Where the buck stops: class differences in support for education

There has been little critical scrutiny of the extent to which the members of different social classes support current public educational institutions. This paper explores the attitudes toward education of class groups in relation to the declared agendas of class leaders, using public opinion surveys conducted regularly in Canada's economic heartland of Ontario between 1978 and 1996.

An analysis of class leaders’ public discourse indicates that corporate leaders stress the waste and inefficiencies of the current school system, the need for market‐driven initiatives to overcome these problems, and a general belief that such reforms coupled with cost reductions and lower government deficits can lead to economic growth and job creation. Some labour union and other leaders associate declining school quality with spending cuts, defend equal access to education, and promote measures such as a reduced normal workweek to address the education‐jobs gap rather than continuing deficit reduction and more reliance on private and individual initiative.

Corporate executives are shown to hold much more strongly consensual, fiscally restrictive views on education than other class groups. Other classes hold less consensual but equally coherent and fiscally responsible attitudes on education spending. Professional and managerial class groups, whom some analysts predict to be most disaffected, have only decreased their degree of support for increased education spending and taxes. Support for education funding among working‐class groups has increased since the early 1980s. There is also now at least plurality support for a shorter workweek in all class groups except corporate executives. Corporate business attempts to resettle the social contract with a downsized state education system are so far failing in the realm of public opinion.

It is a question of whether we can grasp the real nature of our society, or whether we persist in social and educational patterns based on a limited ruling class, a middle professional class, a large operative class, cemented by forces that cannot be challenged and will not be changed. The privileges and barriers, of an inherited kind, will in any case go down. It is only a question of whether we replace them by the free play of the market, or by a public education designed to express and create the values of an educated democracy and a common culture (Williams 1961: 155)     

Promoting attitude change and expressed willingness to take action toward climate change in college students

This study examined the relationship among cognitive and motivational variables impacting college students’ willingness to take mitigative action to reduce the impacts of human-induced climate change. One hundred and forty college students were asked to read a persuasive text about human-induced climate change and were pre and post tested on their attitudes about climate change and their willingness to take action to mitigate its effects. Students showed statistically significant changes in their attitudes about climate change and their willingness to commit to take action. A path model demonstrated that openness to change and a willingness to think deeply about issues predicted both change in attitudes and expressed willingness to take action. This research demonstrates that a persuasive text has the potential to promote change around complex socio-scientific issues.     

Comparison of Research Speed and Accuracy Using Westlaw Classic and WestlawNext

In 2010, Thomson Reuters released WestlawNext powered by WestSearch, a novel and proprietary algorithm. WestlawNext represents a new approach to legal research platform design. This article empirically examines the differences in search results using Westlaw Classic and WestlawNext by testing law students and librarians in both systems. Results demonstrate that researchers complete everyday searches faster and more accurately using WestlawNext. However, WestSearch's unique features and Thomson Reuters' failure to explain the function behind the WestlawNext main search bar and the WestSearch algorithm has limited researchers' ability to understand and effectively use WestlawNext. This lack of understanding has significant implications for instruction.     

Key issues in data center security: An investigation of government audit reports

The rising volume of electronic data, the growth in cloud computing and the need for secure and affordable large-scale data storage all contribute to the increasing reliance on data centers in society. This paper provides an overview of security issues relevant to data centers. We offer an aggregation and exploratory analysis of four audit reports of government data centers operating in the United States. Using the information security common body of knowledge to categorize audit findings, we identify the key issues from the reoccurring findings in the reports, particularly in regards to operations security, data center management, physical security, and disaster planning. The security of data centers has become a paramount concern for both government and the information technology industry. Both practitioners and academics can benefit from our research results because it provides insight into the key security issues facing modern data centers.     

Impact of a consumer health information specialization (CHIS) sponsorship program on the ability of public library staff to provide consumer health information

Objective:In 2018, the Network of the National Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) launched a sponsorship program to support public library staff in completing the Medical Library Association''s Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS). The objectives of our study were to: (1) determine whether completion of the sponsored specialization improved ability to provide consumer health information; (2) identify new health information services, programming, and outreach activities at public libraries; (3) investigate benefits of the specialization; and (4) determine the impact of sponsorship on obtaining and continuing the specialization.Methods:We used REDCap to administer a 16-question survey in August 2019 to 224 public library staff who were sponsored during the first year of the program. We measured competence in providing consumer health information aligned with the eight Core Competencies for Providing Consumer Health Information Services [1] as well as new activities at public libraries, benefits of the specialization to public library staff, career gains, and the likelihood of continuing the specialization based on funding.Results:More than 80% of 136 participants reported an increase in core consumer health competencies, with a statistically significant improvement in mean competency scores after completing the specialization. Ninety percent of participants have continued their engagement with NNLM, and more than half offered new health information programs and services. While more than half planned to renew the specialization or obtain the Level II specialization, 72% indicated they would not continue without NNLM sponsorship.Conclusions:Findings indicate that NNLM sponsorship of the CHIS specialization was successful in increasing the capacity of public library staff to provide health information to their communities.     

Print Media and PR

Sidney L. Jackson's Libraries and Librarianship in the West: A Brief History (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1974---price not given, hardback)

Barbara Nykoruk (ed.) Authors in the News (Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research Co., 1976---$24.00)

Doug Newsom and Alan Scott's This is PRI The Realities of Public Relations (Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 1976---$12.95 1 with an instructor's manual available as well)

Richard Weiner's Professional's Guide to Publicity (Richard Weinter, Inc., 888 Seventh Ave., New York 10019---$6.95, paper)

Richard Weiner's Syndicated Columnists (hardbound, 154 pages, $20.00)     

Constructive Criticisms of Methodological and Editorial Practices

Thompson (1999a and elsewhere) has taken strong positions on a variety of methodological issues. In this article, the authors critique some of those positions and provide alternative views for each.