This research aims to present evidence that cultural diversity influences students' desire to utilize library resources and reference services on their mobile devices.
Abstract
Purpose:
This research aims to present evidence that cultural diversity influences students' desire to utilize library resources and reference services on their mobile devices.
Design/methodology/approach
A paper survey was administered voluntarily to undergraduate students to analyze how cultural diversity impacts the types of mobile device‐based reference services students desired and how likely they were to access librarians for live research assistance on their mobile devices.
Findings
The paper provides evidence that cultural diversity and gender impacts desired mobile device reference services among undergraduate students. White male and African American female students reported a higher likelihood and desire to access librarians for live assistance on their mobile devices. White females indicated, to a large extent, a desire to access e‐books and e‐magazines on their mobile devices more than any other group. Anecdotally, White females also preferred chat‐based reference inside Facebook.
Research limitations/implications
The study was limited to one campus college location of a Doctoral/Research University Extensive during the fall 2009 semester. Incorporating mobile devices in reference services has yet to fully evolve as an emerging field of study in librarianship.
Practical implications
Library and information science professionals will gain valuable insight into how cultural variances impact students' desired engagement with reference librarians, what types of mobile device‐based reference services undergraduate students prefer, and what factors influence their mobile device selection process.
Originality/value
The paper represents the first study that examines cultural diversity as a determinant in desired mobile device‐based reference services among undergraduates. The research also highlights possible directions for future qualitative and quantitative diversity research studies in library and information studies.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the current impact of virtual worlds on librarianship and identify significant gains in a new mode of information delivery and immersive…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the current impact of virtual worlds on librarianship and identify significant gains in a new mode of information delivery and immersive learning.
Design/methodology/approach
Through exploratory research and observation, the prospective study addresses a very new trend in information delivery and technology within library services.
Findings
Provides evidence of global collaboration among information scientists, significant contributions to library collections, and potential for educational opportunities through immersive learning environments.
Research limitations/implications
A small number of librarians are participating in virtual world librarianship in relation to the profession, due to the mode being a very new one. Future research should include studying the needs of library patrons and information seeking behaviors in virtual worlds along with accessibility, security and sustainability.
Practical implications
The study implies many educational opportunities and potential for information organization, information delivery, multimedia, and immersive learning on a global scale.
Originality/value
This study presents significant evidence that virtual worlds have provided a new medium of information delivery and educational opportunities that librarians are currently embracing and sharing with other fields, including medicine, art, science, and education.
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Wendy C. Doucette and Rebecca L. Tolley
This chapter investigates ways in which civility and mindful speech within the library workplace can improve the quality of employees’ interactions with each other. While most…
Abstract
This chapter investigates ways in which civility and mindful speech within the library workplace can improve the quality of employees’ interactions with each other. While most examinations of communication within libraries focus on the exchange between patrons and providers, this case study focuses on the vehicle of communication among co-workers and examines how civil discourse coupled with mindful speech reinforced by mindful actions can foster an atmosphere of cooperation, leading ultimately to empathy. We highlight common points within national and local civility initiatives which allow institutions to preserve their own unique culture while adhering to accepted benchmarks of civil dialogue. Although we present a mix of suggested strategies for cultivating mindful words and actions, based on empirical research limited to our own institution, we recommend civility and mindful speech leading to mindful action as gateways toward the adaptation of healthy shared values. Emphasizing civility, one of the cornerstones of civilization and peaceful coexistence, has widespread practical and social implications for countering the detrimental effects of poor communication. This effective, affordable, and attainable practice can repair the underdeveloped, fractured, and even dysfunctional relationships which lead to low workplace morale.
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Elodie De Boissieu and Damien Chaney
The purpose of this paper is to explore the specific characteristics of consumers’ lived experience in a brand museum within a luxury context. While previous research has…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the specific characteristics of consumers’ lived experience in a brand museum within a luxury context. While previous research has investigated this experience through the lens of brand heritage, the unique attributes and prestigiousness of the luxury field have not yet been examined. The authors argue that these distinctive features may alter the brand heritage experience in significant ways.
Design/methodology/approach
To understand the dimensions of a brand heritage experience in a luxury context, the authors applied a qualitative method using reflexive introspection. Specifically, the authors used 89 reflective introspections of 29 visitors of nine different luxury brand museums.
Findings
The findings indicate that a brand heritage experience in luxury is based on four dimensions: aesthetic, authentic, scientific and mythic. The data also reveal the heterogeneous aspect of the experience, which varies according to the level of consumers’ brand familiarity as well as whether the museum visit is led by a guide or not.
Originality/value
The authors contribute to the literature by emphasizing a new dimension of a brand heritage experience in luxury: a mythic dimension. This study also unveils the impact of contextual factors on the brand heritage experience.