Comparing Approaches: Telecentre Evaluation Experiences in Asia and Latin America

IDRC has telecentre evaluation initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Each of these is in the process of establishing evaluation frameworks and each is adopting very different approaches. The current paper seeks to build on the outputs of IDRC's Far Hills Workshop on Telecentre Evaluation (September 1999) to explore the experiences in two of the three regions. These explorations will in turn contribute to IDRC's current initiative to develop a framework for ICTs evaluation.The Far Hills Workshop, and the resulting report entitled Telecentre Evaluation: A Global Perspective, had as objectives to explore challenges and opportunities for telecentre evaluation; understand and compare emerging evaluation frameworks and methodologies; assess needs and resources available; identify salient issues affecting telecentre performance; and provide an opportunity to exchange experiences and lessons across regions.     

Building Communities: Some Experiences with IT

Broad access to information plays a crucial role for empowerment, skill building, and more active participation of different groups of society, thus making an important contribution to social development. While information technology offers almost unlimited ways to enhance information access and management and to improve organizational structures, communication and workflows, it is the interaction between people, organization, and technology that makes economic and social development possible.

In this paper the author describes some of the efforts with which she has been associated directly or vicariously. In these initiatives to enhance economic and social development, ITs enabling capacity has been harnessed imaginatively.     

Building Communities: Some Experiences with IT

Broad access to information plays a crucial role for empowerment, skill building, and more active participation of different groups of society, thus making an important contribution to social development. While information technology offers almost unlimited ways to enhance information access and management and to improve organizational structures, communication and workflows, it is the interaction between people, organization, and technology that makes economic and social development possible.In this paper the author describes some of the efforts with which she has been associated directly or vicariously. In these initiatives to enhance economic and social development, ITs enabling capacity has been harnessed imaginatively.     

Zoo Exhibit Experiences and Visitors’ Affective Reactions: A Preliminary Study

The purpose of the present study was to explore the types of personal experiences that were related to zoo visitors’ empathic and affective reactions at an animal exhibit. Various studies have suggested the importance of emotional empathy in motivating concern for the biosphere and pro‐environmental behaviors. As such, identifying visitors’ personal experiences at an animal exhibit that may lead to empathic and affective reactions has a direct bearing on learning strategies at zoos, aquariums, and other nature‐based museums. Adult day‐visitors to a United States zoo were asked to provide written open‐ended comments describing any “extra special” experiences they had at an exhibit. These reported experiences were then found to be highly related to visitors’ quantitative ratings regarding their concern, empathy, and sense of connection with nature and wildlife. Preliminary findings are discussed while taking into consideration the additional research questions that remain involving visitors’ empathic reactions to zoo animals.     

Feeling Caught: Adult Children's Experiences with Parental Infidelity

The purpose of this study was to understand what, if any, messages adult children recalled receiving from family members following the discovery of their parents’ infidelity that either discouraged or encouraged feeling caught. Thirty-eight individuals were interviewed. Findings suggested that adult children received messages about parental conflict being between their parents, no one being the good/bad guy, and speaking favorably about change, all of which discouraged feeling caught. Messages that encouraged feeling caught involved urging the child to uncover information, serve as a mediator, and field other family members’ opinions. These findings are compared to previous research.     

“Art Girls”: Philanthropy,Corporate Sponsorship,and Private Art Museums in Post‐Communist Russia

Russian art sponsorship is dominated by women of the oligarch elite. Rather than dismissing this phenomenon as a faddish diversion of new money, this article takes a broader perspective on the motivations of these “art girls” along a trajectory of Russian women's involvement in patronage, philanthropy, and sponsorship extending back to the late eighteenth century. It considers how socio‐political circumstances have shaped philanthropy directed at the arts in Russia, and uses interviews to explore the reasons behind this recent focus on the contemporary in the sponsorship of exhibitions, art centers, and private museums in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Siberia.     

Experiences with bilingual publishing: surveys of authors and editors

Bilingual publishing has become a strategy employed by journals from the non‐Anglophone world to gain wider recognition. Beyond anecdotal evidence, however, there are no published accounts of the experiences of editors and authors of bilingual journals with the process of bilingual publication. It is also unclear how authors writing in bilingual journals judge the quality of the translations and whether they consider this sort of publishing as beneficial for their aims. Consequently, we carried out two surveys: one among editors of bilingual journals and one anonymous survey among authors and translators of articles published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, the bilingual journal of the German Medical Association. Eight of nine journals as well as 233 of 353 authors and 4 of 6 translators took part. Most journals reported that bilingual publication helped in becoming indexed in important databases (e.g. Medline), receiving or improving an Impact Factor, and in attracting authors. All journals plan to continue publishing bilingually. Authors were ‘satisfied’ (40.8%) or ‘very satisfied’ (57.8%) with translations. Almost all (96.7%) were in favour of bilingual publication of their work. They did not view an English translation as an obstacle to another related English language paper. Translators highlighted challenges relating to specialized terminology and to terms specific to the regional healthcare system.     

Who's in the picture: Comparing census data with newspaper coverage

Courses: Communications Research, Mass Communications in Modern Society, and Race, Gender, and Media.

Objectives: As a single or multiple class activity (depending on the length of the class period), the aims of this assignment are to increase the student's ability to apply content analysis methods in an actual media context, to develop an understanding of the agenda setting/framing function of the press, and to analyze the portrayal of gender and diversity in media. The activity can be completed in one class period if the class is at least 1:15 minutes long, but at least two class periods are recommended. Alternatively, the instructor could introduce each of the three sections with a brief lecture and then complete the activity over a three-class period span.     

