing processes that are directly or indirectly connected with the Digitalization as a new historic period such as critical digital literacy, development of new artificial intelligence, the digitalization of our personal lives – a threat to our privacy or a new frontier aimed at getting people together, the future professions. This study also presents some results from our survey conducted with parents towards their children’s habits with digital technologies.
Digitalization in the Service of Preserving the Cultural Heritage of the Metropolitan Library of Zagreb’s Archbishopric, Croatia
Metropolitan Library of Zagreb’s Archbishopric is a jewel among Croatian libraries with its valuables. The Library presents a treasure of the written word and is highly cherished in our cultural and national history. Development and prevalence of ICT in all segments of everyday life resulted in progress of social sciences and production of new knowledge platforms. The digitalization enables access, preservation and possibility of multiple uses of materials by libraries, archives and museums. In the Library there are many manuscripts (codices), incunabula, books printed from 16th to 20th century and occasional publications. Valvasor’s graphic collection is a part of a corpus that provides insight into graphic production from late 15th until 17th century. Digitalization of the collection improves permanent protection and online availability of digital content. The aim of this paper is to introduce this valuable Metropolitan Library collection to the entire professional community by applying new technologies. This paper will highlight the cooperation between institutions and experts of different profiles, depending on the type of material that is situated in the Library itself. Its unique goal is the preservation of cultural heritage which represents national identity. Certain number of units has been digitized with the non-invasive Low Light digitization, which will also be presented in this paper. Using the non-invasive Low Light digitalization, the criterion how to carry out any digitalization has been elevated to higher standards, and it simplified the creation of quality documentation consistent with library, archival and especially museum informational standards. This system was created with an idea that it should uncompromisingly preserve historical original from any physical and chemical degradation. That makes the system extremely suitable for any type of digitalization, especially digitalization of originals before restoration. Using this system, it is possible to preserve important yet interesting “part” of the original before restoration
Digitalization of Museum Communications in Libraries
Libraries of the Republic of Belarus, following the world trends, have been actively collecting and preserving museum collections in their funds for more than a decade. The most effective forms of popularizing museum collections of libraries and presenting information about them have always been traditional museum expositions and exhibitions. However, the aggravation of the epidemiological situation around the world in 2020 associated with the spread of сoronavirus infection (COVID-19) significantly accelerated the transition of museum collections to the online space, which allowed library users around the world to familiarize themselves with the collections without leaving their homes. To this end, libraries are digitizing their collections and using digital communication tools to promote them on the Internet. In order to the online promotion of designated collections be effective, library professionals must have the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to implement technology and establish communication between users and museum collections of libraries through library sites and social media. The ways of presenting materials about museum objects and collections through library sites can be virtual tours, audio and video guides, virtual exhibitions and catalogs. An effective presentation tool, with the help of which a visual and fascinating demonstration of any museum expositions actually organized in the space of libraries is possible, is a virtual tour. The organization of virtual excursions on library websites requires library specialists know the technologies of their creation using special software. To use audio and video guides (tours), which are a reference guide in the form of audio or video recording, library specialists need to know the technologies for creating videos. Technologies briefly describes the objects that are exhibited in museum expositions of libraries. Also specialists need to know the technologies for digitizing items in museum collections of libraries and creating audio recordings with a narrated story about them. The technology of creation of virtual exhibitions involves demonstration on websites of libraries of specially selected and digitized museum items, which are organized and structured according to thematic areas, artistically designed, and creates a single museum image. The most difficult thing is to create virtual catalogs. They are a database with a list of digitized items from museum collections of libraries and descriptions to them. Virtual catalogs also have filters for searching by name, type, etc. To use virtual catalogs as a tool to popularize museum collections, librarians need to know the technologies for their development and creation, as well as the technology for digitizing items in museum collections of libraries and replenishing the database with them. To organize communication with target audiences on social networks, library specialists need to be able to determine the goals and objectives of popularizing museum collections of libraries, target audience and social networks, develop a content strategy, organize and evaluate the effectiveness of the work done. The possibilities of social networks make it possible to maintain interactive headings, organize polls, contests, quizzes, etc., which is an effective means of popularizing museum collections of libraries among its users.
Digitalization Possible – Main Achievements in Bulgarian Libraries
The aim of the paper is to systematize the main achievements regarding the digitalization of the cultural heritage in Bulgaria and to highlight the problems and recommendations for the continued integration of the Bulgarian cultural heritage in the pan-European context. The study is focused on six projects, split into two categories – initiated by Bulgarian institutions and participation in global initiatives. The idea is to show the overall progress in the development of Bulgarian libraries, and not to compare the importance of different projects. It is time to show some good examples and practices, which strengthened the place of Bulgarian specialists on the European and world stage: Projects BG0046 “Digitization and preservation of the written heritage of Bulgaria” and “Manuscripts and documentary monuments from the Bulgarian lands XIII – XVIII c.”; Project “Varna Digital Library”; Project “Digital cultural and historical heritage of The Municipality of Plovdiv”; IMPACT project; TELPlus project. The results achieved in these projects are an important example of progress in the perception of digitalization as a key method for preserving cultural heritage. The specificity of this process in the modern information society requires reconsideration of some important issues regarding copyright and preparation of well informed specialists. This is why the report also presents a short description of the аcademic discipline “Digitalization and Copyright” in University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (ULSIT) in order to show how important it is to integrate knowledge about the problems and achievements of the modern information society in the educational system.
Digitizing Public Archives in Ghana: What is PRAAD’s Problem?
