Library Hi Tech

Publisher:: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Publication date:: 2021-02-01

ISBN:: 0737-8831

Issue Number

No. 38-1, March 2020

Latest documents

Editorial
Information integration in libraries
Purpose: This paper investigates the latest achievements of studies on industrial information integration engineering (IIIE). Design/methodology/approach: This paper extends the research by Chen (2016) by reviewing studies from 2016 to 2019 in IEEE Xplore and Web of Science. Altogether, 970 papers related to IIIE are grouped into 27 research categories and reviewed. Findings: The results obtained in this study indicate that the number of research studies on IIIE rose drastically in the past three years compared with the findings in Chen (2016). Particularly, energy, engineering, industrial control, information and communications technologies, instrumentation, manufacturing and transportation are the hot topics. This change proves that the Internet of things (IoT) and IIIE have integrated closely by providing more applications, such as industrial Internet of things (IIoT), cyber-physical system (CPS), smart grids and smart manufacturing. This change also proves the research direction of IIIE identified by Chen (2016). Originality/value: The results present up-to-date development of IIIE and provide directions for future research on IIIE. The review identifies that energy, engineering, industrial control, information and communications technologies, instrumentation, manufacturing and transportation are the main fields that most of the reviewed papers focus on. Applications that integrate IoT and IIIE, including IIoT, CPS, smart grids and smart manufacturing, are attracting scholars' and practitioners' attention. Some new technologies, such as 5G and blockchain, have the potential to be integrated with IoT and IIIE.
Theoretical foundations and applications of cyber-physical systems: a literature review
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review the current research on theoretical foundations and applications for CPS from 2017 to 2019 including the applications in library. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is designed in six parts as Introduction, Literature review, Theoretical foundations of CPS, Applications of CPS, CPS’s application in library and Conclusion. The authors review 70 papers and classify them as the above six parts. The authors collected 70 papers from 2017 to 2019 in the academic databases. Findings: This paper reviews 70 papers regarding theoretical foundations and applications for CPS from 2017 to 2019 in the academic databases aiming to provide scholars and practitioners with a comprehensive overview. The contents of the papers in each research category are summarized from theoretical foundations and applications including the CPS applications in library. Originality/value: A main contribution of this review paper is that it summarizes the current state-of-the-art theoretical foundations and applications for CPS and in libraries systematically.
A material delivery system built on Internet of Things and the role of libraries
Purpose: After the occurrence of natural disasters, the rapid and accurate delivery of geo-afforestation is the key to emergency rescue and is the fundamental solution to the “last mile” problem. It provides technical support for the territorial rapid and accurate delivery. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach: Through literature and theoretical research, combined with the research experience of scholars, the qualitative research method is adopted. The paper establishes a three-dimensional analysis framework, including disaster predictability, resource availability and transport accessibility, and proposes the integrated delivery triangular technical framework, including integrated monitoring analysis, the territorial virtual public storage and transportation. Findings: Based on the analysis of the factors affecting the effectiveness of emergency delivery, the paper establishes a three-dimensional analysis framework, including disaster predictability, resource availability and transport accessibility, and proposes the integrated delivery triangular technical framework, including integrated monitoring analysis, the territorial virtual public storage and transportation. The triangular technical characteristics and functions of emergency delivery are studied, providing theoretical basis and technical support for effective rescue and emergency planning. Originality/value: The territorial emergency delivery refers to the process of rapid and accurate delivery without relying on external territorial supplies. The paper establishes a three-dimensional analysis framework, including disaster predictability, resource availability and transport accessibility, and proposes the integrated delivery triangular technical framework, including integrated monitoring analysis, the territorial virtual public storage and transportation.
The potential of web components for libraries
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the potential of web components for libraries. Design/methodology/approach: The paper introduces a working example web component that reimplements an OCLC WorldCat search widget. Findings: By exploring the case study, the paper explains the functioning of web components and the potential advantages of web components for library web development. Originality/value: Increasingly, web components are being used within library web development, but there is scope for much greater use of this technology to the advantage of those libraries involved.
Application of public blockchain to control the immutability of data in online scientific periodicals
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address the problem of content immutability and integrity of online scientific periodicals on the sites of small publishers that can be violated not only by the external hack of the publisher’s site but also by publisher’s and author’s misconduct or by submitting different versions of a periodical to different sites. Design/methodology/approach: The authors defined a list of requirements that verify online scientific publications immutability and integrity. Then, the authors analyzed existing projects and recently emerged information on security technologies and identified challenges met during the development and testing. The use of the public blockchain network Ethereum as a secure storage location for data was explained. Findings: The authors developed the method of checking online scientific periodicals for immutability and presented ecosystem architecture to control immutability and integrity of data. On the example of the online periodical “Istoriya”, it was demonstrated how the immutability of online scientific publication has been verified with the use of the public blockchain over a six-month period. First, operating results were evaluated; challenges hampering the implementation of the suggested ecosystem on Ethereum now were identified; and potential advantages of the suggested approach as compared to similar projects were discovered. Research limitations/implications: The considered prototype is not a ready-to-use system, but in future providing higher transparency and the development of general distributed ecosystem small publishers will have new opportunities for development given that the issues of scalability, reliability and operating speed on a public blockchain will be addressed. Introduction of the described ecosystem may even provoke some changes on such conservative market as that of publishing of academic papers. Originality/value: This research is one of the first attempts to expand digital object identifier technology with the use of additional verifications based on the data storage and search in the public blockchain. The suggested idea is the example of “blockchainified science” that was brought to implementation in a real online journal. This method has some advantages compared to Crossmark service.
