Digital reference services : a snapshot of the current practices in scottish libraries

Discusses the current practices followed by some major libraries in Scotland for providing digital reference services(DRS). Refers to the DRSs provided by three academic libraries, namely Glasgow University Library, the University of Strathclyde Library, and Glasgow Caledonian University Library, and two other premier libraries in Scotland, the Mitchell Library in Glasgow and the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. Concludes that digital reference services are effective forms of service delivery in Scotland's academic, national and public libraries, but that their full potential has not yet been exploited. E-mail is the major technology used in providing digital reference, although plans are under way to use more sophisticated Internet technologies. Notes that the majority of enquiries handled by the libraries are relatively low-level rather than concerning specific knowledge domains, and training the users to extract information from the best digital resources still remains a challenge

Recalling the past : “The voice of objects’’ in three short stories for young readers written by Angeliki Varella

The aim of this paper is to examine how three objects of the past provide the narrator with the opportunity to travel back in time in three different short stories for young adults written by the distinguished Greek children’s writer Angeliki Varella. Firstly, I will provide some information about  the author and then I will concisely  examine how memory works in autobiographical short stories for children and young adults. My objective in this paper is to focus on “Fluri konstantinato” (1998),“Kobe kore”(1999)  and “The sounds of the gramophone” (2006).  I will trace the journey of memory in these three short stories and I will explore how objects function as vehicles for the narrator’s journey into the past. A golden coin (fluri) brought by a refugee from Asia Minor in “Fluri konstatinato”, a bakiri – a cup for carrying porridge- in ‘’Kobe Kore’’, an old gramophone in “The sounds of the gramophone”, all these objects  of another epoch,  exist simultaneously  in the present of the narrator, not only as decorative elements, but also as reminders of her childhood. In these three autobiographical short stories the narrator’s past comes alive through memory, and memory continues to recall experiences as things of the past are still there, having their own ‘voices’. The role of the objects and the confrontation with  figures of  the past in each story  will therefore be analyzed. I  also hope  to show the aspects of the articulation of time and space through narrative modes in these three  stories

Recalling the past : “The voice of objects’’ in three short stories for young readers written by Angeliki Varella

The aim of this paper is to examine how three objects of the past provide the narrator with the opportunity to travel back in time in three different short stories for young adults written by the distinguished Greek children’s writer Angeliki Varella. Firstly, I will provide some information about  the author and then I will concisely  examine how memory works in autobiographical short stories for children and young adults. My objective in this paper is to focus on “Fluri konstantinato” (1998),“Kobe kore”(1999)  and “The sounds of the gramophone” (2006).  I will trace the journey of memory in these three short stories and I will explore how objects function as vehicles for the narrator’s journey into the past. A golden coin (fluri) brought by a refugee from Asia Minor in “Fluri konstatinato”, a bakiri – a cup for carrying porridge- in ‘’Kobe Kore’’, an old gramophone in “The sounds of the gramophone”, all these objects  of another epoch,  exist simultaneously  in the present of the narrator, not only as decorative elements, but also as reminders of her childhood. In these three autobiographical short stories the narrator’s past comes alive through memory, and memory continues to recall experiences as things of the past are still there, having their own ‘voices’. The role of the objects and the confrontation with  figures of  the past in each story  will therefore be analyzed. I  also hope  to show the aspects of the articulation of time and space through narrative modes in these three  stories

THE PROCESS OF DEMOCRATIZATION AND ROLE OF ELITES IN ALBANIA

Democratic consolidation in Albania should not only be analyzed from a prospective of regime durability. The paradigms of democratization should be focusing on significant democratic contents. The main goal of this work is to investigate democratic consolidation process during last two decades. This will be conducted through a qualitative case study where the method employed, is on the realm of theory consuming. In order to achieve the purpose, this work will raise the questions of, why Albania did not reach democratic consolidation so far? What were the main challenges for further democratic consolidation? I will try to explore a few aspects of democratic consolidation in Albania, in terms of strength of democratic values represented by the ruling elites. Under this assumption, strong and reliable elite’s decision-making are important in explaining the consolidation of democracies but not sufficient to guarantee consolidation. Separated, fragmented and conflictive ruling elite may stop democratic consolidation and alter the process. In addressing these inquiries, certain paradoxes recognized in this case are unparalleled in other contexts that involve elites’ attributes to the process of consolidation. Elongated transition in Albanian has only produced an ongoing crisis and the elites seem to have constantly failing to produce a strong pathway for consolidation. Political elites have shown authoritarian tendencies into monopolization of power. This is analyzed as a main constraint of democratic consolidation in Albania. In this case can be assumed, due to vanishing allegiances of political elites to democratic values, that democratization process will be characterized by, backsliding into facade democracies or competitive authoritarianism.Keywords:  Paradigms, Albania, democratic consolidation, political elites, mutual pacts, democratic values, competitive authoritarianism, backsliding of democracy

TOWARD AN ECLECTIC APPROACH FOR DEVELOPING A POSSIBLE THEORY OF DEMOCRACY IN ALBANIA

The main focus of this paper is on the eclectic analysis of the social and cultural aspects of democratization in Albania within the limits of this influence. Study analysis considers issues related to economic or institutional policy influenced by the model political elite. Consequently, here we will claim an eclectic appreciation of our outward values towards democracy, as well as other democratic ideas from cultural traditions comparing them that can provide a notion for a theory of democracy in Albania. The eclectic analysis will reflect on the relation between the state formation theory and society. We will use qualitative analysis involving theory consuming engaging the questions of whether recently Albania is on a prolonged transition and has failed to democratize. What is the path to the future of democratic consolidation if we approach it with an eclectic analysis? We will explore a few aspects of democratic consolidation in Albania in terms of the strength of democratic values represented theories of universalism, traditionalism, and eclecticism discussed during the analysis. It is envisaged that a critique of the various assumptions and presuppositions of these prominent schools of thought will lead us to a credible theory of Albanian democracy. Under this assumption, understanding the elite’s decision-making is vital in explaining the consolidation of democracies but not sufficient to promise the consolidation due to other specific country-based structural factors.Keywords: Eclectic analysis, Albania, democratic consolidation, political elites, democratic theory, traditionalism and eclecticism

