Symposia & Conferences
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Item The Impact of Natural Disasters on Library Resources and Services: with Special Reference to Galle Richard Pathirana, Matara Kumarathunga Munidasa and Tangalle Public Libraries(3rd International Conference on Library and Information Management, Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Chandrawansa, M.P.S.; De Silva, A.P.U.; Weerasooriya, W.A.Basically, public libraries that are situated in Sri Lanka mostly have been faced with lots of disasters that occurred in natural ways as well as manmade actions. This research was conducted, based on the research questions on how public libraries face any disasters and how they conserve and preserve their collections and do they have proper disaster management plan for their libraries, Throughout the research findings, it is crystal clear that any library does not have such kind of disaster plan, and lack of knowledge and weakness in management mainly caused the extinguishment of the libraries. This research has presented a proper disaster management plan based on the research resultsItem Study of Information Literacy Skills among Male Prison Inmates in Sri Lanka(3rd International Conference on Library and Information Management, Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Chandani, J.G.; Weerasooriya, W.A.The purpose of this study is to explore and explain the information literacy skills and information resources use by Sri Lankan prisoners. The study employed the survey research design. It recommended that prison administrators should be in collaboration with prison library officers and various organization bodies to introduce library hour, provide information resources and provide conducive environment in the prison to motivate information use by prison inmatesItem Threats and opportunities in library education: new strategies in the Curriculum Development in the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka(Reviewing International Encounters 2015, Research Center for Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Weerasooriya, W.A.The principal aim of this study is to identify the threats and opportunities face by the library education movement in Sri Lanka with special reference to Department of Library and Information Science (DELIS), University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka and to investigate the measures and strategies for answering them. The paper explores how the DELIS could counter these threats with the help of curriculum development strategies. Objectives of the study were to study threats and factors affecting library education with special reference to DELIS, to explore how DELIS overcome these threats and to develop a model of a curriculum design system. Methodology adopted in the study comprised the analysis of vision, mission, stakeholder, content and SWOT. The factors and threats affecting the library education in Sri Lanka can be categorized in to two aspects as macro and micro. Macro aspects are non-recognition and non-identification of the library sector in the government hierarchy particularly the higher education sector, dubious bureaucracy, and lack of cooperation among the principal library education contributors. Micro aspects of threats are the grass root level factors. These threats are rapidly changing subject knowledge content and relevancy, lack of communication and ICT skills among the Library and Information Science (LIS) students, perennial decrease of library science students‟ intake, negative thinking and attitudes among LIS professionals. Identifying this critical situation, the DELIS is in the process of revising its LIS curriculum drastically suiting to the current demands and requirement in the Student Centered Learning (SCL) context. The others measures for answering these threats are the inclusion of extraordinary course units, revising curriculum at every four year period, empowerment of industrial training component, identification of series of competencies, allocation of more ICT course units, inclusion of project based English course unit at every semester, introduction of more practical project based course unites particularly in Classification, Cataloguing, compilation of bibliographic tools and Literature survey project reports in Science and Technology, Social Sciences and Humanities. ICT, communication, management and language skills are some of the essential soft skills which should inculcate among the undergraduates. It is proposed to empower the curriculum evaluation process and further propose to set up a Curriculum Revision Committee with the representation from the principal library education contributors in Sri Lanka, library professionals and the government and private sector. It is observed that a benchmark system introduced so far has to be revised accordingly. These are some of the new strategies in the curriculum development in the Department and they could be applied in the other curriculum development processes. Academic feedbacks well received and responded by the audience in International conference on Social Sciences and Humanities, on 8th, 9th and 10th September, 2014, Istanbul, Turkey. They suggested to consider Industrial Training (IT) be mandatory and let it be given the students for a whole semester free of lectures. Their view was to overseer Industrial Training process very carefully. They informed it is better to students be given a trainee allowance. Innovative ideas they pointed are making a fixed time period for syllabi revision, allowing students to develop their soft-skills within and outside the curriculum, conducting SWOT, Need Analysis getting more feedbacks from library education stakeholders such as LIS teachers, library professionals, library schools etc. The suggestion to include a course unit on Knowledge management and Indigenous knowledge system was well responded by the audience. Since the internet and ICT development makes a radical development in the libraries and information sector, they suggested considering giving a higher weightage to that component in curriculum development. They endorsed the fact that Outcome Based Education could be achieved using Student Centered Learning. One value added emphasis was the utilization of Online Learning Management System (OLMS) for undergraduate education.Item Some Salient Points to be Considered in Designing and Developing Undergraduate Honors Curriculums: