Creativity is a crucial skill for librarians, enabling them to adapt to changes in the digital era and enhance the learning environment. This study examines the predictors of creativity among librarians in the Philippines, focusing on their work environment and personality traits. Using Amabile’s KEYS scale of work environment and the Big Five Personality Traits, data from 106 licensed librarians were analysed through multiple regression. The findings reveal that specific personality traits and work environment factors significantly influence creativity. Results indicate that Openness to Experience and Work Group Support are significant positive predictors, while Neuroticism negatively predicts creativity. Notably, Organisational Encouragement and Sufficient Resources did not have a significant effect on creativity. These results highlight the importance of fostering supportive work groups and managing particular personality traits to nurture creativity among librarians. This study illuminates the unique cultural and organisational dynamics in the Philippines, providing recommendations for enhancing creative practices in libraries. By understanding the interplay between work conditions and personal attributes, this research contributes to the broader discourse on creativity in under-resourced environments and sets the stage for future investigations into harnessing creative potential in librarianship.
Audiovisual collections in Malaysian state libraries help preserve national and regional memory but are highly vulnerable due to fragile media, obsolete playback technologies, and limited digital infrastructure. Film collections in these libraries face increasing threats from fragile media, obsolete playback technologies, and limited digital infrastructure. This study examines current management practices, access conditions, and operational challenges in Malaysian state libraries, and develops an empirically grounded framework to support preservation and access. A qualitative approach was employed, involving interviews with fifteen participants from five Malaysian state libraries representing different geographical regions of Malaysia. The findings reveal four key issues: inconsistent and limited metadata practices; reliance on obsolete playback equipment for VHS, VCD, and DVD formats; declining use and low public awareness; and copyright and resource constraints that hinder digitisation efforts. Despite these challenges, participants expressed strong support for strengthening preservation planning, and enabling controlled digital access. Based on these findings, the study proposes a resource-sensitive DAM framework integrating OAIS-aligned workflow logic, audiovisual metadata standards (PBCore and PREMIS), phased digitisation, and multilingual access considerations. The framework is tailored to Malaysian public library realities and may be relevant to similar resource-constrained public library contexts in Southeast Asia.
The rapid growth of data-intensive research and digital transformation has significantly expanded the data management responsibilities of academic libraries. Academic librarians are increasingly expected to manage, curate and provide data to support institutional reporting, research activities and governance. However, their data-related roles remain unclear and inconsistently defined across institutions. Guided by two research questions, this study adopts a qualitative case study approach using semi-structured interviews with academic librarians from five research universities in Malaysia to examine how librarians' data-related roles are defined and structurally interconnected across the data lifecycle. The findings identify four interconnected roles: data curator, data provider, data custodian and coordinator. These roles form an integrated governance workflow rather than functioning in isolation, with librarians contributing to technical data management, institutional reporting, governance and strategic decision-making. The findings further demonstrate how data move across roles to support reporting, preservation and reuse. This study contributes by proposing a role-based data governance model that explain how data-related responsibilities are embedded and interconnected within academic library contexts, highlighting the need for stronger governance frameworks, integrated systems and continuous professional development.
Book discussions and recommendations can add to the motivation to read and the enjoyment of reading. This may be especially true for younger readers when it takes place in an easily accessible and relatively modern environment, such as TikTok. This article investigates whether BookTok short form videos provide a distinctive contribution in this regard and whether they fit traditional social media theories. A first large-scale descriptive analysis of English-language BookTok was conducted, focusing on successful BookTokers. This covered 41,392 TikToks from 107 BookTokers with 3 billion views and 4 million comments. The results show that BookTok covers a variety of book genres and video formats, frequently with humour. The most successful BookTokers are either traditional influencers (speaking primarily to camera) or creators of the newer Captioned Soundtracked Montages or Mimes (CSMM) format, a term coined here. The success of CSMM videos is not easily explained by existing social media theories. Nevertheless, they may generate parasocial relationships in an unorthodox way through music and empathy through shared book choices, perhaps engaging primarily with more empathetic readers. Its impersonal simple format may also encourage participatory culture interactions. This is the first large-scale analysis of BookTok and the new CSMM format expands on the previously observed “shelfie” video style that focuses on the books rather than the influencer. Recognising the success of CSMM videos with readers may help librarians, authors, content creators and publishers to employ this apparently effective novel format or to recommend appropriate BookTokers.
