CU2CL: A CUDA-to-OpenCL Translator for Multi- and Many-core Architectures

The use of graphics processing units (GPUs) in high-performance parallel computing continues to become more prevalent, often as part of a heterogeneous system. For years, CUDA has been the de facto programming environment for nearly all general-purpose GPU (GPGPU) applications. In spite of this, the framework is available only on NVIDIA GPUs, traditionally requiring reimplementation in other frameworks in order to utilize additional multi- or many-core devices. On the other hand, OpenCL provides an open and vendorneutral programming environment and runtime system. With implementations available for CPUs, GPUs, and other types of accelerators, OpenCL therefore holds the promise of a “write once, run anywhere” ecosystem for heterogeneous computing. Given the many similarities between CUDA and OpenCL, manually porting a CUDA application to OpenCL is typically straightforward, albeit tedious and error-prone. In response to this issue, we created CU2CL, an automated CUDA-to- OpenCL source-to-source translator that possesses a novel design and clever reuse of the Clang compiler framework. Currently, the CU2CL translator covers the primary constructs found in CUDA runtime API, and we have successfully translated many applications from the CUDA SDK and Rodinia benchmark suite. The performance of our automatically translated applications via CU2CL is on par with their manually ported countparts

Evaluating the Impact of the Newspaper Search Scope: A Natural Experiment

California State University (CSU) librarians have capitalized on a natural experiment that arose when the CSU consortia implemented an opt in newspaper search interface. Five CSU libraries that implemented the newspaper search have been paired with five CSU libraries of similar size and demographic profile that did not implement the new search scope. We calculated the effects on usage and user behavior tied to introducing a specialized Primo newspaper scope by analyzing Primo Analytics data, COUNTER data, and A-Z database list click-through data collected during academic years 2018-2019 (pre-deployment) and 2019-2020 (post-deployment). Presenters will also explain how libraries can set up their own natural experiments as an alternative to A/B testing in Primo. This quasi-experimental panel study, with a treatment group paired with pseudo-control libraries, will help Discovery and Collection Development librarians begin to understand the effects that the newspapers search interface has on their collection use

Demands on Users for Interpretation of Achievement Test Scores: Implications for the Evaluation Profession

Background:  Professional standards for validity of achievement tests have long reflected a consensus that validity is the degree to which evidence and theory support interpretations of test scores entailed by the intended uses of tests.  Yet there are convincing lines of evidence that the standards are not adequately followed in practice, that standards alone are not sufficient guides to action, and that reviewers of tests do not call attention to important kinds of validity evidence that might support the demanding process of making sense of test scores or reasoning from test scores. Purpose: The intent of this article is to make more transparent the demands of achievement test interpretation on users in instructional contexts and to open up a dialogue on implications for the evaluation profession for improvement of practice along lines already set out by evaluation theorists. Setting:  Not applicable. Intervention: Not applicable. Research Design: Not applicable. Data Collection and Analysis: Review of current practice. Findings:  The article makes transparent the lack of attention to validation of achievement tests to support inferences relevant to intended uses in instruction and project evaluation. Elements of a model for the process of reasoning from test scores are articulated. The cognitive demands on the test score user are illustrated in achievement test contexts in writing, science, and mathematics. Implications are drawn for deliberation on issues and for the development of casebooks to guide practice. Keywords:  assessment; test validation; test users; test interpretation&nbsp

Aiding and Abetting: Third-Party Tracking and (In)secure Connections in Public Libraries

Patron privacy, as articulated in the American Library Association (ALA) Code of Ethics, is a longstanding concern for librarians. In online environments, the possibility of tracking by third parties, usage of HTTPS/TLS to provide secure connections, and easy disclosure of a site’s privacy policies all have implications for user privacy. This paper presents new empirical evidence about these issues and discusses their ethical implications. Data about the incidence of third-party tracking, usage of HTTPS by default, and easy discoverability of a privacy policy or terms of service (TOS) were collected for public libraries across Canada and the United States. The sample consisted of 178 public libraries; members of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council and Urban Libraries Council. Several common commercial databases (e.g. OverDrive) were also examined using the same criteria. Results show that only 12% of libraries were devoid of third-party tracking, with Google Analytics being the most common third-party tracker. While libraries may support HTTPS under certain circumstances, it was found that a majority of libraries serve neither their websites nor their online catalogs (OPACs) HTTPS by default. Regarding disclosure of possible tracking, it was found that 58% of libraries did not link to a TOS or privacy policy from their homepage. Together with previous research on the usage of privacy-enhancing tools in public libraries, these results suggest that public libraries are accessories to third-party tracking on a large scale. Implications of this fact in light of library professional ethics are discussed