An Experience from BA Honors Degree in Library and Information Science (LIS) in the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Weerasooriya, W.A.Designing and developing curriculum is more rigorous when the subject fields are too philosophical, theory bound and non-job focused. However, this situation is not there when the subject is job or professional oriented. The principal objective of this paper is to investigate the salient points to be considered when designing and developing honors curriculums, to examine the qualities like pragmatic value, appropriateness, suitability and the motivational factors impounded on the curriculum. Survey method adopted and content analysis, interviews, discussion and observation were commenced a few months back with the purpose of collecting primary data. Data and information related to the researcher’s experiences in designing and developing curriculums, and the exposure in pedagogy, advice, consultations, industry experience, interactive communication with the students and the major stakeholders were very useful for this research. There are some hard and soft points to be considered when designing curriculums. Soft points are more significance than the hard points. Some of the soft points are student’s skills, competencies, attitudinal and behavioral conducts, leadership, communication skills, perseverance etc. This factor has been validated by the views, pointed out by the key library employers. Experience of a job is another point and therefore the Industrial Training (IT) has been made as compulsory. Particular point here is that the students go three days to recognized library and information centers for the training while the other two days taking part for the lectures. Additionally, two to four hour period, the Academic Training Advisor of the Department holds Practical Training Discussion (PTD) with the students. For the evaluation purpose, the students are asked to submit an innovative training report, a project proposal for developing a new library, a library newsletter, report containing the duty list for library attendants, Assistants including Assistant Librarians and with curriculum vitae of the students. Both IT and PTD are targeted to develop the soft skills of the students. It was planned to inculcate and develop the five points like 1. Subject knowledge and practical exposure 2. Attitudes and behaviors 3. Skills and competencies 4. Mindset and vision, and 5 World of work and experience through the syllabus, classroom discussions, IT, PTD and so on. More attempts have to be made use the syllabus as well all through other strategies. These five sets are discussed in the Sri Lanka Qualification Framework (SLQF) of UGC Sri Lanka. 7 independent assignments are embedded in the syllabus for group work and individual work for developing soft skills. Through stakeholder analysis, it has been found those points depicted are better to use when design and developing a curriculum.Item Use of Top Down and Bottom Up approaches in Library and Information Management (LIM) research with particular reference to the identification of a research problem: A best method for undergraduate and postgraduate study programs.(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka., 2017) Weerasooriya, W.A.Identification of a research problem has been considered as one of the difficult functions of the whole research process in a given field. Research problem and the research title are considered as two sides of a single coin that give a value for researching. Writing style of a research problem is different from its research title. In the advanced research process, first activity is the identification of a research problem while formulating a research title is secondary to it. Many novices including experienced researchers faced a challenge in this Research Problem Identification Process (RPIP). The principal purpose of this study is to explore how to apply top down and bottom up approaches in identifying a research problem. Other objectives are to examine the strategies applying in top down approach in RPIP, to investigate the strategies applying the bottom up approach in RPIP and to identify the best approach in RPIP in LIM. Method used a mixed method of research and the data collected through literature survey and their content analysis, experience matching, action research and followed by the observation. Strategy like getting hold or clutching of a research clue or research problem from a teacher or from any other person belongs to top down approach. Many students and novices are mindful of this strategy, which is not excessively appropriate. If a novice or student tends to deduce a research problem on his or her inner mind or self-observing or self-though it is considered as bottom up approach strategy, which is much appropriate. A student or a novice should apply techniques like literature survey and literature review for filtering a plausible research hints and research problem in this case. For this purpose, Database Search Approach (DSA) is time important. The best sources for LIM researchers are the scholarly articles and the quality theses and research reports. These strategies are belonged to bottom up approach. Books particularly the textbooks are not a worthy type of source in literature survey. Choice in the area of research problem, place of work and its internal and external environments, lessons belongs to study courses and ideas and hints given by the teachers of study programs, ideas of peer groups, seminar and conference approach which mean invisible college source approach, industry approach which means that research clues, hints or research problems are taking from libraries, information science organizations in a given country are belonging to bottom up approach. When a research clue or a research problem is instituted, discussion with a senior researcher or a teacher, peer groups is appropriate. In this case, Research Problem or Title Defense Strategy (RPRTDS) should be used. RPRTDS means a group discussion with a gathering of experience senior researchers or teachers with all peer students either undergraduate or postgraduate. Students do not prepare PowerPoint presentation at this stage and they do just a face-to-face discussion. After obtaining an approval in this gathering, the secondary method is asking all students to prepare a presentation using PowerPoint or any other method. After