Annals of Library and Information Studies

The Impact of Covid-19 On Students' Mental Health and Reading Habits: A Study at Vivekananda Colleges in Puttur Taluk, Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka, India

Dayananadappa Kori — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0530

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted education, forcing academic institutions to close and switch to online learning. The study was conducted at three institutions: Vivekananda Degree College, Vivekananda Law College, and Vivekananda College of Engineering and Technology, all located in Puttur Taluk, Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka, India. The data was collected through an online Google form questionnaire shared on WhatsApp groups. It attempts to interpret and explain the patterns and trends scientifically revealed through data analysis, which uses SPSS software for practical interpretation. The findings suggest that stress during COVID-19 negatively impacted mental well-being, while feeling safe at home had a positive effect. Pre-existing mental health was the most substantial positive influence. The study highlights the strong influence of reading habits and mental health on students' academic performance and well-being during the pandemic. The study calls for supportive interventions to enhance mental health and foster academic growth in future crises.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Soft Skills in LIS Education & Librarianship

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Libraries are no longer just repositories of books; they are dynamic spaces where information is curated, organized, and disseminated. In this modern era, the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) demands more than just technical knowledge. Soft skills, including communication, empathy, adaptability, and problem-solving play a crucial role in the success of library professionals. This paper explores the significance of soft skills in LIS, their impact on various aspects of library services, and the evolving role of librarians in the digital age.

In today’s context, soft skills are a buzz word to minimize the knowledge gap among the various operational individuals of an organization, which deals with personal attributes, social skills, and qualities. Soft skills are crucial in the workplace and in various aspects of life, as they often determine how well someone can work with others, solve problems, and navigate complex situations. These skills are not typically taught in formal education settings but are developed through experience, social interactions, and self-reflection. This analytical study is based on the research output of the publications on ‘soft skills with reference to LIS education and librarianship’. Today soft skills are need of the hour, as these minimize the gaps, what we preach and practice in the field of library and information science. This analytical study depicted that organizations/institutions are striving for soft skills training and development for their different stakeholders such as students and employees. Authors extracted (n=510) papers for the period 2011 to 2020 using various ontological key words based search. Based on the combination of keywords-based searches, the outcome was that in 2020 (n = 94) had the maximum number of documents. Among the other countries, the USA has the highest number of publications (n = 237) and the most studied document type is article (n = 283).

Based on this analysis, the authors want to examine the inferences the need of soft skills development in the country to minimize the knowledge gap in the field of library and information science.

Citation Practices and Priorities of Environmental Science Researchers in Western Himalayan Region of India

Muruli N, N. S. Harinarayana — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0530

This study aimed to explore citation practices and priorities of environmental science researchers in the Western Himalayan Region of India through a bibliometric analysis of 23,292 sources cited in publications from 2012 to 2021. Employing Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny tools within R Studio, the research scrutinized citation behaviours, journal preferences, authorship patterns, and thematic orientations in the region. Findings indicate a predominant reliance on journal articles (59.84%), emphasizing a preference for up-to-date, peer-reviewed research. The data reflects a strong international influence, with most citations from high-impact global journals. Additionally, the study reveals strong collaboration patterns, predominantly multi-authored works that support interdisciplinary research. Key themes identified include ‘climate change’, ‘biodiversity’, and ‘water resource management’, emphasizing their importance to the regional research agenda. Although limited to secondary citation data, this study provides critical insights for academics, policymakers, and practitioners, emphasizing the need for sustained interdisciplinary research and international collaboration to enhance sustainable environmental management in the Western Himalayan Region.

Scientific Productivity on ChatGPT: A Bibliometric Analysis

Sontu Nandi, Dipanjali Chakraborty, Amit Kumar Das, Sabita Mandal — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Introduction: The discipline of Natural Language Processing (NLP) has experienced unprecedented advancements in recent years. Among these, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has emerged as a frontrunner, captivating students, researchers, and enthusiasts alike. As ChatGPT advances further, a need has arisen to judge, assess, and understand the pattern and trajectory of scholarly contributions in the form of a ‘Bibliometric Method’.

