Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
- P-ISSN : 1225-598X
- E-ISSN : 2982-6292
- Publisher : Korean Society for Library and Information Science
27papers in this issue.
This study surveyed public library librarians on their perceptions and current use of new media platforms to explore future strategies for collection and preservation. The survey results indicated that while librarians highly value the preservation of new media content, they cited budget constraints and technical limitations as major challenges. In particular, they emphasized the need for clear collection criteria, resolution of copyright issues, and policy support. Additionally, the findings highlighted the necessity of education and support to enhance understanding and utilization of new technologies, such as immersive content and the metaverse. Based on these insights, public libraries should establish digital content collection and preservation policies, strengthen technical infrastructure, and increase professional capacity to improve their new media-based services.
This study aims to propose a plan for regional branches of the National Assembly Library to strengthen national knowledge capacity and promote balanced regional development. Through literature review, environmental analysis, and demand analysis, this study highlights the necessity of regional branches for several reasons. First, strengthening the national knowledge system is essential in preparation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the AI era. Second, regional branches are needed to address key social issues such as low birth rates, population decline, and regional extinction, contributing to sustainable development. Third, the creation and expansion of regional knowledge hubs are crucial for balanced regional growth. Fourth, the increasing demand for decentralizing national document storage highlights the need for regional branches, as demonstrated by advanced countries operating regional and preservation libraries. Fifth, decentralized preservation of analog and digital resources is vital for disaster preparedness. Sixth, balanced information services for supporting policy development by members of the National Assembly must be ensured. Lastly, enhancing the research library function is necessary to strengthen the legislative capacity of the National Assembly.
Despite the efforts of the academic community to solve predatory journals, the problem of predatory journals persists. In order to fundamentally solve the issue, collaboration and understanding between the various stakeholders involved in predatory journals is essential. The purpose of this study is to explore one of the key stakeholders in the predatory journals issue: Academic Librarians. To achieve this, interviews were conducted with five academic librarians who had experience regarding predatory journals. The narratives were analysed using Giorgi’s (1970) methods of phenomenological analysis and interpretive narrative analysis. The results show that the academic librarians’ experiences regarding predatory journals were organized into 11 categories of meaning structure. In-depth analyses show that the librarians’ perceived identity as subject specialists had a significant impact on the position of the predatory journal service. Librarians with a strong professional identity as subject specialists were more likely to provide predatory journal services based on greater responsibility and mission, and to adopt strategies for self-improvement. In contrast, those who felt confused about their identity as subject specialist were more likely to provide predatory journal services passively or to focus on pragmatic traditional library work. The findings of this study are significant in that they explore the issue of predatory journals in relation to the professional values of subject specialist librarians, which has important implications for future service design in libraries.
This study aims to analyze the contracts of major publishers’ open access (OA) transformative agreements by type, identifying the characteristics and key clauses of each type. The goal of this study is to enhance the understanding of OA transformative agreements in library practice and provide foundational data for developing standardized OA transformative agreement considering the current domestic context. To achieve this, the study selected five contracts representing the two main types of OA transformative agreements and analyzed them using subscription agreements as a comparative framework. The analysis revealed that subscription-based OA transformative agreements exhibit a high degree of similarity to traditional subscription agreements, with most clauses retaining the structure of existing subscription contracts while incorporating OA-related content. In contrast, publication fee-based OA transformative agreements tended to introduce new OA-related clauses instead of adding such content to existing subscription clauses, with notable differences observed between publishers. The study identified specific clauses in traditional subscription models that showed a tendency to have OA-related content added in transformative agreements. Additionally, four common clauses reflecting the characteristics of OA transformation were identified across both types of agreements.
This study designed and verified a research model to identify the influence of learning participation motivation, learning activity awareness, and learning satisfaction on learners participating in library and information science education through the credit bank system at university lifelong education institutions. To this end, a survey was conducted on library and information science majors at university lifelong education centers in the metropolitan area, and a valid sample of 215 copies was used in the study. The analysis results showed that learning participation motivation affected learning activity awareness, learning activity awareness affected learning satisfaction, and learning participation motivation affected learning satisfaction. These results show that it is necessary to provide a comprehensive function that can experience the learning ecology of library and information science majors. The significance of this study lies in the fact that it suggests the direction of the role of a catalyst as the main elements such as learners’ learning motivation and quality management of the process.
