Azimuth laying system Patent

Inertial gimbal alignment system for spacecraft guidanc

Keeping California cool: Recent cool community developments

In 2006, California introduced the Global Warming Solutions Act (Assembly Bill 32), which requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. "Cool community" strategies, including cool roofs, cool pavements, cool walls and urban vegetation, have been identified as voluntary measures with potential to reduce statewide emissions. In addition, cool community strategies provide co-benefits for residents of California, such as reduced utility bills, improved air quality and enhanced urban livability. To achieve these savings, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has worked with state and local officials, non-profit organizations, school districts, utilities, and manufacturers for 4 years to advance the science and implementation of cool community strategies. This paper summarizes the accomplishments of this program, as well as recent developments in cool community policy in California and other national and international efforts. We also outline lessons learned from these efforts to characterize successful programs and policies to be replicated in the future

Nonclassicality of a photon-subtracted Gaussian field

Published versio

Virtual interviews vs. in person interviews: Factors Influencing Researchers to Conduct Virtual Interviews

Virtual interviews are a valuable tool to save time and money and to protect the health and safety of a researcher and their research participants. This study looked at the efficacy of virtual interviews as a research method, as well as positive and negative aspects the software tools used to facilitate virtual interviews. Despite some technical difficulties, especially with automated transcription tools, surveyed researchers reported satisfaction with virtual interviews and a desire to use this interview format again in future to save time, money, inconvenience, and potential health hazards associated with travelling for in-person interviews

Understanding and describing users’ wayfinding behavior in public library facilities

Wayfinding is the study of how humans use a variety of informational media to orient themselves and navigate in a space, such as a library. This multi-method case study tested the applicability of a wayfinding framework developed in architecture to a public library environment. Research methods included unobtrusive observation of a random sample of users’ wayfinding in the facility and interviews with a convenience sample of users to discuss their wayfinding behavior. Patrons used various wayfinding behaviors in the facility, some corresponding to the framework, but other behaviors did not fit into the existing framework and not all aspects of the framework were observed or expressed. Additional research is necessary to investigate more fully the degree to which the framework validly describes how library users wayfind. Results have value for librarians, architects and interior designers, all of whom may apply findings toward their work designing facilities that are intuitive to navigate

Experiencing Research Firsthand: The “unClassroom” Experiential Learning Approach to Teaching Research Methods in an LIS Master’s Program

Research methods education in LIS master’s degree programs is facing several difficult questions: should a methods course be required, what content should be taught in that course, and what is the most effective mechanism for teaching that content. There is little consensus about what should be taught or how, but the American Library Association, LIS educators, and many practitioners seem to agree that research methods are vital skills for 21st century LIS practitioners. This paper reports on an experiential learning opportunity called the “unClassroom,” which afforded LIS master’s students the chance to complete a research project in one semester for an outside client (a statewide library consortium). The effectiveness of the unClassroom to teach research methods surpassed expectations and provides a model that may be of interest to other research methods educators in LIS master’s programs

Finding Their Way: How Public Library Users Wayfind

A multi-method case study research design, guided by Passini\u27s conceptual framework of wayfinding, was employed to investigate library user wayfinding behavior within the entry area of a medium-sized public library facility. The case study research design included document review of the library\u27s wayfinding information system; unobtrusive observation of library user wayfinding behavior; intensive interviews with library users to discuss their views on wayfinding in the library; and an expert review with library staff and a library wayfinding and signage expert to validate research findings. Overall, the study found library users\u27 wayfinding behavior to be generally inconsistent over time, but that there are users who stick to predominant segments (those segments used heavily to connect two particular nodes, or stops). Those segments tend to be the straightest or most direct segments connecting two given nodes. Also, users appear to employ Passini\u27s wayfinding styles more often than his wayfinding strategies, but additional research is needed that delves more deeply into these cognitive processes

If you shrink it, will they still succeed? Comparing the effectiveness of pedagogical models for accelerated learning in an online master’s degree program

Distance education has been a common program modality in Library and Information Studies for well over two decades. Multiple universities have offered fully online or hybrid Master’s of Library and Information Studies degrees in the traditional academic calendar (e.g., semester or quarter). In Fall 2021, the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Studies launched the first accelerated online Master’s of Library and Information Studies degree in the United States. All courses are offered in seven-week sessions, with a total of six of these sessions offered each academic year. This paper will detail one faculty member’s process of converting semester-long (14-week) courses to the accelerated calendar. Three models were employed: (1) using half-weeks so that a course could retain 14 topics with multi-week projects, (2) collapsing topics to focus on key content areas in a weekly format with weekly activities, and (3) using project-based modules where students engage with learning materials for 1-2 weeks then have a dedicated week to complete a project. Each model is discussed in detail, including what the model entails, how the model was implemented in the course(s), and the pros and cons of the model for instructors and students. This paper is of interest to anyone working in distance learning modalities, especially in higher education. The three pedagogical models employed in converting courses from 14-week semesters to 7-week sessions can be applied in a variety of disciplines, and in different semester lengths

Library Adoption and Use of GIS as an Information Sharing Tool during the Covid-19 Pandemic

During the Covid-19 pandemic, libraries closed their physical facilities, offered shorter hours, rearranged and removed furniture, shifted to distance service provision, and used geographic information systems to support information sharing. For several decades, library and information studies have used geographic information systems for multiple purposes, and this occurred more than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic. This research investigated different ways libraries and library agencies have been using geographic information systems to support information and resource sharing during the Covid-19 pandemic. The overarching goal was to demonstrate how libraries provide value to local communities and society. Interview research identified multiple mapping projects undertaken either in relation to or during the Covid-19 pandemic, including maps depicting public access to Wi-Fi Internet, library building status, inter-library loan receiving and sending status of libraries, and library usage data, as well as a state Covid-19 data dashboard. Interviewees reported using geographic information systems for ease of use, interactive data displays, comparing multiple data points, increasing engagement and awareness, tailoring services, and currency of reporting. Now that they have made some maps and seen how helpful the maps are for access, interviewees had many ideas for expansion of new mapping projects going forward

What Happens When You Let the Hunger Games Loose? An Evaluation of Temptation Bundling as a Behavior Change for Good Strategy in the StepUp Program

Temptation bundling, an intervention involving the coupling of instantly gratifying activities with activities that provide long-term benefits but require some exertion of willpower, is a novel behavior change strategy. To date, despite the short and long-term benefits of such an approach, only one study has evaluated its efficacy in the field. This work found that restricting participants’ listening of tempting audiobooks to the gym improved participants’ gym visitation rates. In a subsequent forthcoming mega-study, receipt of a free audiobook, even when participants received no explicit instruction on temptation bundling as a behavior change strategy, again drove improvements in participants’ gym visits. These mega-study results raise an important question regarding whether temptation bundle can be intuited and applied as a motivational strategy even without explicit instruction. Two online surveys were conducted in which participants reviewed content identical to that of the mega-study sign-up and assessed the audiobook’s motivational value (Study 1) and intended use (Study 2). Findings indicate the strategy of temptation bundling can both be deduced from the mere receipt of a free audiobook (Study 2), and viewed as a valuable motivator of gym attendance (Study 1). Both studies support the value of temptation bundling as a behavior change technique, and offer suggestive evidence of its use as a potentially scalable, low-cost intervention to promote behavior change for good