Ghana Library Journal

Editorial

2024-07-28T15:09:14+00:00

No abstract

Influence of technological trends in the automobile industry on the information seeking behaviour of mechanics in Ghana

2024-07-28T15:12:47+00:00

The purpose of the study was to determine how information and communications technologies influence the information seeking behaviour of artisans in the automobile industry in Ghana. Questionnaires made up of open- and closed-ended questions were used to collect data from 206 artisans in the automobile industry from the Ga North, Ga East as well as the Madina municipalities within the Greater Accra Region, Ghana, which have high population of mechanics. The low educational background of most mechanics in the information seeking and application of information to problem solving, affected their operations. Most mechanics had on the-job-training instead of formal training, which informed their poor ICT skills relevant in their field of work. The high cost of relevant technology tools also demotivated most mechanics from acquiring them for their work. The use of ICT tools plays a major role in the activities of artisans in the current state of the automobile industry worldwide, and there is the need for governments to collaborate ith some state agencies and non-governmental organizations in ensuring that these artisans are given the needed support in ICT training to make them more relevant in the discharge of their duties.

Faculty members perceptions of open access publishing in Ghana

2024-07-28T15:30:34+00:00

This study sought to determine the rate of acceptance and use of open access scholarly resources by faculty members in Ghana. The study population was 443 faculty members. Using a survey design, a questionnaire was employed as the data collection instrument. Data collected were analyses using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS v20) and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Key findings were that although the faculty members showed positive attitudes towards open access publishing and had intentions to publish in open access journals and use open access content, they perceived that open access journals increase predatory journal publication, have poor impact factors, with murky peer review process. Recommendations based on study findings were thus directed towards the development of policies that promote open access publication, equipping libraries within the institutions with IT resources to develop and sustain open access journals, and increasing education on OAJs among others.

Strategies and best practices of knowledge management in Academic Libraries in Nigeria

2024-07-28T15:41:36+00:00

Knowledge has become a crucial resource in our society. Managing knowledge (KM) helps information professionals in improving services rendered to library users. The digital era has revolutionised the landscape of KM in academic libraries, presenting new opportunities and challenges for information professionals. Academic libraries face the complex task of formulating effective strategies and implementing best practices for knowledge management. To actively participate in KM activities, certain competencies and skills are required by library personnel. Thus, this study explores knowledge management practices in academic libraries in Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consists of 114 library professionals working in the eight (8) academic libraries in Nigeria. The sampling technique adopted for this study was random selection and the main research instrument was a structured questionnaire. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed the main purposes of implementing KM in academic libraries are improving library services, managing information explosions, and meeting information needs of users. The highest rated areas of KM include digital and online services, reference services and technical services while strategies of KM included providing and using available ICT facilities, training in ICT and KM, and developing a knowledge sharing culture. The benefits of KM include gaining new skills, eradicating duplication of work, and providing new jobs and roles to library professionals. The study recommends that library management needs to make adequate provision for staff training and technological infrastructure to facilitate knowledge management and improve library services.

Exploring the effect of Covid-19 on usage of virtual library services at the University for Development Studies Library

2024-07-28T15:52:38+00:00

Providing access to resources for teaching, learning and research is core to services rendered by libraries and librarians. The advent of the novel Coronavirus onto the global landscape has had major implications for libraries. This study was carried out to explore the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the usage of virtual services and platforms at the University for Development Studies (UDS) Library. The study adopted a quantitative method by conducting a comparative analysis of patrons’ usage of virtual library services prior to and during Covid-19. The usage statistics from the UDS library’s various virtual service delivery platforms constituted the data for this study. The findings revealed significant increases in usage of the virtual library’s services across the selected platforms and usage patterns, which provides statistical data on changes in usage of virtual platforms for library service delivery to enhance planning. The way forward is to intensify trainings to ensure that users have access to these platforms and services while addressing limitations that interrupt service provision.

Information repackaging: Investigating translation strategies of Nollywood movie titles in Kiswahili

2024-07-29T05:05:37+00:00

Many Nollywod movies have found their way into the Kiswahili film industry. To own the movies and make them easily absorbed into the local movie markets in Kiswahili-speaking communities, the movies usually require one of two translation strategies: voiceover /dubbing or subtitling. This study seeks to investigate the various translation strategies used in translating Nollywood movie titles into Kiswahili for the purposes of information repackaging. For this study, fifty (50) Nollywood movie titles translated into Kiswahili were analyzed through a purposive sampling method where each title was reviewed. The films collected from 2019-2021 were purposely sampled with dubbing or voiceovers as the central premise for their selection. The equivalence theory propounded by Nida (1964) was used to guide this study, positing that there is ordinarily no full equivalence between code units or two languages. To this end, titling as an art of translation is expected to render the messages of a source text with minimal variations. Juxtaposing the Nollywood movie titles to those of their Kiswahili equivalents, the research found that translation ellipses, translation transference- borrowing, codeswitching, literal translations, insertion and paraphrasing were the most commonly used strategies for the titles. This could be attributed to the variations between Kiswahili and English, as well as the fact that movie titling (as far as this study is concerned) does not have any strict rules regarding word limit. Furthermore, the new titles were found to be more straightforward and catchy and depict the storyline of the movie. It is also evident from the study that the translators lacked the requisite skills for effective translation. The study argues that the connection between translation strategies of Nollywood movie titles and their adaptation in Kiswahili is for the purposes of information repackaging.