This study examines how ethical policy adoption functions as a strategic legitimacy mechanism in semi-peripheral publishing environments, focusing on 2,592 open-access journals hosted on T & uuml;rkiye's DergiPark platform. Drawing on institutional isomorphism theory and the framework of strategic legitimacy, the research investigates whether declarative ethical visibility, the publicly accessible presence of ethics policy statements, predicts international indexing outcomes after controlling for institutional maturity and platform prominence. Using nested logistic regression models with extensive robustness checks across four classification algorithms and five resampling strategies, the analysis reports three principal findings. First, ethical signalling operates through "threshold logic": journals that reference international governance bodies have 31% higher odds of indexing (OR = 1.31, p < 0.001), yet cumulative policy intensity contributes negligibly, revealing an "Intensity Paradox." Second, a decoupling of declarative signals from operational practice is evident, as observable ethics manifestations (erratum publication) show no association with indexing (OR = 1.04, p > 0.05). Third, while ethical signalling confers a modest advantage (a 6-10 percentage-point increase), it remains structurally subordinate to the maturity (OR = 3.02) and visibility (OR = 4.05) determinants. These patterns are consistent with the view that ethics policies primarily function as symbolic compliance mechanisms that reduce exclusion risk without guaranteeing selection. The findings highlight critical vulnerabilities in gatekeeping regimes that rely on easily mimicked declarative signals, underscoring the need for process-oriented evaluation frameworks that assess operational practice alongside policy presence.
This study examines the understanding and implementation of social responsibility (SR) practices in Malaysian public academic libraries. Focusing on how these initiatives contribute to community development and empowerment through a social capital perspective, the inquiry was guided by two research questions: (i) How do academic librarians engage in social responsibility activities? (ii) How do academic library social responsibility practices foster community empowerment through the development of community social capital? Qualitative data were collected from 19 library administrator interviews and 19 focus group discussions with professional and non-professional library staff. The findings reveal that community empowerment does not result from isolated programmes but emerges through the interplay of structural networks, shared cognitive understanding, relational trust, and dimensions of social capital that operate synergistically. The study demonstrates that Library Social Responsibility (LSR) functions as a social capital-building process rather than a set of discrete charitable activities. Empirically, it specifies how partnership brokering, participatory needs alignment, and accumulative trust translate LSR into sustainable community capacity. Theoretically, it offers a moderated contribution: an empirically grounded elaboration of existing social capital theory applied to LSR contexts, rather than a new paradigm. Practically, the findings provide actionable insights for library managers and policymakers to design sustained, community-responsive LSR initiatives that position academic libraries as strategic agents of social inclusion and collaborative community development.
This study examines the information needs and challenges faced by special education teachers in Malaysia, focusing on how these educators identify, access, and use information to support teaching and learning in the classroom. Despite the increasing number of registered special needs children in Malaysia, the Malaysian government remains committed to advancing inclusive education and producing well-skilled special education teachers, particularly regarding teachers' information practices. Limited research has investigated the information practices of special education teachers, resulting in a gap in instructional support, resource development, and professional guidance. Using a qualitative design, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with special education teachers from both urban and rural schools in various Malaysian states. This study was guided by three research questions: i) What are the information needs of special education teachers in Malaysia? ii) What information-seeking strategies and sources do special education teachers use to support their teaching and learning? iii) What challenges do special education teachers encounter in seeking and accessing information? The findings indicate that special education teachers primarily require information on teaching strategies, student behaviour, classroom management, and assessment tools. Their information-seeking strategies mainly rely on digital platforms, peer networks, official documents, and informal sharing communities. The most common barriers that hinder effective information use are inconsistent internet access, limited literacy training, and a lack of special education resources. This study emphasises the need for literacy training and information services for special education teachers in Malaysia and supports strategies for special needs school library support.
