Those Loose Ladies: An Examination of Scandalous Puritan Women in Massachusetts From 1635 to 1700

People today act like scandalous women are an invention of the twentieth century. For some reason it is widely believed that women were not promiscuous prior to the hippie days of the sixties or if they are being generous- the twenties. This idea could not be further from the truth because scandalous women have been part of American society since before it was even an “American” society. In fact, the Puritans who settled most of Massachusetts in the seventeenth century were incredibly scandalous people, even by today’s standards. This paper examines scandalous Puritan women in Massachusetts from 1635 to 1700 by looking at social, sexual, and religious crimes and sins. Puritan women have been ignored for most of our history, and it was the goal of this paper to share their stories and dispel the myths and stereotypes surrounding them, while establishing a beginning of female scandal in Massachusetts and the United States

“They Didn’t Teach This in Library School”: Identifying Core Knowledges for Beginning Acquisitions Librarians

Library workers new to acquisitions or taking on new acquisitions duties can find themselves lost without appropriate resources. We often hear the refrain “they didn’t teach this in library school.” Basic introductions to issues confronting acquisitions librarians can be hard to find and out-of-date. Meanwhile, emerging issues are addressed in journal literature, but few reviews of the issues are available to provide background to newcomers. While professional development opportunities strive to provide sure footing to acquisitions newcomers, we can often fall short, leaving our new colleagues feeling adrift. Through a positive and structured discussion we will explore the existing and emerging areas of acquisitions that new librarians, librarians new to acquisitions, and even experienced acquisitions librarians can feel unprepared to navigate. We will use several discussion formats to examine topics like: what new acquisitions librarians don’t (and do) know starting out; areas where we feel most uncertain and unprepared; what we feel is essential knowledge for starting acquisitions librarians; and best formats for delivering professional development in these areas. Results of the discussions will be collected, synthesized, and widely distributed as an agenda for introduction to acquisitions professional development. We hope that they will encourage additional opportunities for professional development based on the expressed needs of new acquisitions librarians

Failures, Flops, and Fiascos: Making the Most of Missing the Mark in Open Pedagogy

We all love to share our success stories, but what about our failed projects? A scholarly communications librarian and an archivist offer examples of planning deficiencies, collaboration challenges, technology inadequacies, and other well-intentioned missteps on their way to developing an open pedagogy service. The presenters will share how looking closely at our best laid plans and how they went astray has honed their vision of instructional and repository support for open pedagogy projects. The presenters conclude by guiding an interactive discussion on why projects implode, lessons learned, and how to embrace failure as a path to iterative improvement

Informing the ‘early years’ agenda in Scotland: understanding infant feeding patterns using linked datasets

Background: Providing infants with the ‘best possible start in life’ is a priority for the Scottish Government. This is reflected in policy and health promotion strategies to increase breast feeding, which gives the best source of nutrients for healthy infant growth and development. However, the rate of breast feeding in Scotland remains one of the lowest in Europe. Information is needed to provide a better understanding of infant feeding and its impact on child health. This paper describes the development of a unique population-wide resource created to explore infant feeding and child health in Scotland. Methods: Descriptive and multivariate analyses of linked routine/administrative maternal and infant health records for 731 595 infants born in Scotland between 1997 and 2009. Results: A linked dataset was created containing a wide range of background, parental, maternal, birth and health service characteristics for a representative sample of infants born in Scotland over the study period. There was high coverage and completeness of infant feeding and other demographic, maternal and infant records. The results confirmed the importance of an enabling environment—cultural, family, health service and other maternal and infant health-related factors—in increasing the likelihood to breast feed. Conclusions: Using the linked dataset, it was possible to investigate the determinants of breast feeding for a representative sample of Scottish infants born between 1997 and 2009. The linked dataset is an important resource that has potential uses in research, policy design and targeting intervention programmes

Decoding the Scholarly Resources Marketplace

Developed with input from a variety of library workers and industry representatives, this session will provide a current and concise introduction to the scholarly resource marketplace for academic libraries, highlighting the financial and functional connections between major market actors providing services and content to libraries. Discussions of vendor relations in libraries have often focused on the interpersonal collaboration of library workers and vendor representatives. In the process, they have overlooked or neglected the connections between publishers and vendors, their parent corporations and subsidiary companies. Decoding requires a focus on vocabulary and building shared understanding of the marketplace for scholarly resources. In libraries, we may use vendor names as shorthand, creating a jargon barrier which can impede understanding and efforts. To this purpose, the speakers will provide succinct and clarifying descriptions and overviews of the market actors, their market shares, and their subsidiary and parent business relationships. In this introductory session, the speakers will seek to decode and communicate the current scholarly resource marketplace, providing a practical overview to the market forces at play that should inform collection strategies and decision making