Comment on “Worldliness and Freedom in the Academy”

A brief examination of the strengths and weaknesses in the essay “Worldliness and Freedom in the Academy” by Sam Popowich; published in the Spring 2023 issue of the AAUP's magazine: Academe

Intellectual Freedom and Alternative Priorities in Library & Information Science Research: A Longitudinal Study

This article presents a bibliometric analysis of the library and information science literature to trace the emphasis that intellectual freedom and neutrality have received relative to an index of alternative and possibly competing topics. Emphasis is captured longitudinally by recording the number of results for various search terms associated with intellectual freedom, neutrality, diversity, equity, and inclusion in Web of Science (WoS) from 1993 through 2020 and Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) from 1970 through 2020. Results show that the number of works mentioning intellectual freedom and neutrality have increased only slightly over the study period in sharp contrast to many entries on the diversity, equity, and inclusion index. Research interests being partially indicative of personal beliefs and professional activity, the impact of this relative change in emphasis on professional practice is discussed. Public controversies regarding library neutrality, intellectual freedom, and freedom of expression in libraries are summarized

Toward a Dialogue: Following Professional Standards on Education Achievement Testing

The authors describe challenges of following professional standards for educational achievement testing due to the complexity of gathering appropriate evidence to support demanding test interpretation and use. Validity evidence has been found to be low for some individual testing standards, leading to the possibility of faulty or impoverished test interpretation and use. In response to this context, measurement professionals have called for a theory of action including behavior changes of multiple agents involved in the testing process. Also, changing roles have been seen for a broad range of agents including test developers, those who influence testing, and those influenced by testing. Some of these roles are discussed and others illustrated with examples from practice. A sociocultural theory of action noted in the literature is proposed as a thematic guide to practice. The paper concludes with a call for dialogue and two research and development tasks that might advance practice

Keeping Search Configuration Options Open

Modern discovery layers allow for a wide variety of design configurations. One essential consideration when creating a search environment is the complexity of search options available to the end user. This multi-campus study took a big data approach and examined 4 years of data collected from the California State University (CSU) libraries and compared user search query behavior across all libraries. There is a lot of research that suggests reducing cognitive overload results in a better user experience. Understanding how users search is key to designing a library which is more accessible to all. When configuring your library catalog, certain questions must be answered, such as whether to cater to advanced librarian query behavior or adopt a simpler, commercial-style approach. Designing for all users involves considering a diverse userbase with a wide range of abilities, keeping edge cases in mind, and building from proven web design principles. Get tips and learnings from this talk

To Pre-filter, or Not to Pre-filter, That Is the Query: A Multi-Campus Big Data Study

Library discovery platforms, which provide searchable user interfaces as their front-facing layer, aggregate tremendous amounts of metadata from multiple data streams describing a wide variety of print and electronic resources. Complicating the matter further, resources may differ in availability or delivery time depending not only on their media but also upon the source of the data stream describing them. How should libraries structure end users' options for searching discovery platforms in light of the many options available? This study used a nonexperimental design and quantitative methods to analyze users' revealed preferences for query type in twenty-four academic libraries in a data set containing metadata, sans queries, for over 64 million searches. Libraries studied were all located in California, used the same discovery layer software, and served similar user and faculty constituencies; however, the number of query types and pre-filtering options available differed between institutions. Results show that, when users were presented with the choice between search options, most conducted simple, more broad searches rather than complex and specific searches. When search options were highly constrained by the default choice architecture, but complex searches were possible, few users opted out of the default simple search. Implications for usability of discovery layers and the motivations of librarians in choice architecture are nontrivial and are discussed. The desires of librarians and "power user" faculty must be balanced with the fact that most users are novices and users of all abilities are largely habituated to commercial search products which emphasize post-search results filtering