Print Reference Collections in New York State: Report of a Survey

An up-to-date, well-managed reference collection is essential to the provision of quality reference service in all types of libraries. This article presents the results of a survey of managers of reference collections at public and academic libraries in New York State

Use It or Lose It!: Results of a Use Study of the Print Sources in an Academic Library reference collection.

Describes a use study of a reference collection, which found that 7.1 percent of total volumes in the reference collection were used over the course of the fall semester

Citation Help in Databases: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

In 2005 the authors reviewed citation help in databases and found an error rate of 4.4 errors per citation. This article describes a follow-up study which revealed a modest improvement in the error rate to 3.4 errors per citation, still unacceptably high. The most problematic area was retrieval statements. The authors conclude that librarians should include citation features in the evaluation of databases, and should open a dialogue with vendors about the importance of providing accurate, reliable information about citations to students

Citation Apps for Mobile Devices

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the accuracy and functionality of a selection of basic Android and iOS apps for mobile devices designed to generate bibliographic citations. Design/methodology/approach – A number of inexpensive or free apps were installed on several different tablets and phones. Book citations in MLA and APA format were generated and evaluated for accuracy. Findings – Results show that the majority of the apps tested produced unacceptably inaccurate citations, and many had limited functionality. The best of the apps tested was EasyBib. Research limitations/implications – There are infinite combinations of operating systems, apps, citation styles, material types and devices. Testing for this study was limited to uncomplicated apps likely to appeal to undergraduate students. It did not include more sophisticated apps for managing reference libraries. The study investigated how well several Android and iOS apps installed on mobile devices functioned to generate MLA and APA citations for print books. Practical implications – As the role of mobile technology in education continues to grow, librarians need to remain aware of solutions that can help students manage their research. Librarians have an opportunity to provide feedback to developers by reviewing and rating apps. Originality/value – Undergraduate students face challenges in learning to appropriately acknowledge materials they have consulted in their research and writing. Librarians can play an important role in helping students select the most appropriate tools to make citing sources easier and more accurate

Citation Help in Databases: Helpful or Harmful?

A review of the help files in several major databases revealed that database vendors have begun including information on citing sources, which has the potential to be very useful to students. Surprisingly, 94% of the citation examples in the databases reviewed had errors. The average number of errors per example was 4.3. The citation help appears to have been put together quickly, with little thought and no proofreading. Librarians must insist that vendors correct or remove this information

Pennsylvania Folklife Vol. 23, No. 2

• Wills and Inventories of the First Purchasers of the Welsh Tract • Ten Tulpehocken Inventories: What Do They Reveal About a Pennsylvania German Community? • Wagon Taverns as Seen Through Local Source Material • Emigration Materials From Lambsheim in the Palatinate • Household Furnishings: Folk-Cultural Questionnaire No. 32https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/pafolklifemag/1056/thumbnail.jp

Secondary Education Teacher Preparation Programs Should Differentiate Curriculum and Instruction for Traditional and Nontraditional Preservice Teachers

Much demand remains for teacher education programs to produce highly qualified teachers. Current trends show that almost half of today\u27s preservice teachers are considered nontraditional in terms of age and life experience. The purpose of this study was to determine whether secondary education teacher preparation programs should differentiate curriculum and instruction for traditional and nontraditional preservice teachers. Research questions incorporated four variables of professional demeanor, teaching and learning, interpersonal skills, and time management. Data was collected through a presurvey at the beginning of the student teaching semester and a postsurvey at the end of the semester, as well as an analysis of student teachers\u27 Student Teaching Assessments. Forty-three preservice student teachers responded to the presurvey; of those forty three, twenty-two responded to the postsurvey. Of those twenty-two respondents, fourteen allowed access to their Student Teaching Assessments. About half of the respondents were considered nontraditional according to their birthdates. Data was averaged and then compared using a two-sample t-test. While the sample was very small, differences between the two groups did emerge. The nontraditional group performed better on the teaching and learning part of their evaluations than the traditional group. In addition, the nontraditional group had less trouble with classroom management than the traditional group. Interestingly, while the nontraditional group managed their time better than the traditional group, they underestimated the amount of time they would spend on student-teaching tasks outside the school. Implications for future research include a retest to attempt a larger sample size, a test of elementary preservice teachers, and a test at another teacher education program. Additionally, the nontraditional group can be investigated more closely to determine whether further differentiation would be beneficial for preservice teachers who are parents or had served in the military

WHO SHOULD ASK? Ethical Interviewing in Psychiatric Epidemiology Studies

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72116/1/j.1939-0025.1988.tb01584.x.pd

The effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on serum tryptophan metabolites

Background: Prior studies suggest that activation of the tryptophan catabolism via the kynurenine pathway by proinflammatory cytokines may be involved in the pathophysiology of depression. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for major depression (MD) with immunomodulation as one of the proposed modes of action. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate serum concentrations of tryptophan and kynurenine pathway metabolites in MD patients and healthy controls, and to explore the effect of ECT on components of the kynurenine pathway. Methods: The study included 27 moderately to severely depressed patients referred to ECT. Blood samples were collected prior to treatment and after the completed ECT-series. Baseline samples were also collected from 14 healthy, age- and sex-matched controls. Serum concentrations of tryptophan, kynurenine, 3-hydroxykynurenine (HK), kynurenic acid (KA), xanthurenic acid (XA), anthranilic acid (AA), 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (HAA), quinolinic acid (QA), picolinic acid (Pic), pyridoxal 5′-phosphat (PLP), riboflavin, neopterin and cotinine were measured. Results: Patients with MD had lower levels of neuroprotective kynurenine-pathway metabolites (KA, XA and Pic) and lower metabolite ratios (KA/Kyn and KA/QA) reflecting reduced neuroprotection compared to controls. The concentration of the inflammatory marker neopterin was increased after ECT, along with Pic and the redox active and immunosuppressive metabolite HAA. Conclusion: In this pilot study, we found increased concentrations of inflammatory marker neopterin and putative neuroprotective kynurenine metabolites HAA and Pic in MD patients after ECT. Further research in larger cohorts is required to conclude whether ECT exerts its therapeutic effects via changes in the kynurenine pathway.publishedVersio