Quantification and Intonation in Modern Greek

The present paper discusses data and problems concerning the distribution and licensing conditions of two subtly different yet distinct readings for kathe (‘every’) Determiner Phrases (DPs) in Modern Greek. The determiner kathe seems to be a single lexical item. Nonetheless, kathe DPs give rise to two different interpretations. The two readings, a presuppositional distributive universal quantifier and a non-presuppositional free choice existential-like one are phonologically differentiated by means of prosodic emphasis. The former appears as phonologically stressed, the latter without phonological marking. Sentential operators seem to regulate the appearance of the latter. The presence or absence of presupposition in the sentence is considered to be responsible for this distinction

CULTURAL TOURISM IN GJIROKASTRA

Cultural tourism is gaining a great importance in the modern tourism industry, and it also represents an important and attractive power for local and international tourists. This allows destinations and regions to expand their customer basis, winning in this way new clients interested in different types of attractions and diversifying their offer, especially in cases of destinations which have no tourism typology (such as coastal and lake tourism), and cases which are required out of the tourism season, reducing in this way seasonality and having all year round tourism. In this paper our study refers to the valuable assets of Gjirokastra city, as part of the World Heritage Tourism, which are rich, diverse and scattered throughout the prefecture. In the recent years there has been a rapid growth in the foreign and local tourists visiting this country and playing an important role in the development of tourism and the incomes of this prefecture. According to the official data of Gjirokastra Municipality in 2009 the number of visitors was 15894 while in 2014 it reached 35000. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of cultural tourism, of heritage and events, and the theoretical background of the relationships between the concepts of tourism, culture, heritage, and events by analyzing their impact in these destinations closely related to the management, marketing, and the economic impact, of the involved and interested parties and their relationship with the local development. The methodology is based on a descriptive analysis based on the data obtained from a survey conducted to 300 tourists who visited Gjirokastra in 2013-2014 through a self-administered questionnaire. We are also referring to a study which was done by Gjirokastra Municipality in 2011. This study has identified the origins of the tourists visiting this place, the reasons for the visit and their touristic expenses. It also treats a number of problems, determining in this way the necessary conditions to introduce these cultural destinations to the tourism market. Finally the paper is concluded with some recommendations and conclusions for tourism stakeholders in the country. It is important to identify relevant strategies for cultural tourism through cooperation between government bodies and the private sector as an important factor for the promotion of Gjirokastra city as a tourist destination for local and foreign tourists

CULTURAL TOURISM IN GJIROKASTRA

Cultural tourism is gaining a great importance in the modern tourism industry, and it also represents an important and attractive power for local and international tourists. This allows destinations and regions to expand their customer basis, winning in this way new clients interested in different types of attractions and diversifying their offer, especially in cases of destinations which have no tourism typology (such as coastal and lake tourism), and cases which are required out of the tourism season, reducing in this way seasonality and having all year round tourism. In this paper our study refers to the valuable assets of Gjirokastra city, as part of the World Heritage Tourism, which are rich, diverse and scattered throughout the prefecture. In the recent years there has been a rapid growth in the foreign and local tourists visiting this country and playing an important role in the development of tourism and the incomes of this prefecture. According to the official data of Gjirokastra Municipality in 2009 the number of visitors was 15894 while in 2014 it reached 35000. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of cultural tourism, of heritage and events, and the theoretical background of the relationships between the concepts of tourism, culture, heritage, and events by analyzing their impact in these destinations closely related to the management, marketing, and the economic impact, of the involved and interested parties and their relationship with the local development. The methodology is based on a descriptive analysis based on the data obtained from a survey conducted to 300 tourists who visited Gjirokastra in 2013-2014 through a self-administered questionnaire. We are also referring to a study which was done by Gjirokastra Municipality in 2011. This study has identified the origins of the tourists visiting this place, the reasons for the visit and their touristic expenses. It also treats a number of problems, determining in this way the necessary conditions to introduce these cultural destinations to the tourism market. Finally the paper is concluded with some recommendations and conclusions for tourism stakeholders in the country. It is important to identify relevant strategies for cultural tourism through cooperation between government bodies and the private sector as an important factor for the promotion of Gjirokastra city as a tourist destination for local and foreign tourists

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma Gondii Infection in Pigs in Extensive Breeding from Saranda Municipalities of Albania

The main aim of this study was to determine the sero-prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pigs from extensive breeding of Saranda county in southern of Albania. Was collected 92 samples of pigs sera from 13 extensive farms at the time of slaughter in slaughterhouses. Collected blood was left to express serum and it was kept in a freezer until the time when samples were processed in the laboratory of Microbiology of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Tirana, Albania. Serum samples were examined by indirect ELISA method using ID Screen Multi-species kit (ID.VET., France) for anti-Toxoplasma specific Ig G antibodies, resulting from infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Samples sera presenting S/P value % less than or equal to 40% are considered negative, between 40-50% are considered doubtful, greater than or equal 50% are considered positive. Out of 92 samples collected from 13 farms, 16 sera had anti-Toxoplasma Ig G antibodies. Average prevalence was 17.4%.Keywords: Toxoplasma gondii, ELISA,    blood samples, antibodies, Saranda, etc