Knowledge of the past is necessary to shape the present and to predict the future. Archival materials are evidence of what happened in the past. Archives connect past to the future by informing future generations what had happened. Individuals, organisations and governments use archives for varied purposes. Owing to the intrinsic value of archives, society is required to preserve them and it has been doing that over the years. However, the advancement of technology is putting demand on institutions responsible for preserving archives to digitize their resources and operations. The argument is that digitized archives are more appealing, have the potential to be preserved for longer period and could easily be accessed from anywhere, anytime. In response to the demand, many countries especially in the developed world have digitized their public archives. In Ghana, Public Records and Archives Administration Department is responsible for protecting, preserving and making public archives accessible to users. The department is responsible for digitizing public archives in Ghana but those materials are still not digitized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the problems faced by PRAAD in digitizing public archives. The main question the study sought to answer was: What problems prevent PRAAD from digitizing public archives in Ghana? To answer the above question, the study employed a case study strategy and a questionnaire method to collect data from 23 PRAAD staff, at the head office in Accra. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistical methods and with the aid of SPSS. The study revealed that the main challenge by PRAAD in digitizing publics is lack of funds and appropriate technologies. So, to overcome the challenge PRAAD should be supported with the needed funds and the necessary ICT infrastructure.
Effects of Covid-19 on the Online Information and Documentation Degree at the University of León (Spain): The Advantages of More than a Decade Teaching Blended and Online
The Degree in Library Science and Documentation of the University of León started during the 1990- 1991 academic year. This first curriculum suffered from a large presence of humanistic subjects and a low rate of experimentation granted to many subjects, caused by the integration within the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters. In the first courses, there were a high number of students. Subsequently, the decrease in the number of students in our degree caused us to initiate the change to the blended and online modalities. The Librarianship and Documentation Area of the University of León (ULe) already has a long experience in blended teaching, firstly, with the Degree in Librarianship and Documentation since the 2006/2007 academic year, using the platform aul@unileon. Currently, with the Degree of Information and Documentation in the modality blended since the 2010/2011 academic year, and in distance mode, since the 2014/2015 academic year. The new technologies have been fully introduced in university education and have facilitated the teaching-learning process through the use of interactive programs from the Internet. The main objective of this communication is to know and study what kind of multimedia tools were used by the professors of the Bachelor of Information and Documentation at the University of León in the teaching-learning process and in virtual teaching before the Covid-19; and on the other hand, observe what new tools have been introduced by the University for this reason.We will study student-teacher and student-student interaction to help promote communication and participatory learning through chat, forum, email, hangout, Skype, Meet, videoconferences, etc. In order to carry out this study, two types of methodologies will be implemented: the satisfaction surveys hosted in the Quality Office of the ULe will be studied to know the degree of satisfaction shown by students and teachers; second, the study of the annual memories.
Electronic Libraries of the Student Scientific Society at University of Library Studies and Information Technologies
The goal of this study is to substantiate the bibliometric and humanitarian dimensions of the rhizomatic structured information resources in the university electronic environment. A subject of this study is the system unity of the twelve electronic libraries created of the Student Scientific Society (SSS) at ULSIT, such as: Universalica (for the genesis of the world universal bibliography from ІІІ c. BC – ХХІ c. in 20 languages according the originals); Humanitariana (for the bibliographies of the authors of conceptions of the humanitarian knowledge in Bulg. Rus. and Eng.); Etymologica (for the linguistic diversity of the terms and notions in the biblio-info-noosphere in Bulg. Rus. and Eng.); Anthology (of the information code of Bulgarian literature, letters and spirituality: ІХ-ХХІ c.); Autobiobibliography (structuring of autobiobibliographies of the figures – architects of SSS at the University – among whom are students, doctoral students, young scientists), and the issue of their regionalizing and mapping. Through the rhizomatic methodology positioning from framing modulation (facts – primary documents – secondary documents – metasystems – philosophical pictures of relations among things) the idea of the historiographic unification of the information resources of the university information environment in the cognitive context of the informatics was achieved. The methodology of regionalizing and mapping was positioning as a prerequisite for the realization of the conceptual humanitarian dimensions of the resources, which are especially pressing for the postnonclassical paradigm of the knowledge in the contemporary science with their intrinsic prognostic of fixation of directions to establish connections between information realities. Rhizomatic structuring of the historiography of the electronic libraries was assessed as a corresponding to the unique bibliographic and historiographic scientific school of Bulgaria with international recognition related to the creative laboratories of Acad. N. Mihov, Prof. T. Borov, Acad. I. Duychev, Prof. V. Velchev, Prof. K. Kuev, Prof. B. Angelov, Acad. P. Dinekov. The creation for the purposes of the digitization historiographical resource - electronic libraries of the Student Scientific Society (SSS) at ULSIT, available at: http://sno.unibit.bg/ - has the mission to preserve the thin layer of the established relations among things, representing the focal goal of the reference-information resources.
Exploring NPL: Generating Automatic Control Keywords
Keywords are a tool to help indexers and search engines find relevant papers. Unfortunately, authors use them wrong, unintentionally or to misleading readers into a non-related topic, promoting their articles by using non-representative keywords. Previous scholars (Ansari, 2005; Voorbij, 1998) exposed lack of consistence between abstracts, full-texts and keywords. This is an old but effective practice. An early investigation conducted by Schultz, Schultz and Orr on 1965 matched author keywords to document titles and to indexing terms appointed by subject matter experts, and found out the author supplied keywords matched more closely the terms used by subject matter experts than did the title terms (as cited in Kipp, 2011, p. 249). Fifty-five year after, Terra et al. (2020) suggest seven improvements to keyword parameterization. In fact, author keywords have received relatively little attention in the literature, according to Kipp (2007). Moreover, with the ever-increasing academic data available, finding relevant documents has become more challenging for regular users and library specialists. The purpose of this article is to generate theses keywords using NLP - Natural language processing techniques; NLP is a subfield of linguistics, computer science, and artificial intelligence, taking advance of big data, indexing data while removing human errors and costs (Moskovitch, Martins, Behiri, Weiss & Shahar 2007). Design/methodology/approach: A 95% sample population of 51.010 master theses population, from the institutional repository of the University of São Paulo, was extracted and selected, representing 48.501 records, then a thematic dictionary was created based on theses major area, subsequently generating the theses’ keywords established by the previous dictionary. Research limitations/implications: The effectiveness of information retrieval is highly dependent on the accurate and complete representation of document content and major area of the theses. Originality/value: Author keywords have received relatively little attention in the literature (as cited in Kipp, 2011). Not due to lack of importance for all stakeholders, but because of the complexity involved on the task and publisher lack of control. This paper highlights a new method to generate and control author keywords.
