"When somebody says this is a program for adults, it kind of smacks of pornography": Older Adults' Opinions on Age Labels in the Public Library.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronological age is invariably used as a categorizing tool for spaces, collections, and programs in public libraries. With age-based conceptions of human experience in library practice, education, and scholarship primarily focused on those under the age 18, little is known how age-based classifications are implemented in public libraries, and with what impacts, for older library patrons. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Stemming from a larger project that seeks to bring attention to the ways in which public libraries engage with community-dwelling older adults, this paper explores 51 older patrons' perspectives on the numbers and language (e.g., 55+, older adult, seniors, adult) assigned to older adults in library programs and which label best (or least) suits their sense of identity and, in turn, what language encourages or deters their engagement with library programs. RESULTS: Findings illustrate that age-based language describing older adult library programs is often at odds with patrons' perceptions of how library programming relevant to them ought to be labeled. Common to all participants was a clear dislike for the term "elderly." While most participants preferred "older adult" to "senior," others voiced no preference, as long as they felt heard and valued. Many participants linked the use of language used to describe library programs to being excluded from and treated differently from other (younger) library patrons. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The language used to group and describe different library populations directly shapes feelings of belonging (or exclusion) in library programs. Insights from this research contribute to our evolving understandings of the ways in which language connected to age can shape one's sense of identity. Results also serve to cultivate a more sensitive and critical approach to the question of age within library science, and, by extension, the experiences of older adults who frequent the library.

Theoretical issues in medical library and information sciences' articles published in scopus and web of science databases: A scoping review.

Nowadays, professions with stronger theoretical background usually have a better standing among other academic fields. The field of Medical Library and Information Science (MLIS) also requires developments in theoretical issues to increase its ranking and provide more effective support services and higher quality research. The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review of publications in MLIS in Scopus and Web of Sciences databases to identify the underlying theoretical issues in this field. The research method was a scoping review conducted in February 2022. Articles published in the field of MLIS for which the main theme or research outcomes were based on theoretical foundations, patterns, frameworks, theories and models, and without limitation on time were retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus databases. The retrieved articles were analyzed after necessary screening and evaluation. Based on the determined criteria, 49 articles were eventually analyzed. Patterns, theories, frameworks, and models used in the articles have been categorized into six general groups: (1) information (general) and information literacy; (2) models of evaluation and support services in libraries and information centers; (3) clinical, embedded librarianship, and professional librarianship; (4) scientometrics, selection and evaluation of articles, journals, and serials; (5) open access content; and (6) psychological and sociological models. The results indicate that published articles in the field of MLIS have used a considerable range of models, theories, and frameworks as the most important elements of theoretical concepts. These models, theories, and frameworks have been categorized into six main groups, a number of which have been involving collection development, organization of material, and most have been overseeing the distribution of information and support services in libraries and information centers. Whereas MLIS is an interdisciplinary field with specific applications for access to and distribution of information, it still has considerable potential for presenting models, frameworks, and theories.

An investigation of emerging COVID-19 research trends and future implications for LIS field: A bibliometric mapping and visualization.

The COVID-19 epidemic has proved a nightmare for human beings living all across the globe. It has severely affected all segments of human life. Consequently, enormous research has been conducted to assess and counter this global pandemic. This study reports finding of a bibliometric analysis on COVID-19 related literature published in the Library and Information Science journals, to identify current research trends and to suggest future directions for further research. It reveals a substantial increase in LIS publications on COVID-19 in the year 2020. The findings of the study are presented in two sections: first, the research productivity analysis provides an overview of the prominent authors, sources, institutions, and countries that published about COVID-19 in the LIS field. The second section offers a co-word thematic analysis of the significant emerging themes that provide an insight into current challenges faced by libraries and suggest future trends for research and practice in post-COVID era. The study exposes 5 major research themes and 11 sub-themes.

The Role of Information in Later-Life Sexuality: An Invitation for Further Exploration.

Despite the key role of information in realizing, questioning, or respecting one's sexual health, individuals' engagement with information about sex and sexuality remains understudied, particularly in older adult populations. Beginning with current understandings of later-life sexuality to contextualize how older adults may need, use, and manage information about their sexual lives and practices, this forum article follows with what is currently known about older adults' sexuality-related information needs and practices. We conclude with an invitation for collaboration between gerontologists and Library and Information Science scholars and professionals as a means to step outside the medicalization of older adults' sexuality and bolster our understandings of how information and later-life sexuality are mututally shaping.

Developing Pathways to Health Sciences Librarianship with an Introductory Course and Mentoring Program.

