https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/248 2026-07-12T00:23:16Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147984 Title: The academic library as co-producer of transdisciplinary engagement : a social exchange framework for resource mobilisation and outreach Authors: Scicluna, Ryan Abstract: Purpose – This paper introduces the Strategic Reciprocity Model, a framework that reconceptualizes the academic library as a fiscal and strategic co-producer of transdisciplinary engagement. It examines how this model operates in practice through a case study of the LACES (Lab for Art, Community, Ecology & Science) Library Mural Project at the University of Malta. The paper argues that fiscal agency is the key mechanism enabling libraries to operationalize this model and institutionalize transdisciplinary research within the university’s public mission. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilizes a qualitative, single-site case study methodology, focusing on the LACES (Lab for Art, Community, Ecology & Science) Library Mural Project at the University of Malta. It applies Social Exchange Theory (SET) to analyze the internal administrative partnership, examining how the library exchanges its physical and financial capital for the faculty's pedagogical capital to achieve mutual institutional impact. Data was triangulated across three streams: administrative and financial document analysis, semi-structured interviews with library management and faculty leads, and pre- and post-installation user surveys combined with non-participant observation. Findings – The permanent integration of the arts-based research installation suggests a shift from a high-traffic transit zone toward a more engaged community space, shifting user perception from seeing the library as a "sterile" space to recognizing it as an advocate for sustainability. The library's fiscal agency, specifically its management of internal funds and a secured Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) grant, empowered it to enforce project governance and upgrade the research from a temporary exhibit to a permanent educational resource. Faculty stakeholders confirmed that the library’s central, neutral positioning provided crucial institutional legitimacy to their arts-based community collaborations. Research limitations/implications – Limitations include the single-site case study design at a university with a unique geopolitical context as the sole national university in a small island state, which may affect generalizability. Additionally, the study acknowledges potential researcher insider bias, reliance on a specific external CSR funding model that may not be available to all institutions, and the short-term temporal nature of the post-installation impact data. Future longitudinal research, utilizing concrete tracking methodologies such as annual sentiment surveys and curriculum integration metrics, is necessary to assess the enduring legacy of the installation. Practical implications – The research proposes the "Strategic Reciprocity Model," which reframes outreach as a negotiated transaction rather than a unilateral service. By trading spatial and financial capital for the faculty's pedagogical capital, libraries can convert administrative costs into significant institutional profit, such as higher user engagement. This framework provides actionable pillars for libraries to overcome departmental silos and institutionalize transdisciplinary methodologies like Arts-Based Research (ABR) and STEAM. Originality/value – This paper addresses a significant gap in existing literature by evaluating the academic library not merely as a venue or service provider, but as an active strategic funder and co-producer of research. It innovatively applies SET to internal "Library-Faculty" partnerships rather than external "town-gown" relations. Furthermore, it investigates the operational realities of establishing permanent, rather than temporary, transdisciplinary art installations within the rigid structural confines of a functioning academic library. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147983 Title: Mind the gap : exploring AI expectations of librarians and patrons at the University of Malta in the Gen-AI era Authors: Scicluna, Ryan; Galea, Stefania Abstract: Purpose: The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in late 2022 precipitated a new academic reality, fundamentally altering information behaviors in higher education. While the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift toward remote digital services, the GenAI era challenges the core function of the academic library: the mediation of information discovery and verification. Current discourse within Library and Information Science (LIS) often treats librarian readiness and student adoption as separate phenomena. However, anecdotal evidence and emerging literature suggest a growing disconnect, an expectation gap, between the services libraries are preparing to offer (often focused on backend infrastructure and copyright governance) and the services students actually require (often focused on workflow efficiency, citation assistance, and grade preservation). The primary purpose of this research is to bridge this provider-only perspective by quantifying the divergence between Library Professionals (Providers) and Library Patrons (Users) at the University of Malta Library (UML). By juxtaposing professional assumptions against user realities, the study aims to: Identify the specific areas where student usage of AI outpaces staff awareness (The Usage Gap). Determine if the service interventions proposed by staff align with the immediate "pain points" of the student body (The Service Gap). Propose a "Service Alignment Model" to help the UML prioritize AI initiatives that yield the highest value to the user community, moving beyond reactive policy-making toward proactive, user-centered service design.; Design/methodology/approach. This study employs a quantitative, cross-sectional, dual-perspective research design method. Rather than relying on disparate datasets collected at different times, this research utilizes a mirrored survey methodology to capture the concurrent viewpoints of library professionals (Providers) and library patrons (Users). Two structured questionnaires will be distributed simultaneously over a four-week period to two respondent cohorts: Cohort A (Providers): targeting UML staff members, measuring their readiness, willingness to train, and perceptions of student behavior. Cohort B (Users): targeting registered UM patrons (undergraduate and postgraduate students, academics and administrative staff), measuring their actual usage patterns, service expectations, and ethical priorities. The instruments