Search results

Discusses how to deliver a library service via an intranet or the Internet, using our library as an example. The main emphasis is on setting up a service to suit an online environment, designing user‐friendly pages to ensuring acceptance of the new service and training your users to make full use of it

The paper aims to give a synopsis of proceedings at the Internet Librarian International Conference held at the Olympia Conference Centre, London from 15 to 16 October 2013 from a participant's viewpoint.

The narrative method of describing events as they occurred was used.

The conference provided participants with a wide array of information that spanned the three tracks the sub-themes of the conference were divided into. Participants had opportunities to network and find out more about the products the sponsors showcased as well.

The report tells what transpired at the conference and exposes new technologies, new resources and innovative ways of using the technologies available to librarians and other information professionals.

In the 1920s the role of the federal government in the United States could be neatly and briefly identified as the functions highlighted in Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations: national defense, public works, public education, and the administration of justice. But with the Great Depression of the 1930s, government assumed new roles, expressed in the “alphabet agencies” and their related programs and regulatory activities, many of which are still with us in high degree. Further enlargement of government's role came in the post‐World War II '40s and '50s, which ushered in the Keynesian high employment policies that reached full blossom in the turbulent '60s. So far in the '70s federal regulatory activity has increased markedly, with over 20 new agencies created.

Digital collections are becoming more commonplace at libraries, archives and museums around the world, creating potential for improved accessibility to information that may otherwise remain hidden and further support for intellectual exploration. As a result of the growing potential for digital collections to inform and influence, the conversation surrounding ethics and digital collections needs to be continually examined and adapted as technologies evolve, user expectations change and digital information plays an increasing role in our everyday lives. In this context, this paper presents an overview of multifaceted ethical realities that impact the how, why and what digital information is created, accessed and preserved.

Written from the perspective of a digital collections librarian, this paper relies on existing research in presenting ethical considerations and complements that research with professional observations in providing subsequent reflections on addressing challenges in the age of digital information.

There are and should be considerations given to not only what information is contained in a given collection, but also how that information is selected, accessed and consumed by the public. The conclusions offered are designed to provoke reflection on the evolving and interconnected nature of information and ethics in the context of digital collections.

Information ethics is multifaceted, with one of those facets relating directly to digital collections. This paper demonstrates that digital collections are more complex than simply a collection of digitized documents and photographs. As the field of information management continually evolves and adapts, so, too, do the ethical realizations identified in this paper, all of which go beyond the (virtual) walls of a library, archive or museum, and carry the potential to have a long-term impact concerning information and its integrity, equity and access.

The following classified, annotated list of titles is intended to provide reference librarians with a current checklist of new reference books, and is designed to supplement the RSR review column, “Recent Reference Books,” by Frances Neel Cheney. “Reference Books in Print” includes all additional books received prior to the inclusion deadline established for this issue. Appearance in this column does not preclude a later review in RSR. Publishers are urged to send a copy of all new reference books directly to RSR as soon as published, for immediate listing in “Reference Books in Print.” Reference books with imprints older than two years will not be included (with the exception of current reprints or older books newly acquired for distribution by another publisher). The column shall also occasionally include library science or other library related publications of other than a reference character.

The literature on academic international research teams (AIRTs) has drawn conclusions and made recommendations based on cross-sectional “snapshots” of the research team process – observations made prior to the conclusion of the research project. Several large-scale AIRTs have now evolved through a life cycle including result-related publications. We evaluate and extend the literature using a project life cycle perspective, in which each stage exhibits different challenges and opportunities that influence the quality, reliability and validity of the final research output and the overall viability of the knowledge-creation project. We conclude with recommendations for the effective management of AIRTs and, indeed, perhaps all multinational, globally distributed teams engaged in both basic and applied knowledge creation.

