Trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries 2010-2016

Abstract

Purpose Observing trends and issues plays a key role in the success of any industry. Since 2010, the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) has been publishing papers on top trends and issues in academic libraries in the USA, allowing for reflection, tracking, lesson drawing, adaptation, planning and direction. Such a publication is absent in the Jamaican library industry. This paper aims to examine the extent to which these trends and issues, as reported by ACRL, are evident in Jamaican academic librarianship. Design/methodology/approach Through document and thematic analysis of publications written on Jamaican academic librarianship 2010-2016, this paper highlights trends and issues in Jamaican academic librarianship. Findings There are similarities in the trends and issues in Jamaican academic librarianship and American academic librarianship; the similarities sometimes vary, however, in focus. Additionally, there are trends and issues in Jamaican academic librarianship not mentioned in the literature reviewed on American academic librarianship and vice versa. Research limitations/implications A survey of the chief librarians’ perceptions regarding the trends and issues would be a useful follow-up. Practical implications This paper allows for reflection, comparison, benchmarking, lesson-drawing, planning and direction for academic libraries and other types of libraries in Jamaica and the rest of the developing world. Social implications The gaps highlighted, particularly those with the most potential, can be discussed with the objective of exploring how these can be translated into new or revised services for the community of users. Originality/value This paper is of value, as there is no publication with an explicit focus on trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries; this paper will be the first publication on trends and issues in Jamaican academic librarianship. In this regard, this paper makes an important contribution to the literature on academic librarianship generally, and to the literature on Caribbean and Jamaican academic librarianship, specifically.

SWOT analysis of Jamaican academic libraries in higher education

“…There is an abundance of literature on the future of academic libraries and on trends and issues in academic libraries. Except for Harris’ (2016, 2017) papers on trends and issues in Jamaican academic librarianship, these reports are largely US or UK based. Additionally, the reports which purport to present a global picture of all libraries worldwide, for example, IFLA’s (2016, 2013) trends report lack an English-speaking Caribbean perspective: the Latin American library condition is not automatically synonymous with the library conditions in the English-speaking Caribbean; further, although English-speaking Caribbean countries are developing countries, their library situation should matter and be proportionately included in the reports.…”

2016 top trends and issues in Jamaican academic libraries

“…In this regard, although there are many publications on trends and issues in academic librarianship, only the works of Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) (2012), Hurst (2013), Gwyer (2015) and the ACRL Committee (2016, 2014, 2012, 2010) were selected because of the specific regional focus (UK and US regions) and because of the explicit expressed emphasis on general trends and issues in academic librarianship rather than on a single trend or issue, such as technology or networks or collection development. Additionally, given that this study is a follow-up to Harris’ (2016) work, it follows that Harris’ (2016) paper was also included.…”

“…Regardless of geography and finances, libraries in the developing world must keep a global perspective; they must analyse the trends and issues locally and globally to effectively design the services they offer to stakeholders. A scan of the literature on academic librarianship in Jamaica reveals only one paper directly dedicated to trends and issues, and this is Harris’ (2016) paper which is based on the results of a document and thematic analysis of publications written from 2010 to 2016.…”

“…This paper builds on Harris’ (2016) paper by also using the Association of College & Research Libraries’ (ACRL) research findings on trends and issues in academic librarianship in the USA, with a view to examining the extent to which these ACRL findings are replicated in academic librarianship at the university level in Jamaica and from the perspective of the chief librarians in these institutions, who are also referred to as the campus librarian, or the director of library and media services or the university librarian; these terms are used interchangeable in this paper.…”

An integrative review of Web 3.0 in academic libraries

“…Web based services are profoundly changing academic librarianship that necessitates understanding these conceptual changes and incorporating them into LIS teaching (Garoufallou and Charitopoulou, 2012;Harris, 2016). There is a need to revamp the LIS education incorporating of more of practice-based education for capacity building of a dedicated workforce trained for the changing times with an innovative curriculum (Foo and Ng, 2008).…”