Exploring the Workflow of Products’ Return Management in B2B Companies
The growing demand for new products also increases the market supply. However, with high number of products released in the market each year, consumers may have a difficult time in finding if a particular product is exactly what they need. Therefore, companies need to formulate return policies in case the consumer intends on returning the product. When companies have consumer return policies, it draws more customers, helps to stay competitive, and the consumer can be more at ease to order a product. According to Zailani et al. (2017, p. 24), product returns can be considered as “reverse logistics”, since it involves both logistics and “products’ reverse flows”. The products’ return can have several reasons, namely “product failure, damaged product, wrong delivery, incomplete shipments” and others (Batarfi et al., 2017; Lee, 2015, p. 50; Xu et al., 2018; Zailani et al., 2017). According to Lee (2015), the number of consumer product returns have been increasing along the years, even though there has been an overall improvement in the products’ quality. Therefore, the companies need to be able to manage the increased flow of these returns. The products’ return process involves several activities such as product recovery and processing, return organisation and reverse logistics (Russo et al., 2016). Managing this flow of information, as well as all the communication between the stakeholders, is very important and needs to be carefully handled (Guide et al., 2006; Lee, 2015; Ramírez, 2012; Russo et al., 2016). The company’s ability to perform the product return management and deliver fast decisions to the consumer can help them become a competitive advantage and increase customer loyalty. In Business-to-Business (B2B) context, the costumers are in lower number which in turn will strengthen the business relationship with them. However, the “average transaction value is higher” than in the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) market and therefore the product return management has a greater impact (Lesmono et al., 2020; Russo et al., 2016, p. 890) This study will compare the product return process between B2C companies and B2B companies, as well as look at the common practices used by these companies. It will also explore how these companies manage their consumer product returns, the product returns phases and main reasons for returns.
Highliting the Importance of Business Intelligence Maturity Models in the Healthcare Sector
The digital transformation associated with the huge volume of data that healthcare organizations deal with, nowadays, are on the basis of transforming this complex knowledge-driven industry to transform data into knowledge. The healthcare industry requires comprehensive models to help identifying the priorities to implement a Business Intelligence (BI) solution. Business Intelligence can help organizations make better decisions by showing present and historical data within their business context. In the recent digital transformation, the decision process is supported through data analysis. Established as a common denominator, small and large organizations transform their data into valuable knowledge and powerful capabilities to help them become more data-driven organizations. To become a data-driven organization means that organization leaders/managers make decisions supported on the data that is setting in the organization. The decision support systems together with technology helps the decision makers to gather insights to enhance organizations. This paper presents and highlights a comprehensive review of existing healthcare maturity models and tries to identify the main features of the presented models as well as the common success factors in adopting a Business Intelligence Maturity Model in Healthcare organizations.
Information Management and Exponencial Learning in Society 5.0: Foundations For an Integrated System
Individuals use information to reduce discomfort, effort and errors. Thinking about it, headphones were invented, so that the music could be heard without disturbing others; household appliances, to reduce the effort in washing dishes or clothes; and calculating machines, so that human distraction would not cause an accident in calculating the weight that a bridge could bear. But the information has hardly changed the certainties and doubts about which is the most suitable college course to attend; what are the best practices that could contribute to the individual's daily life, during the academic career, which includes when and what to study, what to eat and what to do in their free time. It is undeniable that there is greater access to information, but many times, instead of browsing this information, the individual sinks into it. In addition, teachers and students remain stuck in curriculum, with the same menu being provided for carnivores, vegetarians or lactose intolerants. If before students were beaten with rules in their hands and were attacked psychologically, having to learn the same as everyone else, nowadays only rules have ceased to exist, at least in theory. Reducing errors in choosing a higher education course and the entire life that governs the academic path can be a dream for many individuals and an integrative system that collects information about the individual and guides him in his academic path could be an extremely useful compass. Know which college course to take; knowing which discipline, among the electives, to choose; know the right time to get up and sleep; what to do throughout the day; what and when to eat; they are all informational outputs that the utopian system could provide, in order to contribute to the individual's success. This paper will attempt to discuss these issues, investigating part of the enabling technologies in today's Society 5.0. The objective is to initiate a debate on the delegation to an integrative system of data, information and knowledge management, the success of individuals and society.
Since a worldwide pandemic is a new phenomenon in the modern era, the outbreak of COVID-19 during the spring of 2020 resulted in Swedish libraries having to restructure their daily operations regarding the physical library and in-person services. The purpose of this paper is to present how the university libraries in Sweden responded to the imposed government directions. While reviewing several universities’ crisis plans, it became apparent that guidelines for pandemics were missing: this in turn led to different solutions for each university library. The paper analyses these solutions to see how well-prepared the university libraries in Sweden were, and how the libraries fulfilled their obligations to patrons and society while working under the directions from Folkhälsomyndigheten (the Swedish National Healthy Agency). Data regarding the libraries’ responses to the pandemic was collected from each library’s website; all data was collected on the same date, to make comparisons between the different libraries possible. The data was then analysed using quantitative content analysis, where the actions taken by the different libraries were sorted into a number of predetermined categories. These categories were determined using information from crisis plans, The Swedish Higher Education Act (1992:1434), and actions taken by libraries during previous pandemics. Among the study’s findings are drastically reduced opening hours and the conversion of a majority of in-person services to digital services. Earlier studies in the United States indicate that libraries need reliable e-learning systems and digital platforms in case of a worldwide pandemic, as well as guidelines for the acquisition of new software and digital services. The findings of this study indicate that such systems are already in place at a majority of Swedish university libraries, which made the transition to digital services smoother. This paper provides insights into the different actions taken by the university libraries in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these actions affected the daily operations for university libraries all over the country. The study can therefore be used as a basis for further studies regarding assessments of different approaches to crisis, and for determining what course of action to take in a future similar crisis.
