OCLC in the Asia Pacific Region

This essay provides an overview of both the accomplishments and difficulties faced by OCLC as it has expanded in the vast Asia Pacific region. It describes the organizational changes as they evolved as this previously North American collaborative organization expanded westward and details initiatives pursued in each of the Asia Pacific countries where it has operated. Finally, it examines the five major challenges yet facing OCLC in the region: the lack of bibliographic name authority files, competing classification systems, competing MARC cataloging formats, the perceived high costs associated with participating OCLC programs and services, and the need for local vernacular products in addition to those developed largely for the North American and European markets.     

Asia and the Information Revolution An Introductory Perspective

This introductory article covers a number of aspects of the information revolution in Asia. It presents the telecommunications industry as one invigorated by international market forces, in contrast to a broadcasting industry tempered by regional policies to preserve culture and values, and faced with difficulties in producing culturally relevant material. Recent moves towards international cooperation in standardizing technology and networks are examined, as well as the attempts to develop international laws for such muddy areas as transbordef broadcasting. It details the problems faced so far, and highlights some negative aspects of the information revolution that must be overcome. An assessment is also made, of the effect of advances in communication for developing countries, with a discussion of whether such technologies have a liberating effect, or an exploitative one.     

互联网对亚洲的影响及发展中存在的问题

互联网渗透到社会的方方面面 ,给人们的工作、生活和娱乐带来了革命性的变化。像对发达国家的影响一样 ,互联网正日益改变着亚洲国家人们的生活观念和生活方式。但我们又看到 ,互联网经济在拉动消费、促进生产的同时 ,由于亚洲各国经济、技术实力的不同以及各国政府重视程度的不同 ,区域之间、国家之间的互联网发展存在着事实上的不平衡 ,这将影响亚洲经济发展以及社会发展的整体运行。     

The business of international broadcasting cultural bridges and barriers

The advent of international satellite television broadcasting, including the satellite‐to‐cable services which are now proliferating in several countries of the world, represents a qualitative leap in the nature of broadcasting. Satellite distribution is a literally ‘international’ medium in which signals can not only spill across neighbouring borders, but reach audiences spread over entire world regions and even link diasporic communities on different continents. The concerns raised by various countries about national sovereignty and their attempts to control reception are well‐known, but dishes and cable systems have flourished, and international and regional services are leasing new transponder capacity faster than operators can get their satellites into orbit. In this new satellite business, language and culture are emerging as powerful forces in making and breaking world‐regional markets. Thus, in contrast to the large degree of regional integration in Latin America, thanks to its linguistic and cultural similarities, service providers in Asia have soon found that they have to take account of linguistic and other cultural differences in establishing their markets, which therefore have more of a national than a regional character. This article reviews these trends and outlines how the technological potential to integrate regional markets via satellite broadcasting across borders has been attenuated at least as much by cultural as political resistance. Evidence of the effectiveness of such resistance, it is argued, raises questions about the validity of the rhetoric of ‘cultural imperialism’ now being heard again in Asia.     

A course in business communication

The actions of John Brown have been widely investigated and discussed, but no one has studied the speeches given by Brown in his anti‐slavery campaign. This article discusses three speeches delivered by Brown, prior to Harper's Ferry, and the five speeches delivered during the trial in an attempt to describe an unknown aspect of a man whose deeds formed one of the major causes for the Civil War.     

Selling smoke to Asia: An historical analysis of conflicting US policies on cigarette advertising and promotions

Focused on the liberalization of Asian cigarette markets (Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand), this paper aims to provide an historical analysis of this process driven by the US government and US cigarette companies, and discusses changes in cigarette advertising and promotional environments as a result of market liberalization.

Specifically, this paper addresses three major areas: first, it discusses the process and development of cigarette market opening of three Asian countries Japan, Taiwan, and Korea) and the role of the US government in this process. Second, it examines the outcome of this liberalization, including major marketing strategies employed by US cigarette companies in those markets. Third, by comparing Thailand's market opening process separately with three other markets, this paper discusses what other countries can do with the global public health community to protect public health in terms of the regulation of cigarette advertising and marketing activities.     

International trends in health science librarianship part 12: South Asia (India,Pakistan and Sri Lanka)

This is the 12th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship. This issue describes developments in health science librarianship in the first decade of the 21st century in South Asia. The three contributors report on challenges facing health science librarians in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. There is consensus as to the need for education, training and professional development. Starting in the next issue, the focus will turn to Africa, starting with countries in southern Africa. JM     

The value of international business archives: the importance of the archives of multinational companies in shaping cultural identity

This paper explores the value to society of the archives of large international businesses or multinational companies. It highlights the importance of having access to the archives of multinational companies and the role these archives play in documenting the history of our society. This paper also looks at the motives for multinational companies to establish archival programmes and the attendant challenges they face. The archives of multinational companies differ from the archives of national businesses because they operate in various countries and are therefore subject to different international laws and regulations. Furthermore, recordkeeping and archiving practices differs from country to country. The focus of this paper is global and explores the subject from a societal perspective.     

