Abstract This column investigates the emerging role of the product owner (PO) – an individual tasked with ensuring that a specific service meets the needs of users – in academic libraries. It explores the PO role at the intersections of functional specialization, public services, and technical services, as well as from critical perspectives on gendered labor in librarianship. By examining how our library used the PO model to address pressing problems with our library’s institutional repository (IR), we demonstrate the value that the PO approach can bring to improving library products, especially when the PO is appropriately positioned to advocate for user needs. We also interrogate the overlap in responsibilities between the PO and liaison librarian and argue that the role of the product owner is a rebranding of the liaison librarianship model in an effort to make the emotional and relationship labor more masculinized. By emphasizing traditionally masculine work such as technology and innovation, the PO model allows libraries to market these specialized liaison librarian roles in ways that are more prestigious and aligned with corporate culture, while also downplaying traditionally feminized library work, such as service.
Library personnel development determines service provision, achievement of institutional goals, productivity/development of users and career development of library staff. The study examined the challenges of career development among library personnel in federal universities in Southwest, Nigeria. Four out of the seven federal universities in Southwest, Nigeria were selected. A structured questionnaire was employed for data collection. Total enumeration technique was employed to gather data from 163 library personnel (80 librarians and 49 paraprofessionals) and 129 (79.6%) copies of the questionnaire were found useful for the study. The study indicated that majority of the library personnel in all the universities perceived that library management was highly committed to capacity building, however, at least 50% of the respondents in each of the universities were of the opinion that the capacity building programmes were inadequate. Furthermore, majority of the library personnel in all the universities reiterated that the most important benefit of capacity building was improvement in service delivery. The three major reasons for attendance of capacity building programmes were to get trained in the latest technologies; enhance library service delivery and because they had never attended before. The programme most attended were workshops/seminars 30 (85.7%) and conferences 30 (85.7%); their greatest challenge was irregular sponsorship from their university. It was recommended that library management should put in place more capacity building programmes to enhance effective service delivery and provide funds for the trainings.
This study sought to establish the effectiveness of the current curriculum and methodologies used in Schools of information Sciences as a tool to train Systems Librarians in Kenya. It examined the current curricula used by selected Library and Information Schools (LIS) in Kenya, established the content of Information Communication Technology (ICT) courses that are offered in LIS curricula in Kenya, and its relevance to needs. It used a case study of four universities in Kenya that offer LIS education. The study used descriptive case study design to collect data on issues related to LIS curricula as they are at present in the selected universities in Kenya through analysis and comparison curriculum used. In the study, the dependent variable is Systems Librarians while the independent variables include schools of information Sciences in Kenya and LIS curriculum. The study was carried out in selected Universities that teach Library and Information Sciences in Kenya. The study used purposive sampling technique to show accurate, reliable, and valid information from a more representative of all the population who are involved in the developing and implementing the curriculum as well as those who employ the Systems Librarians. The findings show that curricula used by LIS schools in Kenya do not have adequate Information Communication Technology courses to equip those aspiring to be Systems Librarians with adequate skills to carry out their mandate effectively. It shows that there are more general courses that are covered that are not helpful to the students. The study recommends that LIS curricula be reviewed to address the shortcomings noted by increasing the number of ICT courses, benchmarking with universities in developed countries, establish a model LIS for Systems Librarians and standardize curricula for LIS.
This study assesses undergraduate students’ views on the 24-hour library service at the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Navrongo, Ghana. Using the survey approach, 168 students were randomly selected from three faculties of the University to participate in the study. The findings of this study revealed that students need to use the library 24 hours all the time and not only during examination periods. The findings further indicated that this would help the students to utilize the library’s facilities and resources to the fullest and at their own pace. The study, therefore, recommends that academic libraries must be given the maximum support to render such service to students since the continuous existence of every university or college depends on them.
Abstract Librarianship was struggling with issues of burnout, low morale, and low engagement prior to 2020, although the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted and exacerbated these issues. The library profession continues to grapple with issues of health and safety, hybrid work arrangements, and general uncertainty about the future. Because of this, we need to focus on how to engage and motivate our colleagues and strengthen our organizations. This column discusses engagement and motivation models for supporting colleagues and identifies the Appreciative Inquiry process for transforming organizations, concluding with practical takeaways that will empower readers to explore these ideas.