are designed with identical underlying constructs to allow for a direct paired gap analysis. Key measurement areas include: Usage Constructs: Comparing staff estimates of AI adoption against patron self-reported usage frequency, specifically probing for concealment behaviors (hiding AI use due to fear of penalization) and discovery substitution (using LLMs instead of the library catalog). Service Constructs: Mapping patrons' demands to emerging Intelligent Library staff roles (e.g., AI literacy workshops, verification clinics) and comparing these demands against staff willingness and readiness to provide these new services. Ethical Constructs: Ranking ethical concerns to measure the divergence between provider priorities (data privacy/governance) and user priorities (grades/accuracy).; Theoretical base: This research is theoretically grounded in Customer Knowledge Management (CKM) and Service Quality (Gap Analysis) Theories. CKM logic argues that in dynamic information environments, service innovation must be driven by the systematic collection of external user knowledge rather than internal process optimization. In the context of the Intelligent Library, libraries risk obsolescence if they focus only on optimizing traditional workflows (e.g., OPAC searching) while users migrate to novel workflows (e.g., conversational approaches to searching via ChatGPT and AI search engines). Furthermore, the study draws on the Service Quality Gap Model, specifically the knowledge gap, the difference between what service providers believe customers expect and what customers actually expect. By quantifying this gap, the research moves beyond abstract discussions of AI readiness to a concrete measurement of Service Alignment. This framework is particularly relevant in the post-pandemic context, where user expectations for seamless, remote, and smart services have intensified.; Expected results: As the survey is forthcoming, results are hypothesized based on a synthesis of preliminary staff data gathered in a 2025 survey and broader global literature on student AI adoption. We anticipate three primary divergence patterns: A Usage Gap: It is expected that patron self-reported usage will significantly exceed staff estimates, particularly regarding shadow tasks. We hypothesize that a significant portion of patrons are already using AI for discovery and synthesis, bypassing the library catalog, while staff may perceive AI usage as limited to brainstorming and text generation. We also anticipate high rates of concealment, where patrons use AI but hide it due to lack of clear policy, a behavior likely unknown to staff. A Service Gap: We expect to find that staff are over-investing in theoretical readiness (e.g., willingness to learn about backend AI tools) while under-serving immediate practical needs. Specifically, we hypothesize high patron demand for verification clinics (help checking if AI citations are real) and prompt engineering for Research, which may not currently be on the library’s training roadmap. An Ethical Gap: We anticipate a sharp divergence in ethical orientation. Staff are expected to prioritize data privacy and copyright (governance concerns), consistent with professional library ethics. In contrast, patrons are expected to prioritize accuracy (hallucination risks) and grade validity (outcome concerns). This gap suggests that current library warnings about privacy may be ignored by patrons who are more focused on getting the answer right.; Originality/value: The originality of this research lies in its relational approach. While existing studies often examine librarian attitudes or student applications in isolation, this study treats them as a single service ecosystem. By using the mirrored survey methodology, it provides empirical evidence of the relationship between provider assumptions and user realities.; Practical implications: The primary practical output of this research will be a Service Alignment Model (SAM) for the UML. This framework will move the library from a reactive stance towards a proactive strategy by: Re-prioritizing Training: Shifting user training from the staff perceived need for general AI awareness training to specific competencies that patrons require, such as AI citation verification. Policy Communication: Moving from prohibitive policies (bans) to enablement policies that address patrons fears of accidental plagiarism. Strategic Positioning: Validating the library’s new value proposition not as a search engine competitor (competing on speed) but as a human-in-the-loop verifier (competing on trust). Ultimately, the study argues that closing the expectation gap is not just about adopting new technology; it is about ensuring the library remains relevant in the cognitive workflow of the modern student. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147982 Title: From custodians to facilitators : a participatory framework for co-curating ephemeral heritage in academic libraries Abstract: Purpose: This paper investigates the role of integrated librarianship in transforming academic libraries from static repositories ("custodians") to active sites of cultural embedding ("facilitators"). It aims to address the structural disconnect between rigid institutional archives and grassroots community collections by proposing a scalable framework for co-curation. Design/methodology/approach: The research employs a longitudinal, mixed-methods single-case study of the Kollezzjoni Programmi tal-Festa (KPF) at the University of Malta. Data collection combines qualitative semi-structured interviews with key community informants alongside a quantitative analysis of access metrics from the OAR@UM institutional repository to measure the impact of community-driven metadata in a digital environment. Findings: The study reveals that "Cultural Warrant" significantly outperforms standardized cataloging; items enriched with Local Subject Headings (LSH) drove a 329% spike in engagement during local events. Furthermore, the application of Social Exchange Theory (SET) validates that community participation is driven by a "reciprocal calculation," where institutional transparency (e.g., the Rendikont) acts as an essential social reward. Originality/value: This paper bridges the "gap in praxis" between theoretical post-custodialism and operational reality. It uniquely quantifies the value of integrating community expertise into digital workflows, providing an empirically grounded model for institutionalizing trust-based archival partnerships. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147930 Title: Melitensia New Accessions: June 2026 Abstract: This document contains a list of the material recently acquired by the Melitensia Department in the month of June 2026 2026-06-01T00:00:00Z