Historical case study: A research strategy for diachronic analysis

History and case study are two diachronic research strategies commonly used to study political discourse as it relates to public libraries. Though suitable for some studies, these strategies are inexhaustive. A new, blended research strategy is therefore needed to accomplish what history and case study alone cannot. This hybrid strategy, historical case study, must analyze cases from the distant past to the present, using eclectic data sources, in order to produce both idiographic and nomothetic knowledge. To develop historical case study, the universal components of diachronic analysis are first identified. A general research design for historical case study is then introduced. Finally, historical case study is tested in an actual research project. Findings from this project reveal that historical case study is a successful diachronic research strategy. Historical case study is a new and valuable research design suitable for addressing questions related to change, continuity, development, and evolution.     

Digital Inclusion in Library Context: A Perspective from Users with Print Disability

Digital inclusion is a strategy pursued to foster social inclusion of those who have been sidelined from the mainstream of information society due to lack of access to digital technologies and the skills to use them. Libraries have been working to close the gap by providing access to computers, the Internet, digital content, and digital literacy programs. However, research reveals a new type of divide where digitally competent people could be digitally excluded. This shows the need for a better conceptualization of access and literacy. This paper commits to exploring the concept of access to digital content from the perspective of people with print disability. It involved in-depth interviews with ten participants with print disability where the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health was used as a framework for data analysis. The overall analysis shows that digital inclusion would be more meaningful if it involved providing content in alternative formats and empowering users to make informed choices. Issues such as flexibility and adaptability in content presentation and design of content discovery tools are among those discussed.     

Cyclic-anion salt for high-voltage stable potassium-metal batteries

Electrolyte anions are critical for achieving high-voltage stable potassium-metal batteries (PMBs). However, the common anions cannot simultaneously prevent the formation of ‘dead K’ and the corrosion of Al current collector, resulting in poor cycling stability. Here, we demonstrate cyclic anion of hexafluoropropane-1,3-disulfonimide-based electrolytes that can mitigate the ‘dead K’ and remarkably enhance the high-voltage stability of PMBs. Particularly, even using low salt concentration (0.8 M) and additive-free carbonate-based electrolytes, the PMBs with a high-voltage polyanion cathode (4.4 V) also exhibit excellent cycling stability of 200 cycles with a good capacity retention of 83%. This noticeable electrochemical performance is due to the highly efficient passivation ability of the cyclic anions on both anode and cathode surfaces. This cyclic-anion-based electrolyte design strategy is also suitable for lithium and sodium-metal battery technologies.