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This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/01435129710166842. When citing the article, please cite: Yan Quan Liu, (1997), “National public library statistical systems and management: a comparison between the United States and the Peopleʼs Republic of China”, Library Management, Vol. 18 Iss: 4, pp. 189 - 195.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the measures employed in the provision of patron services in Chinese academic libraries responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the challenges and issues inherent in providing substantial services while undergoing a public health emergency.

This paper uses an analytical survey study of 137 Chinese academic libraries using data collected through a combination of website investigation, social media access and direct correspondences.

Over 94% of Chinese academic libraries released COVID-19-related information through their websites; the majority switched their service focus to partly or solely remotely online, including remote access, free electronic resources, virtual references reachable 24/7 and research support services deliverable online; services of print materials were altered to e-books for conveniences.

It should be noted that the survey was conducted from February 12 to April 5, 2020; because of the rapid updates to the library's website and social media channels, the status of their patron services are in the process of dynamic changes and that there should be many libraries that have adopted some patron service methods, but this study is difficult to cover comprehensively. In addition, patron services carried out offline by the surveyed libraries but not disclosed on the online platform could not be analyzed in a way that would be consistent with the data provided by the survey.

By providing evidence of the current status of patron services in Chinese academic libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study helps fulfill the scant empirical attention given to the impact of nationwide public health crises on academic libraries and offers new data of the best practices that help library administrators enhance the impact, efficiency and value of library services to their target community users.

Librarians have been involved in collecting and disseminating statistics for many years. Utilising statistics to describe and assess the operation of library activities as a part of library tradition has received growing attention from researchers, policymakers, library managers, and professionals. However, few studies have investigated how statistics are used in libraries. This report compares directors’ uses of statistics provided by national agencies in the USA and China to highlight the differences and similarities between the ways in which the two groups of directors make use of statistics, and the statistical information that directors find particularly useful. The results are intended to provide library administrators with an insight of how library statistics are used in the managerial process, and may also help the national statistical providers to obtain an understanding of the characteristics and pattern of use of their products.

Librarians have been involved in collecting and disseminating statistics for many years. Utilizing statistics to describe and assess the operation of library activities as a part of library tradition has received growing attention from researchers, policymakers, library managers, and professionals. However, few studies have investigated how statistics are used in libraries. This report compares directors’ uses of statistics provided by national agencies in the USA and China to highlight differences and similarities of the uses the two countries’ directors make of statistics and the statistical information that directors find particular useful. The results are intended to provide library administrators with an insight of how library statistics are used in the managerial process and may also help the national statistical providers to obtain an understanding of the characteristics and pattern of use of their products.

The purpose of this case study is to explore the construction pattern and issues involved with the development of the National Science and Technology Library (NSTL) in China.

This study was conducted through an analytical evaluation of the historical development of scientific and technological information sharing among libraries and information centers and issues around construction of the NSTL.

Since the establishment of its network service system at the end of 2000, the NSTL has made rapid progress in constructing a sci‐tech information resource sharing system and offering web‐based information services to the patrons of scientific and technical communities all over China.

This paper is the first exploration that brings to the forefront the foundational background of the NSTL, the characteristics of its organizational structure, the functions of its service, and the tentative plan to increase its accessibility and usability. Symptomatic of the function of the NSTL constructing pattern will hopefully shed light not only to the reformation of the Chinese sci‐tech information management system, but also to the development of scientific digital libraries in the world.

This study aims to present the results of a survey of library and information science (LIS) schools' websites used to determine if the number of data curation courses offered is adequate to address the needs of the so‐called “data deluge”. Many authors have identified a gap in the education of LIS students for data curation.

This study surveyed the websites of LIS schools in North America to identify data curation courses. It reviewed and analyzed course descriptions, objectives and syllabi (when available) as well as compared course objectives, requirements, topics, assignments, and projects of the identified courses.

Of the 52 LIS schools in North America's websites examined in this study, 16 institutions offered courses on data curation. The increase in the number of schools offering courses in data curation showed that LIS schools are responding to the demand for data curation professionals. More LIS schools need to add data curation to their curriculum. LIS schools currently offering data curation courses should continue to work together to determine the optimal course objectives and learning outcomes.