Importance of Perceived Strategic Value of E- Commerce: The Interaction Effect of Personal Innovativeness
This project explores the interaction effect of Personal Innovativeness in Information Technology (PIIT) on the relationship between determinants of Perceived Strategic Value of E-Commerce (PSVEC) and attitude towards E-Commerce adoption. Based on a survey of 15 carefully selected organisations from both the public and private sectors in Pakistan, the objectives are to (a) have an idea of what decision- makers in organisations think about the strategic value of E-Commerce in Public and Private sectors (b) examine the relationship between determinants of PSVEC and attitude towards E-Commerce adoption (c) and how PIIT impacts the relationship between determinants of PSVEC and attitude towards E-Commerce adoption. To ensure a higher degree of accuracy of results, all the variables in this study were measured on highly respected and validated scales from previous studies (Agarwal & Prasad, 1998; Subramanian & Nosek, 2001; Venkatesh & Davis, 2000). A second-generation technique; PLS Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse and process the data. Behavioural sciences suggest that Innovation adoption at the organisational level is more complicated than individual-level adoption as it involves both personal and organisational level factors (Rogers, 1995). E- Commerce adoption within an organisation heavily depends on the personal perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of the management (Ajzen, 1985; Davis, 1989). The study contributes to the existing knowledge by measuring and establishing relationships between personal-level factors and attitudes towards organisational level innovation adoption. An important (and unique) aspect of this study is that unlike most of the previous studies, more relevant and domain-specific latent variable PIIT is studied instead of the generic variable of personal innovativeness. As the E-Commerce adoption rate in developing economies is very low, the UN, WTO and World Bank have emphasised the developing economies to adopt E-Commerce and have initiated several programs to accelerate the E-Commerce adoption rate in underdeveloped countries. The study is likely to provide valuable insight into the nature of E- Commerce adoption in developing economies context.
Incorporating Digital Heritage Content Into Information Science Programs
Information science is an area that does not actually have a generally accepted definition that everyone would agree with. The reason for this may be because the field itself is still considered relatively young, but also because it is strongly linked to other disciplines, such as information technology (IT). Information sciences follow and adapt to advances in technology that have become a very important support in their work. "In the 1990s, the Internet opened the door to information and communication, creativity and digital libraries in today's sense of the word" (Zubac & Tominac, 2012, p. 68). With the help of the Internet, or one of its parts - libraries through digitalization, storage and protection provide access to their own material. During their studies, information science students at the University of Zadar develop competencies necessary for building and managing collections of materials and information, information organization, design and provision of information services, research and analysis of information needs, problems and phenomena, organization and management of information institutions and networks, educational processes, cultural projects and scientific research, and training for lifelong learning. But is there a focus on digital libraries, the digital transformation, and the library profession of the future? Do students have the opportunity to participate in digitization and the creation of digital information services? The aim of the poster is to show the ways in which content related to all aspects of creating, collecting, processing and managing digital heritage is included in information science programs conducted at the Department of Information Science, University of Zadar, Croatia, and how information science students actively participate. in the creation of digital heritage content and their creative use. The active participation of students in the project Digitization, bibliographic processing and research of texts of the Zadar-Šibenik area until the end of the 19th century written in Glagolitic, Bosnian and Latin (further in text: Written Heritage) and their assignments on the project itself as an example of good practice. The phases of the project in which students participate will be described and explained with the aim of defining the competencies that students develop through the project and through courses related to digital libraries, digitization and digital transformation in general.
Is Bobcatsss Preparing its Participants for Digital Transformation? Topic Analysis of Papers Presented at Bobcatsss Conferences from 2015 to 2020
This paper deals with a topic analysis of papers presented at the BOBCATSSS conferences from 2015 to 2020. The corpus for this research was gathered from conference proceedings and includes only paper presentations and excludes posters, workshops, pecha-kucha, etc. Sample consists of 234 collected papers. Content analysis was done by using a classification scheme for library & information sciences compiled by Järvelin and Vakkari (1990), and developed further by Tuomaala, Jarvelin, Vakkari (2014). Content analysis, i.e. indexing was applied only on titles, and was done by all authors individually. After the indexing of all 234 titles, results were gathered in topical clusters, created using a proposed classification scheme. The aim of the paper is to explore the distribution of the topics presented at the BOBCATSSS conference and compare them against the topics gathered around this years’ main theme: digital transformation. This analysis will explore in more details all papers found dealing with digital content, digitalization, information and communication technology, etc. Research questions are as followed: 1. Which areas are most represented within the papers presented at the BOBCATSSS conferences from 2015 till 2020? 2. How are topics in the area of digital transformation represented in BOBCATSSS conferences from 2015 till 2020? 3. Is BOBCATSSS following trends in relevant topics in the field of library & information sciences?
