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This article is an attempt to provide a comprehensive view on the history of hoplology in relation to the most popular type of weapon used in the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the sabre. The research history addresses the issue of modern weapons, which is motivated by the emergence of various types of sabre at that time. Research on old weapons, inspired primarily by collectors, museologists and members of academia, traditionally uses a range of methods developed by history, art history, archaeology and art restoration. Such research can also enter the field of sociology and cultural studies, provided that we take into account the fact that weapons, sabres in particular, symbolized social standing. The variety of issues, which are generally confined to the above mentioned concepts, also translates into the historiographic sphere. Because of that, it may be surprising that Polish literature on historical weapons only dates back to the second half of the 19th century. However, collectors had shown interest in military items much earlier. The first part of the article presents the most important private collections of weapons from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century, with particular focus on the almost entirely preserved collection of Izabela Czartoryska, who founded the first museum in Poland. This layout is the starting point for presenting academic interest in military items, divided into the pre- and post-war periods.

PurposeThe paper aimed to investigate the status quo of the application and adoption of AI and ML technologies in providing library services in the African continent. It sought to establish the different use cases that these technologies are put to; it also sought to establish what benefits and challenges come along with the implementation of AI and ML technologies in the context of African libraries.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts the structured literature review approach that identifies the current literature on the application of AI and ML technologies in library services in Africa. It involves searching various academic databases like Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, using keywords such as “artificial intelligence,” “machine learning,” “library services” and “Africa.” It will be analyzed and synthesized in order to achieve a comprehensive overview of the topic.FindingsThe review finds that AI/ML technologies in African library services are still in their introductory stage, and there are hardly a few research studies and case studies conducted so far. Its potential benefits include improved information retrieval, enhanced user experience and operational efficiencies. However, a number of challenges are also emphasized in the review, which include the limited availability of technological infrastructure, lack of digital literacy among the library staff and issues concerning data privacy and security, among others.Practical implicationsThese research findings will carry considerable weight among library professionals, policy and technology providers in Africa. The study gave strategic advice on the use of AI and ML technologies within the services provided by libraries. The critical issues have been mentioned along with best practices in this regard. The insights gained from this research can facilitate relevant training programs as well as building capacity that is so much more essential for the diffusion of these technologies in African libraries.Originality/valueThe present review represents, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first comprehensive review that specially outlines the applications of AI and ML technologies in library services on the African continent. The findings further add to the scant literature at hand and create a base for future research and implementation in the African library sector.

The purpose of this article is to identify green (environmentally friendly) practices in the university libraries of Kocaeli and Istanbul, and to determine the environmental awareness and attitudes of the users (students) of these libraries in their daily lives, as well as conceptually. In addition, students’ level of awareness about the environmental impacts of access to and use of information, and the greenness of libraries from the user’s perspective were also investigated. Within the scope of the study, data was collected through a face-to-face questionnaire method conducted with the library users of 11 universities. Questionnaires were distributed only to student library users, and a total of 436 students answered them. This study differs from the existing literature by evaluating the environmental measures applied by librarians and their users, in contrast to studies employing conceptual approaches to the subject of green libraries. This study is intended to assist library managers, librarians and researchers conducting research on these issues. It encompasses the users’ perceptions of green libraries, environmental approaches and practices that they support in libraries, their awareness of the environmental effects of information access and use, and how they evaluate their library from a green perspective. In a global context, it aims to contribute to the literature on libraries by presenting data from an unresearched region. The study first assesses the green practices of 11 university libraries using a questionnaire given to library managers, and then assesses them using a questionnaire distributed to users. Finally, it seeks to present a concrete link between information literacy and the environment, contrasting green libraries with their users’ awareness of environmental impact. The results of the study showed that 7 of the 11 university libraries are in the green library category. When the data obtained from the users was analyzed, the average score for environmental awareness and attitude (EAA) in daily life among those who had received environmental education was found to be significantly higher than those who had not. The level of greenness a library was evaluated as having (EGL) was significantly higher among users of green libraries than non-green users. This can be interpreted as users having noticed the environmentally friendly measures being practiced. No significant difference was found between the green libraries and their users’ environmental awareness and attitudes in daily life.

The aim of this article is to present different ways of managing information in selected Cracow academic libraries. Four of Cracow's academic libraries were selected for the study, i.e. the Jagiellonian Library, the AGH University Main Library, the Main Library of the Pedagogical University of Cracow and The Cracow University of Technology Library. The article compares and analyses the services offered by the libraries to different user groups. The services provided by the agenda responsible for providing science information were discussed. These include queries, bibliometric analysis, group trainings and personalised courses. The article also presents the solutions which aim to improve the information literacy of today's library users, available into the institutions selected for the study.

