Guest Editorial

This special issue, Volume 14, Issue 2, features both new essays and reprints of pieces from past issues that are relevant to the theme of preparing teacher candidates to work effectively with families and communities. It offers each of us the opportunity to re-imagine the way we prepare our pre-service candidates for the challenges of today’s classrooms

Take Me Out: Space and Place in Library Interactions

Information interactions are strongly affected by the place where they occur. Specific locations are ofen associated with searches on particular topics, and individual users perform different tasks in habituated places. A classic example of habituated space is the commuter who regularly reads the news on the train. This paper investigates these associations through four user studies that examine different uses of place in information interaction. Through this, we reveal the ways in which the location of information interactions makes them effective or ineffective. This extends our interpretation of the role of place in information interaction beyond established foci such as location-based search

A model for the cost of doing a cost estimate

A model for estimating the cost required to do a cost estimate for Deep Space Network (DSN) projects that range from $0.1 to$100 million is presented. The cost of the cost estimate in thousands of dollars, C(sub E), is found to be approximately given by C(sub E) = K((C(sub p))(sup 0.35)) where C(sub p) is the cost of the project being estimated in millions of dollars and K is a constant depending on the accuracy of the estimate. For an order-of-magnitude estimate, K = 24; for a budget estimate, K = 60; and for a definitive estimate, K = 115. That is, for a specific project, the cost of doing a budget estimate is about 2.5 times as much as that for an order-of-magnitude estimate, and a definitive estimate costs about twice as much as a budget estimate. Use of this model should help provide the level of resources required for doing cost estimates and, as a result, provide insights towards more accurate estimates with less potential for cost overruns

Dynamics of coupled vortices in layered magnetic nanodots

The spin dynamics are calculated for a model system consisting of magnetically soft, layered nanomagnets, in which two ferromagnetic (F) cylindrical dots, each with a magnetic vortex ground state, are separated by a non-magnetic spacer (N). This permits a study of the effects of interlayer magnetostatic interactions on the vortex dynamics. The system was explored by applying the equations of motion for the vortex core positions. The restoring force was calculated taking into account the magnetostatic interactions assuming a realistic surface charge free spin distribution. For tri-layer F/N/F dots with opposite chiralities and the same core polarizations (lowest energy state), two eigenmodes are predicted analytically and confirmed via micromagnetic simulations. One mode is in the sub-GHz range for submicron dot diameters and corresponds to quasi-circular rotation of the cores about the dot center. A second mode is in the MHz range corresponding to a small amplitude rotation of the mean core position. The eigenfrequencies depend strongly on the geometrical parameters of the system, suggesting that magnetostatic effects play a dominant role in determining the vortex dynamics.Comment: One PDF file including text and 4 figure

Relationships with Families: Have Educators Overlooked a Critical Piece of the Puzzle?

While the importance of a professional teacher’s collaboration with diverse families is clearly highlighted in the US Department of Education’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and in US teaching standards, research consistently reports that teachers feel unprepared to do this aspect of their work. The failure of the teaching profession to grow in partnering with families is a persistent and puzzling challenge in education. In this article, we argue that educators often overlook a critical piece of that puzzle. A foundational step in building effective partnerships with families is the development of relationships with parents. A careful review of the literature indicates that these relationships require intentional development. We offer specific strategies around six key concepts, drawn from the literature, for use by in-service and pre-service teachers. These strategies hold promise to improve professional practice through the building of meaningful relationships with families

The emergence of digital services in the Scottish public library sector: a survey

In an era of unprecedented technological innovation and evolving user expectations and information seeking behaviour (Leong, 2008; Parry, 2008), a review of emerging public library (PL) digital services is important and timely. We are now an online society, with digital services increasingly common and increasingly preferred (Tonta, 2008). As a trusted source of public information, PLs are in an advantageous position to respond. However, evidence suggests that many PL websites are little more than 'digitised leaflets' or directory listings within parent local authority (LA) websites (Harden, 2007; McMenemy, 2007), and a recent UK report found that while overall visitor numbers to such LA websites increased by 21.7% in 2009, user satisfaction dropped by 18% (Socitm, 2010). An associated issue is how to present digital information to the public 'without confusion, duplication of effort and in a user friendly way' (Atherton, 2002), particularly common services with shared goals such as lifelong learning, community development, and health & wellbeing. Challenges include limited definition of digital services and PL role, the nascent state of digital service design (Williams et al, 2008), and limited empirical evidence of digital collaboration, or broader evaluations of PL Internet services (Aitta, 2007). We believe this to be the first extensive survey of its kind, which comprehensively identifies and reports on emerging PL digital services across a devolved jurisdiction of the UK, encompassing 32 PLs. Extent and range of digital services is identified, including emergent trends, and the role of the PL as either content provider or access provider

Getting creative in everyday life: Investigating arts and crafts hobbyists' information behavior

While there has been increasing interest in how creative professionals find information to drive creative outputs, previous information behavior research has largely ignored how arts and crafts hobbyists look for information sources in their everyday lives. To fill this literature gap, we conducted interviews and observations with arts and crafts hobbyists to find out how they conceive potential DIY projects. The findings highlight three themes: the dearth of human sources, the prevalence of domain-specific information, and the use of self-curated information. In addition to empirical results, this work also broadens the understanding of information behavior in an arts and crafts context by studying populations beyond professional artists

Bubble Growth in Superfluid 3-He: The Dynamics of the Curved A-B Interface

We study the hydrodynamics of the A-B interface with finite curvature. The interface tension is shown to enhance both the transition velocity and the amplitudes of second sound. In addition, the magnetic signals emitted by the growing bubble are calculated, and the interaction between many growing bubbles is considered.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX, ITP-UH 11/9