Information services and staff-users communication in academic librariesLearning the voice of employees serving visual impaired users in Santiago de Compostela and Cairo Universities "a descriptive study"

  1. Abu Tayeh, Noor
Dirixida por:
  1. Berta García Orosa Director

Universidade de defensa: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Fecha de defensa: 02 de febreiro de 2018

Tribunal:
  1. Xosé López García Presidente
  2. Daniel Martí Pellón Secretario/a
  3. Pastora Moreno Espinosa Vogal
Departamento:
  1. Departamento de Ciencias da Comunicación

Tipo: Tese

Teseo: 514119 DIALNET

Resumo

This research addressed to discover staff members’ views towards the status of library staff-user communication and information services provided to visual impairment in two academic libraries, Santiago de Compostela and Cairo universities libraries in order to provide academic libraries leaders and administrators with a better understanding of visually impaired students’ demands. In more details, the study attempts to achieve the following objectives: a) to focus light on the presence of information resources formats designed for visually impaired in both University of Cairo and University of Santiago de Compostela libraries, b) to determine the availability of Assistive Technology techniques, c) to discover the status of communication and interactivity among librarians and visually impaired, d) to determine the status of information services and facilities presented to visually impaired, and e) to discover the status of librarians’ use of social applications in the process of delivering information services for visually impaired in academic libraries. The study reflects the characteristics of qualitative- quantitative research described by Dey Invalid source specified., Goodwin Invalid source specified., Patton Invalid source specified. and Creswell Invalid source specified.. In the current study the Sequential Explanatory strategy is adapted, which is characterized by gathering and analyzing the quantitative data followed by process of collecting and analyzing of qualitative data. Data collection procedures included the distribution of the benchmark questionnaire, derived from SERVQUAL model, and the use of interviews method utilizing Snowball technique. The researcher concluded that the information services are not widespread in both university campuses. They are provided in a certain section. Accessibility to website and online catalogue needs to be improved to give disabled persons equal chance like their peers non-disabled in order to obtain the information they need. Moreover, it is noticed that inadequacy of information resources and technology techniques is a critical challenge that face both libraries employees and college students visually impaired. This problem could be solved through coordination with the university management and other organizations outside the university in order to enhance the quality of information services presented to disabled patrons of libraries. Marketing research and sessions should be activated in addition to take social applications into consideration as tools of communication and services/products marketing. Furthermore, the service firm must orient and motivate userscontact employees to provide user satisfaction.