National Narratives: Australia in Asia

Magill magazine was an influential current affairs magazine which was first published in Dublin in October 1977. The magazine was owned by journalist Vincent Browne, who was also its first editor. Having worked in Belfast in the early 1970s Browne saw the conflict in Northern Ireland as one of the main concerns of the news agenda. This article examines Magill's coverage of Northern Ireland which was largely driven by an interest in exploring thinking within the Provisional Irish Republican Army. The magazine's coverage was comprehensive but narrow. Exclusive interviews with republican paramilitaries, who were banned from the broadcast airwaves, were a regular feature as was an interest in hard-line unionist leader, Rev. Ian Paisley. The magazine's journalism in this period has proven to be a valuable historical record of the emergence of the Irish peace process.     

国际敦煌项目（IDP）与敦煌西域文献数字化国际合作

国际敦煌项目的宗旨是促进敦煌西域文献保护与研究工作的国际合作,IDP数据库通过互联网免费为研究者提供高清晰文献图像。IDP成立于1994年,15年来已经在全世界成立了七个中心,拥有六种文字版本的数据库和网站。文献保护修复、编目与研究、数字化以及教育项目是IDP的主要工作。IDP以精密的数码设备和严格的操作程序开展数字化工作,所获取的文献图像经加工后通过4D数据库提供服务,数据库设置了便利而多样的检索途径。IDP具有鲜明的特色：运作经费主要来自外部基金的资助,文献图像通过互联网免费供研究者使用,构建古文献保护、研究与数字化的国际合作平台。     

Sex role stereotypes on children's TV in Asia a content analysis of gender role portrayals in children's cartoons in Hong Kong

This is a content analysis of 31 randomly‐selected children's television cartoons in Hong Kong, where all such programs are imported from foreign countries. No such programs are produced in Hong Kong. The study analyzes personality and appearance attributes of 277 cartoon characters. As expected, male characters outnumbered female characters by a ratio of 2:1; however, contrary to expectations, female characters enjoyed far greater representation in cartoons produced in Japan than they did in cartoons produced in the U.S. and Great Britain. On other measures, characters tended to conform to hypothesized gender‐related stereotypes, with males being more aggressive, rough, sloppy, and strong, and females being more beautiful and feminine.     

A simulation of business in group discussion classes

The author presents an end‐of‐semester project for students in a discussion class. A number of variables are discussed.     

Introduction: Political Communication in Asia

This study analyses the structure of programmes of the Bangladesh Television (BTV) broadcast over a period of 23 years (1966–89). It presents an analysis of programmes of ten different time‐points, and determines the changes over this time period. The ratio of imported and domestic programmes in Bangladesh Television is also studied. One of the findings of this study is that television in Bangladesh is used predominantly as a medium of entertainment since its inception in 1964 and is still being treated as such. Despite phenomenal development in the technical facilities, its structure of programmes remains almost the same. This study also reveals that Bangladesh Television is still dependent upon imported programmes to a large extent to feed its transmission hour.     

A business model perspective for ICTs in public engagement

Public institutions, in their efforts to promote meaningful citizen engagement, are increasingly looking at the democratic potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Previous studies suggest that such initiatives seem to be impeded by socio-technical integration barriers such as low sustainability, poor citizen acceptance, coordination difficulties, lack of understanding and failure to assess their impact. Motivated by these shortcomings, the paper develops and applies a business model perspective as an interceding framework for analysis and evaluation. The underlying principle behind this approach is that it is not technology per se which determines success, but rather the way in which the business model of the technological artifact is configured and employed to achieve the strategic goals. The business model perspective is empirically demonstrated with the case of an online petitioning system implemented by a UK local authority. The case illustrates the importance of considering ICTs in public engagement from a holistic view to make them more manageable and assessable.     

Library of Congress Subject Heading Period Subdivisions for East Asia,South Asia,and Asia in General

No abstract available for this article.     

Economic and Cultural Influences on the Theatrical Consumption of Foreign Films in Singapore

This study investigates audience acceptance of foreign movies in an import-dominated exhibition market—Singapore. The characteristics of home cinema markets and the cultural distances of the film-exporting countries are operationalized in an empirical model to explain the highly varied demand in this import market for international films from various sources. We show that during 2002–2004 release frequencies and box-office performance for films originating in different countries are significantly accounted for by both economic and cultural factors. Films from countries with larger domestic markets and from countries culturally more similar to Singapore experience greater box-office success. Furthermore, an individual foreign film's Singapore box-office performance is explained by its box-office success in its home market and the intercountry cultural distance.     

Text mining in business libraries

This article considers the increase in business research that involves text-mining techniques. The authors provide a brief survey of possible text-mining applications in business school research, the steps and life cycle of text-mining projects, and a text-mining case study from Vanderbilt University Library and the Owen Graduate School of Management. The authors give suggestions on how libraries and librarians can increase skills and services to partner with researchers and support this form of research.     

The business of negotiating for hospital librarians

Although many hospital librarians may find it difficult, negotiating with vendors has become a basic skill of library acquisitions. This article reports the results of a non-scientific questionnaire administered to hospital librarians and vendors attending a chapter meeting of the Medical Library Association in 2003. The answers revealed that vendors regard libraries as businesses, and while admitting that the role is often uncomfortable for them, librarians acknowledged that negotiating skills have become an important aspect of their jobs. Questions to help guide librarians through the negotiation process are provided in the Appendix.