Abstracts – 2/2013

STUDIES

Digital humanities and library science
KOLTAY Tibor
In a broad sense, digital humanities apply IT tools to support research and education in literature (science), languages (linguistics), history (science), and philosophy. “Humanities and information science”, initially considered as an auxiliary science has become a discipline. It is present in education for a master’s degree in Hungary: the output includes professionals whose knowledge of humanities and interdisciplinary approach enables them to display humanities-related content by modern technical means. From among the research topics of library science, many (e.g., information search, subject retrieval, digital libraries, open access etc.) are of interest for digital humanities as well.

Developmental bibliotherapy among juvenile prisoners
BÉRES Judit – CSORBA-SIMON Eszter
At the University of Pécs, Faculty of Adult Education and Human Resources Development Library Science Institute, a bibliotherapy workshop is operating  under the leadership of Lecturer Judit Béres. Participants are students. Members of the workshop have been conducting bibliotherapy sessions among people living with multiple disadvantages (e.g., prisoners, women living in transitional homes, etc.). One of them, Eszter Csorba-Simon, conducted bibliotherapy sessions for small groups at the Pécs Institute for Regional Juvenile Prisoners nine times during her practical training in summer. At these events, she received assistance not only from her professor, but also from the prison psychologist, and the educator of the detainees. Participation was voluntary, and the therapeutic goals of her programme included developing self-knowledge, patience, and tolerance, as well as developing communication and problem-solving skills through the discussion of literary works. The authors present texts used at the sessions, as well as plans of the relevant activities.

Training for prisoners
KŐSZEGI Szilvia – VARGA Zoltán
This article complements a comprehensive analysis of the state of libraries in penal institutions by a review of training opportunities in prisons. Nowadays, prisons focus on ensuring convicts’ social re-integration, developing their sense of responsibility, the recovery and conservation of their physical and mental health with their employment, general and vocational education, rehabilitation and leisure time activities as top priority. The education of prisoners – in concert with international trends – is directed to mediating general culture and expertise to improve their missing or lagging social integration first. In the Szeged Penitentiary and Detention Centre detainees have the opportunity to participate in higher education as well. The full text of the study (with illustrations) can be found in the e-version (http://ki.oszk.hu/kf).

WORKSHOP

The three studies presented in this section are the article versions of papers prepared for the BOBCATSSS conference held in Ankara in 2013.
E-book lending in Hungarian libraries
SZALACSI Alexandra
The demand for lending e-books by libraries was raised by the mass appearance of e-books and e-readers. This demand is current, it is, however, difficult to meet due to the variety of interests authors, publishers, and libraries represent. In fact, libraries should devote more attention to the circulation of e-books. The author examined the possibility of e-book lending in Hungary with an online survey published both on Facebook and the librarians’ listserv, Katalist. 102 responses were received. Answers indicate that some libraries in Hungary have been already engaged in experimenting with business models for e-book lending, but as of today, there is no solution acceptable to all.

Using QR codes in Hungarian libraries
KOVÁCS Ramóna
Mobile Internet access and the proliferation of smart phones have made access possible to relevant information instantly, wherever you are. Due to changes in user needs, libraries need to increase their interactivity, and expand availability based on direct connections. Libraries may find a new path for themselves in many ways, e.g., using QR codes. QR codes can be used to link a variety of business and cultural content if you use a camera phone with downloaded or pre-installed application. The introduction of QR codes in libraries makes it possible to link the web to the physical world. The author conducted a questionnaire survey on a social networking site to which 130 people responded. The survey provides a picture about the awareness and use of QR codes in libraries, as well as about its reception among librarians.

Grow your library!
JÁVORKA Brigitta
In the summer of 2012 a new Hungarian book exchange website, Rukkola.hu was launched to help users renew their home libraries for almost free. They can upload the data of books they do not need, share them with others who make their choice and express their interest. In exchange for the books sent, users get and collect points that can be used for claiming books of interest from others. This website allows you to renew your home library by paying only the postage of the books sent. This new, emerging service means a new challenge for libraries. In September 2012, a questionnaire was elaborated and made available on Facebook. 659 questionnaires were filled in and returned. The findings show that such sites are real competitors of libraries. The answers to these questions have been compared with data about the users of the biggest Hungarian community website for booklovers named Moly.hu.