Advertising has closely entered the life of modern society and the library was no exception. The better the advertising in library activity is set up, the more users will be interested in this library. The significant element of library advertising, namely copywriting, is investigated by methods of analysis and analogy. Since the topic of library copywriting is little studied, the scientific work spells out a clear definition of its concept and purpose. A distinctive feature of the texts is indicated. The main functions of library copywriting are highlighted: communicative, regulatory and generalizing. Each of them has its own characteristics. There are several types of copywriting, which will be used to some extent in the library, depending on what it will advertise on the information platform. A comparison of rating and its application in the library sphere is given. Popular types of copywriting are identified: exclusive and copyright, their features are analyzed. The tactical and technical methods of library copywriting are considered, thanks to which the text is perceived by the reader easily. As practice shows, the library has the active work of the copywriter, even during the period of information lull. From here follows the question of the importance of studying library copywriting in all its aspects. Since the services of a professional copywriter are costly for the library, all its functions are performed by a librarian. The article contains examples of special applications, services and sites that will help employees form the content, correctly taking into account the spelling and uniqueness of the text. Ortho-online, Advego, Orthographer are services with which you can check the spelling of the text, as well as make semantic analysis. It is described what tool can select synonyms, which will allow the librarian to create unique content. The authors offer such online services as AnalysisPisem.RU and Vaal-mini. The characteristic features of the services, their assistance in compiling a psycholinguistic analysis of the author of the text are described. It was found that with their help the librarian will compile an emotionally colored advertising text. The program Quotania can also be used in library copywriting. It is perfectly suited for promotional presentations. Particular attention is paid to advertising slogans and what dictionary can be used by the library copywriter to select rhymes. To draw the conclusion, one can say that the librarian should not rely only on these services and sites. In order to master the library copywriting, the employee must constantly develop himself. As research on this topic showed, knowledge of library copywriting will help the specialist in many working processes, including transferring their thoughts to printed or electronic media in a correct way. This article will be useful for librarians, culturologists, copywriters and specialists studying aspects of marketing and communication activities. Being currently a relevant issue, library copywriting undoubtedly requires further research. With the in-depth study of copywriting, the library will be able to reach a new level.
Management of Digital Services During Covid-19 in the Library of Medical University of Pleven
During Covid-19, libraries face enormous challenges and requirements. Some of them have started offering new and stable online opportunities for their users. As part of the international library space, the Library of Medical University of Pleven (L at MU-Pleven) created new online services and consolidated proven ones. They emerged as a kind of a meaningful and purposeful project for managing digital resources during an epidemiological situation, and the need for their management is palpable. The subject of the present study is the digital services, provided by the Library of MU – Pleven, such as: remote extension of the term for rewriting; constant communication with a librarian through the social network Facebook and e-mail; increasing the Digital Collections at the request of student teachers; online-re-registration in order to provide access to digital content; information mediation - providing addresses of free databases. Particular attention is paid to the cooperation with the research department. We assist in obtaining remote access to the Scopus database and the Web of Science of doctoral students, postgraduates and lecturers, in order to continue the scientific activity. The methodology of conducting the research is based on taking an online interview. Each of the librarians is tasked to do a specific task - to manage a particular digital service. A linear management structure has been created. Each of the subordinates receives orders from only one head - director of the library - above him and reports only to him. Formal connections are made through direct contacts. This ensures the stability of the relationship between co- workers and the responsibility is individual. The conclusion from the research is that, unfortunately, there are no trained staff to react in atypical situations such as period of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is necessary to transform positions into "moves". That is why we have chosen a simplified management model that can be changed in the future. Although slightly "primitive", we think that simple things are more digestible and easy to implement. Thus, an unprepared user or staff member will be able to adapt fast. We hope that this will be in favour of some libraries that decide to follow our example.
Open Access and Library: the Postulates of Integration
Modern technologies turn the librarianship into a large-scale branch of the information industry; new practices allow transforming traditional functions of libraries, and new content appears in their basic technological processes. Today it is not enough for a librarian to know the exact location of a particular document in the collection of his library, he is obliged to navigate in the electronic collections of the world space. The idea of equal access to information and text, which is familiar and natural for libraries, continues to work in the new conditions. The availability of free online collections only increases the resource potential of the library. The article uses the bibliographic method, the bibliometric method, and the modelling method based on the analysis of publications on the topic and the experience of libraries to derive the main postulates of interaction between the Open Access initiative and library. It is noted that Open Access for scientists is a form of communication and a way to share the results of their experiments and research. Open Access performs a kind of fund-forming function for libraries, allows to fill in the gaps existing in the funds by legally accessing external resources. There are also such directions in providing libraries with readers’ access to open resources as systematization of information about open journals by library profile and providing the reader with links to open electronic platforms and journals; search for open articles in hybrid journals, etc. Open Access documents and data are of interest to libraries and library professionals as resources of scientific, educational and cultural significance. Due to the large-scale distribution of Open Access e- resources, their quality is not always unambiguous, so the preparation of appropriate guides or navigators may become relevant in the activities of libraries of all types. Methodological features of such navigators are determined by the inseparability of the unity of the bibliographic and electronic nature of the e-resources and are characterized by such attributes as: formalized description of the object, structured information, abstracts, auxiliary pointers, illustrative materials, hyperlinks, search bar, indication of the date of the last update. Such navigators for Open Access e-resources will be especially in demand for information and bibliographic support and support of educational and research developments in individual areas of knowledge, case study. As an example, the demand for and methodological features of preparing such information products for Open Access e-resources in radioelectronics is shown. Methodological products of libraries (recommendations, memos, etc.) on the search and use of Open Access e-resources, various training events may also be in demand. Undoubtedly, the Open Access initiative is a benefit for libraries and library specialists. The modern library accepts this phenomenon as a consultant, as a mentor and as a moderator.
Psychological Empowerment and Improved Professional Performance as a Result of Effective Information Management
Information is essential for organizations. Information and knowledge, associated with technological and scientific advances are, nowadays, easily accessible to all organizations, so whoever holds more information and knows how to manage it in the most adequate way to their vision and style, will be able to acquire a competitive advantage faster than the competitors. In a highly competitive environment for companies today, managers must realize the need to design strategies for organizations based on information as a valuable asset. Companies structure and classify information based on their structure, functions and activities, that is, based on documentary production, information flows between departments, safeguarding and proving what this information constitutes. At Goweb Agency, Lda., the target company of this study, except for the document templates that were intended for commercial proposals and directly linked to sales, most documents existed only for the purpose of quality certification. All documents were organized validly, intuitively and based on the information needs of employees. However these documents weren’t used or even known by the employees. The project planning and the accountability for everyday tasks were lacking meaning to them and conflicts were a constant. By incorporating the documents that described the responsibilities and assignments of each function into the routine tasks of everyday life and encouraging their use, creating and adapting the sharing and management of information in the company's activities, there has been a reduction in internal conflicts among employees, an increase in their degree of satisfaction and motivation, its efficiency and effectiveness and the satisfaction of the company's customers, due to the performance and quality of the work presented. In order to maintain each employee’s accountability and therefore their motivation in doing a better work it is important to continue to invest in the management of information appropriate to the business area of the company, make known the existence of essential information to each workplace and make the access to documentation quick and intuitive for all employees.
