An Enhanced Robotic Library System for an Off-Site Shelving Facility

This paper describes our continued work of a unique robotics project, Comprehensive Access to Printed Materials (CAPM), within the context of libraries. As libraries provide a growing array of digital library services and resources, they continue to acquire large quantities of printed material. This combined pressure of providing electronic and print-based resources and services has led to severe space constraints for many libraries, especially academic research libraries. Consequently, many libraries have built or plan to build off-site shelving facilities to accommodate printed materials. However, given that these locations are not usually within walking distance of the main library, access to these materials, specifically the ability to browse, is greatly reduced. Libraries with such facilities offer extensive physical delivery options from these facilities, sometimes offering multiple deliveries per day. Even with such delivery options, the ability to browse in real-time remains absent. The goal of the CAPM Project is to build a robotic, on-demand and batch scanning system that will allow for real-time browsing of printed materials through a web interface. We envisage the system will work as follows: an end user will identify that a monograph is located in an off-site facility. The user will engage the CAPM system that, in turn, will initiate a robot that will retrieve the requested item. The robot will deliver this item to another robotic system that will open the item and turn the pages automatically

Adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Library Parlance: Issues and Benefits

That AI has permeated all aspects of human endevour is a statement of fact. Indeed, the applications of AI technology will be the finest technology to give a boost to core sectors and help Nigeria for a fastest digitization. This study on the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in library parlance: issues and benefits focuses on the concept of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence in library operations such as applications of expert systems in reference service, cataloguing, classification, indexing, and acquisition; applications of natural language processing in library activities, application of pattern recognition in library activities, applications of robotics in the library activities. The paper also looks at issues with artificial intelligence in libraries such as financial uncertainty, emerging skill gaps, resistance to change in workflow processes and adoption of new technologies including the fear of AI\u27s possible risks among others. Furthermore, the benefits derivable by the adoption of AI in library operations which include but not limited to improve operational efficiency, engage larger audiences through better user experience and new services, help librarians achieve their new goals, establish a strong foothold for libraries in the new scholarly information landscape among others are discussed. Finally, a conclusion with a call for libraries to re-position themselves to take relative advantage of artificial intelligence was advanced

Strategic Developments in Collection Storage of Libraries and Archives – Architectural, Technical, Political

Over the past decade there have been significant developments in the storage conditions of library and archive collections. These range from using the thermal mass of a building itself to help control the environment within which collections are housed, to increased attempts at creating sustainable, “green” buildings to adapting elements from warehousing and the retail sectors to manage daily operational tasks. There is currently a considerable amount of collection storage activity going on world-wide. In Australia, two of the State Libraries and the National Library of Australia are designing new storage facilities, while in the United States the Library of Congress is building in two off-site locations. Denmark, after the recent cross-domain national Danish preservation strategy, is planning to spend several million Euro on storage for museums, libraries and archives over the next 5 years. The Deutsche Bibliothek is planning a new store in Leipzig, while the National Libraries of Canada and Sweden are also planning new storage facilities. In Britain, Oxford University Library and the British Library are planning new facilities; and Cambridge University Library is constructing a phased extension to its current building and exploring funding for a final phase. Perhaps more important, there are significant developments underway that will affect the storage of library collections in the future. These include not only the architectural aspect of how collections are stored, but also the publishing perspective about the future shape of what collections are to be stored and the organisational perspective of who stores material in the future. This paper makes some observations about trends in library buildings and trends in collection storage, and quotes examples of some recent building projects. Alternative storage solutions to actually constructing a building are considered. This is followed by observations of some developments that will affect what exactly will need to be stored, centring on trends in publishing and on research into the future shape of the publishing output to the year 2020, in both print and digital formats. This research is supported by expert views canvassed from international comparator libraries about their future collections. Brief mention is made of other professional and political developments that could have an impact on what libraries will be storing, such as collaborative storage. The current major building programme being planned at the British Library is used to illustrate recent technical developments, for example the adaptation of warehouse technology, the use of automated retrieval, fire prevention and fire suppression. Finally, mention is made of a couple of future possibilities, such as off-site robotic scanning

The Design and Implementation of Manufacturing Infrastructures

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/822 on 12.04.2017 by CS (TIS)This work addresses the problem of difficulties in the implementation of Computer Aided Production Management systems, and presents a methodology for their implementation which significantly improves on current practice. The methodology provides a structured approach which leads the company through a series of strategic business decisions which establish the context within which the solution must operate. The work focusses attention upon the design of the whole system with respect to the relationship between computerised functions and the infrastructure of human elements which facilitate and govern the system's operation. A model of the tasks involved in production management is presented. The model is used to structure decisions relating to the design of the infrastructure. The research work described proceeded in two distinct stages. In the first stage the author participated with other researchers who jointly developed the framework of the process methodology for CAPM implementation. This stage provides the context for the development of the task model approach to the design of the system, which represents the author's individual contribution (see section 1.8). The task model can be used as a tool to identify the options available for the way each task within production management may be executed, giving the user a basis for the design of a particular system while not advocating any particular solution. By the use of this approach the user is encouraged to consider the options available and to adopt an integrated approach which looks at all areas of production management, not only those for which there is a pressing problem or a tempting solution. This work results in a contribution to the development of the process methodology, the development of a tool in the CAPM task model and a review of the factors involved in the design of a system including both human and computerised elements

