If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -Second career librarians have emerged from many professions over the years. They have made significant contributions to librarianship as they transfer their years of expertise, knowledge and skills from their former careers into the field. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors which motivate teachers to leave the teaching profession and make the entrance into librarianship. The findings will be used to justify whether the switch is just a means of acquiring advance education or is a conscious desire to change their career. This research will discover common themes in their experiences and perceptions and draw reasonable conclusions about them. Design/methodology/approach -The paper is a qualitative analysis of data gleaned from in-depth interviews with teachers who completed the Master in Library and Information Studies degree between 1996 and 2008 at the Department of Library and Information Studies, University of the West Indies in Jamaica. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and responses were recorded to facilitate transcription in an effort to detect similar themes in their experiences. Findings -Findings of this research substantiate existing empirical evidence which highlights better opportunities as a major career motivation for second career librarians. Originality/value -The paper builds on the literature in second career librarians and offers essential information which should impact library education and library administrators' recruitment policies. The findings of this research are therefore expected to be of value to educators and practitioners in the field of library and information science.

Leadership played a critical role during the COVID-19 crisis. During the first ten months of the crisis, the library leadership at the Norman Girvan Documentation Centre at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, had to make some serious decisions that impacted all stakeholders. This article outlines some of the key library leadership lessons drawn from the experiences of the library leader that other librarians can reflect on, especially as another wave of the virus looms in the near distance.

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to focus on training in support of leadership development at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, main and branch libraries. Design/methodology/approach -The paper is based on an interview with a campus librarian and desk research. Findings -Like any other institution in the world, the Mona Library has challenges. Shirking budgetary allocations, recruiting, and retaining competent staff and providing efficient service for its ever demanding clientele, it must find creative ways to face and solve these challenges. Originality/value -The paper discusses training strategies of a university library.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to ascertain from literature, ways in which information technology is being utilized in the provision of user services in academic libraries in developed and developing countries; explore the implications of the under-utilization of information technology in offering user services to patrons in academic libraries in the English-speaking Caribbean; and offer suggestions regarding the acquisition of information technology to enhance user services in academic libraries in the English-speaking Caribbean. With the advent of new technology, user services in information-centered institutions must adapt and make changes in the way information is presented and accessed. Design/methodology/approach The authors have undertaken a review of literature from available scholarly papers to discover the expectations of modern library users, and how inventive academic libraries have to become to create a paradigm shift from the “antiquated” to “modern” user services to meet client expectations and to stay relevant in the information age. Findings The reviewed literature highlighted the various ways in which academic libraries, particularly those in developed countries, are employing information technology in their service offerings. The literature highlights the necessity for Academic Libraries in the English-speaking Caribbean to also utilize information technology for optimum user service if they are to attain international standard. Originality value This is one of the first attempts at examining and documenting the need for changes in user services in the English-speaking Caribbean. While the literature is replete with information on ways in which academic libraries are using information technology to serve their patrons, this paper offers a synopsis of the developments in this regard.