Reading Creates Digital Bridges: Interactive Online Reading With Students of Information Sciences and Elementary School Pupils in Croatia
Many studies (e.g. Bus, van IJzendoorn, & Pellegrini (1995), Meyer et al. (1994), McGee & Schickedanz (2007), van der Wilt, Femke et al. (2019) and DeBruin-Parecki (2009)) showed the importance and lasting benefits of interactive reading aloud from an early age. This paper is exploring possibilities of improving reading comprehension among 4th grade elementary school pupils using interactive online reading. This paper shows successful collaboration between students and teachers of information sciences and an elementary school teacher and her 4th grade pupils. The aim of this paper is to explore how regular interactive online reading sessions can help pupils to further develop their literacy skills: reading comprehension, storytelling, etc. Furthermore, activities included in this project ended with creation of a collaborative digital story/picture book, which helped all participants to better understand the process of online communication between different parts of Croatia. Since the student involved in the process is from a different region and speaks a different dialect than the pupils, storytelling included learning about different dialects. Most activities were carried out using tales that are part of a well-known Croatian book titled Tales of Long Ago (Priče iz davnine) written by Nobel Prize nominee, Ivana Brlić Mažuranić, often dubbed “the Croatian Andersen”. The project was done in five steps: 1. One student retold one tale, Stribor's Forest (Šuma Striborova), in chakavian dialect and made an audio for pupils. 2. Teacher sent the audio to pupils to listen to the tale and discuss unknown dialect-specific words with their parents. 3. Three consecutive online read-aloud sessions followed, with all project participants and with two tales. 4. Pupils retold the tale in their own words, in shtokavian dialect, and made an audio for the students to listen. 5. During the last week, pupils read aloud the original tale to students and teachers in an online session and afterwards retold it in the form of a picture book created collaboratively: each pupil drew one scene from the tale Stribor’s Forest. Picture book was digitized and shared online between the participants. Each step of the project was evaluated by pupils and other participants using Padlet. At the end of the project, pupils gained new knowledge, improved their literacy skills and online communication, enjoyed reading aloud – whether it was their obligatory reading or other stories chosen by them and their teacher. They also learned about Croatian dialects, learned how to collaborate and communicate online and build a collaborative picture book. Students involved in the project had an opportunity to participate in an online collaborative project, create appropriate online learning and teaching materials, and participate in creation and documentation of collaborative online projects. Authors requested and got signed permission from parents for online communication with the pupils and for use of their photos and work for promoting and presenting this project at the BOBCATSSS conference.
Remote Work and Data Protection: How do Organisations Secure Personal Data Protection Compliance from Home?
In the Information Society, business processes tend to become increasingly digital and operate in the virtual world. With the recent pandemic, this transformation has become almost mandatory. With their workers performing their duties remotely, organisations feel the need to digitally adapt their processes. Among several aspects of concern in these transmutations, one stands out: data protection. How can data protection be controlled remotely? Workers take to their homes their work equipment, their documents and their information with them - full of personal data. With the entry into force of the GDPR, organisations have a duty to register the treatment of information containing personal data. This requires that information circuits be controlled, i.e., a mapping of business processes and the information contained and transmitted in them. A case study was carried out with focus on the activities of the Data Protection Group of a private Portuguese research and development company in order to discover how an organisation, where the main asset is information, controls and monitors data protection compliance.
Research in the Digital Transformation or the Library System
Libraries have always tried to adapt to changing social needs, the development of the sciences, and the emergence of new technological solutions. Consider, for example, the invention of book printing or the mass distribution of printed products and the resulting current bibliographies or even to the gradually emerging reference service. Undoubtedly, the next major stage in the development of library science will be induced by the spread of computer science and informatics. More and more areas of life are digitizing and people are increasingly relying on electronic sources to obtain information thus, the use of digital remotely accessible services has become commonplace. All of this involves a transformation in people’s expectations of the library, and libraries are trying to keep up with emerging needs. More and more libraries offer thematic collections that are available electronically so eventually the digital, remote access use of services become daily. They also enable electronic document lending, online events, e-learning courses and other services that have recently been integrated into the library’s service offering. In my research, I would like to explore how the Hungarian, European and US librarian profession has reacted to the fundamental transformation of the societal demands placed on libraries in the last two decades whether their electronic services have been able to respond appropriately to new societal needs and are still able to meet the role set out in the 1994 IFLA and UNESCO Manifesto on Public Libraries. The aim of my research is to review the transformation of the library service offer over the last two decades, to compare the development direction of Hungarian libraries with international (European and US) trends, and to use new statistics, research results and needs assessments bypass as well as the extent to which libraries have been able to adapt to significantly changed user needs and whether their newly developed services are in line with them.