As data increasingly influences decision-making in educational and professional settings, data literacy has become an essential competency. This study examines the effectiveness of a workshop conducted according to the Data Literacy (DALI) for Citizenship Framework, which comprises three main components: understanding data, acting on data, and engaging with data. This study focused solely on the data understanding component. The aim was to assess whether a DALI-based educational intervention could improve participants' data literacy and learning experiences. Using a pre-and posttest design, data were collected from 35 participants in Aceh, Indonesia, who completed the workshop with a 10-item questionnaire to assess understanding of data types and a follow-up semi-structured interview to explore participants' learning experiences. A paired t-test analysis revealed a significant increase in participants' understanding of data types following the workshop; however, Cohen's d effect size indicated a moderate effect. The follow-up interview showed that the workshop increased participants' awareness of the importance of data literacy for decision-making. The workshop also enhanced participants' understanding that, every day, they are acting on and engaging with data. Participants reported positive perceptions of their learning experience, suggesting that the workshop facilitated engagement, understanding, and confidence in working with data. These findings illustrate the significance of systematic, theory-based methodologies in data literacy education. The study provides empirical validation of the DALI framework as an evaluation and instructional instrument, offering evidence for its use in educational and professional development contexts and advancing research on effective data literacy pedagogy.
Chinese piano music represents a significant case study in cross-cultural knowledge integration, yet its organisation within library systems remains insufficiently addressed. This research examines the challenges of information management in documenting Chinese piano compositions that incorporate Western compositional techniques from the early twentieth century to the present. Employing mixed methods, combining bibliometric analysis of 856 publications, systematic review of digital music archives, and comparative metadata analysis across 45 international music libraries. This study develops a comprehensive framework for cross-cultural musical resource organisation. Results reveal substantial gaps in current cataloguing systems, with only a small proportion of major digital music libraries implementing adequate metadata schemas for hybrid compositional styles. The study proposes an enhanced metadata framework incorporating taxonomies of compositional techniques, cultural context descriptors, and temporal evolution markers, validated through expert panel assessment. Findings indicate improved discoverability and user satisfaction when specialised metadata is implemented. This research provides evidence-based guidelines for managing multicultural music collections, developing culturally sensitive classification systems, and enhancing digital preservation strategies for hybrid musical forms, offering practical implications for music librarians, digital archivists, and information professionals managing cross-cultural heritage resources.
The Traditional Malay Medicine Kitab Tib Melayu Database (TMM-KTMDB) was developed to digitally preserve, organise, and systematise Traditional Malay Medicine (TMM) knowledge from historical manuscripts. For a digital resource to be credible and usable across research, education, and policy contexts, its usability, reliability, and data accuracy must be evaluated. Expert feedback testing was conducted using two instruments: a task assignment and a feedback questionnaire. Quantitative responses were analysed using section scores and an overall score to assess usability across system components. Qualitative feedback was examined through thematic interpretation, focusing on polarity and themes including usability, system functionality, content quality, and information accuracy. Task-based testing demonstrated excellent usability across the search engine, guest accessibility, system functionality, and repository application, with overall scores ranging from 86% to 100%. Thematic analysis identified content and information quality (92.6%) and system functionality (50%) as major strengths. Weaknesses centred on search functionality (64.3%) and glossary clarity (21.4%). Opportunities were noted for content expansion (71.4%) and support features. The findings affirm TMM-KTMDB as a functional and content-rich digital knowledge system while highlighting areas for improvement in information retrieval, glossary development, and interface design. From a library and information science (LIS) perspective, structured expert evaluation supports validation of organisation, accessibility, and trustworthiness. The evaluation indicates that TMM-KTMDB aligns with expectations for a reliable digital resource for Traditional Malay Medicine. Continued refinement will further strengthen usability, accuracy, and relevance for research, education, clinical practice, and policy within the medical and health sciences domain.
AI literacy encompasses the knowledge, skills, and competencies required for individuals to effectively develop, manage, and understand the potential of AI across various domains, including education. However, previous research indicates a lack of studies focusing on AI literacy, particularly regarding its determinants and effects. This study therefore aims to examine AI literacy in relation to its influencing factors and effects within the educational sector, with a specific focus on undergraduate students at Malaysian local universities. A quantitative research methodology was employed, and responses were collected from undergraduate students in the Faculty of Information Science Studies across six Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) branches. A total of 301 responses were obtained and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results provide empirical evidence of a significant and positive relationship between the influencing factors (cognitive absorption, digital divide, effort expectancy, and AI awareness) and AI literacy. However, contrary to previous studies, attitudes towards AI and performance expectation did not have a significant relationship with AI literacy. Furthermore, AI literacy was also found to be a predictor of students' productivity. The study provides significant empirical, practical, and theoretical contributions; researchers may use the theoretical model to further enhance knowledge of AI literacy. Institutions and policymakers may use the results to develop new subjects, syllabuses, and policies on AI literacy.
