Access: An International Journal of Nepal Library Association

Post-COVID Library: Educating Children to Media and Information Literacy through UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme

2022-07-11T10:17:24+00:00

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted children's education in schools, and reflects the urgent demands of children and their educators for diverse learning channels and materials. Memory institutions such as libraries, archives and museums, as repositories of reliable sources of information and knowledge service provider, have a responsibility to contribute to the cultural and media literacy education of children. Therefore, memory institutions should explore innovative ways to safeguard and utilize documentary collections in media and information literacy education for people and especially children, and share and promote good practices. These efforts will also inspire younger generations to participate in the preservation and transmission of historical records.

Library service experience during and post COVID-19 outbreak: the case of the National Library of China

2022-07-11T10:25:25+00:00

Faced with the threat of COVID-19 outbreak, public libraries developed innovative practices to deal with the pandemic by providing information service, expanding online and digital service and reading promotion activities. The aim of the study is to explore the service experience of the National Library of China during the outbreak and after the reopening. It is found that the enrichment of online and digital services, as well as the combination with the use of social media, facilitate the service provided during the closure and also bring new angels into the development of libraries in the post pandemic era.

Libraries post Covid 19 pandemic: Considerations from Mexico

2022-07-11T10:30:28+00:00

The objective of this paper is to show a general description of the first actions that librarians carried out in Mexico in the face of the Covid 19 pandemic, both to respond to the user in their demands for information, and to carry out their professional and leisure activities. The actions undertaken by librarians of academic libraries in the context of the pandemic are presented. Libraries in Mexico are one of the main sources of access to documentary information. In general, all types of libraries had to suspend their services during the pandemic and initiate protocols to restart functions. In this paper we have specifically addressed the contingency measures implemented in university libraries. Academic libraries had to adapt quickly to continue offering documentary and information services and with this, continue to carry out their functions in the development of professional training activities, technological developments, research, administration, and extension of culture. Both university libraries and users (students, professors, researchers, and administrative staff) had to adapt to the contingency since in most cases protocols were established both for prevention to avoid contagion and for user care.

This document is the result of the research carried out based on the information answered by 40 libraries studied, to whom an instrument was applied. The literature on current topics was consulted in various databases and information from the websites of the libraries themselves. Information was also collected from approximately 20 academic events organized by library associations and other information professionals, such as the AMBAC (Civil Association of Librarians), the Library College of Mexico and the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions).

Appropriate Frameworks for Understanding Educational Change and Culture to Use in Socio-Technological Innovation Studies in the Field of Information Management in Sri Lanka: A review of literature

2022-07-11T10:37:56+00:00

Information is considered a fundamental resource for improving the quality of governance and promoting socio-economic development in developing countries. In Sri Lanka, under the government’s vision of higher education, Information Management (IM) education is seen as important for fostering the development of a high quality market-oriented and knowledge-based society. However, a number of barriers currently restrict access to IM education by Sri Lankan information workers: the provision of education is limited to face-to-face teaching at three institutions in the Colombo (capital city) area, and the country’s physical infrastructure makes it difficult for full-time workers to attend classes without missing substantial work time. This results in IM employer reluctance to support education. Hence there is a growing need to provide equity of access to IM education. In response to World Bank reports (2007, 2009) the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council (QAAC) of Sri Lanka aims to foster transformative change in IM education with the goal of increasing equality of access to IM education through the use of e-learning. A number of early attempts to implement e-learning in Sri Lanka have already failed (Anderson, 2008). There is no rigorous research that investigates what factors have an impact on the introduction and use of e-learning in tertiary-level IM education in the Sri Lankan context and what the barriers or enablers to doing so might be. Understanding of the cultural context is known to be critical for the success of e-learning.

Major research project has been carried out to fill these gaps in the literature. It was guided by two research questions: (i) what are the contextual factors that affect the introduction and use of e-learning in tertiary-level IM education in Sri Lanka? and (ii) how do these factors affect the introduction and use of e-learning? An interpretive case study research was conducted. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with information management education providers, existing e-learning providers and relevant stakeholders, and three focus group discussions were conducted with information workers and academics. Relevant documents were also analyzed.

