Toward a Library Renaissance

For centuries, librarians have tried to safeguard information, sometimes in the face of destruction. Think of the great Library of Alexandria, the burning of which symbolizes the irretrievable loss of knowledge. Think also of Umberto Eco\u27s novel, The Name of the Rose, and the (fictitious) 14th-century story about the search for a lost volume of Aristotle that no one is allowed to read—but yet must be preserved—because it might reveal that Jesus could and did laugh, contrary to the death-obsessed zeitgeist of the time. Fast-forward to the age of the internet, when some fear libraries are again being destroyed and many ask: Who wants libraries when you have Google? This is not an easy question to address but one need not yield to pessimism. This paper argues that identifiable trends direct to a promising future: in light of these, one should be able to circumscribe plausible scenarios. Approaches to strategic planning that count on ownership should make a big difference and point to desirable skills for librarians. If they also invest in resilience and give unequivocal attention to branding, libraries can enjoy a renaissance

A pragmatics' view of patient identification.

Patient identification is a central safety critical aspect of healthcare work. Most healthcare activities require identification of patients by healthcare staff, often in connection with the use of patient records. Indeed, the increasing reliance on electronic systems makes the correct matching of patients with their records a keystone for patient safety. Most research on patient identification has been carried out in hospital settings. The aim was to investigate the process of identification of patients and their records in the context of a primary healthcare clinic

Walk alongside: co-designing social initiatives with people experiencing vulnerabilities

The new VCOSS report, Walk alongside: Co-designing social initiatives with people experiencing vulnerabilities, invites people to challenge their thinking about social problems and the people affected by them, as well as the way government and the community sector works with them. It encourages us to genuinely connect with people experiencing vulnerabilities so as to understand their world, their aspirations and the solutions that will work best for them. The report describes the value of co-design: a ‘ground-up’ approach to service design that begins by asking people what their needs are, and then exploring possible solutions with them. It is characterised by the pursuit of social transformation, and focuses on positive goals of growth, wellbeing and social cohesion. Critical to this approach are the mentalities and mindsets that underlie a co-design practitioner’s thinking. The report describes a co-designer as being open and responsive to new insights, reflective about their own assumptions and holding belief in the creative potential of the people they are working with

This American Suburb: Fossil Fuels, Personal Misconceptions, and Loss of Community

How did we come to live this way? The modern suburb has become synonymous with the American dream and yet its inception is still rather new. This work examines the creation of this way of life thanks to the ready availability of cheap fuels and questionable modes of thinking. In light of the energy crisis these vast expanses of homes may not be able to sustain themselves after the peak consumption of oil. In light of this possibility, the author questions what these people will be missing since the sense of community has all but been lost in these areas and personal isolation continues to increase