Despite the ubiquity of social media in professional development, the mechanisms sustaining trust and cooperation within non-Western library communities remain underexplored. This study examines these dynamics within Sembang Pustakawan, a prominent Malaysian Facebook-based Community of Practice (CoP). Employing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected via a survey of 174 librarians and in-depth interviews with ten active members. The findings demonstrate that trust is established through demonstrated expertise, respectful communication, and the visible reliability of shared information. Cooperation is enacted through collaborative problem-solving and mentorship, effectively functioning as peer-led professional development. While social media affordances-visibility, persistence, association, and editability-facilitate these interactions, the study also reveals the fragility of online engagement, where participation is threatened by commercial interference and uneven contribution rates. Ultimately, this research extends affordance theory by illustrating how digital features intersect with culturally grounded professional solidarity to sustain a resilient, self-correcting network.
The advancement of contemporary technology requires librarians to continually adapt to manage technology-driven library services. However, technological challenges can cause technostress, which may affect librarians' performance. Workplace social support is essential in helping librarians cope with technostress. The aim of this study is to determine the role of social support as a coping strategy for technostress among librarians in Indonesian public libraries. This study employed qualitative methods, using semi-structured interviews for data collection. The data were analysed through condensation, presentation, formulation, and validation of findings. This article provides an overview of technostress among librarians in public libraries, their coping mechanisms, and the social support they receive. Librarians cope with technostress through both internal and external mechanisms. Social support as a coping mechanism includes instrumental and emotional support. It is essential for libraries to cultivate a conducive work climate and offer continuous technology training. This study highlights that technostress adversely impacts librarians' physiology and performance. Therefore, libraries must foster a supportive work environment and provide ongoing technological training.
This article assesses Malaysia's scholarly publishing ecosystem by analysing five models: university-based journals (UBJs), society journals, independent academic-led publishing initiatives, commercial partnership agreement, and ministry/government-sponsored journals. Drawing on over two decades of experience and the authors' roles in national journal assessment, it examines the structural, ethical, and financial challenges shaping these models, particularly the tensions between Diamond and Gold Open Access frameworks. The findings indicate a system at a pivotal point, where commercial sustainability often conflicts with the principles of equitable knowledge dissemination. The authors argue that publishing models should be explicitly included as evaluation criteria in national frameworks, such as MyCite, to align with international practices. Recognising publisher credibility, governance, and financial transparency as core indicators of quality would help address existing legitimacy gaps. The article concludes with policy-oriented recommendations to reinforce community-controlled publishing, including the establishment of a National Council of Journal Editors. Such initiatives are vital to preserving Malaysia's scholarly voice, values, and intellectual heritage within a balanced and globally connected knowledge infrastructure.
This study examines the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in libraries across ASEAN countries, focusing on national strategic support, AI implementation, and key challenges and opportunities in the regional context. Using a content analysis approach based on the Technology Organisation Environment (TOE) framework, 115 official documents including national AI strategies, policy reports, and statements were analysed. AI applications were reviewed at the institutional level by selecting the top five universities in the QS World University Rankings in each ASEAN country. Singapore and Malaysia show strong support for AI policies, while Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam show moderate commitment with established national policies. Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar exhibit emerging support, with AI mentioned only within a broader digital agenda. In practice, libraries in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam have adopted AI technologies or developed AI-enabled services for research and patron engagement, supported by training and investment in infrastructure. The introduction of AI is limited or undocumented in Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Major challenges include uneven technical resources, data quality issues, lack of governance, talent shortages, and inadequate ethical guidelines. Opportunities exist in local innovation, regional collaboration, policy advocacy, and training to accelerate AI adoption. This is the first region-wide analysis linking ASEAN national AI policies to AI implementation in libraries. It provides cross-country insights and practical cases for policymakers, library professionals, and regional bodies, and serves as a strategic reference to drive AI integration across the region.