This study investigated the needs of young adults for dedicated youth spaces and services in public libraries. Specifically, it examined young adults’ requirements for these spaces and their preferences for the activities and services to be offered, providing insights for the design of youth-oriented spaces and services. Data were collected through a survey of 558 young adults in Busan Metropolitan City. The results indicate a strong demand for youth spaces in public libraries. In terms of spatial configuration, participants preferred rest areas, private study areas, meeting areas, and spaces for play, hobbies, and leisure activities. They also expressed a desire for multifunctional, flexible spaces that could accommodate relaxation, playing, and engaging in educational or experiential activities. Furthermore, the public library programs most preferred by the participants were support for youth clubs and meetings, career education, and information and media literacy education. Based on these findings, the study presents several implications for the development of youth spaces and services in public libraries.
The purpose of this study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the duties of public librarians by expanding and applying IPA analysis. A survey of librarians was conducted to achieve this research goal. The survey results were used to conduct a cross-analysis of the importance, profession, difficulty, labor intensity, and job weight of performed tasks. The analysis revealed that the tasks of “Library Materials Organization,” “Planning of Reading and Cultural Library Programs,” and “Library Operations Management” were perceived as having high importance, difficulty, profession, and labor intensity. “Library Services Marketing” and “Developing Library Collection Policies” were perceived as having low labor intensity but high importance, difficulty, and profession. These tasks require the librarians’ specialized knowledge and skills, highlighting their importance. On the other hand, tasks such as “Building Library Systems,” “Operating Library Systems,” “Managing Library Information Centers,” “Cooperation with Related Library Organizations,” “Electronic Information Management,” and “User Education” were identified as having low importance, difficulty, profession, and labor intensity. The results of this job analysis are expected to serve as a foundation for designing job roles, planning education, and training for librarians.
The purpose of this study was to develop key elements of picture book reviews for librarians to utilize in their library practice and services. To achieve this aim, first, elements presented in literature related to picture books and reviews were studied using constant comparative analysis. Second, the content analysis was conducted on domestic and foreign book reviews of Korean picture books in 8 different book review journals on children’s and picture books. Third, survey questionaires were carried by children’s librarians regarding the elements of picture book reviews. Fourth, the elements of picture book reviews were determined by expert evaluation using Delphi survey. And finally, those were divided into essential and recommended elements. The results of this study will help librarians to select and utilize the book reviews appropriately for library services such as book selection, readers advisory, and reading instruction.
This study aims to explore the impact of user-librarian communication on the perceived relational benefits of users and the subsequent influence of these benefits on the perception of librarians and libraries. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 users of public libraries, and an interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed. The findings revealed that the participants recognized confidence, social, informational, and functional benefits. However, depending on the nature of their relationships and communication with librarians, they were categorized into four groups, each exhibiting different understandings of perceived relational benefits and perceptions of librarians and libraries. The participants particularly appreciated the librarians’ specialties and value when informational benefits were recognized, and these benefits were most strongly perceived when the librarians’ role as information professionals was acknowledged. Consequently, it is suggested that librarians actively engage in open communication to promote their informational roles.
This study is to analyze and grasp apply the BIBFRAME Hub entity for LRM works’ collocations through literature analysis, Hub entity analysis, and interviews. Three approaches to applying the BIBFRAME Hub were examined. First is to use the BIBFRAME Hub as originally developed under understanding that bf:Hub is not equivalent to the LRM work because Hub should be utilized not only for LRM/RDA work collocation but also for collocating as subject and related work. Second, the institutions can develop their own BIBFRAME application profiles using their own name spaces to align with LRM entities. Third, new entities that correspond to LRM can be developed and applied in an integrated manner without replacing or modifying BIBFRAME ontology. As linked data construction increases, the focus on LRM works becomes more critical. It will be necessary to appropriately apply to use entities like the Hub, which are used for various focuses, or develop and utilize new entities that correspond to the LRM conceptual model.
This study is an action study to develop a remodeling plan for a public library, which was built in 1982 and is more than 40 years old. The purpose of this study is to examine the remodeling case of Library ‘A’, which was intended to predict social demand and role of public libraries, especially from the perspective of the local community. This study took a comprehensive and multifaceted approach as follows: ⑴ analyzing users’ demands for the library, ⑵ reviewing the space program according to the role of the library within the community, ⑶ investigating the best practices, and ⑷ analyzing the policies of the Metropolitan Office of Education. Data were obtained through surveys, interviews, literature review, and case analysis. The results of this study can be used as a basic data for setting the direction of a remodeling to respond to new social demands.