its approval, all students should be asked to submit a research proposal duly endorsed and signed by the supervisors appointed for each students. In this proposal construction stage, the role of genuine intervention of the appointed supervisor or guide is compulsorily and ethically needed.Item Design and development of a desired Graduate Profile (GP) for the BA (Honors) Degree program in Library and Information Science (BLISC) conducted by the Department of Library and Information Science (DELIS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Weerasooriya, W.A.; Weerasinghe, M.K.; Wanigasooriya, Priyanwada; Piyarathana Thero, Lagumdeniye; Suraweera, S.A.D.H.N.; Chamara, K.A.T.The principal objective of this paper is to explore the design and development a Graduate Profile for the BLISC honors degree, at the DELIS, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka and to map it with the K-SAM model (Knowledge is what student can and should know, Skills is what they can and should do, Attitude is how they think and behave and should, Mindset is how they perceive and should perceive the world) developed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) Sri Lanka. Graduate Profiles are the descriptions of attributes like the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behavioral elements (characteristics, qualities, ethics and norms, way of behavior, vision, mission, mindset, world of work are also considered) which a parent university or the educational authority expects from its graduates through the contact and non-contact hours with a view to position these graduates as universal citizens recognized with competent, social, cultural, good mannered, employable and environment friendly groups fitting local, regional, national and international demands and requirements. This is a result of a qualitative study performed on the basis of action research, content, needs and SWOT analysis and observation and experience matching and also of an ongoing study covering the BLISC degree program and its undergraduates. All the local and foreign curriculum standards relevant to study were also used. The 14 attributes expected from the BLISC Graduates are the 1.Subject Knowledge Capable (K), 2.Skilled (S), 3.Behavior Changer (A), 4.Information Literate and Lifelong Learner (SAM), 5.Language and Communication Competent (SAM), 6.Researcher and Scholar (SAM) 7.Analytical and Critical Thinker (SM), 8.Agent of Attitudes (A), 9.Planner and Time Manager (SA) 10.Problem Solver (SAM), 11.Environment and Social Friendly Group (AM) 12.Courageous Leader (SA) 13.Honest and Cultural Obedient Person (AM) 14.Dedicated Serviceman (K-SAM) and the final goal expected from GP is to develop a Visionary Global Citizen. How the BLISC undergraduates realize the major domains of K-SAM developed by the UGC are marked and mapped with the 14 attributes of the proposed GPabove. The attributes are mapped and embedded in the BLISC Degree program. There are altogether 42 study units in the curriculum and out of that, 26 are theory papers, 11 independent assignment based units, three practical or laboratory based units, 01 industrial training unit and the independent dissertation, altogether 42 units positioning in total 123 credits. While total study units attempt to inculcate the Knowledge domain of the undergraduates, 22 units develop Skills and 08 address the Attitudes and 6 units focus the Mindset domain. The dissertation and the industrial training units both play a major role in K-SAM. In addition to the BLISC curriculum, the field trip, library workshop method, Library and Information Science Student Association, three students’ societies namely English, IT and Library and all other creative and social functions like Teachers Day have been planned to improve these four domain K-SAM introduced by the UGC. Everything is directed to achieve the objectives of the GP.Item A Bibliometric Assessment of the Intellectual Content and Recognition Level of the Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Weerakoon, W.R.W.M.A.U.; Weerasooriya, W.A.Bibliometrics enables quantitative description of scholarly documents, their impact and influence. This study explores “The Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka (JNSF)”; a globally recognized journal where the objectives were to assess (1) the subject coverage, (2) types of information sources consulted by authors, and (3) total citations received by JNSF. Articles in 40 issues (n=335) published during 2004 and 2013 in two five-year periods; 2004-2008 (P-I) and 2009-2013 (P-II) were analysed separately. Among the 9 major disciplines identified, most articles were related to biology, and agriculture; particularly biochemistry, plant sciences, microbiology and animal sciences. Increased research has been carried out in the fields of chemistry, biomedical research, geo science and engineering. Physics and mathematics were narrowly studied. The subject diversity and inter-disciplinary research have increased by 19% and 10% respectively. Several new fields of research have emerged while research in some areas are lacking. JNSF contains 7043 in-text citations with 176.1 citations per issue whereas 20.8 citations per article with an average increased by 56.2% during P-II. Journal articles were the most-cited material incessantly, followed by books, proceedings and web-resources. Citing local references per volume has lessened by 4% whereas self-citation has declined to 1.14%. Most references (23%) lies within 6-10 years. The ‘price-index’ was 19.82 while ‘citing half-life’ for journals and books were 11 and 15 years respectively. JNSF has received 366 citations with an average of 3.02 per “cited article”. Citing of JNSF has improved from 19.87% (P-I) to 50.56% (P-II). Certain recent articles received early citations, especially within the published year. Most articles (38.84%) were cited once whereas the citations received were highest in the first 2, 3 years after publication, and a rapid decline observed after the 5th year. The results revealed the information needs of researchers, existing and deprived research areas, and recognition of JNSF in terms of citations.Item Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka (JNSF), 2011 - 2015: A Citation Analysis(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Pratheepan, T.; Weerasooriya, W.A.Citation analyses of research in developing countries are interesting for various reasons. The situation of Sri Lankan is rather exceptional.The Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka (JNSF) is the only Sri Lankan journal; indexed by the Journal Citation Report (JCR) from2010.This paper provides a citation network analysis of publications from the JNSF. The analysis covers publications in the journal from 2011–2015. The paper analyses the most published authors, most cited articles, uncited articles, most prolific authors, top institutions, collaboration profile of authors, and the nationalities of authors, that are most represented in the journal. 