This paper presents how appropriate frameworks have been selected for understanding said educational change and culture to use in socio-technological innovation studies in the Field of Information Management in Sri Lanka by reviewing extensive literature. Accordingly, Fullan’s (1991) educational change theory and Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov’s (2010) cultural dimensions provided a basis for a conceptual model to guide the process of data collection and analysis in this study to gain an understanding of factors affecting the introduction and use of e-learning in tertiary-level IM education in Sri Lanka.

Challenges and Activities of Professional Librarians’ Associations, Particularly for Association of Hungarian Librarians before and during COVID aera

2022-07-11T10:46:05+00:00

This paper studies the influence of the international and national trends, changings, and challenges to professional librarians’ associations. It summarizes basic endeavours of management and summarizing permanent updated visions of Association of Hungarian Librarians (AHL). I try to collect different aspects from the specific and general viewpoints.

In this study we would like to introduce some national and international initiatives, including possibilities for mutual cooperation. We will introduce the vision of AHL, focus on up-to-date knowledge and adequate competencies before and during COVID aera.

We’re all in this together: Post COVID-19 Opportunities for International Library Cooperation

2022-07-11T11:53:09+00:00

The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020-2022 brought worldwide disruption and suffering. It also made us realize “We’re all in this together”- among all humanity, internationally— as the virus so easily crossed borders worldwide. Amid this global tragedy, examples of international cooperation also arose: distribution of vaccines, coordination of travel safety protocols, cooperation in humanitarian aid, etc. In this same spirit of international cooperation, libraries can consider opportunities for international library cooperation. These include international library associations and conferences, sister-library programs, collaborative partnering, and cross-cultural outreach efforts. This article will highlight these opportunities, noting how such cooperation brings us closer—not only as library professionals, but among all humanity.

Librarians and Information professional activities in Nepal during COVID - 19 Pandemic

2022-07-11T12:03:15+00:00

This article deals with librarians and information professionals including retired librarians, working librarians and all in the field of libraries during the COVID- 19 pandemic 2020 along with the brief history on professional librarians' development in Nepal. It also highlights the adopted online platform of a series of webinars dealing with current important and useful information relevant to library and information science organized by Tribhuvan University, Central Department of Library and Information Science (CDLIS). Further, the article provides a picture of the sudden changes brought by the unexpected outbreak of COVID - 19 pandemic in the library management, services and organization.

People's transformation through community library: a brief study of READ philosophy

2022-07-11T12:11:15+00:00

The article aims to briefly highlight how, where and what situation led to the establishment of Rural Education And Development (READ) in Nepal. It also slightly explains how the request 'if you can establish a community library in my village' told by a common person has touched the inner heart of the person, who has educational research background herself. The article states about READ model a bit: Community involvement from planning, infrastructure management, rules and regulations formation, develop sustainable projects for daily management of the library. It states that the library is for the community, by the community, within the community. READ model has a vision, mission and strategy, so as all READ supported libraries. So far all READ supported libraries are managed on their own. It is because, all political parties, community people from children to elderly ones', local authority and all stakeholders within the community feels 'it is ours'. Thus, it seems that the future of READ libraries are driven in the right direction.

Comparing ICT components in MLISc. curriculum of TU with SAARC Universities

2022-07-11T12:23:05+00:00

The study, entitled "Comparing ICT components in MLISc. curriculum of TU with SAARC Universities," has an objective to identify the differences and similarities of MLISc., TU courses in entailing ICT contents. To obtain this objective, this study compares the ICT content of the MLISc. curriculum of TU with five universities from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, one from each country. Those universities were selected with reference to the higher rank recommended by website Unirank 2021. The sources of data were interpreted categorically based on syllabus content. As the result, the comparison clarified that the MLISc. curriculum of TU has incorporated similar standards of those selected universities, where fundamentals of ICT, data communication and networking, programming language, library management software, web designing, multimedia, and information retrieval courses are incorporated. In MLISc., TU courses, the content related to library management software are relatively less. However, to address the gap, Central Department of Library and Information Science, (CDLIS) TU has included a practical class on Koha, LIS from 2019. More up-to-date, comprehensive package of library automation and digitization services, from operations to system design, is the most demanding from LIS graduates, practical-based courses incorporated into LIS education would be preferable for increasing the effectiveness of ICT in LIS management.

