Making the connection between processing and access: do cataloging decisions affect user access?

One function of a call number is to organize the library collection to promote browsability either on the shelf or in an online catalog. This study, based on research done at the Ohio State University Libraries, examines the impact on library collection organization if call numbers are not changed to fit into the shelf list sequence. The browsability of items were tracked by assessing how many screens away titles appear from like items in the online public access catalog, if call numbers by a bibliographic utility were not changed. The study assesses whether not reviewing the call numbers affects patrons' ability to find the items

The S.A.G.E. Project: A Model for Library Support of Distance Education

This paper describes the process and creation of a library resources and services Web page within WebCT, a course authoring program that is being used to deliver complete course content over the Internet in a distance education program at The Ohio State University. A librarian at the Prior Health Sciences Library was asked to join a faculty team to teach and provide library services for a series of three courses. The students are working health professionals who cannot attend regularly scheduled classes. Illustrations are included of the WebCT course page and the library resources and services page. The initial process and planning are described, and recommendations for future research are identified

Single Service Point: It's All in the Design

"Design thinking" principles from a leading design firm, IDEO, were key elements in the planning process for a one-desk service model, the ASK Desk, at the John A. Prior Health Sciences Library. The library administration and staff employed the methodology to enhance customer experiences, meet technology challenges, and compete in a changing education environment. The most recent renovations demonstrate how the principles were applied. The concept of "continuous design thinking" is important in the library’s daily operations to serve customers most effectively

3D: The Paperless Document Delivery Project at the Prior Health Sciences Library

This article describes the investigation, pilot test, and results of implementing electronic document delivery in a paperless processing environment at The Ohio State University. The Prior Health Sciences Library Document Delivery Unit conducted a twelve-month pilot test from September 1999 to August 2000 to determine the best method for desktop document delivery and the paperless processing of requests. Participants completed a survey and provided insightful feedback on the request form and overall process. Special programming was required to implement desktop delivery and manage client requests. The result of desktop delivery was successful. The results of paperless processing were mixed. Future possibilities to complete the “paperless” environment are suggested

A matricial boundary value problem which appears in the transport theory

AbstractWe study the boundary value problem Tφ′ = −Aφ (I– P)φ(0), Pφ(τ) = 0, where T = T∗, A = A∗, P2 = P, P∗T = TP, T invertible. The motivation to consider such problem comes from the transport theory. The behavior of values of τ for which there is a nontrivial solution (exceptional values) is investigated using the indicator function. This is an analytic hermitian valued function of the real parameter t which reflects, in particular, the characteristic properties of exceptional values

A 3-component laser-Doppler velocimeter data acquisition and reduction system

A laser doppler velocimeter capable of measuring all three components of velocity simultaneously in low-speed flows is described. All the mean velocities, Reynolds stresses, and higher-order products can be evaluated. The approach followed is to split one of the two colors used in a 2-D system, thus creating a third set of beams which is then focused in the flow from an off-axis direction. The third velocity component is computed from the known geometry of the system. The laser optical hardware and the data acquisition electronics are described in detail. In addition, full operating procedures and listings of the software (written in BASIC and ASSEMBLY languages) are also included. Some typical measurements obtained with this system in a vortex/mixing layer interaction are presented and compared directly to those obtained with a cross-wire system

Managing Knowledge and Technology to Foster Innovation at The Ohio State University Medical Center

Biomedical knowledge is expanding at an unprecedented rate—one that is unlikely to slow anytime in the future. While the volume and scope of this new knowledge poses significant organizational challenges, it creates tremendous opportunities to release and direct its power to the service of significant goals. The authors explain how the Center for Knowledge Management at The Ohio State University Medical Center, created during the academic year 2003–04, is doing just that by integrating numerous resource-intensive, technology-based initiatives— including personnel, services and infrastructure, digital repositories, data sets, mobile computing devices, high-tech patient simulators, computerized testing, and interactive multimedia—in a way that enables the center to provide information tailored to the needs of students, faculty and staff on the medical center campus and its surrounding health sciences colleges. The authors discuss how discovering, applying, and sharing new knowledge, information assets, and technologies in this way is a collaborative process. This process creates open-ended opportunities for innovation and a roadmap for working toward seamless integration, synergy, and substantial enhancement of the academic medical center’s research, educational, and clinical mission areas

Analysis of Fluorinated Polyimides Flown on the Materials International Space Station Experiment

This Technical Memorandum documents the results from the Materials on International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) series involving fluorinated polyimide films analyzed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. These films may be used in thermal control, sunshield, solar sail, solar concentrator, and other lightweight polymer film applications. Results include postflight structural integrity, visual observations, determination of atomic oxygen erosion yield, and optical property changes as compared to preflight values