As various literacies beyond traditional information literacy are increasingly emphasized as future information competencies in the complex digital information environment, a more expansive and integrative approach to literacy education is becoming increasingly important. This study conducted a survey of academic librarians to investigate the current status and perceptions of academic library instruction, as well as their awareness of metaliteracy instruction at an exploratory level. The results showed that academic library instruction programs were primarily focused on library use instruction and orientation, while training in advanced technologies and research ethics was relatively insufficient. In terms of educational methods, lecture-based instruction accounted for the majority, whereas learner-centered approaches such as practical training, project-based learning, and discussion-based education were limited in implementation. Librarians highly valued the importance of metaliteracy instruction, emphasizing the need for customized programs that strengthen core competencies such as information evaluation, ethical use, and critical thinking, along with hybrid learning approaches suited to the digital environment. Furthermore, the necessity of diagnostic tools was highlighted, as they should be designed to systematically assess learners’ competencies, ensure reliability and validity, and provide actionable insights for improvement. This study suggests that academic libraries should expand their educational roles by offering instruction programs and metaliteracy instruction that meet modern demands, thereby supporting learners and researchers in developing practical information literacy skills. Through these efforts, academic libraries can transcend their traditional role as information providers to become pivotal educational institutions that actively support learning and research.
This study aims to examine the current status of research lifecycle-based research support services and librarians’ perceptions of these services. To achieve this, surveys and individual interviews were conducted with academic librarians. The findings revealed that most academic libraries tend to focus their services on the Research Planning and Research Publishing stages of the research lifecycle, while services related to the Research Execution and Research Preservation and Dissemination stages were less prioritized. Librarians’ understanding of the research lifecycle was found to be above average, with the Research Planning stage being recognized as the most critical. Additionally, librarians acknowledged the necessity of research support services based on the research lifecycle but highlighted challenges in implementation due to limited resources, such as budget and personnel. The results indicated that stable budget allocation, an increase in professional staff, capacity-building for librarians, and enhanced promotion of research support services are essential for the effective implementation of these services. These findings can serve as foundational knowledge for developing a systematic framework for research support services based on the research lifecycle in academic libraries.
This study systematically analyzes and categorizes the challenges found in deposited research data by focusing on the appraisal and selection phases of the data curation process. While the importance of data curation for enhancing the value of research data and promoting data reuse has been emphasized, there has been a lack of empirical research on repositories’ data curation practices. This study reviews international repositories’ guidelines to identify quality assessment types and criteria and applies them to analyze 166 long-term non-archived datasets from Korea Social Science Data Archive (KOSSDA). The analysis reveals five types of challenges: dataset completeness, data integrity, file format, data documentation, and legal/ethical issues. Dataset completeness and legal/ethical issues are the most frequent and difficult challenges to resolve independently. This study contributes to a better understanding of the repositories’ data curation process by analyzing the challenges identified during data appraisal and selection phases through concrete criteria.
This study focuses on developing a metadata schema for organizing contextual information of digital textbooks as learning resources, considering technological and educational environments. First, the research examines the national textbook operation systems and identifies the descriptive elements of digital textbooks in different countries. It also reviews the characteristics and functions of digital textbooks as defined by the Ministry of Education. Additionally, international metadata standards and schemas for learning resources, including ISO/IEC 19788-1:2024, OER Schema, and DCMI LRMI, are analyzed. The proposed digital textbook metadata schema is structured with vocabularies such as Thing, Curriculum, Classification Code, Resource, Assessment, Educational Activity, Educational Audience Role, Stakeholders, Attributes, and Resource Metadata. To define the relationships between vocabularies, 18 types of ‘relationships between vocabulary,’ excluding hierarchical relationships, are specified. In addition, this study confirms that the proposed vocabularies and relationship expressions effectively reflect the key concepts and functionalities of digital textbooks emphasized by the Ministry of Education.
This study discusses the role of data literacy in promoting social innovation. The contribution and specific methods of data literacy in promoting social equity and sustainability were explored, and data literacy was identified as an example of applying data literacy in various social contexts. Three research questions were presented and examined with the aim of proposing policy and educational strategies to bridging the data literacy gap. Data literacy is understandable as a tool that enables sustainable social innovation through the ability to understand, analyze, and use data ethically. Data literacy can support the improvement of effectiveness and transparency of public policies through data-based decision-making and can play an important role in various contexts. As the cultivation of data literacy capabilities has been raised importantly in sustainable social innovation, it is necessary for bridging the data literacy gap through a policy and educational approach and provide opportunities for data use to all citizens. To this end, this study proposed 11 comprehensive strategies, each of which will be a way to use as a starting point for solving data literacy.