Remote Access Facilities in Tribhuvan University Central Library of Nepal

2022-07-11T12:31:36+00:00

After the COVID-19 pandemic, Tribhuvan University Central Library (TUCL) has implemented Remote Access Services to provide more effective e-resources services for its users. It has subscribed to Pro Quest database with RemoteXs software. This software is a single portal access system which makes resources available from anywhere, anytime and twenty-four-seven. Through this portal, TUCL has been providing subscribers’ e-resource as well as other free and open access e-resources to all members of TU. The core concern of this paper is to perform a descriptive analysis of the status of the readers of TU who have connected to this software. Necessary information and data required for this study have been collected and analyzed from the records available in the TUCL RemoteXs software. RemoteXs allows a maximum of 30,000 users per year to subscribe to the software but so far only 7501 users of TU constituent unit have connected to it. Data presentation is based on the subscribers of different categories of users like faculty member, students, research scholars and staffs registered from constituent units of Tribhuvan University. This study finds that Tribhuvan University has provided e-resources service with remote access system free of cost for the users of TU constituent campuses and departments but it has not been used as expected.

Dewey Decimal Classification development during the COVID-19 pandemic

2022-07-11T12:37:35+00:00

This article provides an overview of the revision process for the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), with an emphasis on the user advisory group Editorial Policy Committee (EPC), and recent efforts to prioritize community-driven changes. It details how these processes have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including innovations, challenges, and lessons for the future. It also includes three example cases of revisions that happened mostly or entirely during pandemic-era remote work.

Nepal on the IFLA Library Map of the World

2022-07-11T12:43:15+00:00

IFLA’s Library Map of the World, launched in response to the need to accurately collect and share basic data and information about the library landscape in each country, has grown into a powerful advocacy tool providing access to country-level library statistics from more than 130 countries in the world, full country profiles describing the library field in each country, and SDG stories about impactful library programmes contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Nepal has engaged in the LMW project with library data covering all library types and a full country profile containing information about the library environment in Nepal, including organisations and institutions in the library field, policy and legislation documents, and information about education and events for library professionals. Nepal's presence can be strengthened by adding SDG stories highlighting the contribution that libraries around the country are making to the country’s development.

During the last five years since Nepal joined the LMW project, the country has demonstrated an increase in its data availability that is higher as the regional average in Asia-Oceania region. The article outlines the benefits to the library field in Nepal from its involvement and visibility in this project and offers suggestions for using high-quality library data to demonstrate the value libraries bring to their communities and achievement of the country’s development goals.

Twenty years of Research4Life: Learnings from the past and a look to the future for a more equitable research landscape

2022-07-11T12:50:35+00:00

No abstract available.

The Role of IFLA: Serving Libraries, Creating Bridges and Serving Societies

2022-07-11T12:59:11+00:00

No abstract available.

Leaders’ Conversations: National Libraries in the Post-COVID-19 World

2022-07-11T13:06:15+00:00

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Regional Office for Asia and Oceania and the National Library Board, Singapore jointly organized the inaugural Leaders’ Conversations in 2020. The first series of the Leaders’ Conversations focused on the future of the libraries in the Post-COVID-19 world and was held with the leaders of the various libraries. This report features enlightening insights from the library leaders from the national libraries, which are very much crucial for the operations of national libraries in today’s uncertain environment.

Role of IGF and APrIGF in reference to Libraries in Nepal

2022-07-11T13:18:37+00:00

No abstract available.

The ISBN System (and Why Every Library Professional Should Know About It)

2022-07-11T13:23:23+00:00

No abstract available.

From the Desk of Editor-in-Chief Vol.1(1)

2022-07-11T10:13:21+00:00

No Abstract available.