Information Seeking Behavior and Challenges in Digital Libraries

Contributors in information science, library science, education, information resources management, and knowledge management examine different types of information seeking behavior in digital libraries, looking especially at barriers to information seeking behavior and how to overcome them. Of special interest are case studies from various contexts in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and Ethiopia. Some topics broached include copyright issues and the digital library, information seeking behavior on the Web, information seeking behavior of trade unionists, information seeking behavior of farmers in Nigeria, and the role of social networking for information seeking in a digital library environment. The book will be of interest to professionals and researchers in library and information science, knowledge management, and information technology, especially those specializing in digitization, automation of libraries, and electronic/digital resources.

This title offers international perspectives on digital library issues including information seeking and retrieval, usability, copyright, and other legal issues. Its 15 chapters give insight on the challenges in countries where limited infrastructure and other socio-economic issues present barriers to Internet and digital library access. Though aimed at practitioners and researchers within the information professions, especially those in the electronic resources area, each chapter has supplementary information that would assist those unfamiliar with the topics.
The front matter states the content of the chapters numerous times, becoming redundant. A table of contents is followed by a detailed table of contents featuring chapter abstracts. Following in the preface are shorter chapter summaries, then an “organization of the book” which restates the abstracts from the detailed table of contents. Individual chapters contain an abstract, a reference list, and key terms and definitions. Some also contain recommendations for further reading. A full compilation of references and an index are included. [...].
This title is unique in providing a larger scope for digital libraries in other countries. It may be of interest to those who study information seeking behaviors in the specific countries and cultures explored here. [...].

The reference book addresses the challenges that users have when seeking information through digital libraries. The barriers and relations between the human computer interactions and seeking information, different information types, bibliometric studies and varying digital database types are discussed. This reference book includes fifteen chapters by major themes including information seeking behaviors, copyright issues, demographics of information seekers and indexing and abstracting. Chapters are predominantly written by and from African perspectives in Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia with the exception of Malaysia and Portugal. Highly recommended for library and information professionals in academia, practitioners and educators. The target audience for this book is clearly for academic librarians, information science and library students, and library and information science educators around the world who would like to understand the issues relating to information seeking in digital libraries around the world.