It has been over 40 years since archives began to automate their processes and digitize content. During that period, archival practices and ideas have experienced unprecedented development, archives have established substantial digital presences and records creators have shifted almost completely to digital production. Today archives are being looked to by Artificial Intelligence developers and scholars alike as one of the few remaining sources of big data, both for training Large Language Models and for surfacing new knowledge about the past and humanity. And yet archives have yet to reach “full” digital capacity and fluency, and not simply because of resource limitations. One might ask whether they ever will – or even should? This lecture looks back on the history of digital developments in archives, examining the motivations and challenges arising at different points. It contemplates why and how the goalposts have repeatedly moved, and how the questions that have arisen in archival decision-making have changed as a consequence and how they may continue to do so as we look to the future nature, roles and practices of archives.

The main objective of this paper is to assess the efficiency of university libraries in Croatia in the period from 2018 to 2022, taking into account both the years before and after COVID-19. For this purpose, the study employed the well-known non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method, specifically the window DEA (WDEA), to analyse a sample of 8 university libraries in Croatia. The study considered three inputs (Number of books held, Number of library staff, and Actual allocated budget) and three outputs (Circulation, Number of books added, and Number of registered members). The findings indicate that none of the university libraries in Croatia demonstrated relative efficiency during the observed period. These results provide valuable insights for university management and policy makers. This study is characterised by its original approach, as it is the first known attempt to use the DEA method to assess the performance of academic libraries in Croatia and the South East European region.

PurposeLibraries, as a peaceful arena for promoting knowledge and culture, are often challenged by various means, which are mostly linked to the material handling. However, literature shorts fall in either recognizing how material handling comes under threat or evaluating the influence of promising solutions on the library’s performance. Thus, this study aims to present a comprehensive understanding of material handling in the library through the identification of characteristics, key performance indicators (KPIs) and challenges of this driving factor.Design/methodology/approachThis research benefits from a triangulation of qualitative methods, including systematic literature review, case study, in-depth semi-structured interview (SSI) and focus group meetings, to present a comprehensive understanding of material handling in the library.FindingsThe initial findings highlight the characteristics, i.e. incremental inventory, no packaging, open access order, etc., and the KPIs of material handling in the library: flexibility, productivity, service quality and cost. In addition, the challenges that limit the libraries’ performance are discovered based on field observation through five Nordic libraries (Norway and Finland), which are further studied for discovering the potential remedies. Corollaries advise that material handling challenges in the library are potentially tackled through three pillars, known as Triple E’s: employee, equipment and environment.Originality/valueThe performance of libraries is notably linked to the material handling processes and this agenda has received limited attention by academia. This study is among the initial research efforts in this context seeking to develop a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics, KPIs and challenges of material handling in the library and facilitate the improvement of library’s performance.

Literary debates constitute a very important genre in a very popular genre in Sumerian, Akkadian, Egyptian, Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic, Persian, and Turkish literatures. They can be about the struggle for supremacy of opposite entities or concepts such as \"night and day\", \"pen and sword\", or \"mind and love\". The most original and most striking examples of this genre in Turkish literature – the origins date back to the Sumerians – are the competition debates about pleasurable substances try to claim and prove their superiority over each other with the help of identification and persistence arts. While many have been published, many more remain unpublished. In this article, we shall analyse one such a debate of pleasurable substances (Süleymaniye Library Tercuman Manuscripts No. 361). It talks about the how the “seven pleasure substances” (opium, berş, cannabis, boza, wine, mead, coffee) enter into a fierce competition in a mansion built in a vineyard called İşret-âbâd, to prove themselves as the best in the world. Coffee wins, however the debate finishes in peace.

The concept of “Barrier-Free University”, which is an important approach in today's higher education system; It has made serious progress both with the studies carried out by the Higher Education Council and the efforts of the universities within their own bodies. The main purpose of these efforts is to complete the transformation of persons with disabilities into actors who are more involved in social life and benefit more by increasing both education and life quality. The aim of the research is to bring an approach that focuses on Total Quality practices in services provided to individuals with disabilities in university libraries. In accordance with the principles of Total Quality, the expectations of people with disabilities for library services were examined and the applications that can be made to make more use of libraries were investigated. In this context, in particular, the duties of the university administrations were tried to be put forward. The study used the technique of interviewing as a data collection method, semistructured questions responses to disabled staff and students in the Sivas Cumhuriyet University as a result of the findings individuals with disabilities within the framework of Total Quality Management expectations and satisfaction with the services they receive has been trying to put forward.

This study explored the role of human resource (HR) practices in retaining librarians' knowledge within Uganda's public university libraries. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach with an exploratory sequential design, the research examined selected libraries through qualitative interviews with university librarians. These interviews informed a questionnaire administered to 67 professional librarians to gather quantitative data. Findings revealed that while HR practices are essential for mitigating knowledge loss and supporting retention, challenges such as rigid public service guidelines, and underutilized succession planning hinder their effectiveness. Additionally, the lack of a formal knowledge retention strategy further limits these practices. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for formalized knowledge retention strategies that integrate HR practices to enhance knowledge management and address identified gaps from recruitment to retention, aligning with previous research on talent management and staff development in library settings.