FROM OUR PAST

The role of Gyula Wlassics in librarianship in the decades after the turn of 20th century. Part 2. The years of stagnation, the signs of crisis and plans to deal with them (1908-1914)
SIPOS Anna Magdolna
As President of the Council of Museums and Libraries (MKOT), Gyula Wlassics was instrumental in shaping Hungarian public collections in the years preceding the World War I, in particular for the development of librarianship. His efforts are presented through the council’s annual reports, minutes of general meetings, publications in the Múzeumi és Könyvtári Értesítő, occasional publications, as well as archival sources on the council’s activities. The reports indicate signs of the professional and financial crisis, which became later dominant, from 1908 on. Gyula Wlassics saw the solution to the ills in increased state funding and in strengthening public support. Although Hungarian libraries started to develop in the early years of the century as a result of government subsidies, they were considerably lagging behind their international counterparts in terms of both professional needs and requirements. Library development was considered part of social development aiming at increasing general culture, with a significant role devoted to public education outside the school system. Wlassics fitted the new public library provision concept into the process of the free education movement and establishing culture centres. He proposed that the law on free education, under preparation, should include a provision on libraries.

PERSONALIA

Farewell to Miklós Takács
PALLÓSINÉ TOLDI Márta
Miklós Takács (1933-2013) was the director of the Berzsenyi County Library (Szombathely) from 1954 to 1994. His activities have been recognized with numerous state awards. In addition to his professional work as library director, he was also engaged in teaching at the LIS School of the Szombathely College, edited the Bibliography of Vas County, and initiated and co-edited the series Biographical bibliographies in Vas County. His main work on local history is the bibliography of Szombathely.

FROM ABROAD

Sixty years of VINITI – and the future?
SONNEVEND Péter
In 2012, VINITI, the All-Union Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (Moscow) of the Soviet Union celebrated its 60th anniversary. The overview briefly presents the objectives of the institution, as well as the imposing data characteristic of the first phase of its operation (e.g., in 1977, 20 million abstracts were published in VINITI‘s various publications). In the eighties and nineties, adjusting to computerisation, 241 bibliographic databases were produced, part of them provided abstracting services. However, direct access and copying services could be offered only to a limited audience. VINITI’s institutional transformation cannot be avoided in the future – the author outlines three possible scenarios.

What kind of data do we have and what could we have? New developments in the evaluation of libraries
POLL, Roswitha
(Summary by Jenő Mohor)
The paper gives an overview of new developments in library evaluation, focusing on those methods that have been defined in international standards. Based on current changes in the tasks and activities of libraries, library statistics have to admit new definitions and data collection methods. The same happens in performance or quality measurement, where the indicators have to be adapted to new developments in libraries and in the information world. Statistics show the quantity of input and output in libraries; performance measures assess the library‘s products and services in terms of user-orientation, speed, accuracy, reliability, or efficiency. But today there is a general demand on public institutions to prove their value for society. For libraries this means providing evidence that people benefit when using a library. Impact or outcome assessment tries to identify the effect of library services on users and on society. Methods for such assessment will be described in a new ISO standard. (Original abstract)

Shifting facets of information literacy in research 2.0 environments
ŠPIRANEC, Sonia
(Translated by Tibor Koltay)
New research environments, which are a result of technological innovations initiated by the Web 2.0, have the potential to change the very principles of science and research. These principles are characterized by new patterns of generating, managing and using scholarly information, necessitating complementary changes in information literacy (IL) as well. The author analyzes shifting aspects of IL training for researchers who operate in research environments pervaded by Web 2.0 tools and social media. Although the use of new tools and media generate a range of issues in all areas of human endeavour, domains like research and scholarship encounter specific challenges resulting from the use of Web 2.0 tools and services. Based on literature review and analysis of issues caused by “Research 2.0 trends”, the paper highlights main features of shifts in conceptualizing IL training for researchers. (Original abstract)

BOOK REVIEWS

BAWDEN, D. – ROBINSON, L.: Introduction to information science
London, Facet, 2012.
(Reviewed by Tibor Koltay)

School libraries. What‘s now, what‘s next, what‘s yet to come
Eds. Kristin Fontichiaro, Buffy Hamilton. Smashwords, 2011.
(Reviewed by Tibor Koltay)

Library and information issues: a guide for students
DUDÁS Anikó – GUITMAN Barnabás: Könyvtárinformatika – bölcsészettudomány, társadalomtudomány (Egyetemi jegyzet) PPKE BTK, 2011.
(Reviewed by Ilona Hegyközi)

FROM FOREIGN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE JOURNALS (ABSTRACTS)

Kategória: 2013. 2. szám | A közvetlen link.

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