Mobile Device Policies in Archive Reading Rooms

Humanities scholars increasingly use mobile devices such as laptops, iPhones, and iPads in their professional lives. We are exploring the opportunities for employing such devices for supporting scholarly activities in archive reading rooms. As a first step in this process, we are studying how reading room policies related to the use of technological devices impact scholars’ interaction with the source materials in terms of capturing, organizing, note taking, and record keeping for future use of found materials. We studied the policy documents made available by thirty archives and complemented the results by soliciting the perspectives of administrators who craft these policies and scholars who use these archives. We present our analysis and an early prototype of a policy awareness mobile application called AMTracker.Informatio

Technological Devices in the Archives: A Policy Analysis

Doing research in the archive is the cornerstone of humanities scholarship. Various archives institute policies regarding the use of technological devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, and cameras in their reading rooms. Such policies directly affect the scholars as the devices mediate the nature of their interaction with the source materials in terms of capturing, organizing, note taking, and record keeping for future use of found materials. In this paper, we present our analysis of the policies of thirty archives regarding the use of technology in their reading rooms. This policy analysis, along with data from interviews of scholars and archivists, is intended to serve as a basis for developing mobile applications for assisting scholars in their research activities. In this paper we introduce an early prototype of such a mobile application— AMTracker.Informatio

DeWitt Wallace Library Biennial Report 2011-2013

Summary of library activities for 2011-201

Designed and user-generated activity in the mobile age

The paper addresses the question of how to design for learning taking place on mobile and wireless devices. The authors argue that learning activity designers need to consider the characteristics of mobile learning; at the same time, it is vital to realise that learners are already creating mobile learning experiences for themselves. Profound changes in computer usage brought about by social networking and user-generated content are challenging the idea that educators are in charge of designing learning. The authors make a distinction between designed activity, carefully crafted in advance, and user-generated activity arising from learners’ own spontaneous requirements. The paper illustrates what each approach has to offer and it draws out what they have in common, the opportunities and constraints they represent. The paper concludes that user-generated mobile activity will not replace designed activity but it will influence the ways in which designed activity develops

Collective awareness platforms and digital social innovation mediating consensus seeking in problem situations

In this paper we show the results of our studies carried out in the framework of the European Project SciCafe2.0 in the area of Participatory Engagement models. We present a methodological approach built on participative engagements models and holistic framework for problem situation clarification and solution impacts assessment. Several online platforms for social engagement have been analysed to extract the main patterns of participative engagement. We present our own experiments through the SciCafe2.0 Platform and our insights from requirements elicitation

Teaching archive skills: a pedagogical journey with impact

This article considers the pedagogical practice of the Special Collections staff team at the University of Sussex and the impact of the group visit experience on student learning. It addresses our current group visit teaching offer to students at the University of Sussex and our move to a more student-led active learning approach. It considers the use of the ‘pedagogical toolkit’ including technology within the classroom, and the creation of a document identification form to encourage critical thinking. Our aim for any group visit is to provide a positive first experience and get students enthused about using archives. In 2017 we undertook our own impact study, detailed within the article, to follow the student journey with the intention of finding out if students returned to use archives for their studies as a result of their group visit. Moving forward, this article considers our future activities in response to the impact study and institutional initiatives

Exploring language contact and use among globally mobile populations: a qualitative study of English-speaking short-stay academic sojourners in the Republic of Korea

This study explores the language contact and use of English speaking sojourners in the Republic of Korea who had no prior knowledge of Korean language or culture prior to arriving in the country. The study focuses on the use of mobile technology assisted l anguage use. Study participants responded to an online survey about their experiences using the Korean language when interacting with Korean speakers, their free time activities, and the types of digital and mobile technologies they used. The survey respon ses informed questions for later discussion groups, in which participants discussed challenges and solutions when encountering new linguistic and social scenarios with Korean speakers. Semi structured interviews were employed to examine the linguistic, soc ial and technological dimensions of the study participants’ brief sojourn in Korea in more depth. The interviews revealed a link between language contact, language use and a mobile instant messaging application. In the second phase of the study, online surveys focused on the language and technology link discovered in the first phase. Throughout Phase Two , the researcher observed the study participants in a series of social contexts, such as informal English practice and university events. Phase Two concluded with semi structured interviews that demonstrated language contact and use within mobile instant messaging chat rooms on participants’ handheld smart devices. The two phases revealed three key factors influencing the language contact and use between the study participants and Korean speakers. Firstly, a mutual perspicacity for mobile technologies and digital communication supported their mediated, screen to screen and blended direct and mediated face to screen interactions. Secondly, Korea’s advanced digital environment comprised handheld smart devices, smart device applications and ubiquitous, high speed Wi Fi their Korean speaking hosts to self reliance. Thirdly, language use between the study participants and Korean speakers incorporated a range of sociolinguistic resources including the exchange of symbols, small expressive images, photographs, video and audio recordings along with or in place of typed text. Using these resources also helped the study participants learn and take part in social and cultural practices, such as gifting digitally, within mobile instant messaging chat rooms. The findings of the study are drawn together in a new conceptual model which h as been called sociolinguistic digital acuity , highlighting the optimal conditions for language contact and use during a brief sojourn in a country with an unfamiliar language and culture

Equity in the Digital Age: How Health Information Technology Can Reduce Disparities

While enormous medical and technological advancements have been made over the last century, it is only very recently that there have been similar rates of development in the field of health information technology (HIT).This report examines some of the advancements in HIT and its potential to shape the future health care experiences of consumers. Combined with better data collection, HIT offers signi?cant opportunities to improve access to care, enhance health care quality, and create targeted strategies that help promote health equity. We must also keep in mind that technology gaps exist, particularly among communities of color, immigrants, and people who do not speak English well. HIT implementation must be done in a manner that responds to the needs of all populations to make sure that it enhances access, facilitates enrollment, and improves quality in a way that does not exacerbate existing health disparities for the most marginalized and underserved

To Scan or Not to Scan

Librarians and archivists have made great strides in making collections discoverable and accessible to a wide audience by creating electronic finding aids, digitizing materials and using social media, but modern researchers want more. Their research needs, practices and expectations are rapidly changing both in academia and in many other areas. Researchers are looking for quick, painless access to primary resource materials and the ability to use new communication technology mechanisms to gain this access. The authors of this study were interested in the policies and practices of academic special libraries in the United States and Canada. Did they permit scanning/capture access through these new technologies? If they do not, why? If they do, why and how? What are the challenges of allowing personal scanning devices in a special collections library or archive? The authors wish to look at this timely topic of allowing personal scanning devices in special collections libraries and initiate further discussion on the issue