Motive: This article takes a bibliometric approach on 2302 scholarly publications related to ChatGPT from its inceptions year to 2023. It performed author productivity, citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence, and productivity of journals and authors. It also performed various collaborative measures as well as Lotka’s law of scientific productivity.

Methodology: Quantitative bibliometric analysis was chosen as the methodology for this research. Scopus was picked out to be the database to collect data. 2302 documents fulfilled the search query and thus, were chosen as the dataset for this research. Data refining and all the related works were performed in MS Excel and. Vos-viewer and biblioshiny ware used to visualize the data.

Findings: after the analysis, it was found that most of the documents written over ChatGPT were articles, authors preferred collaboration over individual works, keywords i.e., artificial intelligence, large language models and ChatBot co-occur distinctively with ChatGPT, USA is the top productive country whereas Journal of Biomedical Engineering published most work over ChatGPT. It was also observed that the collaborative pattern of authors does fulfil ‘Lotka’s law of scientific productivity’.

Originality: As ChatGPT is comparatively a recently emerging concept, not a lot of bibliometric research has been performed on it. Thus, this research is one of the pioneers in ChatGPT-related bibliometric analysis and wishes to pave the way for future research.

Empowering Librarians with Data: A Comparative Analysis of Data Warehousing Tools

Subham Das, Swapan Khan — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0530

In the face of exponential data growth, libraries grapple with effectively managing and extracting knowledge from massive datasets. Data warehousing technologies have emerged as indispensable tools to address this challenge. This research investigates the significance of data warehousing within the library domain, focusing on its capacity to streamline data management and analysis processes. A comparative assessment of ten prominent data warehousing platforms is conducted, including Teradata Vantage, OCLC WorldShare Analytics, Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, IBM Db2 Warehouse, Alma, Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse, SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics, and Google BigQuery. This evaluation scrutinizes crucial aspects such as architectural design, user-friendliness, applicability within library contexts, security mechanisms, distinctive features, and, crucially, cost-effectiveness. Particular emphasis is placed on identifying solutions that harmonize functionality with the budgetary realities of library operations. The study elucidates the strengths and shortcomings of each platform, providing actionable guidance for libraries to select the most suitable data warehousing solution based on their unique operational requirements and financial limitations. This research underscores the imperative of adopting a suitable data warehousing tool to augment data management and analytical capabilities within libraries, thereby facilitating informed decision-making and enhancing service delivery.

Mapping Knowledge Diffusion: A Network Analysis

Swapan Paul, BIDYARTHI DUTTA — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0530

This diffusion of knowledge through co-authorship, organizational collaboration and country collaboration networks from 2004 to 2023 has been studied in this paper. Utilizing a dataset of 1,349 documents from 830 sources, the research investigates the structure and dynamics of knowledge dissemination. Key metrics such as total link strength, citation counts, and co-authorship patterns are used to identify influential authors, organizations and countries. Thematic focus and trends are explored through author and index keyword analyses, while citation relationships among various entities are examined to map the intellectual structure and collaborative interactions within the field. The results highlight significant contributors like Yi Bu, Ying Ding and Wei Lu in the co-authorship network, with the United States, the United Kingdom, and China leading in international collaborations. The study also identifies prevalent themes such as knowledge diffusion and innovation and emphasizes influential sources like Scientometrics and Journal of Informetrics. Through bibliographic coupling and co-citation analysis, the research uncovers emerging areas and potential interdisciplinary intersections, enhancing the understanding of global knowledge flow. This comprehensive network analysis highlights the crucial role of knowledge diffusion efforts in fostering research, education and informed decision-making within society.