I Never Had to Use the Library in High School : A Library Instruction Program for At-Risk Students

Most academic library instruction is limited to one class period, despite empirical evidence that this approach is likely less effective than more sustained instruction. To determine if additional sessions would boost student learning and reduce library anxiety, the authors collaborated with representatives from a program for at-risk undergraduates to develop a three-workshop model for basic instruction and orientation. They first delivered the program during the summer of 2012 and subsequently offered it to three additional groups of students, including a cohort of doctoral students in the sciences. This article describes the process of designing the workshops and evaluating their effectiveness, with special attention to demonstrating how the program supported the parent institution’s goals and mission

Challenges and Feasibility of Rural Arts-Based Economic Development: A Case Study of Chatham County, North Carolina

In recent years, economic development practitioners and planners have begun to recognize the role of the arts in the production and exchange processes that drive regional economies and their usefulness in downtown revitalization and other aspects of economic sustainability, particularly for rural areas and small towns. However, challenges in facilitating arts-based economic development strategies are not well documented or understood. In this report, Chatham County, North Carolina, a rural county in the southern Research Triangle region, is presented as a case study of the interaction between economic development practitioners, artists, and intermediary organizations in their attempts to create and envision arts-based economic development strategies. This study explores opinions and preferences for this type of planning policy before its adoption into an overall economic development strategy in this location. Significant challenges identified include unclear definition of roles for arts support organizations, confusion about the role of government subsidies in the arts and economic development, difficulties in understanding the costs and benefits of an arts-based strategy as opposed to other methods of economic or community development, challenges for local government and organizations in working with artists due to a lack of formal organization, and historic divisions based on race, class, and politics heightened by controversy over proposed residential development. Effective strategies to mediate these challenges could include establishing leaders who can facilitate "translation" between groups and propose mutually beneficial projects, and generating support for intra- and inter-group activities. While "success stories" are valuable, it is important to also reflect on possible challenges and obstacles to implementation when attempting innovative policy actions.Master of City and Regional Plannin

Is ILL Enough? Examining ILL Demand After Journal Cancellations at Three North Carolina Universities

Interlibrary loan has traditionally been offered as a substitute method of access for low-use titles during cancellation projects. There has been little current research about the impact that cancellation actually has on interlibrary loan demand. Universities in North Carolina experienced severe budget reductions in 2011–2012, resulting in dramatic serials cancellations. This paper examines interlibrary loan demand for journal titles cancelled during budget reductions at three North Carolina schools since time of cancellation. We will also address factors that mitigate interlibrary loan demand, including the diverse structure of cancellation projects at the different institutions. The panel will discuss implications of these data for future journal cancellation projects as well as implications for publishers, database providers, and the future of scholarly communication

2005 DCRP Best Master's Project: Challenges and Feasibility of Rural Arts-Based Economic Development: A Case Study of Chatham County, North Carolina

The following is an adapted excerpt from a longer paper by Rachel Fleming. The complete essay was winner of the 2005 DCRP Best Master’s Project. In recent years, economic development practitioners and planners have begun to recognize the role of the arts in regional economies and their use in downtown revitalization and other aspects of economic sustainability, particularly for rural areas and small towns. However, challenges in facilitating arts-based economic development strategies are not well documented or understood. This report examines Chatham County, North Carolina, and its residents’ attempts to create and envision arts-based economic development strategies. Challenges were identified, including unclear roles for arts support organizations, disagreements about government subsidies, difficulties in weighing the costs and benefits of an arts-based strategy versus other methods of economic or community development, obstacles (perceived and real) for local government and organizations in working with artists, and historic divisions based on race, class, and politics. Strategies to mediate these challenges are suggested

Understanding energy-related regimes: A participatory approach from central Australia

AbstractFor a particular community, what energy-related innovations constitute no-regrets strategies? We present a methodology to understand how alternative energy consuming activities and policy regimes impact on current and future liveability of socio-culturally diverse communities facing climate change. Our methodology augments the energy policy literature by harnessing three concepts (collaborative governance, innovation and political economic regime of provisioning) to support dialogue around changing energy-related activities. We convened workshops in Alice Springs, Australia to build capability to identify no-regrets energy-related housing or transport activities and strategies. In preparation, we interviewed policy actors and constructed three new housing-related future scenarios. After discussing the scenarios, policy and research actors prioritised five socio-technical activities or strategies. Evaluations indicate participants enjoyed opportunities given by the methodology to have focussed discussions about activities and innovation, while requesting more socially nuanced scenario storylines. We discuss implications for theory and technique development