Making the future makers. Makerspace curriculum in library and information science graduate programs and continuing education
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and explore curriculum related to makerspaces and making within library and information science graduate programs and continuing education opportunities available to librarians. These findings are compared against prior assessments of makerspace-related educational offerings, as well as contrasted with recent practitioner survey results indicating the number of library practitioners involved in makerspace work and their needs. Design/methodology/approach: This paper employs content analysis to assess makerspace topics within American Library Association (ALA)-accredited library and information science Masters programs’ course catalogs and in continuing education opportunities for librarians. Findings: This work identified a total of eight courses from seven ALA-accredited Masters of Library Science programs relating to makerspace and making topics. A series of past and current makerspace-related continuing education opportunities were noted, with a variety of durations and structures, all offered in online format. As compared to prior research, these findings describe a notable increase in training and curriculum relating to library makerspaces. Research limitations/implications: A limitation of this work is the difficulty in assessing frequency of course offerings, details regarding special topics courses and the potential continuing education materials that may have been removed from the internet since their offering. Originality/value: Although significant research efforts have focused on makerspaces, little work has directly assessed the ongoing impact of the makerspace trend on library and information science graduate programs and continuing education opportunities.
Web-based health information seeking. A small-scale comparative study between Finnish and South African university students
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine differences of health information seeking among Finnish and South African university students. The focus is on weight management and on how students utilise various internet sources. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected with a web-based, structured survey by using convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s χ2 test were utilised in the analysis. Findings: Overall, health information was more often encountered than sought on purpose. Passive information seeking was more common for South African students as almost a third of them report encountering it several times a week. As an information source, South African students opted for social networking sites more frequently than search engines, the latter being the first choice for Finnish students. Discussion boards were more popular among South African students, and, on the other hand, web-based health calculators among Finns. Research limitations/implications: This is a small-scale comparative study. The results are not to be generalised, but may provide clues about the information seeking differences between Finland and South Africa. Practical implications: Media literacy, digital literacy and health information literacy of young adults should be emphasised so that they would be able to evaluate information for reliability and accuracy in order to help them make appropriate decisions when confronted by health information online. Social implications: The implications of the study are that health providers and professionals should be more prominent on social media sites, which are popular ways for young people to discover information. Originality/value: Comparative studies are rare. This comparison is between Finland, where internet penetration is 94 per cent, and South Africa, where internet penetration is 54 per cent.
Research on makers’ knowledge space construction by libraries
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to figure out the exact knowledge demand of makers. Furthermore, the paper aims to construct the knowledge space based on makers’ knowledge demand. Design/methodology/approach: The first step of this research is to explore the makers’ knowledge demand by the methods of field investigation, non-interventional study and in-depth interviews. On that basis, the elements, principles, framework and mechanism of the knowledge space were discussed. The grounded theory and NVivo software were used in the data analysis. Findings: The investigation shows that interest and competition are the main motivations for makers’ knowledge demand. The findings also indicate that the characteristics are active knowledge needs, “informal learning” preferences, divergent thinking, close community ties and interdisciplinary. According to the makers’ knowledge demand node conceptual model, the content of makers’ knowledge demand is principle knowledge, empirical knowledge and knowledge situation. Based on the above findings, the elements, principles, operation framework and inherent operation mechanism of the knowledge space construction are systemically described. Originality/value: This study gives precise details about makers’ knowledge demand and the construction of makers’ knowledge space by libraries. This is the first research that comprehensively explores the knowledge demand of makers. The findings can help the library plan and implement the construction of makerspace, and also improve the service for makers.
Bibliometric analysis of the papers on urban education
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the papers published on urban education and analyze the characteristics of these papers to contribute to the urban education research over the recent years. Design/methodology/approach: Researchers generated a comprehensive list of the articles published between 2010 and 2017 in the field of “urban education” by searching the Social Sciences Citation Index database, using the keywords of “urban” and “education.” As an additional criterion, all the articles published between 2010 and 2017 in the journals of Urban Education and Education and Urban Society were included. Findings: There are a total of 2,123 publications that were checked and retrieved in the field of “urban education” between 2010 and 2017. Although the number of publications differs year by year, the sum of the citations received the increase from year to year on a regular basis. There are 35 articles that were cited more than h-index, as h-classics in this field for this period and top 10 of these h-classics are reported in this study. Urban Education and Education and Urban Society were revealed as the most prominent journals in the field of urban education. Also, the results show that the most cited articles, the most prolific authors and organizations, and top journals in this field are from the USA. Research limitations/implications: The scope of this study is not extensive enough, and the data obtained are not comprehensive enough. The survey was limited to the keyword of “urban education” in the fields of title, abstract, author keywords and keywords plus. Practical implications: This bibliometric analysis contributes to the literature of urban education through a historical perspective. Results show that the “urban education” field attracts more attention of the researchers and the impacts of these publications are increasing from year to year. Also, there is a prevalence of the USA in the field of urban education. Originality/value: The information presented in this paper provides insight into the development of urban education research over the recent years. The data obtained in this study can be used as a reference for future researchers in urban education.