Designing a Free Open-Source Software based Digital Library for Medical Imaging

Hirak Jyoti Hazarika — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0530

This study explores the integration of the DICOM standard into DSpace, an open-source repository system, to develop a medical image repository that supports the storage, query, and retrieval of DICOM objects. The research identifies the need for a system that can handle specialized medical imaging files (dcm) and provides a solution by extending DSpace's capabilities to recognize and manage these files, ensuring access to medical professionals and radiologists. The study also addresses the customization of metadata elements to conform with DICOM standards, enhancing the quality and consistency of image appearance and facilitating the search and retrieval of medical images through developed metadata patches.

Human Resource Management in the Central University Libraries: A Study on Northeast India

Lallawmawmi, Lalduhzuali, Lalngaizuali, Dr. F. Chanchinmawia Fanai — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0530

This research explores Central University libraries' human resource management practices in Northeast India and their library employees' concerns, pay, well-being, job satisfaction, and other significant topics. For this study, questionnaire methods were used among the 221 library staff of the ten Central Universities of Northeast India, of which 162 (73.30%) responded to the questionnaire. Based on the study, university library staff members are content with their present positions and believe that additional training seminars and other opportunities are necessary to improve their knowledge and skills and that of the library. This study is purely an original work with the expectation that the findings and results will assist library professionals in carrying out their jobs more efficiently and serve as instruments for getting ready for more tasks. In addition, it will also help researchers and academia.

Narrowing the Digital Gap: Factors affecting E-Book Adoption in Delhi's Higher Education Institutions

Manpreet Singh, Shiv Kumar — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0530

This study aimed to explore the complex landscape of e-book adoption in higher education institutions located in Delhi, India. The research investigated a range of critical factors that influenced the integration and utilization of e-books within these institutions. Key factors identified in this study include technical and accessibility issues, user experience and usability concerns, as well as awareness and cultural factors. In order to collect data for this study, the survey method was employed, utilizing structured questionnaires. The data collection process was supplemented by interviews and observations where necessary. A total of 937 respondents (238 undergraduates, 456 postgraduates and 243 research scholars) filled and returned the questionnaire). The study findings revealed that a considerable portion of the respondents from all categories faced network difficulties when accessing e-books. Notably, research scholars frequently mentioned the lack of relevant titles, eye strain, and limited computer experience as major obstacles in their adoption of e-books. Additionally, the study highlighted cultural resistance and financial barriers as significant factors impeding the acceptance of e-books. Nearly half of the respondents from all categories (UG,PG and RS) expressed concerns over digital rights management (DRM) restrictions, which hindered their willingness to adopt e-books. Furthermore, issues such as the unavailability of e-readers and complex subscription processes also contributed to a negative user experience. Strategies focusing on increasing relevant content, improving device compatibility, and providing instructional support could significantly influence e-book adoption across various academic levels. By understanding these factors, institutions can work towards addressing the barriers and improving the integration and utilization of e-books in education.

Exploring Open Access Trends in State Agricultural Universities of India: Insights from OpenAlex

Abhijit Roy, Akhandanand Shukla, Aditya Tripathi — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0530

The study examines the Open Access (OA) landscape of Indian state agricultural universities, focusing on OA growth, leading institutions, prolific authors, preferred sources, funding, article processing charge (APC) usage, and trending topics. It aims to identify research gaps, guide future studies, and support policymakers in developing effective OA policies. The research utilized the OpenAlex database to collect global OA publications from Indian state agricultural universities over the past ten years (2014-2023). Using the Research Organization Registry ID (ROR ID), 97,536 publications were extracted. Data analysis was performed with OpenRefine, and ArcGIS 10.8 was used for visualization. The global OA research output from state agricultural universities amounted to 65,889 publications across five OA categories. Notably, 78.34% of OA publications were published in 864 domestic journals. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University produced the most publications in Gold OA, followed by Diamond OA, Hybrid OA, and Bronze OA, while Punjab Agricultural University excelled in Green OA and received the highest funding, incurring the most APCs. Collaborative research focusing on agricultural policies, rice water management, soil fertility, and crop productivity had a greater impact. This study is the first effort to evaluate the global OA research output of Indian state agricultural universities. The findings offer institutions, state governments, and funding agencies the opportunity to prioritize open-access publishing to promote sustainable agricultural research.