Because of gaps in the offerings of Library and Information Science programs and librarian continuing education programs, library students and early-career librarians may not be aware of opportunities in health sciences librarianship. There is a need for introductory educational offerings on the foundations of health sciences librarianship. There is also a need to address barriers that may obstruct members of underrepresented groups from becoming health sciences librarians. The article explores the possibility that online education and mentoring can address gaps in introductory educational offerings in health sciences librarianship. The article describes the development of a pilot program for an online Introduction to Health Sciences Librarianship course and mentoring program, reflects on results from a survey of program participants, and identifies areas for further research and program development. The article also discusses the potential implications the program may have for addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion in health sciences librarianship.

Copyright literacy and LIS education: analysis of its inclusion in the curricula of master's degree programs.

The close relationship between copyright laws and the development of library activities has become more intense and complex in recent years due to the impact of the digital setting. For this reason, librarians must have adequate knowledge about copyright, whether it be to carry out their own functions and tasks, or to help co-workers and users as efficiently as possible. The aim of the present paper is to determine the type of copyright instruction offered, plus its focus and depth, to students of master's programs in library and information studies at today's outstanding universities in this field. The results show that very few LIS programs provide the minimal training required for professionals to be copyright literate. Very few courses are dedicated specifically to copyright issues, as these subjects are usually studied in an excessively generic and superficial manner within broader courses dedicated to information policy, information ethics, or legal issues regarding information. If we also bear in mind that most of these courses are elective, not required, the conclusion is that very few LIS graduates attain the minimal instruction required. The best results are obtained by US and Canadian universities accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), since copyright issues are included in the list of core competences required to achieve accreditation. The solution to this problem may lie in two complementary approaches. One would be to follow the ALA model and the IFLA recommendation and include copyright contents in the LIS curricula worldwide, and the other would be to provide institutional support for those professionals interested in obtaining the required training.

Forecasting the future of library and information science and its sub-fields.

Forecasting is one of the methods applied in many studies in the library and information science (LIS) field for numerous purposes, from making predictions of the next Nobel laureates to potential technological developments. This study sought to draw a picture for the future of the LIS field and its sub-fields by analysing 97 years of publication and citation patterns. The core Web of Science indexes were used as the data source, and 123,742 articles were examined in-depth for time series analysis. The social network analysis method was used for sub-field classification. The field was divided into four sub-fields: (1) librarianship and law librarianship, (2) health information in LIS, (3) scientometrics and information retrieval and (4) management and information systems. The results of the study show that the LIS sub-fields are completely different from each other in terms of their publication and citation patterns, and all the sub-fields have different dynamics. Furthermore, the number of publications, references and citations will increase significantly in the future. It is expected that more scholars will work together. The future subjects of the LIS field show astonishing diversity from fake news to predatory journals, open government, e-learning and electronic health records. However, the findings prove that publish or perish culture will shape the field. Therefore, it is important to go beyond numbers. It can only be achieved by understanding publication and citation patterns of the field and developing research policies accordingly.

Readiness for Online Learning during COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of Pakistani LIS students.

This study was designed to determine the perceived online learning readiness (OLR) of LIS (Library and Information Sciences) / IM (Information Management) students in Pakistan during COVID-19 pandemic. A quantitative approach based on survey method was used to collect data from 340 LIS students from nine public sector universities of Pakistan through an online questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using the SPSS and AMOS. The findings revealed that LIS students were not fully personalized and successful in decisions about their online educational activities during COVID-19 pandemic. However, they were motivated to learn through online learning and felt confident in performing basic functions of computers and internet. A significant difference of opinion was observed on 'computer/internet self-efficacy' and 'online communication self-efficacy' based on respondents' gender. Similarly, students from different levels of degree programs reported significantly different computer, internet, and online communication self-efficacy and learning motivation. Moreover, the age and grades of respondents were noted to be strong predictors of their OLR. These findings would be helpful for library schools, universities, and faculty members in Pakistan to improve the quality of online education and implement clear policies and guidelines. This study provides some theoretical and practical implications based on the findings.

Las tecnologías convergentes (nanotecnología, biotecnología y las ciencias cognitivas) y su relación con la bibliotecología / Converging technologies (nanotechnology, biotechnol- ogy and cognitive sciences) and their relationship with Library and Information Science

RESUMEN La designación tecnologías convergentes hace referencia a la confluencia de la iencia computacional con campos tecnocientíficos como la Nanotecnología, la Biotecnología y las Ciencias Cognitivas. El objetivo de este trabajo es señalar y analizar los vínculos que guardan estas tecnologías convergentes con la Bibliotecología -que también recurre al uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación-, ya sea en términos metodológicos, conceptuales o de aplicación. Como principal conclusión se deduce que la Nanotecnología, la Biotecnología y las Ciencias Cognitivas han reconfigurado, en los últimos años, sus propios conceptos de información. Esto ha hecho que profesionales de otras disciplinas, que tienen por objeto de estudio a la información, se detengan a re-pensar su naturaleza, dinámica y utilización.