As big data and artificial intelligence technologies continue to exert a profound influence across all sectors of society, the role of librarians with data expertise is gaining increasing attention in public libraries. This study aims to investigate public librarians’ perceptions of data specialization and propose a practical educational model to enhance their data-related competencies. A survey was conducted among public librarians to analyze their perceptions of the necessity of data expertise and their educational needs. Additionally, existing librarian education programs, were reviewed to redefine the competencies required for data specialist librarians. Based on these findings, an educational model was designed. The study identifies data literacy as a fundamental competency and categorizes data guidance and education, as well as data analysis and utilization, as core competencies. Based on these findings, a training model was developed, comprising foundational and advanced modules centered on data literacy and analytical skills.
The purpose of this study is to develop an English reading program centered on reading activities in a non-face-to-face environment reflecting the educational paradigm that has changed since COVID-19, and to verify the effects of applying it in the public library environment on elementary school students’ English proficiency and affective attitudes toward English reading. The effects on listening, reading, speaking, writing, and vocabulary skills as sub-factors of English proficiency were clarified, and the effects on interest, confidence, and efficacy in English reading as sub-factors of affective attitude were analyzed. For this study, a non-face-to-face English reading program centered on reading activities was implemented for 12 weeks for 3rd and 4th grade students who are just beginning elementary English education, forming an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group implemented a non-face-to-face English reading program that included reading English books and reading activities, while the control group implemented a non-face-to-face English reading program that included only reading English books. The research results confirmed that the non-face-to-face English reading program centered on reading activities was effective in improving elementary school students’ English proficiency, and that their affective attitudes toward English reading also changed positively.
Finding relevant research papers for citation has become increasingly challenging due to information overload, leading to growing interest in research paper recommendation systems. Over the past decade, deep learning methods have been employed to enhance the quality of paper recommendations. However, there has been a lack of systematic research on deep learning-based paper recommendation systems since 2020. This study conducts a systematic literature review of 47 deep learning-based research paper recommendation studies published between 2020 and 2023. The analysis examines data factors, data representation methods, methodologies, recommendation types, encountered challenges, and personalization aspects. Furthermore, it compares these studies with pre-2020 research by summarizing recommendation techniques, utilized datasets, deep learning methods, and key research topics by year. Based on this comparison, key insights are derived. Additionally, future research directions are suggested based on the analyzed research trends.
This study examines the types of research data and data repositories in STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields that demonstrate high levels of data sharing and citation. STEM fields were identified by aligning discipline codes from the National Science Foundation(NSF) with research areas listed in the Data Citation Index. The selected disciplines include astrophysics, biological sciences, chemistry, computing, earth sciences, engineering, mathematics, and technology, encompassing a total of eight fields. This study involved the collection and analysis of over 6.3 million STEM research data records. The findings indicate that various types of research data across STEM fields are cited; however, key data repositories differ by discipline. Notably, high levels of data sharing do not necessarily correspond with high data citation rates. The types of cited research data also vary across disciplines, with all cited data being quantitative—no qualitative data received citations. Despite the growing emphasis on open science, formal data citation remains uncommon in STEM fields. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of data-sharing and citation practices across more than 6.3 million STEM research data records worldwide.
This study analyzed the factors that influence when users want to use public library AI chatbot services continuously focusing on the five dimensions (reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy, and responsiveness) of service quality (SERVQUAL) along with anthropomorphism, which is a characteristic of AI chatbot from the perspective of Social Presence Theory in order to revitalize the use of AI chatbot services in public libraries. As a result, service quality that influences the intention to continuous using AI chatbot positively through the analysis of indirect effects was analyzed as reliability, tangibles, empathy, and responsiveness. As a result of conducting a total effect analysis to find out the magnitude of the impact of these factors, assurance was only significant in the direct effect, the biggest factor that had an influence on continuous use intention positively, and tangibles was the smallest impact factor. In addition, it was found that the human characteristic of AI chatbot service, which was anthropomorphism of AI chatbot, played a significant role that service quality promoted user's continuous use intention. Based on these analysis results, this study proposed improvements and implications for the continuous use of public library AI chatbot services, and this is meaning of the study.