School Libraries in the Digital Age: Digitization Against Library Anxiety
The society of the 21st century is a witness of digital transition in our history. The information is available for anyone online and offline too, because of the results of these changes. Nowadays the environment which provides access to information is more complex like the methods used in the past. The types of the information carriers are changed, and so are the channels of communication. The exclusivity of printed sources is ceased because of the internet, which is the beginning of the homogenized information. In the digital world the amount of available information grew which is the result of easier, faster publication and the blurring of the role of authors and consumers. Because of these, the appearance of diseases caused by too much available information is nowadays more frequent. The 21st century’s information diseases – like library anxiety, information anxiety or information overload – are indicators of one species of fear and anxiety. These diseases are primarily detectable in university students. The fear of using a library, or information anxiety could have strong influence on students’ learning performance (Mellon, 1986). Information overload, the feeling of anxiety caused by too much available information are not new, nor eternal things. We can talk about it since Gutenberg, and the spread of printed books; namely that was the first time when people thoughtt about information like there is too much of it and an average person cannot read and learn all of it in his or her lifetime. In my research I deal with library anxiety detailed, especially school libraries. The inspiration came from my workplace which is a school library in an elementary- and high school. In my experience the 11-17 years old children it is hard to make them a library user. This experience confirmed by the statistics of Hungarian Library Institute. In my research I look for the answer why do not use the school library the 11-17 years old people. Though library anxiety proved by research, but mostly at senior or graduate students. At public education there is no research about it yet. The theme is not a new thing, which is proved, since the 1980s there are new pieces of literature. I search for the answer, how digitization can help reduce library anxiety.
Tensions and Contradictions: A Study of Charity Shop Workers in the Digital Age
The purpose of this paper is to present a set of collected views concerning an exploration of tension between the retailing of old or vintage items in today’s new digital age. In particular to consider the ‘Digital Transformation’ of the artefacts by exploring views and opinions of workers. This study explored the social perspectives regarding tensions and contradictions between the function of the charity shop whose primary purpose is to “recycle” pre-loved, pre-owned, memory laden products, often labelled as “vintage” within a 21st century setting where new digital technologies are accepted as part of our everyday life. This regional study of “Digital Transformation” took place in (pre-COVID) South East England, in the cities of Chichester, Salisbury and Winchester. These cities were chosen as each has a strong cultural identity, such as historical monuments, cathedrals, museums and a range of National Heritage sites, which make these cities popular and attractive to tourists. As a result, these high streets have become prime retail spaces for shops and cafes, - and ideal locations for charity shops, which provided the setting for the research. The research methodology needed to allow for cultural differences between the shops whilst still taking into account the similarity of their organisational purpose. In order to allow for, and yet explore this tension, an interpretivist approach was employed using semi-structured interviews to collect the empirical data. The contribution of the work is in terms of providing a previously unseen “body of opinion” that may act as a marker for future generations exploring the life and digital transformation of charity shop workers in the digital age. The work will also be useful for museums and heritage institutions who deal with vintage artefacts.
Trusted Digital Repositories for Document Preservation: A Tools’ Evaluation
Grounded in a review of the preservation concept in trusted digital repositories, this paper aims to address how different trusted digital repositories operate while in the process of preserving digital objects. For this purpose, a literature review and an evaluation of trusted digital repositories’ tools were carried out. A research was first conducted on several concepts related to this topic, namely digital preservation and its policies, reliable digital repositories and their rules. A search on theoretical background and a survey of available trusted digital repositories were performed. A set of tools was identified and then evaluated, and for that purpose several steps were outlined. First, in the criterion identification phase, the several criteria that a reliable digital repository must meet were identified, and then classified as mandatory or complementary. Then, functionalities of different software were highlighted and a comparison was made between them, resulting in a comparative table that led to the choice of DSpace software. This software is the most complete tool, and accomplishes the most important functionalities of a trusted digital repository. Furthermore, it is one of the most used software worldwide for trusted digital repositories, which grants it a high level of reliability.
The Use of Digital Heritage in the Construction of Virtual Exhibitions
Cultural heritage is the testimony of time, space and society and the identification card of the people and nation. GLAM institutions are in charge of storing, preserving and protecting cultural heritage, as well as enabling its use. Šošić (2014, p. 833) states that cultural heritage represents the totality of creations or phenomena in the material and spiritual life of every nation and humanity. Digitization has changed the way material is accessed as well as the way material is communicated. Also, digitalization has provided access to materials that are of significant importance to the culture of the entire community. The development of technology has certainly enabled various forms of access to collections in GLAM institutions, and digitization has provided easier access to materials. Seiter-Šverko (2012, p. 2) emphasizes that digitalization also enables the presentation of cultural heritage to a wider circle of users. From the above, it can be concluded that technology and digitalization are increasingly affecting the management and visibility of information institutions. Today, virtual exhibitions are considered as one of the creative forms of digitalization, intended for the presentation of cultural heritage. Virtual exhibitions are used in information institutions to make valuable collections visible to end users (Foo, Leng, Hoe-Lian & Cheong, 2009). They can also contribute to a more effective presentation of the cultural aspect of the institution and the community. The focus of this paper is on the use of digital heritage in the construction of a virtual exhibition. A case study method will be used. The research will describe the creation of a virtual exhibition, In the footsteps of Glagolitics from Ugljan and Pašman, made as part of the university project Digitization, bibliographic description, and research of texts written on Glagolitic, Croatian Cyrillic and Latin scripts until the end of 19th century in Zadar and Šibenik area (further in text: Written Heritage). The aim of the case study that will be applied to this research is to explore - the possibilities of creating a virtual exhibition with the help of two tools and to compare the effectiveness of these two tools in communicating digital heritage. Also, the paper will explore the positive effects and benefits of the application of new technologies, more precisely virtual exhibitions in education, culture, tourism and other areas. The tools that will be used to create the virtual exhibition, and on the basis of which the comparative analysis will be done, are StoryMap KnightLab and SpaceTime Layers. Digitized content produced within the Written Heritage project will be used to create a virtual exhibition. The virtual exhibition will include materials and catalog descriptions from the Written Heritage catalogue, photographs taken in the field as part of the project In the Footsteps of Glagolitics from Ugljan and Pašman. Based on theoretical assumptions and the implementation of a case study, the paper will try to answer two research questions: 1. What are the benefits of communication of digital heritage through virtual exhibitions? 2. For what purposes can virtual exhibitions be used?