ABSTRACT The denomination convergent technologies refers to the confluence of computational science with techno-scientific fields such as nanotechnology, biotechnology and cognitive sciences. The objective of this work is to point out and analyze the links that these convergent technologies keep with Library Science (which also uses the information and communication technologies), either in methodological, conceptual or application terms. The main conclusion is that both nanotechnology, biotechnology and cognitive sciences have reconfigured their own conceptuation of information in recent years. This has caused professionals from other disciplines, who study information, to stop to rethink its nature, dynamics and use.

La regionalización y la educación bibliotecológica universitarias en Costa Rica: ¿una coincidencia o un cincuentenario convenido? / Regionalization and university library education in Costa Rica: a coincidence or an agreed fiftieth anniversary?

RESUMEN Este ensayo plantea cómo la regionalización de la educación superior y la formación universitaria en Bibliotecología en Costa Rica coinciden al aparecer en un momento histórico en el que la educación se convirtió en una pieza angular del desarrollo nacional. A partir de una revisión e interpretación de los hechos dados entre 1967 y 1997, se concluye que la conjunción de voluntades generadas más de dos décadas después de ocurridos ambos acontecimientos, sirvieron para reconocer el papel que ha jugado la regionalización en el desarrollo de la profesión en las regiones. Este nacimiento de ninguna manera fue una convención, sino, más bien, una hermosa coincidencia guiada por las necesidades del desarrollo nacional de la época.

ABSTRACT This essay proposes how the regionalization of higher education and university education in librarianship in Costa Rica coincide when they appear at a historical moment in which education became an angular piece of national development. From a review and interpretation of the events that occurred between 1967 and 1997 it is concluded that the conjunction of wills that occurred more than two decades after served to recognize the role that has played regionalization in the development of the profession in the Costarican regions. This birth was in no way a convention but a beautiful coincidence guided by the the national development needs.

Public Libraries and Walkable Neighborhoods.

Public libraries constitute a ubiquitous social infrastructure found in nearly every community in the United States and Canada. The hypothesis of this study is that public libraries can be understood as important supports of walking in neighborhoods, not only as walkable destinations, but also as providers of programs that increase walking in communities. Recent work by public health scholars has analyzed how libraries contribute to community health. This particular topic has not previously been researched. As such, a qualitative, exploratory approach guides this study. Grounded theory techniques are used in a content analysis of a corpus of 94 online articles documenting this phenomenon. Results show that across North America public librarians endeavor to support walking through programs oriented around stories, books, and local history, as well as through walking groups and community partnerships. While this exploratory study has many limitations, it does set the stage for future, more rigorous research on the contributions public libraries and public librarians make to walking in neighborhoods. The principal conclusion of this study is that additional research is needed to comprehensively understand the intersection between public librarianship and public health.

La Investigación en la Escuela de Bibliotecología y Ciencias de la Información de la Universidad de Costa Rica

Este informe técnico presenta una introducción sobre la importancia de la investigación en el área de la Bibliotecología y las Ciencias de la Información, así como un marco teórico que sustenta el planteamiento de las líneas de investigación que se presentan en el informe. Se describen los antecedentes de la investigación desde la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), así como el vínculo entre docencia e investigación en la Escuela de Bibliotecología y Ciencias de la Información (EBCI). Se brinda información sobre la investigación que se realiza en la EBCI, a saber la producida por la población estudiantil en sus trabajos finales de graduación y la que realiza el cuerpo docente sobre su carga académica. A partir de la nueva malla curricular, se ofrece al estudiantado un pensum más fortalecido en el área investigativa, para lo cual se define un perfil docente para los cursos de investigación. Se definen las líneas de investigación para la EBCI y se describe la metodología utilizada para la selección de estas y de líneas emergentes. Se describe un plan de acción en el área investigativa para los próximos dos años, así como futuras acciones a realizar por parte de las comisiones competentes al área. Se presentan los resultados generales de la investigación y las proyecciones futuras.

The following technical report offers an introduction on the importance of research in the area of Library and Information Science, as well as a theoretical framework underpinning the approach of the research stated in the report. The University of Costa Rica (UCR) research background is described, and the link between teaching and research in the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), as well. Information on research carried on by the academic staff of SLIS and the student boy as well is also approached. A new research strengthened curriculum is offered to the students, which also defines the teaching staff profile for the research courses. Research areas for SLIS are defined, and the methods for their selection and the new areas are described. A two-year plan for research and future actions to be taken by research related committees are described. Finally, general research results and future projections are offered.

