Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Ahead of Print.
The digital age presents greater challenges to information literacy. However, the level of information literacy in different regions and populations is still controversial, especially for students in college or university. To investigate the information literacy level of college students in Guangzhou area of Guangdong Province, China, and provide a basis for guiding students to improve information literacy. A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted from February to May 2023. The information literacy questionnaire was used to evaluate student’s information literacy, which included basic information and information literacy scale. Statistical description, non-parametric testing, and multiple linear regression were used for data analysis. A total of 1700 participants, 57.6% of the students had medium information literacy, and average score of information literacy was 226.84 ± 39.83. The number of students using laptops and mobile phones reached 83.8 and 86.5%, respectively. 45.7% of the students had their first contact with mobile phones in junior high school, 49.9% in primary school, but their information literacy is not ideal. The lowest score was 3.74 for information management and communication, followed by 3.75 for information retrieval and acquisition. The results of regression analysis demonstrated that grade, place of high school study, information literacy course, the time of first contact with mobile phones and the type of using electronic information equipment affected students' information literacy (p < 0.05). The information literacy of students in higher vocational colleges is in the middle level. Although the use of electronic information equipment is popular, the overall level of information literacy still needs to be strengthened, especially for attach importance to information retrieval and acquisition, management and communication literacy. Students’ systematic learning process requires colleges to provide systematic and professional information literacy curriculum teaching.

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Ahead of Print.
The growing role of conversational AI Chatbots continues to change the library and information service landscape. Chatbots are replacing some of the library services that humans conventionally perform. In the era of instant evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), the role of Chatbots in libraries keeps expanding and acquiring more experience. This paper aims to examine the extant research on library Chatbots using an integrative literature review (ILR) approach. Empirical and non-empirical papers from the Scopus database to ascertain what is already known about the topic. Forty papers (articles and conference papers) were scrutinized for further analysis. The leading emergent themes in the literature were (1) The evolution of Chatbots technology in libraries, (2) Antecedents for Chatbot use in libraries, (3) User experience with Chatbot use in libraries, (4) Chatbot use in libraries amidst COVID-19, and (5) Challenges facing Chatbot use in libraries. Research on Chatbots in library services is still embryonic and has only begun to flourish. Nevertheless, there is still a significant research gap despite its surging curve. The findings of this integrative review contribute to the body of knowledge on the nexus between artificial intelligence and library operations. It also furnishes academics and practitioners with six potential directions for future research opportunities.

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Ahead of Print.
The paper presents scientifically grounded principles of formation and algorithms of a global bibliographic retrieval system based on modern intelligent technologies (intelligent linguistic analysis of texts and database management) and Internet search methods. Within the framework of theoretical bibliography, for the first time taking into account the specifics of modern intelligent software, a new algorithm of an integrated automated system for global bibliographic retrieval as well as search for specialized publications to publish research papers was developed. The developed methods include the formation of a normalized database of keywords based on the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) categories and the automatic assignment of keywords from this normalized database to research papers by an intelligent system for linguistic analysis of texts. The proposed use of keywords as data labels in the form of UDC categories, covering all branches of knowledge, makes it possible to precisely label and describe research papers and scientific publications (journals, proceedings of scientific conferences) to the fullest extent possible. The search for research papers by the proposed bibliographic retrieval system as well as the search for specialized publications to publish those research papers is carried out automatically by normalized keywords assigned to research papers and scientific journals based on intelligent linguistic analysis of the content of those research papers. The study makes a social contribution and shows how it is important to create and utilize best practices, processes and strategies of bibliographic retrieval, which are essential in the development of science in modern society. Besides, in social terms, the search for bibliographic information is one of the methods to solve the problem of finding a relation between personal and public knowledge. The implementation of the study results in accordance with the presented algorithms consists in designing a special global public Internet search resource.

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Ahead of Print.
Our study seeks to explore how official Chilean governmental normative documents envision school libraries within its Technical Vocational Education and Training system. This system has not been exempted from the discursive rhetoric that maintains that for today’s society being able to engage with information is indispensable. While the library has been argued to be a model space for developing such practices, this need not be the case. The role of the library and librarians is not fixed but rather runs within a continuum. Given that libraries’ roles are not fixed, exploring the underlying assumptions of documents that set out standards for libraries is important. Failing to question such assumptions can lead to problematic implementations where discrepancies between rhetoric and practice become common. Within the Chilean context, normative documents as well as teachers explicitly assign the school library responsibility for the development of practices to engage with information. Additionally, in Chile, the enactment of public policy concomitant to school libraries originated from the idea that they were fundamental for developing literacy and practices to purposefully engage with information. Methodologically, we have conducted a post-foundational discourse analysis. Two documents central to the detailing of school library standards underwent a synchronic heuristic discourse analysis as understood by relational-ontology. Findings indicate that the understandings of school libraries are closer to that of a passive annex, or resource, of a school and not as a site for instruction and learning. Our findings indicate that such an understanding slants toward an understanding of libraries mainly conceived in quantitative terms, ultimately leading to the potential thwarting of practices to engage with information.

