Miguel de Benavides Library Graduate School Section Head Librarian Jenneth G. Capule, attended the seventh ‘International Conference on New Horizons in Education’ (INTE) held from July 13 to 15, 2016 at the Vienna University of Technology in Vienna, Austria. She presented a paper titled, ‘Towards a geriatric-friendly library: a Q Methodology.’
The study aimed at designing a library program responsive to the distinct and ever-increasing information needs of the geriatric citizens, the overlooked sector in society. Using Q methodology, 15 geriatric Filipino citizens from various educational institutions were subjected to ascertain their information needs. The identified profile characterizations are valuable inputs in crafting a library program that can be labelled as a geriatric-friendly library.
Organized by the Association of Science, Education and Technology (TASET), Vienna University of Technology, Sakarya University, Istanbul University and Governors State University, the INTE aimed to bring scholars, researchers, educators, students, professionals and other groups interested on topics related to education and to present their works on recent developments and in educational sciences and other related fields. The previous INTE conferences were held in Istanbul, Famagusta, Prague, Rome, Paris and Barcelona. This year, 950 registered participants from 50 countries attended.
While at Vienna, Capule also took the opportunity to visit the Austrian National Library located at the Hofburg Palace, the former imperial palace in the centre of Vienna, Austria. Capule was able to visit the library’s reading room and its main catalogue, QuickSearch. It is an easy to use and comprehensive online search of holdings via a new search screen.