Two Intellectual Upheavals Induced by the Digital Transformation
The Enlightenment movement has widely disseminated the conception of a citizen who, in order to be enlightened, must master reading and writing. This conception appears as a fundamental reference for the functioning of the public sphere. But this functioning is affected by the new writing and reading practices induced by the digital transformation. This is why the objective of this poster is to highlight two complementary aspects of digital transformation that have major consequences on digital literacy and digital culture in general. First, the decontextualisation, suspension and reconstruction of meaning. As it gives the means to favor methods that suspend the immediate comprehension of a text, computing easily appears as a methodological guarantee. This feature is particularly visible in the analysis of cultural data on a large scale, which leads to the delinearization of the text because the tools used traverse the entire corpus and produce results most often in the form of lists or of diagrams. Knowledge is therefore not going to be based on reading texts, but on processing corpuses. Second, the unseen formatting of communication and thought. A computer's operating system is inaccessible to the average user, whereas anyone who can read is able to access printed text. At the same time, the concealment of procedures allows a form of transparency to emerge, or even to be brought to the fore, which must manifest itself in the interfaces. But the conditions of communication in a digital environment are largely determined by actors who possess technical or economic capacities. These capacities will impose both the possibilities and the limits of the mode of communication. As a result, the form of texts is constrained by the requirements of computerization, requirements which tend to privilege precisely what is computable.
Volunteer Missions for Digital Transformation: Educational Experiences
The European Union is focusing on digital transformation through various mechanisms. One of the new framework programs – Horizon Europe (2021-2027) with a budget of over 100 billion euros – aims to precisely support the digital transformation and, along with investment in supercomputers, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, will stimulate skills development. The digital transformation has opened new opportunities for access to information for people with special needs in Bulgaria. At the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (ULSIT) – Bulgaria, at the Faculty of Library Studies and Cultural Heritage (FLSCH) for ten years, part of the curriculum is the elective course “Access to Information for People with Special Needs” (AIPSN). It is an opportunity to expand the skills of future professionals to work with a wide group of users. In recent years, there have been more and more occasions for reasoning volunteering as a social phenomenon and assessing its practical dimensions, starting with the motivation of volunteers, and reaching to all aspects of the benefits for society. An element of the training in the elective course “Access to Information for People with Special Needs” is the inclusion of students in various volunteer missions, that also contribute to the enrichment of information resources for people with visual difficulties. This happens thanks to the platform Bemyguide.org, created to help people with visual difficulties in the perception of various phenomena, objects, people, through text descriptions of photographs and videos. The goal of this paper is to reveal the possibilities for enriching the information resources for people with visual impairments in Bulgaria by involving students in the volunteer initiative of the Bemyguide.org platform. The current research is based on an analysis of the results of the learning process with undergraduate students in the period 2016-2020. The achievements of the students' activities as volunteers in the Bemyguide.org platform is statistically summarized and an overview of the issues and achievements of defended diploma theses on this topic. Conclusions are reached about the effectiveness and prospects of this pedagogical approach for fostering empathy and commitment of the future library and information professionals to the opportunities for enrichment of information resources for people with visual impairments in Bulgaria. The opportunities and benefits of volunteering for students are multifaceted. The new approaches for the inclusion of volunteering in the content of the elective course “AIPSN” contributes to the enrichment of traditional education in the specialties preparing library professionals in Bulgaria. This is a good practice that can be multiplied and to be of an interest for the international audience.
Why do Voters Allow a Tax Levy for Library Management?
From the late 20th century, economic pressure on public library budgets rises as government funding has declined (Aabø, 2009; Child & Goulding, 2012). Under increasing financial pressure, creating a procedure for how public libraries can provide fulfilling services to residents is one of the essential issues in public library management. As a result, internationally, management models of public libraries have become more diverse in terms of dealing with financial problems. For example, there are management models such as the Designated Manager System (privatisation of public libraries) in Japan, the Community Libraries (managed by volunteers) in England, and the Combined Libraries (hybridisation of different types) in the Nordic Countries. All of these management models are a means to address the financial challenges of public libraries. In the same way in the United States, library districts are receiving much attention as a management model that responds to financial deterioration. Library districts are Special-Purpose Governments that have a tax levy and bond authority for library management. Also, library districts are formed through a referendum. Recent studies have demonstrated that library districts' revenues are more stable over the long term than those of other legal bases, such as General-Purpose Governments and Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) in the United States (Elliott, 2013; Goldman, 2018). However, forming library districts are not simple, because it means a tax increase for residents. Nevertheless, the number of library districts has increased since the late 20th century. Why do voters allow a tax levy for library management? In this paper, we examined in detail the arguments regarding the formation of library districts through an in-depth case analysis. In this research, we analysed the “voters’ pamphlet” distributed to residents at the time of referendum for forming the Josephine Community library district in the state of Oregon. The “voters’ pamphlet” described detailed opinions of residents regarding formation of library districts. In the analysis, based on the constituents of library district management presented through a comprehensive literature review by Suzuki and Koizumi (2020), we analysed the opinions of the residents through a qualitative content analysis. Specifically, through the analysis of opinions in favour, we illustrated the factors that residents allow to form library districts. Second, through the analysis of opinions in opposition, we illustrated the factors that residents opposed to form library districts. As a result, we showed the following research results. Those in favour emphasised the significance of public libraries in the community. On top of that, they allowed the formation of the library district as a means to provide library services sustainably. In particular, they were satisfied with the current library service and hoped to enhance it further. On the other hand, many opponents opposed the formation of the library district, even though they recognised the value of public libraries. It was against the permanent taxation of the library district. Also, opponents called for donations to public libraries. In other words, the significance of public libraries in the community was a common understanding among residents. The argument is how much the residents are willing to accept the burden of providing library services.