Academic libraries – To Archeio https://toarcheio.org To Archeio project site Mon, 20 Apr 2020 15:01:49 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.1 Job analysis of academic librarians in Greece: Investigating differences among institutions regarding obligations and responsibilities https://toarcheio.org/items/job-analysis-of-academic-librarians-in-greece-investigating-differences-among-institutions-regarding-obligations-and-responsibilities/ Tue, 16 Apr 2019 22:25:43 +0000 http://arc.local/items/job-analysis-of-academic-librarians-in-greece-investigating-differences-among-institutions-regarding-obligations-and-responsibilities/ Continued]]> Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to identify the obligations and responsibilities of librarians, working in Greek academic libraries and to investigate whether there are significant differences among various institutions.

Design/methodology/approach
– The survey was based on a questionnaire containing 161 duties performed by academic librarians, classified into five main categories which are: general management, collection management, materials organization, user service and system management. The respondents were 31 managers at Greek academic libraries, who were asked to assess their duties according to importance, difficulty and frequency, and whether such tasks were deemed professional, para-professional or non-professional. A two-way ANOVA was applied to determine whether performed duties significantly differed according to institution size and/or type.

Findings
– The results revealed no significant differences regarding importance of duties while many differences were detected across all main categories regarding difficulty. Differences were also recorded concerning the frequency of duties for some of the subcategories under general and collection management, materials organization and the subcategory cultural events and programs. Finally, professional duties represented 86 percent of total duties, indicating the necessity of professional librarians for the effective management of their responsibilities.

Originality/value
– These findings, which are first recorded in Greece and refer to academic librarians’ duties, will be particularly useful for decision makers to reach the right decisions regarding the implementation of human resource practices, taking into account the individuality of the institutions under consideration. Also these outcomes can be viewed as a valuable guide for adapting the indicated decisions under the rapidly introduced technological changes and properly tackling problems stemming from the economic recession.

]]> Responding to crises with alliances: Evidence from an academic library survey in greece https://toarcheio.org/items/responding-to-crises-with-alliances-evidence-from-an-academic-library-survey-in-greece/ Tue, 16 Apr 2019 22:25:19 +0000 http://arc.local/items/responding-to-crises-with-alliances-evidence-from-an-academic-library-survey-in-greece/ Continued]]> The global recession which began in 2008 affected the entire world including the European economy, with some countries being influenced more than others. At the end of 2012 the Greek economy was encountering a fourth consecutive year of deep recession while pressures to cut expenses in all sectors were still growing and making headline news. Academic libraries, which are dependent upon state funding, were experiencing the consequences of constant and deep budget cutbacks during that period. After a review the literature on the impact of the economic crisis on academic libraries in Greece, as well as at the international level, this chapter describes the results of a survey of Greek higher education academic libraries about the consequences of the devastatingly harsh economic environment in which they currently, and probably will continue to, exist. A survey was conducted online with 25 out of the 37 academic library directors in Greece. After analyzing the survey results, the authors describe strategies to sustain services and resources and propose strategies to adjust to a new fiscal reality. These strategies include synergies and alliances that academic libraries can achieve with various agencies within their educational institutions and/or externally. While the results are limited to a small number of academic libraries in one European country, all types of libraries can utilize the strategies outlined in this chapter.

]]> Marketing applications in Greek academic library services https://toarcheio.org/items/marketing-applications-in-greek-academic-library-services/ Tue, 16 Apr 2019 22:25:17 +0000 http://arc.local/items/marketing-applications-in-greek-academic-library-services/ This paper aims to describe marketing methods, techniques and activities used in Greek academic libraries and their staff perceptions regarding the importance of marketing applications. In addition, it identifies factors which hinder the uptake of marketing, and investigates the evaluation methods used.

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