This study aims to analyze major cases related to library intellectual freedom that have attracted social attention in Korea from 2000 to 2024 and to explore effective strategies for protecting intellectual freedom. For this purpose, a total of 396 articles dealing directly with library-related intellectual freedom cases were collected from 57 national and regional daily newspapers published between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2024, using keywords such as “library intellectual freedom.” The study applied TF-IDF analysis, N-gram analysis, and topic modeling to these articles. Results from TF-IDF analyses identified terms such as “banned books,” “harmful materials,” “removal,” “access restriction,” and “censorship,” indicating instances of intellectual freedom infringements. Additionally, terms such as “children,” “youth,” “sex education,” and “The Vegetarian” revealed that books on sex education for children and youth, as well as Han Kang's novel “The Vegetarian,” were frequent subjects of intellectual freedom discussions. Topic modeling identified six topics: “sex education books,” “internet,” “books by authors convicted of sex crimes,” “The Vegetarian,” “historical books,” and “Banned Books Week.” In light of these findings, the study recommends the development of effective measures to safeguard intellectual freedom, including the formulation of intellectual freedom policies by individual libraries and the establishment of programs categorized by generation and theme, led by the Korean Library Association.
University libraries are evolving into knowledge platforms that actively support research and learning, necessitating advanced expertise from librarians due to digital transformation and the expansion of data-driven research. This study examines the need for and proposes the implementation of a certification system for specialist librarians in university libraries. By analyzing certification systems in leading countries and similar cases in Korea, as well as conducting surveys with current librarians, the research explores the necessity and operational strategies for such a system. The findings suggest that a specialist librarian certification system should focus on completing structured training programs and verifying practical work experience, with re-certification required every five years. Continuous professional development is also essential for maintaining expertise. This study highlights the potential of a certification system to enhance librarian professionalism and improve library services. It provides strategic recommendations for designing an effective and systematic certification framework tailored to the needs of university libraries.
This study analyzes the subject headings of 492 English translations of Korean fictions and evaluates machine learning-based automatic classification models. Bibliographic data were collected from the Digital Library of Korean Literature and WorldCat. Subject heading frequencies and FAST facet distributions were visualized, and key labels were selected for multi-label classification. Among various models, deep learning models using summaries as features showed the highest performance (F1 = 0.62, AUC = 0.89), with AUC values above 0.8 for 9 out of 10 labels. Additionally, based on ROC curves and confusion matrices, the study identified labels with lower performance and explored the relationships between certain labels. This study demonstrates the potential of deep learning models for classifying subjects in translated Korean literature.
As the number of international students in Korean universities increases, there has been a rise in cases where academic under-performance leads to student dropouts. Consequently, providing support for international students facing academic difficulties has become a key concern for many universities. This study portrays the factors contributing to academic difficulties and life challenges faced by low-achieving international students and explores the potential role of university libraries in coping with these issues. Focusing on international students enrolled at A University who are struggling academically, the research examines their challenges in academic performance, information needs, current use of library services, and service needs. Based on these findings, the study aims to propose service strategies for university libraries to better serve international students.
This study explores the ethical values presented in library codes of ethics in Korea and abroad and analyzes public library directors’ perceptions of ethical dilemmas based on these values. By performing topic modeling on the codes of ethics from 44 countries registered with IFLA, the study identified the following key ethical values: librarians’ ethical values and morality, policy and opinion coordination, institutional and human resource management, role fulfillment of members, compliance with duties and regulations, organizational management, information disclosure, and copyright protection. In the subsequent focus group interviews with public library directors, participants reported experiencing ethical dilemmas in areas such as ensuring information accessibility, protecting privacy, maintaining political neutrality, and addressing issues of fairness in the introduction of paid information services.
This study conducted a survey of students from five colleges at University A to analyze college students’ AI usage patterns and perceptions, aiming to explore directions for AI literacy education in academic libraries. Students primarily used AI for writing assignments and reports, exam preparation, and creative idea generation, and while they found AI easy to use, they rated the need for separate AI training low. Although AI’s contribution to learning was positively evaluated, the reliability of AI-generated information was perceived as low. In terms of ethical aspects, students tended to underestimate AI’s impact on academic fairness, while psychologically, AI had a positive effect on reducing academic stress with relatively low anxiety levels. There were significant differences among colleges in AI technology acceptance, usage, and ethical-psychological attitudes - the College of Convergence Engineering actively embraced and utilized AI, while the College of Education showed more sensitivity to ethical issues. The need for AI literacy education in academic libraries was highly rated, with high demand for education in verifying information reliability and learning applications, suggesting the need to develop customized educational programs by college that incorporate these elements.