441articles were taken from the primary data source, the Google Scholar using Publish or Perish (POP) software. An analysis of 1056 citations was carried out using the POP online analytics tool and Excel. Results indicate that the 60% of JNSF research publications have received minimum of single citation.There are 998 authors have been contributed for 441 articles published during the study period in JNSF. In terms of collaboration profile, the JNSF’s authors show preference for “mega – authored” papers. Only 114 (26%) papers were single authored. The most cited article is Mosquito-lavicidal activity of some Sri Lankan plants written by Ranaweera, SS. published in 2013.Item Constraints in Conducting Survey Research among Visually Impaired Undergraduate in Sri Lanka(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Jeyaraj, W.J.; Weerasooriya, W.A.The first and foremost entry point to information access is sight. Being equally adequate to the privilege of sight is not the case at all illustrations. Being visually impaired can affect this accessibility to direct information. The boulders in accessing information has been considerable blurred out to a certain level but there still exists instances such facing face to face interviews, distribution of questionnaires and collection of context based result sets, etc. The main objective of this paper is to identify the constraints when the researchers do the survey research among visually impaired undergraduates in Sri Lanka. The obstructions that have considerably marked a footprint in this sphere are listed out as deficient time periods as the visually impaired clients are supposedly depended upon others to elucidate the contents of the questionnaire in order to fill the required which takes them around at least an hour to complete, language barriers, lack of data from the visually impaired clients, extraneous or redundant data collection due to the existence of barrier to get through to these clients past their visual impairment, the lack of sustainable data that can be utilized for future references, dearth of equipment awareness due to the absence of the privilege of sight and hands on experience with such equipment. As far as the analysis part is concerned, there’s an unavailability of established standards to compare the data provided by visually impaired students against those provided by others. Hence, assumptions are made without passable data to measure against with. This paper tends to traverse through to the core with the intentions of identifying the underlying issues that could be considered as probable causes and strives to propose plausible recommendations that could try in its best within its entirety to serve as solutions to these issues.Item Social Acceptance and Tenure of Library Profession in Sri Lanka: A Comparative Study with Special Reference to Public Libraries and University Libraries(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Ananda Tissa, R.D.; Weerasooriya, W.A.Library Profession has a history around 5000 years. Origin of library profession commenced in 19 century however, it was developed as a highly accepted profession in 20thcentury. There are several factors and characteristics to be defined as a profession. The Principal objective of this research is to study the social acceptance and status of library profession in public all university libraries in Sri Lanka. The other objectives are to examine the social acceptance of library profession in Sri Lanka, to explore the status of library profession in the institutional hierarchy, to identify the corelationship between the social acceptance and professional status, to identify the attitudes of the society toward the library profession and to investigate how social acceptance and status influencing the progress of library profession. Population was comprised of category 0lLawyers, Politicians, Students and Readers and the category 02 Doctors, University Lectures, Teachers, 200 trade professionals and the category 03 Librarians. Sample selected 300 representing category 01, 200 from category 02, and 100 Librarians from category 03, altogether c. 600 among total population. Cluster sampling technique used since the sample comprised of homogenous and heterogeneous categories and the collected data was analyzed using SPSS applying descriptive method of research. The findings were that meager social acceptance and status of library profession and libraries prevailed eventhough they provide quite satisfactory library service, under estimation and the value of communities towards the library services, inadequate knowledge and the access to information as well as the library services, unclear visibility of educational, research and world of work behavior of library professionals, pale and weaker attitudes and mentalities of library professionals and that there is an acute and concomitant influence from prevailing meager social recognitiontoward this social acceptance and status of a profession in Sri Lanka.Few policy suggestions are to improve the attitudes and response of authoritative, managerial, administrative politicalstakeholders including policy makers and the general public towards libraries, their services and library professionals by way of extending more public relations and cooperation extending the gravity and the visibility of library service among those categories. Within this context, establishment of a National Library and Information Science Commission (NAISC) and the drafting and the institutionalization of Sri Lanka National Library Services Manifesto (SNLSM) and making an effective and efficient library operation system and to formulate a unique recruitment, selection and job promotion policy based on skills, educational qualifications experience and professional competencies from lower to professionals staff level are few suggestions.