Contrimetric is an AI-powered bibliometric plugin designed to provide real-time citation tracking, personalised content recommendations, reference validation, and dynamic research impact dashboards. This study investigates the factors influencing the adoption of Contrimetric, an emerging AI-powered bibliometric tool, in academic libraries across China. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the research examines how perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, social influence, and facilitating conditions affect behavioural intention, which in turn drives word-of-mouth (WOM) advocacy among academic peers. Data were collected through a structured survey administered to librarians and researchers in Chinese universities, yielding 400 valid responses representing diverse academic disciplines and institutional settings. The results confirm that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, social influence, and facilitating conditions all have significant positive effects on behavioural intention, and behavioural intention positively influences WOM. Mediation analysis further indicates that behavioural intention mediates the relationships between perceived usefulness, social influence, facilitating conditions, and WOM, while the indirect path for perceived ease of use is marginally significant at the 10% level. These findings highlight the critical role of institutional support and peer influence in fostering advocacy, such as recommending Contrimetric to colleagues and encouraging its adoption in academic environments. The study contributes to the technology adoption literature by extending TAM and UTAUT beyond initial adoption, incorporating post-adoption WOM behaviours as a critical outcome, and offers practical implications for policymakers and library administrators seeking to enhance research visibility through AI-enabled services.
This study examines research data sharing practices as a core element of open science at the Malaysian National Institutes of Health (NIH). Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven heads of departments and units across various NIH institutes and divisions. The study aimed to explore the extent of engagement in data sharing, the perceived benefits of open science, and the challenges faced in implementing such practices within the institutional context. The findings reveal that, while there is general awareness of open science principles, actual data sharing remains limited, with most researchers restricting dissemination to open-access publications. Key benefits cited include enhanced research collaboration, increased visibility and citations, improved transparency and accountability, and greater resource optimisation through reduced duplication. However, significant barriers persist, including inconsistent data management practices, lack of clear ownership guidelines, limited awareness and training, stakeholder sensitivities, and a performance evaluation system that does not reward data sharing. Participants proposed several strategies to address these gaps, including targeted capacity-building initiatives, clearer data-sharing policies, performance-based incentives, upgrades to technical infrastructure, and stronger leadership support from top management. This study provides valuable insights into the organisational and cultural conditions that shape the adoption of open science in Malaysia's health research sector. The findings have practical implications for policymakers, institutional leaders, and researchers seeking to foster a more transparent, collaborative, and impactful research environment through open science.
This study explores the everyday information needs and the role of the university library in providing the necessary resources for a marginalised group, transgender students. To achieve the aim of this study, a qualitative research approach is used. A snowball sampling method was used to gain access to the transgender community. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data from 11 participants. The results show that the information needs of the transgender community revolve around topics such as community, health, fashion, job search and safety. It was found that they usually use online sources such as Google, official websites and social media networks (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram) to fulfil their information needs. Participants felt that library services need to be improved and more inclusive and accessible resources should be created. This study has implications as it calls for an expansion of existing theories on how different social groups search based on their individual information needs. The study also supports the idea that libraries need an immediate and rapid reassessment of their services, resources and spaces. Furthermore, immediate support for transgender students is needed from both educational institutions and policy makers to ensure equality and inclusivity.
Citizen Science (CS) has become an important approach for involving the public in scientific research and facilitating collaboration between professional scientists and citizen volunteers. Libraries, which serve as accessible sources of information and centres for community engagement, are strategically positioned to support CS initiatives. The aim of this study is to explore how researchers, project managers and citizen scientists perceive the current and potential role of libraries in CS initiatives in the Malaysian context. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 individuals who are actively involved in CS projects in Malaysia. The thematic analysis, conducted using ATLAS.ti software, revealed different perceptions of current library services and identified opportunities for libraries to improve their role in CS. The results show that library services play a crucial role in providing access to resources and educational tools, supporting data management and analysis, and providing spaces for public engagement and outreach. In addition, libraries have the potential to become comprehensive resource centres for CS and serve as hubs for collaboration that promote public awareness and engagement. They can also act as centres for training and capacity building, equipping individuals with the necessary skills to contribute effectively to citizen science initiatives. Libraries can support the management and preservation of data and the contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through CS. These findings emphasise the transformative potential of libraries in promoting scientific literacy, sustainability and strengthening public engagement through CS.