Although there are several papers focused on particular data curation programs at a few universities, there are no papers that provide an overall view of the status of data curation education in higher education institutions today. This research will be of value and interest to LIS educators and professionals to determine if there is adequate education in place and to identify and evaluate the current state of data curation education.

This paper aims to explore Web 2.0 technologies usage and trends in the top 100 US academic libraries as exemplified through the academic library websites.

The top 100 universities were selected from the US News & World Report's (USNWR) 2013 ranked list's top 100 of the best colleges in the USA. Content analysis was used in terms of quantitative approach. A checklist was developed as the main research instrument based on other checklists and questionnaires. Each of the selected university library websites was visited within a period of two weeks to explore implementation and usage of web tools, including SNS, blog, RSS, wikis, podcast/vodcast, and social bookmarking/tagging.

All 100 academic libraries had a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, making SNS the most widely applied Web 2.0 tool. The wiki was the least applied Web 2.0 technology, with a 34 percent participation rate. Blog was the second most popular tool with a 99 percent participation rate, followed by RSS and IM/Chat with 97 percent and 91 percent respectively. The vodcast and podcast had 47 percent and 46 percent participation rates respectively, while social bookmarking/tagging were also used by 39 percent of the academic libraries.

This study is completely based on publicly available data regarding usage of Web 2.0 applications. Web 2.0 tools used on library intranets were not analyzed for this study. Outcomes suggest that academic libraries are increasingly using Web 2.0 applications to promote themselves, enhance library services, and highlight resources to patrons.

This is the first research that draws an overall picture of the usage and trends of Web 2.0 applications in the top 100 US academic libraries. This study demonstrates some noticeable patterns regarding usage, trends, and adoption which are relevant to how Web 2.0 applications are perceived and used within academic libraries. The study provides academic libraries with helpful information to better meet their user needs by effectively applying Web 2.0. Additionally, library managers, librarians and other libraries may also find this research beneficial as they plan to deploy Web 2.0.

This paper aims to explore the status and construction pattern of Web 2.0 technologies employed in top Chinese university libraries, their functionalities and features.

A combination of online survey and content analysis methodology is applied to a sample of 38 top Chinese university libraries' web sites. The Web 2.0 tools are categorized by generally accepted standards with some adjustment for library practices. Data were collected by accessing these university library web sites on two separate occasions during the period of February 10‐20, 2009 by utilizing a checklist of 52 questions.

More than two‐thirds of the 38 top Chinese university libraries apply one or more kinds of Web 2.0 tools through the basic functions of their web sites. Among six types of tools, Catalog 2.0 and RSS are the most common, while IM, Blog, SNS and Wiki are less frequent.

Internal applications that are not publicly accessible contain hidden information that may not be gathered through content analysis since these links usually cannot be found on library web sites. It is difficult to get exact information as to the applications of Web 2.0 in these libraries without an interview method in combination to observation.

This study provides an overall picture of Web 2.0 tools developed in top Chinese university libraries, allowing for future evaluation and planning. The implementation of Web 2.0 applications and their constructing pattern is not only indicative of the development of the Chinese digital libraries, but also to their development of digital libraries in the world at large.

The purpose of this case study is to explore the construction pattern and issues involved in the development of an urban library service system in China.

This study was conducted through an analytical evaluation of the development of an integrated public service system and its distribution of information among libraries and information centers in an urban community.

Constructing an integrated public service system is an important trend in urban libraries in the new millennium. Drawing from the Dongguan library's integrated public service system that aims to master better various resources from whole service area, this text summarizes technology innovation and the significant results of the Dongguan library system redevelopment, providing an absorbing insight into developments in the Chinese public library service.

While the ultimate goal of integration is to provide better services to meet the information‐seeking needs of urban residents, it is necessary to meet these needs through a technological breakthrough in the administration of clustered libraries, to instill a central branch system, and to work out the advantages of group service.

Through an analytical and comparative study, examines the development and current status of the USA’s and China’s national library statistical systems, their natural functions and key system characteristics, usability of performance measures, and each system’s strengths and shortcomings. A distinction is made between government‐centred and profession‐centred systems. Identifies four factors which influence the systems’ characteristics. By finding commonalities and differences between the two statistical systems, provides library professionals, governmental administrators, and educators with the opportunity to learn from each other’s practices and experiences, to conduct further investigations into the purpose and characteristics of the statistical systems, and ultimately, to improve nationwide library planning and evaluation in their own country.