Development and innovation in library and information science in view of ESI-based highly cited papers / 中华医学图书情报杂志

The characteristics of ESI-based highly cited papers on library and information science were described by calculating their cited frequency and analyzing their citation network main path in order to find the gap in re-search hot spots and frontiers in library and information science between China and foreign countries, which showed that library and information science in China was far behind that in foreign countries, the number of ESI-based highly cited papers needed to be increased, there was a hope for certain colleges and universities to contribute their first ESI-based highly cited paper. Three key research interests were found in citation network of ESI-based highly cited papers and importance should be attached to the interfusion and integration of library and information science with medical informatics.

Health sciences journals: an overview of outputs by Chinese authors.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the contributions of authors from three major regions of China - the Mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK) and Taiwan (TW) - in the field of health care sciences and services. METHODS: Articles published by Chinese authors between 1998 and 2012 in the category of health care sciences and services were retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) database. The numbers of total articles, impact factors, citations, articles included in the top 10 highest impact journals and the 10 journals that published the most papers were recorded. RESULTS: ML, HK and TW published 615, 415 and 1162, respectively, with accumulated impact factors of 1281.65, 904.29 and 2361.44; average impact factor of 2.08, 2.18 and 2.03; and total citation times of 2313, 2652, and 4818. Regarding the top 10 high-impact journals, ML, HK and TW accounted for 28.25%, 27.68% and 44.07%, respectively. Total impact factors of the most popular 10 journals for ML, HK and TW were 20.86, 22.08 and 18.92, respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Both the quality and quantity of papers published in health care sciences and services journals from ML, HK and TW have greatly improved. ML and HK have different strong points, while the gap with TW diminished.

Characteristics of some selected master dissertation topics in medical library and information science / 中华医学图书情报杂志

The characteristics of master dissertation topics in medical library and information science and their se-lection methods were analyzed with the dissertations published since 2004 as the study object.The challenges and development trend in training of qualified personnel of medical library and information science were summarized , which may provide certain evidence for the training of masters in medical library and information science .

Peer review at the Health Information and Libraries Journal.

At its best, peer review can mean receiving constructive feedback to help you make the most of your writing. At the Health Information and Libraries Journal, we strive to make the peer review a positive process for both authors and referees. We adopt a process of double-blind peer review. To receive two reviews in a timely manner, three referees are initially invited for each article submitted. The referees are asked to submit their review noting errors, areas of ambiguity or clarification required before the editor and editorial team consider the manuscript ready for publication. As with most journals, it's unlikely that your writing will be accepted in its original form; a typical outcome will be for a recommendation for major or minor revisions. This is good! It means the editorial team has seen something of likely interest to their readership and wants to help you develop it to a publishable standard. There can be a surprising amount of development and change in a manuscript from original submission through to publication. While you may be experienced in your field, you may not have much experience of writing for publication. As a referee, you get an intriguing insight into the shape of manuscripts in their original form.

A study on scientific collaboration and co-authorship patterns in library and information science studies in Iran between 2005 and 2009.

BACKGROUND: Scientific collaboration is among the most important subjects in scientometrics, and many studies have investigated this concept to this day. The goal of the current study is investigation of scientific collaboration and co-authorship patterns of researchers in the field of library and information science in Iran between years 2005 and 2009. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study uses scientometrics method. The statistical population consists of 942 documents published in Iranian library and information science journals between years 2005 and 2009. Collaboration coefficient, collaboration index (CI), and degree of collaboration (DC) were used for data analysis. FINDINGS: The findings showed that among 942 investigated documents, 506 documents (53.70%) was created by one individual researcher and 436 documents (46.30%) were the result of collaboration between two or more researchers. Also, the highest rank of different authorship patterns belonged to National Journal of Librarianship and Information Organization (code H). CONCLUSION: The average collaboration coefficient for the library and information science researchers in the investigated time frame was 0.23. The closer this coefficient is to 1, the higher is the level of collaboration between authors, and a coefficient near zero shows a tendency to prefer individual articles. The highest collaboration index with an average of 1.92 authors per paper was seen in year 1388. The five year collaboration index in library and information science in Iran was 1.58, and the average degree of collaboration between researchers in the investigated papers was 0.46, which shows that library and information science researchers have a tendency for co-authorship. However, the co-authorship had increased in recent years reaching its highest number in year 1388. The researchers' collaboration coefficient also shows relative increase between years 1384 and 1388. National Journal of Librarianship and Information Organization has the highest rank among all the investigated journals based on collaboration coefficient, collaboration index (CI), and degree of collaboration (DC).

What's in a name: putting the skills of librarianship back into circulation.

Anne Brice, recipient of the 2014 Cyril Barnard Memorial Prize, reflects on the themes of names and skills of the health library and information professions. She questions whether service users share the same concerns of librarians that this nomenclature is too narrow and too closely associated with the buildings that provide its name. She proposes that in mediation between the users and their required knowledge sits a unique opportunity to place the profession in the centre of knowledge translation.