Corporate Finance

This Hornbook is an indispensable resource for both legal practitioners focusing on business and finance as well as students taking classes in business associations, corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. The book expertly lays out the fundamentals of corporate finance from a legal and business perspective in a manageable, user-friendly manner. The author highlights how accounting, finance and corporate law intersect and operate synergistically. The book provides an in-depth analysis of how the law affects both equity securities (common stock and preferred stock) and debt securities (bonds, debentures and notes), as well as a company’s capital structure generally.https://digitalcommons.nyls.edu/fac_books/1042/thumbnail.jp

Corporate Finance

This Hornbook is an indispensable resource for both legal practitioners focusing on business and finance as well as students taking classes in business associations, corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. The book expertly lays out the fundamentals of corporate finance from a legal and business perspective in a manageable, user-friendly manner. The author highlights how accounting, finance and corporate law intersect and operate synergistically. The book provides an in-depth analysis of how the law affects both equity securities (common stock and preferred stock) and debt securities (bonds, debentures and notes), as well as a company’s capital structure generally.https://digitalcommons.nyls.edu/fac_books/1042/thumbnail.jp

Emerging Tools for Evaluating Digital Library Services: Conceptual Adaptations of LibQUAL+ and CAPM

The paper describes ways to examine how digital libraries are valued by their users, and explores ways of permitting the allocation of resources to areas of user-identified need. Pertinent models from marketing, economics, and library assessment and evaluation are reviewed, focussing on the application of the LibQUAL+TM and CAPM methodologies. Each methodology, which was developed independently, provides a useful framework for evaluating digital library services. The paper discusses the benefits of a combined methodology that would provide even greater potential for evaluation of digital library services

DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CAPM IN A COMPUTER INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT

The continuing failure of many CAPM implementations in the UK, despite the availability of a large and growing supply of software, gave rise to concern within the academic and user community and highlighted a need for a concerted research effort into the causes of failure. The Science and Engineering Research Council responded to this need by sponsoring a major research initiative into CAPM through its ACME (Application of Computers to Manufacturing Engineering) Directorate. The findings reported in this thesis result from the work carried out for ACME by the author as part of the joint Polytechnic South West/Sheffield Business School research programme under the direction of professors D R Hughes, I S Smith and D R Tranfield. The extent of the work included surveying a large number of manufacturing firms, interviewing suppliers of CAPM systems and services and analysing the data collected from these activities. This resulted in the identification of a number of causes of CAPM failure. A major component of the work then concerned developing an appropriate CAPM design and implementation methodology to address the issues and concerns identified as significant. A clear distinction is made in the thesis between the work carried out by the author as part of the ACME team and the author's own work. The results from the joint effort of the research team are explained together with the author's unique contribution. The concepts of operational performance envelopes and contextually bound computing and information systems infrastructures provide the theoretical foundation to the author's approach. These concepts are utilised within an approach developed by the author which offers a wider ranging approach than is currently available. Existing approaches focus on the development of single point solutions and aim to address particular and current problems only. Such solutions are inappropriate where requirements are subject to rapid and frequent change, as in the manufacturing sector. In contrast the author's approach focuses on the development of a computing and information systems capability with the necessary flexibility to accommodate changing requirements and priorities. In this way a more resilient solution is obtainable

China and the World Financial Markets 1870-1930: Modern Lessons From Historical Globalization

China began to borrow in the world capital markets in the late 19th century, issuing bonds to pay for defense as well as for large-scale economic development. Particularly interesting is the role that the clash between domestic and international investors played in China's 1911 revolution. The protection of external investor rights was perceived at the time as an infringement on Chinese sovereignty. In this paper we interpret the conflict over foreign investor rights in terms of a disequilibrium in the development of financial markets. Europe's high level of investor diversification put her investors at a relative advantage in bidding for development projects in China, while European investor expectations about protection from expropriation and default, lowered Chinese cost of capital, but also led to erosion of national sovereignty and a dramatic, grassroots political backlash. Despite fundamental differences between China today and China 100 years ago it is still important to consider the dangers of an imbalance between domestic and international investor markets, and the mismatch between domestic and foreign expectations about investor protection. The lessons of the last century suggest that China today should consider opening Chinese investor access to foreign capital markets in order to equilibrate the level of diversification between foreign and domestic investors. In addition, protection of domestic corporate investor rights is at least as important as protecting foreign investor rights.