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Sustainability in Library Preservation
Full text linkMany in the library world are embracing sustainability initiatives in an effort to better serve our communities and planet. In this article the author explores the need to integrate preservation within the broader approach to library sustainability, as well as the challenges presented by sustainable preservation practices. The author addresses concerns including reducing the amount of waste produced, recycling options, and availability of environmentally friendly supplies through the presentation of a case study. In addition, the article further explores the complexities of sustainable preservation by promoting continued discussion on finding the balance between accepted preservation best practices and emerging trends in sustainable solutions
Seeing the Forest by Counting the Trees
Full text linkLibraries, particularly academic libraries, are swimming in a sea of data. Librarians often contribute to this by counting every possible patron interaction in an attempt to both define their current situation and to predict future staffing, budgetary, and collection needs. This investigation assessed the effectiveness of using various data sources in predicting future library activity and needs. The authors collected data on in-person and chat reference transactions, electronic journal downloads, database queries, and catalog searches from 2009–12. By analyzing these data points, the authors hypothesized they would find correlations that might be predictive of changes in related library services. Results indicated that the strongest correlations track activity over the course of the academic calendar. While none of the data points examined had predictive properties, the strong correlations between the data points over the period of time studied indicated that any one of them might serve as a stand-alone indicator of usage
Usage Statistics in the Real World: Two Perspectives
Full text linkPresentation given at the Great Lakes E-Summit on October 11, 2012. Managing e-resource usage statistics
Ohio's Nursing Homes and Residential Care Facilities in the Economic Downturn: How have they adjusted?
Full text linkLong-term care facilities have been impacted by the economic downturn and other changes in the long-term care system. This research brief describes strategies most often implemented by Ohio's nursing homes and residential care facilities to enhance economic prospects
Rock, paper, scissors, COUNTER, SUSHI: Making sense of usage
No full textPresentation at the ALAO CMIG Workshop on June 9, 2014
Contemporary Architecture in the Bahamas Viewed Through the Lens of Critical Regionalism
Full text linkCritical Regionalism is a term that came about during the early 1980’s. It deals with designing architecture based on specific and unique characteristics of a region including geographical, economical, and cultural conditions. It does not simply stick to traditional means of design, or copy what exists in the region, but learns from it and reapplies it in a contemporary or up to date manner. This paper looks at these conditions in The Bahamas, and explores a critical regionalist approach for architecture in The Bahamas moving forward.
Literary research was done on authorities of critical regionalism. In 1981 Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre introduced the term. Although there may be variations between different authors’ ideas, key concepts remain the same – avoiding homogeneous designs worldwide, and creating architecture best suited for its location. Further research included traveling to islands within the country, conducting interviews with architects and artists, and examination of hypothesis forming surveys. Based on this, the initial assertion for this paper – that there is a lack of contemporary architecture in The Bahamas – was further substantiated.
Due to the large tourism industry, developments within the country put primary focus on appealing to tourists with secondary emphasis placed on the community. This should be reversed. Additionally, design of a building should not simply be about aesthetics but take into consideration the comfort of its users. This can best be achieved by understanding and responding to the region and its culture, while applying contemporary methods such as modern building techniques and material
Engrossed, Enraged, Engaged: Empowering Faculty in Transforming Scholarly Communication
No full textLibrarians are deeply invested in the scholarly publishing lifecycle. This investment, in tandem with an evolving scholarly communication system, has encouraged librarians to become advocates for transformation in this landscape. At the same time, some faculty have been slower to understand both the complexities of the current system and its evolution. At our university, traditional communication methods weren’t sufficient to meaningfully engage faculty in these evolving trends. As a response, several librarians designed and co-facilitated two scholarly communication Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) for two academic years. These FLCs have been the most successful method of increasing faculty understanding about publishing issues.
The FLCs brought together university community members comprised of faculty, staff, and graduate students interested in learning more about scholarly communication. Each group spent two semesters doing readings, attending panel presentations, and meeting for seminar-style discussions about current issues and trends in scholarly publishing. Over the course of the year, FLC members became more aware of the nuances in the lifecycle of scholarly publication and learned which scholarly communication issues affected them most. As a result, we saw a rapidly growing understanding about problems inherent in the current system of scholarly publishing, a substantial increase in faculty discussions on scholarly communication, and greater faculty-led advocacy for open access publishing. Additionally, community members appreciated the cross-disciplinary nature of the FLC, which afforded them the opportunity to escape traditional disciplinary silos. This presentation will discuss how we used the learning community format to successfully change faculty behavior about issues in scholarly communication and how these experiences altered librarian perceptions and improved interactions with faculty. Attendees will leave the presentation with a better understanding of how the learning community model can be applied at their own institution, including some of the challenges and rewards of implementing such a model
Social and cultural identity in and through architecture
Full text linkAs a human race in the 21st century we are facing critical issues which affect our continuing coexistence on this planet: to mesh the colliding cultures of the global city created by air travel and modern communications, to reconcile rising economic growth with the need to repair and sustain our already damaged natural environment, to aid the unfortunate people and countries in an increasingly stratified world, and to provide refuge from the stresses and uproar of the marketplace, the media, and our increasingly urban lives. Architects, urban planners, interior designers, and all other professions which help shape our environment hold responsible the solution to all of these needs; these disciplines address them in the built environment that makes up homes, offices, factories, schools, airports, and civic buildings
Healthy lifestyle communities: an innovative model of educational architecture and urban planning which promotes health and wellness
Full text linkThe focus of this essay is the design of Healthy K-12 Educational Facilities to promote health of the individual as well as the community. The term health can be defined as the mental and physical wellness of the individual, given his or her own personal goals. Health is investigated to promote: physical activity, mental soundness, social stability, nutritious consumption, and environmental awareness for the individual as well as the community. The intent is for health to become second nature. To accomplish the primary goal of personal health and wellness, this essay reviews and assesses The Active Design Guidelines and creates supporting arguments through the literary work of Richard Gerver, Creating Tomorrow’s Schools Today. Two case studies: the Federal Environmental Agency by Sauerbruch Hutton and Marysville Getchell High School Campus by Craig Mason and DLR Group are utilized as precedents, but are also critically analyzed. The conclusion introduces an existing site with the potential for the design of a Healthy K-12 Educational Facility. Within this proposal is the development of a complete system made up of specific programmatic strategies, which are crucial to the design of a Healthy K-12 Educational Facility, promoting health for the individual as well as the communit
