Been Hazed and Fused for So Long it\u27s Not True - Drugs and Television in Thomas Pynchon\u27s Inherent Vice

By analyzing the concurrent presences of television and drug use within Thomas Pynchon\u27s Inherent Vice, I will argue that the book presents 1970 as a time when the counterculture was facing a losing battle to authority and to its own hedonistic impulses. Why and how are these elements so pervasive, and what does their effect have on the characters? Television and drugs are both pacifying by being all-consuming, and create an altered sense of time and place. They are modes of consumption that consume the characters in the novel (best categorized as “hippies,” those that attempted to revolt against the status quo through a denial of its conventions), and distract them from the social unrest and political changes going on in the background of the United States at the time. These elements are related to the vague sense of nostalgia in the novel (the text itself is in the form of nostalgic pastiche), as the characters implicitly and explicitly long for a different time and a place

Population Studies of the Blue Crabs of the Galveston Bay System - Studies of the Blue Crab Populations of the Texas Coast

Abundance peaks of small blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, were found in the samples in February, July, and December. Rough estimates of crab growth were made by tracing modal size progressions based on 60-foot seine data. Crab landings during 1964 were 91 per cent higher than those reported in 1963. Tagging studies are discussed and recommendations for improving the sampling program are offered

Making Room for Innovation: Using Systematic Random Sampling to Quickly and Efficiently Obtain Shelf Occupancy Data

This poster was peer-reviewed for inclusion at the Association of College and Research Libraries' 2015 Conference in Portland, Oregon. Date of presentation is March 26, 2015.Are you preparing to renovate space currently occupied by the stacks to construct a new cafe? A collaborative learning space? A technology-rich environment? If so, data is needed about the collection. How much shelf space is currently occupied by monographs? By serials? How much is empty? How much space would be available if serials were relocated or withdrawn? Find out how to use systematic random sampling to quickly and efficiently obtain shelf occupancy data

Exploring Service Philosophy Statements Using Qualitative Content Analysis

This paper will describe a study in which we examined service philosophy statements at a diverse group of North American academic libraries. We used qualitative content analysis to examine their form and content to identify common themes, trends, and ideas. Public services librarians spend much of their time wrestling with nebulous topics such as service quality, customer satisfaction, and user experience. Improvements in these areas necessitate strengthening the quality of the service and the culture in which it’s delivered. One approach to establish standards for consistent service delivery is for libraries to implement service philosophy statements. A service philosophy statement also communicates directly with users what they can—and should—expect from the library. Before we could develop and implement a service philosophy statement at our respective libraries, we wanted to understand the specific ways that service philosophy statements communicate service expectations to users. We will describe the series of steps we followed to conduct our research, such as creating the coding frame, segmenting the data, pilot coding, evaluating and modifying the coding frame, analyzing the data, and interpreting the findings. Finally, we will review the challenges we encountered during this process, as well as lessons we learned about qualitative content analysis

Service Philosophy Statements in Academic Libraries: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Some academic libraries use service philosophy statements to strengthen the quality of their service culture. A service philosophy statement communicates directly to users what they can—and should—expect from the library. This article describes a study in which the authors applied qualitative content analysis to service philosophy statements. The objective was to examine the form and content of these statements and identify themes, trends, and ideas in order to determine how and what they communicate about a library’s commitment to service. The results of the study found that statements in the sample varied significantly in strength and purpose

You Talkin’ to Me? Communicating Service Expectations to Users through Service Philosophy Statements

This poster was presented at ACRL 2017, the biennial conference of the Association of College & Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association.Could customer service at your library be better? Some academic libraries are using a service philosophy statement to strengthen the quality of their service culture. A service philosophy statement communicates to users what they can—and should—expect from your library. This poster will examine these statements and identify themes, trends, and ideas. Discover how a service philosophy statement can support your public services team as they strive to meet and exceed customer expectations

Autonomous Satellite Recovery Vehicle

In collaboration with ERFSEDS, we would like to send a small satellite attached to a quad-copter as the payload for ERFSEDS rocket which will reach an altitude of 10,000 feet. The quad-copters objective will be to collect atmospheric data as it descends. Our plan is to 3-D print a new chassis for the quad-copters electronic components and arms that will allow the quad-copter to fold its arms inwards to meet the required space constraints. After launching the rocket, the satellite will be deployed at the target altitude and begin collecting data once jettisoned from the rocket. Once reaching 2,000 feet the quad-copter will be programmed to deploy a parachute. After reaching a safe velocity the arms will extend and autonomously navigate to a prearranged location. Flight planning will be done using the preexisting flight planning application. In addition to the critical components of the quad-copter, our design will integrate a number of other data collecting sub-systems currently being used in a weather balloon designed by the Society 4 S.P.A.C.E. team. These sensors will be able to collect pressure, temperature, humidity, wind, and video. This project will give us a better understanding of rocket propulsion systems and the effect of launch on the payload. It will also allow us to gain valuable research, data retrieval, team development and multi-club collaboration experience

Preparing for Renovation: Estimating Shelf Occupancy to Inform Decision Making Regarding the Redevelopment of Library Space

University Library at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is in the process of repurposing space currently occupied by the print collection. To prepare for further reallocation of library space, reliable estimates of stacks space were needed. Two members of the Access Services Team applied systematic random sampling to estimate existing—and anticipated—empty shelf space. Results indicate that more than 30% of the shelf space is empty, while over 25% is occupied by journals, most of which are available in electronic format. These estimates would be used to inform decision making about shifting and/or withdrawal of library materials in preparation for the renovation of additional library spaces. The data-gathering process as well as data analysis and application used during the project may be applicable in other academic libraries