The Seedling Sanctuary: Automated Cold Frame for Gardner Elementary

The purpose of this report is to provide the details of the Seedling Sanctuary, a mechanical engineering senior design project. The project in question is an automated cold frame designed specifically for Gardner Academy, a local elementary school in San Jose. A cold frame is a miniature greenhouse that opens like a chest and is made from clear plastic. Automated ventilation and watering systems create a microclimate within this greenhouse structure to create the ideal growing conditions for seeds. The main purposes of the cold frame are to lengthen the growing season, be maintenance free, and enhance garden education. From testing, the project goals were verified to have been achieved through several performance metrics. First, the system’s ability to lengthen the growing season is dependent on germinating seedlings that can be planted earlier in the season. The automated system maintained the seedlings at the proper soil moisture levels to grow. The system also implemented passive temperature control systems to maintain the plants in ideal conditions. With the ventilation and thermal mass, the system is able to be cooler at the hottest times of day and warmer at night than unprotected plants. The system has also successfully automated the care of the seedlings, achieving our goal of being maintenance free. Finally, the enhancement of garden education was incorporated through community engagement with the design and building of the cold frame, as well as the Bluetooth application which will be used in the school curriculum

Terminologia i traducció automàtica

Aquest article descriu les característiques de funcionament del sistema de traducció automàtica Translendium. També detalla l’estructura del mòdul terminològic dins del sistema així com el procés per a introduir-hi nova terminologia i validar-la. Aquest procés s’il·lustra amb un cas real.This article describes the characteristics of the automatic translation programme Translendium. It also gives a detailed description of the programme’s terminology module as well as the process for entering and validating new terminology. This process is illustrated with a real case study.Este artículo describe las características de funcionamiento del sistema de traducción automática Translendium. También detalla la estructura del módulo terminológico dentro del sistema, así como el proceso que se sigue para introducir nueva terminología y validarla. Este proceso se ilustra con un caso real

New Breed Librarian

17 p.Feature article: Technical versus Public Services: Bridging the Fictional Gap Between "Opposing" Aspects of Librarianship; Interview: Eric Miller; People: Fiona Bradley; Ask Susu; Tech Tal

The Department of Information Studies, University of Natal : its role in education for librarianship in South Africa, 1973-1994.

Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.This thesis investigates the development of the Department of Information Studies, with the aim of assessing the role it has played in education for librarianship in South Africa from 1973 to 1994, a period of change and transformation in the country. Historical sources, both written and oral, have been traced, analysed, and where possible, verified against other sources, thus using historical method. The study, the first in-depth research into a library and information studies department in a South African university, was seen as necessary in order that the future development of the Department in question be placed upon as sound a socio-historical basis as possible. A literature review provides the context for the study and the thesis contextualizes education for librarianship within national and international library and information services (LIS) and again within the broader context of the South African socio-political and economic situation of this period. The Department's contribution within the University context is also assessed. The findings indicate that, in spite of its uneven development during the 1970s and 1980s, the Department has played an important role in LIS in KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa and, to some extent, in the southern African region as a whole. This role revolves around training LIS practitioners from school library diploma to doctoral levels; producing and publishing research; participating in wider LIS initiatives and contributing nationally to leading education for librarianship

Evaluation of a Peer Group Model of Supervision for the Allied Health Workforce in Queensland: A descriptive overview

Purpose: An evaluation of a large scale implementation of a peer group model of professional supervision was conducted to inform service planning and guide policy and practice. A descriptive overview of the findings is presented. Method: Allied health staff trained in peer group supervision were surveyed about their experience of the model, its challenges and benefits. Interviews were also conducted with senior managers. Results: Analysis of 248 responses indicated that 72% of trained staff had participated in peer group supervision, and that these peer groups had continued for an average of 17.2 months. The majority of groups adhered to the guidelines presented at training, and found the model easy to implement and adaptable to a range of professions, settings and needs. Reported benefits included skill development as well as increased support and confidence. Improved relationships and team culture were also described. Management support and attendance at training were considered important to successful implementation. Conclusions: The evaluation demonstrated that a model of peer group supervision can be successfully implemented with a diverse and geographically dispersed allied health workforce. This model allowed professional supervision needs to be met in a group setting without the requirement for an expert supervisor. A number of benefits for individual clinicians and their teams were identified, and the need for further evaluation, in the context of widespread health reform is noted

Analysing value for money of journal bundle deals at the University of Strathclyde

Following successful implementation of processes for analysing the cost-per-use of single journal subscriptions, staff at the University of Strathclyde’s Andersonian Library have embarked on projects to create robust analysis for both journal bundle deals and database subscriptions. This session will review the work to date on reviewing journal bundle deals. Case studies will provide context to the discussion of the steps taken, problems encountered and solutions employed in developing a system which can be applied to various multi-title journal subscriptions