Empowering Ethical Practice: Activities for Access Services

The library profession is guided by a Code of Ethics which explains our values, including privacy, copyright and fair use, equal access, stewardship, and integrity. We continue to serve our publics and garner good will because libraries are perceived as institutions operating in an ethical manner. The Clark Library, University of Portland, desired to empower its staff with a deepened understanding of library ethics. The Access Services Unit, composed of Circulation, Interlibrary Loan, Course Reserves, Reference, Instruction, and a Digital Lab, implemented four activities to intentionally focus on ethics as applied to the day-to-day work of each unit

1947 Ruby Yearbook

A digitized copy of the 1947 Ruby, the Ursinus College yearbook.https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/ruby/1049/thumbnail.jp

Social Services Will Not Touch us with a Barge Pole’: Social Care Provision for Older Prisoners

Older prisoners are the fastest growing subgroup in the English and Welsh prison estate. Older prisoners have high levels of health and social care needs. This mixed method study involved the distribution of a questionnaire examining the availability of health and social care services for older prisoners to all prisons housing adult males in England and Wales, followed by qualitative telephone interviews with representatives from eight prisons. Over half of establishments had some contact with external social care services but reported significant difficulties in arranging care for individuals. A professional lead for older prisoners had been identified in 81% of establishments; however the value of this role to positively affect practice appeared questionable. Statutory social care was often non-existent in prison due to the lack of understanding of what it constituted and who was responsible for its provision

1946 Ruby Yearbook

A digitized copy of the 1946 Ruby, the Ursinus College yearbook.https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/ruby/1048/thumbnail.jp

Clinicians’ use of the structured professional judgement approach for adult secure psychiatric service admission assessments: A systematic review

The structured professional judgement (SPJ) approach was initially developed to support risk assessment and management decisions. The approach is now being adapted and applied to admission assessments for adult secure services. This systematic review aims to summarise the evidence for the effectiveness and acceptability of the SPJ approach in admission assessments of this kind. A comprehensive electronic search strategy was used to identify studies indexed in PubMed, PsycInfo, Medline and Cochrane Library (January 2007 –January 2024). Two search strategies included terms (and synonyms) for psychiatric patients (quantitative) or clinicians and clinicians’ experiences (qualitative), structured professional judgement, admission, and secure services. Twelve quantitative articles (published 2007–2020) were identified. SPJ-informed guidance included were the DUNDRUM-1, DUNDRUM-2, DUNDRUM-3, DUNDRUM-4, and the HCR-20. While findings were variable, the overall pattern indicated that ratings suggestive of more problems were associated with increased likelihood of admission or movement to higher security levels. There is emerging evidence for the use of SPJ guidance to support admission decision-making. Specifically, it should be used as an adjunct to existing decision-making processes rather than as a replacement for those processes. Further research, both quantitative and qualitative, across a wider range of settings and populations is recommended

1944 Ruby Yearbook

A digitized copy of the 1944 Ruby, the Ursinus College yearbook.https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/ruby/1046/thumbnail.jp

1976 Ruby Yearbook

A digitized copy of the 1976 Ruby, the Ursinus College yearbook.https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/ruby/1079/thumbnail.jp

USE OF A SPATIALLY WEIGHTED MULTIVARIATE CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL PROPERTIES, TERRAIN AND REMOTE SENSING DATA TO FORM LAND MANAGEMENT UNITS

ABSTRACT Research has been conducted to develop a methodology that can delineate land management units (LMU's) that is, zones within a paddock which can be identified, mapped and managed according to their land-use or productive capabilities. Soil sampling and analysis is a crucial component in depicting the landscape characteristics, however it is a time consuming and costly exercise to undertake. Data from a 10m resolution digital elevation model (DEM) and high resolution digital multi spectral imagery (DMSI) has been used in association with field sampled data on soil properties to investigate the variability in the landscape at large scale. The paper describes the design and implementation of a two stage methodology based on Oliver and Webster's (1989) spatially weighted multivariate classification, for delineating LMU's intended for precision agricultural applications. Utilising data on physical and chemical soil properties, topographic variables derived from a DEM and spectral information from DMSI collected at 250 stratified random sampling locations within a 1670 ha property in Western Australia, the methodology initially classifies sampling points into LMU's based on a geographically weighted similarity matrix. The second stage delineates higher resolution LMU boundaries by using the geographic location, DMSI and DEM data on a 10m grid across the remaining study area and assigning each pixel to an appropriate LMU. The method groups sample points and pixels with respect to their variables and their spatial relationship on the ground, thus forming contiguous, homogenous LMU's that can be adopted in precision agricultural applications