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Ahead of Print.
Reference accuracy is defined as the completeness and correctness of citation components such as author names, article title, journal name, volume designation, and page numbers. A representation of reference accuracy is often expressed as an error rate which is the percentage of citations with at least one error within a reference list. The purpose of this study was to describe the reference accuracy of peer-reviewed, primary studies about reference accuracy. The articles selected were a total of 105 studies included in a previously published scoping review about reference accuracy. A total of 1,486 references were verified across included studies. The overall error rate was 21.2%. Author names and article titles were the most common error types. The reported 21.2% error rate is lower than the 32.7% error rate of general reference accuracy literature reported in the scoping review. It remains unclear why authors who conduct empirical studies about reference accuracy still struggle with the issue. It is possible that all scholars, including those who study reference accuracy, are simply not good at creating accurate citations. Or, perhaps there are systemic reasons for this phenomenon that are an interaction of many factors or beyond anyone’s control. Future research is warranted to further understand the underlying factors that contribute to reference inaccuracy and explore the potential solutions to address the issue.

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Ahead of Print.
Use of appropriate research methodology among authors is essential to produce high quality research. Practical operability or smooth implementation of research methodology and methods must be maintained because lapses in the implementation may hamper research and quality. Hurdles experienced by authors in the operability of research design may negatively impact the conclusions. Researchers need to be aware about the issues arising during the process of research and they must adopt certain steps to avoid such issues. The current study explored the hurdles, negative impacts and relevant measure to streamline the operability of research process. The current empirical research used qualitative design. Interview method was used for exploring author’s views. Pakistani LIS authors were selected for interview from those who have published more than one article during the period 2001 and 2016. Majority of the respondents experienced hurdles in the operability of selected research methodology. Few respondents faced problems because they selected inappropriate research method for the research problem, questions or phenomenon. Selection of irrelevant population and faulty sampling also create disturbances in the smooth execution of research process. Use of faulty data collection tool resulted in the collection of irrelevant, meaningless, neutral, or over rated data. Lack of access to data and its inventory nature and complexity of data analysis procedure also affected smooth operability. Hurdles created negative impact on the quality of research and compromised the accuracy, reliability and validity of results. Multiple strategies were proposed by authors to avoid such hurdles. The current study is an effort to help authors gain an understanding for better implementation and subsequently to make more informed decisions for selection of research methodology and methods.

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Ahead of Print.
The purpose of this study is to develop a model for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in libraries. This study seeks to fill the gap in the literature regarding empirical studies on the factors influencing the social responsibility of public and academic libraries in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A quantitative study was conducted to examine the intention to adopt CSR in UAE libraries using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling Path Model Assessment. The process included an assessment of the measurement model and an assessment of the structural model. An online survey was conducted using a questionnaire, and data were gathered from 237 valid responses to validate the structural model of this study. The relationships among the variables and the most influential factors were determined using Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis. The results support significant relationships between activities and events, outreach, professional ethics, employees’ relationship, health and safety, partnerships, user issues, and reporting and library corporate social responsibility (LCSR). The study found that the most important factors in LCSR are employees’ relationships and professional ethics. The proposed model can help libraries to apply social responsibility that fits the nature of libraries. The theoretical framework and methodology used in this study could be useful for researchers in the fields of CSR and library and information science.

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Volume 56, Issue 1, Page 286-287, March 2024.

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Ahead of Print.
Academic publishing plays a critical role in the dissemination of new knowledge and the advancement of scientific understanding, as it provides researchers with a means to share their findings and methods with scientific community, allowing new discoveries and innovations to be shared and used more widely, leading to further advancements and progress in various fields. In addition, by publishing their research, scholars establish their reputation and demonstrate their expertise to others in their field and, because of it, may be considered a key component of career advancement. The main objective of this research is to analyze the main recent contributions made by researchers in the field of academic production and communication. This study has been carried out using the Web of Science database, and applying bibliometric techniques, particularly Bibliometrics®, to analyze, in aggregate form, the 7417 documents analyzed, published in the period from 2012 to 2022. The results show the growing interest of researchers in this field of study, as well as the importance of certain authors, universities, and countries for their extensive contribution to the development of this area. We conclude that academic publishing plays a vital role in the advancement of scientific understanding and knowledge. It provides a means of accountability, helps to disseminate new discoveries, facilitates peer review, and supports career advancement, while also increasing the impact of research on the wider scientific community. Therefore, it is necessary to continue research efforts in this field of research.

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Ahead of Print.
Acculturation is a crucial concern that international students grapple with while pursuing their studies in a cross-cultural environment. This study utilizes photovoice, a visual field method, along with reflexive thematic analysis (reflexive TA), to explore the emotional connection between mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong and campus libraries. Additionally, it explores the role of the university campus library in their acculturation process. The study’s findings underscore the profound attachment that mainland Chinese students develop toward campus libraries, revealing the complex nature of their acculturation journey. By engaging in comparisons encompassing individuals, rules, experiences, imagination, and culture, these students have cultivated favorable perceptions of their library experience, employing it as a strategic approach for acculturation and integration. Notably, the library space affords students a sanctuary of privacy and autonomy, facilitating their immersive engagement within a personal realm, and concurrently assuaging any sentiments of isolation and unease encountered in communal settings. However, the emotional attachment that mainland Chinese students develop toward the library may exacerbate long-term academic stress and anxiety, negatively affecting their experience adapting to the local culture. This groundbreaking article examines the relationship between international students’ acculturation and place attachment, providing crucial theoretical insight into this important issue. Moreover, the research provides valuable guidance for university administrators to effectively aid international students in adapting to cross-cultural environments.