Marketing Then and Now: One Librarian’s Journey

In the not so distant past, marketing was a department on campus, rather than a strategic approach used within the library. Today, the role of an academic library is subtle and varied. Frankly, it’s complicated! Libraries are increasingly asked to prove their value by documenting their impact on student engagement and success. They need to continually reinforce their reputation as a dynamic entity that supports its community in many ways. A marketing culture within the library is essential to making the case, telling the stories and creating a presence. After years of “marketing” for the library, I’m still figuring it out. In case it is instructive, here is my journey so far

Determining the Consumer Needs of the Chandler and Pleasant Street Neighborhood

The consumer needs of the Chandler and Pleasant Street neighborhood located in Worcester, Massachusetts were determined through written surveys of both residents of the area and nonresidents who worked in the area. This project investigated accurate sampling and surveying of a population, and provides findings and recommendations for future projects in regards to surveying in general, identifying consumer needs, and dealing with the problems in class structure between inner city residents and student projects

Comparing advanced energy cycles and developing priorities for future R&D

This report lists and discusses the types of information that are necessary for making decisions about the allocation of R&D funds among various electric power related energy technologies. The discussion is divided into two parts: (1) the task of choosing among different technologies and (2) the task of guiding toward the most important specific projects within an individual technology. To choose among alternative energy technologies requires assumptive information, assessment infor- mation, probabilistic information, and techniques for quantifying the overall desirability of each alternative. Guidance toward the most important projects requires information about levels and uncertainties of certain performance measures and their importance relative to external thresholds or relative to the performance of competing technologies. Some simple examples are presented to illustrate the discussion. A bibliography of more than 200 important references in this field was compiled and is appended to this report.Sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Contract #68-02-2146

High fat diet intake during pre and periadolescence impairs learning of a conditioned place preference in adulthood

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Brain regions that mediate learning of a conditioned place preference (CPP) undergo significant development in pre and periadolescence. Consuming a high fat (HF) diet during this developmental period and into adulthood can lead to learning impairments in rodents. The present study tested whether HF diet intake, consumed only in pre and periadolescence, would be sufficient to cause impairments using a CPP procedure.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Rats were randomly assigned to consume a HF or a low fat (LF) diet during postnatal days (PD) 21-40 and were then placed back on a standard lab chow diet. A 20-day CPP procedure, using HF Cheetos^®as the unconditioned stimulus (US), began either the next day (PD 41) or 40 days later (PD 81). A separate group of adult rats were given the HF diet for 20 days beginning on PD 61, and then immediately underwent the 20-day CPP procedure beginning on PD 81.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Pre and periadolescent exposure to a LF diet or adult exposure to a HF diet did not interfere with the development of a HF food-induced CPP, as these groups exhibited robust preferences for the HF Cheetos^®food-paired compartment. However, pre and periadolescent exposure to the HF diet impaired the development of a HF food-induced CPP regardless of whether it was assessed immediately or 40 days after the exposure to the HF diet, and despite showing increased consumption of the HF Cheetos^®in conditioning.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Intake of a HF diet, consumed only in pre and periadolescence, has long-lasting effects on learning that persist into adulthood.</p