EBSCO数据库的综合评价——与ProQuest平台的比较

EBSCO和ProQuest数据库是目前各图书馆常用的外文数据库。通过对EBSCO数据库和ProQuest数据库的内容、检索系统的比较来看,EBSCO数据库的核心期刊收录比率较高、期刊品种较多、保持更新的全文刊较多、全文期刊收录的时间跨度较长,而且其检索功能和技术相对更强大一些,更有利于精确检索,更能体现专业数据库的特殊性。在数据库的使用方面,各个图书馆可根据自己的使用情况核算成本,应选择数据库内容和检索系统收录质量较高、综合优势较强的平台。     

Communicating the Value of Cartoon Art Across University Classrooms: Experiences From the Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum

ABSTRACT

This article is an exploration of the varying applications of comics and cartoon art as primary resources and pedagogical tools within the university setting. Following some background information on cartoon art forms including early American newspaper comics, nineteenth century humor serials, political cartoons and manga, the article explores how the perception of comics has changed and suggests ways librarians can work with academics to better utilize comics and cartoon art as educational resources. Drawing on the literature and the author's experience of working with Faculty and students at The Ohio State University, this article highlights ways to embed comics and cartoon art into the curriculum in disciplines ranging from Women's Studies to Psychology, ESL, History, Fashion, and more. The article aims to serve as a springboard for “thinking outside of the box” to maximize the value and use of library collections.     

Welcome to Art City: Place‐based Education through a Local Museum

Abstract The town of Springville, Utah, has a multi‐faceted relationship with its Museum of Art. The museum reflects and preserves the ethnic and cultural identity of the area, including its history, its landscapes, and its philosophy/religion. Through place‐based education—including observation and activities—k‐12 children and youth are given opportunities to experience their local culture on multiple levels. As museum artifacts are carefully chosen and lessons are purposefully structured, students receive cognitive, creative, and social benefits as well. Museum educators collaborate with local school personnel, along with educators from nearby Brigham Young University, to produce cross‐disciplinary lesson plans and teaching materials. Benefits Springville educators are finding in place‐based education are included in this article, along with specific ideas for lessons and activities.     

执著的职业情怀与追求——图书馆学专家程亚男先生访谈录

程亚男,原深圳市南山区图书馆馆长,现在已退休.退休后,她依然关注与支持我国图书馆事业的建设与发展,继续贡献着自己的绵薄之力,让人感动.     

“Cyberpals!/Les Cybercopains!”: A Look at Online Museum Visitor Experiences

This article examines approaches to creating museum Web sites that offer quality experiences to online users. In six case studies, museum Web developers in the U.S. and Canada describe how they have made the most of available human and financial resources. The development history of each site offers insights into the origins of a design and its subsequent versions, and describes the influence of institutional missions, philosophies, success indicators—and financial and human resources, the most crucial factors. The study found considerable variety in the backgrounds, expertise, titles and training of people developing Web sites within institutions. Web teams developed “exchange” experiences through online discussion, and by creating links among users, or between museum staff and users. In three case studies, Web sites encouraged visitors to cycle between online and on‐site museum visits. Web developers describe using quantitative and qualitative online audience research strategies. WebTrends^TM software has enabled Web teams to report complex log analyses. Creating online experiences in partnership with users is the intention of Web developers.     

Recollections of Expo 70: Visitors' Experiences and the Retention of Vivid Long‐Term Memories

Abstract This study reports on outcomes of an investigation of visitors' longterm memories of the 1970 Japan World Exposition, Osaka. The paper reports in two parts the emergent outcomes of a study that provides understanding of the nature of visitors' long‐term memories of their experiences in an informal leisure‐time context. First, the paper discusses the common and most dominant recollections that emerged from 48 visitors' memories of this event 34 years ago. An overall explication of visitors' memories of their experiences of the event reveals an interesting mix of reactions: wonderment about the world and the amazing technological advances of the era, blended with personal discomfort and frustrations associated with the memories. These mixed feelings are presented against the backdrop of Japanese national identity re‐emergent on the world stage. Second, an analysis and discussion of qualitative data provides case examples of how three psychological and behavioral factors (affect, agenda fulfillment, and rehearsal) shape the vividness of episodic and/or autobiographical memories of the episodes as they are recalled 34 years later. This paper vividly illustrates the power of qualitative data to illuminate understanding of visitors' long‐term memories and presents some significant issues for museum staff to consider as they plan for visitor experiences that will have lasting impact.     

图书馆与商业网络公司的比较--国家图书馆孙卫总工程师访谈之二

孙总,上期谈到互联网运营商带给图书馆的挑战。我们知道IT技术的发展使图书馆的业务不再具有独家性,网上图书馆的兴起为读者阅读提供了又一片天地。那么,图书馆与商业网络公司的网上图书馆都有哪些不同呢？     

Assessing the Accessibility of Library Tools & Services When You Aren’t an Accessibility Expert: Part 2

Abstract

There are a few studies in library literature that explore accessibility issues from the perspective of students who use assistive technologies for accessibility. As we shared in part one of this two-part series in our column, librarians have extensively explored through usability studies with WAVE and other audit tools how accessible library websites and databases are when using assistive technologies like JAWS. In this column, we asked our blind student worker to journal his experiences navigating our library’s databases. We found this student navigated the databases better than we anticipated. While his experiences regarding the accessibility of the libraries’ electronic services varied, common issues he experienced included navigational issues from menus with expanding capabilities, documents that were not scanned with OCR, and images without alternative text.