Serials Clutter in Online Catalogs

Abstract

Finding and deciphering serials records in online catalogs is a challenge to many library users. To understand and analyze these challenges, the author conducted searches for scientific journal titles in the online catalogs of Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) libraries. The first part of the study measures the difficulty of retrieving serial records from online catalogs comparing one-word versus multiple-word titles. The second part analyzes displays for complexity by measuring the length of the complete record and the length of the holdings statements. These data show the complexity of displays and indicate the potential confusion that these displays may induce in library users.     

Health and Aging-in-Place: Implications for Community Practice

ABSTRACT

There is increasing interest in helping elders to remain independent in their homes. As the nation experiences the unprecedented growth among its oldest residents, public and private efforts are emerging to facilitate aging-in-place. However older people, particularly the oldest old, experience a myriad of issues impacting their health and ability to remain at home. This article presents the findings from a needs assessment of a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) (n?=?114) that revealed multiple health-related issues among older people residing in high-need neighborhoods. The study utilized a holistic perspective of health to measure physical, mental, and social well-being among the older residents. Implications for community-based health interventions to enhance aging-in-place are discussed.     

Trauma-informed care training in a child welfare system: Moving it to the front line

The use of trauma-informed practices in the child welfare system is critically important to prevent system-induced trauma and encourage timely assessment, triage and referral for care when indicated. Ultimately, such measures have the potential over time to decrease the risk for mental health problems in children exposed to a trauma. This study evaluates an initiative in Arkansas to train child welfare front-line staff members in trauma-informed care practices. We evaluated the impact of the training on knowledge and use of trauma-informed care practices among three types of child welfare staff (Caseworkers, Program Assistants and Other front-line staff). Results suggest that this training process was highly successful in improving knowledge of trauma-informed care practices, especially among staff with the least formal education and training. We also found a significant increase in staff use of trauma-informed care practices at the three-month follow-up with little difference observed across staff groups. Barriers that may prevent staff from full implementation of training concepts are described and strategies to address barriers are proposed.     

Sexual and Family Violence: Overcoming Barriers to Service Access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Clients

ABSTRACT

Despite the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities typically experience a high prevalence of sexual and family violence, service responses have mostly been culturally inappropriate and ineffective. This article reports on a collaborative, participatory research project aimed at exploring barriers to service access by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients when they have been affected by sexual and family violence. The findings reveal multiple barriers to service access, including justice system deterrents, social taboo, shame, and a lack of culturally appropriate services. The article highlights the importance of recognising and addressing the complex interplay of historic, social, and cultural factors influencing service access.     

Using evidence-based accreditation standards to promote continuous quality improvement: the experiences of the San Mateo County Human Services Agency

Following a difficult period of service provision, an agency determined that drastic changes were needed to improve agency-wide capacity and functioning. The agency engaged in an organizational level self-assessment aimed at identifying areas for improvement and beginning work towards determining professional standards for service. Results of this organizational self-assessment paved the way for pursuing accreditation of its services, and the agency became the first public agency in its state to be accredited by the Council on Accreditation in all eligible services. This case study describes this agency's efforts in engaging in an organizational self-assessment, the analysis and codification of their practices, and their eventual development of a systematized process for capturing, evaluating and improving practice.     

Coming in like a wrecking-ball: are native Eurasian red squirrels displacing invasive Siberian chipmunks? A study from an urban park

Alien squirrels may seriously threaten native species by means of interspecific competition. In our work, we analysed whether the distribution of alien Siberian chipmunks within the Sigurtà Garden urban park (north-eastern Italy) changed after the natural spread of native Eurasian red squirrels in a 20-year period. Distribution of both squirrels was estimated through a citizen-science approach, in the first 10-year after red squirrel arrival 1 (i.e. Decade 1: 1997–2006) and in the second 10-year interval (i.e. Decade 2: 2007–2017). We compared habitat use of both species and we assessed whether a vertical segregation occurred through a dissimilarity index. Woodlands were selected by both species in both decades. Red squirrels also selected tree lines in Decade 1. A vertical segregation was apparent in Decade 1, whereas in Decade 2 both squirrel species were observed on the lowest branches or on the ground, where they are fed by humans. This was also confirmed by the habitat niche-overlap index, which increased in Decade 2. The extent of occurrence of Sciurus vulgaris increased throughout the park, whereas those of Eutamias sibiricus decreased. Differently from what is usually observed with alien squirrels, the spread of the native species appears to be halting and reversing the expansion of the non-native one.     

将你的问题外包处理了吗？

外包是改善运营的众多选择中的一个对许多企业来说,外包是将麻烦转到别人身上的途径。但是这并不能给你带来什么好处。这里有三个方法,可以使你在外包之前改善运营缺陷并获得成本优势。对于一个美国著名的投资管理企业的高级经理来说,起初做这样的决定是件很容易的事情。后台财务支持已成为     

KIDS OR CASH? EXPLORING CHARTER SCHOOL RESPONSES TO DECLINING GOVERNMENT REVENUES

While the literature is extensive on school districts' revenue sources, less research has been done on the impact of donations on school district funds. In this paper, we extend the theoretical literature on crowding out of private donations by government grants for one type of nonprofit firm, namely charter schools. The theoretical model leads us to focus on the key relationships among fundraising effort, enrollment (which is tied to federal and state funding) and donations. Using a dataset on Texas charter schools we adopt a two-stage approach to examine the empirical relationship between changes in nondonor revenues and the donations received by charter schools. Like the extensive empirical estimates of the effects of government grants on donations for other types of nonprofit firms, we find evidence of crowding-out with respect to our sample of charter schools. We also find a significant, positive effect of fundraising on donations with a $1 increase in fundraising associated to a $0.58 increase in donations, a pattern consistent with overinvestment in fundraising. Enrollments exhibit a robust inverse relationship to changes in nondonor revenues. (JEL H00, H32, H50)     

Global liberalization on homosexuality: Explaining the African gap

We are trapped in two divergent worlds when it comes to global views on homosexuality. There is the liberal world epitomized by Spain and other nations, where homosexuality is increasingly accepted; gays and lesbians are claiming their human rights; and laws are changing to codify that transformation. The second is the extremely anti-gay world symbolized by Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia, where attitudes are favorable to criminalization. This research explains the “African Gap” in attitudes toward homosexuality in a comparative analysis of six African nations and Argentina and Canada, South and North America's most liberal nations on gay rights. Using Pew's 2015 Spring Global Attitudes Survey data, we find that the major variables have essentially similar effects on opinion in any context. Africa's distinction is explained by its comparatively higher levels of factors such as religion, morality dogma, and low socioeconomic status that generally retard support for homosexuality, at the same time of lower levels of factors such as education, urbanization, and personal liberty that increase gay support. Africa's extreme anti-gay outlook is mutable. Two social forces will facilitate this softening: expansion of liberalizing agents such as education and urbanization, and repositioning away from “traditionalism” toward modernism emphasizing individualism, civil rights, and personal liberties.