Library Economic Metrics: Examples of the Comparison of Electronic and Print Journal Collections and Collection Services

published or submitted for publicatio

Occupational Cultures: Whose Frame Are We Using?

Increasingly, organizations are trying to draw the energy needed to solve problems and innovate from all members of the enterprise. Most of the organizations pursuing this new learning and decision making path must first overcome problems associated with having a mix of occupational groups whose different values, priorities, and decision making strategies frequently produce cultural barriers to overall progress in reframing their culture. These cultural barriers can be thought of as occupational frames that can be both limiting and self-protective. A key strategy to dealing with these barriers can be an educational effort in culture awareness and practical systems theory led by support staff professionals. Those charged with carrying out that type of strategy would be well advised to be familiar with (or refamiliarize themselves with) the underlying theory to both organizational transformation and the impact of occupational frames. These issues are discussed in detail and specific means to overcome these barriers are offered

So many meetings so little time: using IP videoconferencing to revitalize statewide committees

Journal ArticleInternet technologies continue to transform the library profession and redefine how we communicate with professional colleagues and peers. IP (Internet Protocol) videoconferencing provides increased opportunities for librarians to engage in virtual teamwork and e-collaborations. The use of video conferencing by a consortium in Utah has revitalized committee work and continuing education within this large western U.S. state

Identification of Key Predictors of Rapid Change Adaptation in a Service Organization: An Exploratory Study that Also Examines the Link Between Rapid Change Adaptation and Organizational Capability

This exploratory study attempted to identify key predictors of rapid change adaptation in a service organization. The results of this study suggested that rapid change adaptation would be more likely to occur in an organizational setting within which there is an emphasis on process and quality improvement, innovation, rapid technology assimilation, and internal customer focus. Rapid change adaptation was in turn found to be highly associated with the following organizational outcomes: quick product/service introduction, quality performance, productivity, and competitiveness

Estimates of cetacean abundance in the northern Gulf of Mexico from vessel surveys

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) initiated annual, vessel-based visual sampling surveys of northern Gulf of Mexico marine mammals in 1990. The primary goal of these surveys was to meet Marine Mammal Protection Act requirements for estimating abundance and monitoring trends of marine mammal stocks in United States waters. The surveys were designed to collect: 1) marine mammal sighting data to estimate abundance and to determine distribution and diversity; and 2) environmental data to evaluate factors which may affect the distribution, abundance and diversity of marine mammals. The analyses for abundance estimation from the 1991-1994 surveys are presented in this report

The Transition to an Electric Journal Collection: Measuring the Operational and Economic Implications

The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the economic implications of converting the entire current journal collection of a university library to an all digital format. This is an applied research project, the results of which will be useful to those who fund and manage digital library collections as well as other library staff and persons involved in training the library workforce of the future

Issues in the Corporate Workplace

Workforce supply and demand has catapulted women\u27s issues to the forefront of the business agenda. These issues will continue to be the poor stepsisters of other corporate needs, however, unless they are recognized as broad-based workforce issues of the 1990s. The dynamics of women\u27s entrance into the labor market have dramatically changed the structure of the family and consequently the needs of both men and women in the business community. The corporate challenge for the next decade will be to solve creatively the work/family puzzle and establish an environment that supports the full utilization of women in business

Time to first consultation, diagnosis and treatment of TB among patients attending a referral hospital in Northwest, Ethiopia

Background Early detection and treatment of TB is essential for the success of TB control program performance. The aim of this study was to determine the length and analyze predictors of patients’, health systems’ and total delays among patients attending a referral hospital in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among newly diagnosed TB cases?=?15 years of age. Delay was analyzed at three levels: the periods between 1) onset of TB symptoms and first visit to medical provider, i.e. patients’ delay, 2) the first visit to a medical provider and the initiation of treatment i.e. health systems’ delay and 3) onset of TB symptoms and initiation of treatment i.e. total delay. Uni- and multi-variate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate predictors of patients’, health systems’ and total delays. Results The median time of patients’ delay was 21 days [(interquartile range (IQR) (7 days, 60 days)]. The median health systems’ delay was 27 days (IQR 8 days, 60 days) and the median total delay was 60 days (IQR 30 days, 121 days). Patients residing in rural areas had a three-fold increase in patients’ delay compared to those from urban areas [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 3.4; 95% (CI 1.3, 8.9)]. Extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB) cases were more likely to experience delay in seeking treatment compared to pulmonary (PTB) cases [(AOR 2.6; 95% (CI 1.3, 5.4)]. Study subjects who first visited health centres [(AOR) 5.1; 95% (CI 2.1, 12.5)], private facilities [(AOR) 3.5; 95% (CI 1.3, 9.7] and health posts [(AOR) 109; 95% (CI 12, 958], were more likely to experience an increase in health systems’ delay compared to those who visited hospitals. Conclusions The majority of TB patients reported to medical providers within an acceptable time after the onset of symptoms. Rural residence was associated with patients’ and total delays. Providing the population with information about TB symptoms and the importance of early health seeking may be an efficient way to decrease TB transmission, morbidity and mortality. Establishing efficient TB diagnostic and treatment facilities at the periphery level is imperative to reduce diagnostic delay and expedite TB treatment