Deterioration and Noise in Technologies of Audio Reproduction

No abstract supplied. This thesis also contains music files - please contact the author if you wish to access these file

A Tale of Two Counties: How Two School Libraries in Rural Western China Serve Local Needs

This report presents a case study of school library programs in two rural counties in Western China. Since 2002, the libraries of Tianzhu and Tongwei high schools have undertaken a series of outreach initiatives to improve local residents’ access to information and to address their cultural and educational needs. Over the past decade, both school libraries have played a leading role in improving the quality of life and enhancing the information literacy of local residents. Tianzhu No. 1 High School Library 天祝一中图书馆—which serves a large Tibetan and other minority populations—has gained a reputation for its oral history of local culture program. This program trains students to conduct interviews with folk artists and scholars and then post their audiovisual recordings on websites. Tongwei No. 1 High School Library 通渭一中图书馆 is known for providing health care information through both in-person workshops and online. Recently, it implemented a tutoring service aimed at teaching residents to use online resources. These programs have been successful and sustainable in part because of the sponsorship and funding of the U.S.-based Evergreen Education Foundation (EEF) 美国青树教育基 金会. This report analyzes the results of these major initiatives, both of which do a great deal to reach out to rural residents, particularly farmers and the elderly

Internet Mediated NGO Activity: How Environmental NGOs use Weibo in China

This thesis uses an interdisciplinary approach that draws on both the political science and media and communication fields to analyse how Chinese environmental NGOs use the microblogging site, Sina Weibo, in their online activism. The study of NGOs and how they use the internet in China is widespread. However, in many cases, the way that NGOs in China work, both online and offline, has been analysed through the lens of traditional civil society and internet studies literature, which has mostly focused on the ability of NGOs, and the internet, to give rise to significant political change, and even democratisation.Through a mixture of thematic, network, and organisational analysis, this thesis investigates the communicative functions, themes, and use of interactive features in posts on Weibo, including the use of hashtags, retweets and @mentions. At the organisational level, the ways that NGOs engage with different actors, both online and offline, including fellow NGOs, government departments, their followers, and potential donors are interrogated using four case studies. These analyses found that although the political space afforded to environmental NGOs in China is severely constrained, and the operations of the NGOs could not be seen as overtly activist or confrontational in the traditional sense, the NGOs do in fact retain a certain amount of autonomy and are able to carve out some political space for themselves. The findings of this thesis therefore challenge the notion that NGOs in China are co-opted organisations without autonomy from the state and suggests that there is scope for digital activism by NGOs in an authoritarian context, even though the online and offline political space they inhabit may be tightly regulated and controlled

Webometric Analysis of Deemed University Websites in India

This paper examines Webometric analysis the website of deemed universities in India. This study covered 125 deemed universities in India. The researcher identified and classified the four domains like State Universities, Central Universities, Deemed Universities and Private Universities. The researcher found that, out of 21 states, Tamil Nadu has a maximum of 28 (22.40%) universities, it is followed by Maharashtra 21(16.8%). The study calculated the Internal Link, External Link, back link and Size of the website. The study indicates that the numbers of backlinks are very low comparing to some of internal and external link. The researcher suggested that the websites of deemed universities need to attract more external links and impact factor by introducing novel and creative online sources and services and updates of news and research information

The Exigency and How to Improve and Implement International Humanitarian Legislations More Advantageously in Times of Both Cyber-warfare and Cyberspace

This study provides a synopsis of the following topics: the prospective limiters levied on cyber-warfare by present–day international legislation; significant complexities and contentions brought up in the rendering & utilization of International Humanitarian Legislation against cyber-warfare; feasible repercussions of cyber-warfare on humanitarian causes. It is also to be contended and outlined in this research study that non–state actors can be held accountable for breaches of international humanitarian legislation committed using cyber–ordnance if sufficient resources and skill are made available. It details the factors that prosecutors and investigators must take into account when organizing investigations into major breaches of humanitarian legislation committed in cyber–space, as well as the jurisdictional components of transgressions of the rules and L.o.A.C (Legislation of Armed Conflict). Due to the limitations imposed by both time and space, the planned analysis cannot be thorough; rather, it will have to remain conservative and concentrate on providing a basic grasp of the topics that are most pertinent to the modern practice of statecraft. Furthermore, given the technical and statutory complication of the subject matter as well as the fact that legal research remains in its infancy, the aspiration of this study should remain low to distinguishing matters and placing those in framework. It cannot be the goal of this study to magisterially resolute the prevailing issues that have arisen

Multiethnic Societies of Central Asia and Siberia Represented in Indigenous Oral and Written Literature

Central Asia and Siberia are characterized by multiethnic societies formed by a patchwork of often small ethnic groups. At the same time large parts of them have been dominated by state languages, especially Russian and Chinese. On a local level the languages of the autochthonous people often play a role parallel to the central national language. The contributions of this conference proceeding follow up on topics such as: What was or is collected and how can it be used under changed conditions in the research landscape, how does it help local ethnic communities to understand and preserve their own culture and language? Do the spatially dispersed but often networked collections support research on the ground? What contribution do these collections make to the local languages and cultures against the backdrop of dwindling attention to endangered groups? These and other questions are discussed against the background of the important role libraries and private collections play for multiethnic societies in often remote regions that are difficult to reach

What’s past is prologue: history, current status and future prospects of library development in Bhutan

Purpose This paper aims to outline the history of libraries in Bhutan, to describe the current state of library development and to recommend priority areas for library enhancement. Design/methodology/approach The authors have worked extensively as library professionals in Bhutan and share factual details derived from their personal experience. They review the published literature, particularly the fieldwork of two scholars who studied Bhutan’s libraries and library workers. The authors use their own experience to interpret those findings and make suggestions for future development. Findings The paper briefly traces the evolution of print culture and the history of libraries, exploring monastic, school, college, public and national libraries. The paper examines government policies regarding education and libraries and discusses the acknowledgment of the value of libraries and the lack of actual support. Originality/value There is limited study of the history of reading culture or libraries in Bhutan. The authors document their first-hand experiences and efforts to implement systems for library resource sharing and professional development. The authors hope that this record will serve to illuminate past effort, to describe the unique information environment in Bhutan and to guide future decision-making. The authors recommend many future avenues for study, including reading habits, information-seeking behavior and attitudes toward libraries and librarians