This chapter looks at a number of diverse elements that led to the rise of the digital banking industry. In this age of rapid digitisation, today's bank transactions and activities are mostly done on mobile phones or other smart devices instead of going back and forth between a traditional branch lobby. With more and more customers seeking banking services accessible around the clock from the palm of their hand, based on the numerous experiential data digital platforms have accumulated for many years in the field and other places, traditional financial institutions will have no way but to break open their thinking about how to deliver those services to think. Governments and their regulators are beginning to see the potential risks posed by the new digital banking technology and want consumer protection, competition put under even stricter conditions for players as well and system stability all guaranteed. Above all, it is evidence of something people cannot ignore: the sharp upward trend of cybersecurity risk in recent years. The advent of digitalisation eliminated any excuse for storing sensitive financial data without the most modern cyber defences. Then, at a further level, financial tech start-ups come up like crocuses in spring while Bigtech companies all over the globe are jumping into banking. Both cooperation opportunities and competitive challenges await traditional banks. However, bank customers' changing demographics (millennials and GenZ) are the most vivid examples as they age, together with global universal financial inclusion trends, bringing about social and economic challenges.

In this chapter, we emphasise how Creative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can and will transform the practice of financial operations (FinOps). To do this, we first place AI in the context of FinOps and how operations need to change, explicitly using Creative AI to be faster, more accurate and more creative when assessing client needs. This is achieved by explaining how traditional approaches fall well short of the mark by highlighting their fundamental limitations and showcasing how AI helps to address those shortcomings. We also provide a detailed discussion of how AI is transforming finance operations when we focus on four discursive areas: (1) risk, (2) fraud detection, (3) predictive analytics and (4) trading algorithms. In all four areas, Creative AI supports many decisions that benefit the clients, improves customer service and guides financial institutions to allocate their resources more effectively. We elaborate throughout this text how AI, in particular by using methods such as natural language processing, generative adversarial networks (GANs) and other related techniques, can be understood as what we have termed ‘Explainable AI’ to address operational issues in the modern financial world creatively. As AI offers great disarming power, we also discuss the threats, limitations and specific pitfalls of AI adoption and use in financial contexts. This includes addressing clearly ethical and regulatory concerns, in addition to the technical ones.

The metaverse marks the beginning in a new era of digital interaction and innovation, having a significant impact on a variety of established sectors, including banking. This chapter exposes readers to the principles of data wrangling, laying the groundwork for comprehending its significance. It also looks at the specific issues presented by Metaverse Banking data, which includes a wide range of data kinds. To ensure consistency and practical relevance, these data must be processed in real time, whether for individuals or organizations. This chapter then transitions to unleash the power of data (which forms the lifeblood of Metaverse Banking), followed by a detailed explanation of advanced data-wrangling techniques and integration with Artificial Intelligence and machine learning. It showcases case studies illustrating how effective data wrangling has helped drive Metaverse Banking platforms by utilising real-world use cases that show the best practices of metaverse entities for a more customer-centric experience. This chapter also explores future trends, expecting the evolution of technologies for data wrangling and their possible repercussions. It further delves into regulatory considerations the nascent industry faces. This chapter underscores the need for a planned strategy in data management and provides suggestions along with best practices to guide stakeholders towards placing metaverse banks based on data. As the metaverse continues to expand and change, wrangling data will remain how banks can win on this digital frontier by keeping themselves nimble, safe and consumer-friendly in an ever more virtual world.

Digital finance is revolutionising the financial sector in significant ways. Its role in shaping the future of banks and financial services is a topic of widespread interest in the policy and academic literature. This study examines the role of digital finance in shaping the future of banks and financial services. The study shows that digital finance innovations are disrupting banking and the nature of financial services. Financial institutions that will survive in the future must undertake digital transformation to compete for market share in new customer segments and to meet customers' changing needs and preferences. While nobody knows for sure what the future of banking and financial services will be in the distant future, the digital finance revolution will inevitably change the face of banking and financial services in the future. Regulation, technology and geopolitical factors could alter the future of banking and financial services.