Guardianship of Frail Elders: Student-Supported Process for Legislative Change

Legislative change, ethical dilemmas, and client management issues were all faced by social work students in a recent effort to impact guardianship in the State of Texas. Since the mid-1990s, Texas had been without a statewide system to provide guardianship services. In 2004 a group of social work students, law students, faculty, guardianship professionals, and judges from across Texas came together to create new laws and solve the significant gaps in services. Guardianship is at once a legal and social issue. It is mandated by the courts but generally managed by social workers. In this paper, the authors offer a model for student involvement that both changed the laws in this state and offers significant hands-on education in both research and community organization.     

The White Kid Can Do Whatever He Wants: The Racial Socialization of a Gifted Education Program

Drawing from a 14-month ethnographic study at an elementary school in the US South, I examine the role that the gifted and talented (GT) program played in racial socialization at the school. I use the principle of Whiteness as property (Harris, 1995 Harris, C. I. (1995). Whiteness as property. In K. Crenshaw, N. Gotanda, G. Peller, &; K. Thomas (Eds.), Critical race theory: The key writings that formed the movement (pp. 276–291). New York, NY: New Press. [Google Scholar]) to analyze space as curriculum, the physical and social spaces of a school that structure how particular student bodies are positioned in relation to power and privilege. I argue that the segregated GT structure perpetuates racial inequities that young children are taught to accept and emulate. I conclude with implications for practice and future studies about the role of GT in racial socialization.     

Funding international student support services: tension and power in the university

This case study aims to contribute some understanding as to why a research oriented university with many thousands of full-fee paying international students was believed not to provide adequate funds for international student support services. Drawing on Bourdieu’s notions of fields of power and disciplinary hierarchy, we suggest that the University must allocate resources amongst competing claimants. In the associated internal contest for resources, international student support divisions and disciplines with little intellectual capital but great capacity to attract international students have relatively little bargaining power. This study indicates that the need to build and sustain research reputation led to inadequate funding of support services in an Australian institution heavily reliant on international student income. Ironically, this can mean students who choose a highly ranked university may not receive the support services they require.     

ORIGINATING VISIONS AND VISIONARIES OF THE REA

Abstract One hundred years ago an assembly of four hundred met at Chicago's Auditorium Hotel to create the Religious Education Association. This article traces the influences of William Rainey Harper, John Dewey, and George Albert Coe in the REA's formation, and explores social and intellectual conditions shaping this movement in its beginnings. The author highlights contributions of George Albert Coe as the leading theorist in the religious education movement from the beginnings of the REA into the middle of the 20th century.     

A Student Perspective on e-Resource Discovery: Has the Google Factor Changed Publisher Platform Searching Forever?

The literature shows that students are more likely to begin their search via Google, as it is perceived to be easier and more accessible than other databases or publisher platforms. The invisible web, specifically publisher platforms, is sometimes too difficult for students to access; there are also suggestions that Google Scholar in particular may outperform other paid-for databases. The ease of access and the somewhat misguided notion that Google Scholar has more reliable information than that provided by libraries makes search engines all the more attractive. This culture of searching using a single search box is reflected in the increase in the number of libraries opting for single resource discovery systems such as Summon or Primo, which use a single search covering all the library holdings. The findings suggest that whilst Google Scholar can perform well in some circumstances, it performed only moderately well when compared with LISTA and Summon – the single resource discovery system tested. It was the least successful resource in terms of precision when compared with LISTA, Summon, Emerald and Sage. However, the simplicity of search engines begs the question: will databases and publisher platforms become obsolete? The study concludes that subject specific databases are more effective than search engines, but the complexity of accessing the invisible web is hindering their popularity.     

Telecommunications

MISUNDERSTANDING MEDIA by Brian Winston (New York: Oxford University Press, 1986---$22.50)

SERVICES IN TRANSITION: THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON THE SERVICE SECTOR edited by Gerald Faulhaber, et al. (Cambridge, MA: Ballinger, 1986---$29.95)

BUSINESS TELEMATICS: CORPORATE NETWORKS FOR THE INFORMATION AGE by Byron Belitsos and Jay Misra (Homewood, IL: Dow, Jones-Irwin, 1986---$25.00)

COMPUTER & TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACRONYMS edited by Julie Towell and Helen Sheppard (Detroit: Gale Research, 1986---$60.00)

Three recent publications from the Program on Information Resources Policy (200 Aiken, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138---inquire of publisher for prices, paper)

COMPUTER III: A NEW ERA—A GUIDE TO THE FCC'S LANDMARK DEREGULATORY RULING edited by Dick Stirba (Telecom Publishing Group, Capitol Publications, 1101 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314---$140, paper)

MARKET AND STRATEGIC IMPACTS OF BYPASS by the Bethesda Research Institute (Phillips Publishing, 7811 Montrose Rd., Potomac, Md. 20854---price not given, paper)

SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS ENGINEERING by Wilbur Pritchard and Joseph Sciulli (Englwood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986---$42.95)

GUIDE TO SATELLITE TELEVISION INSTALLATION by John E. Traister (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986---$24.95)     

The status of health librarianship and libraries in the Republic of Ireland (SHELLI): a mixed methods review to inform future strategy and sustainability

Background

This paper summarises the main points of a review of the Status of Health Librarianship & Libraries in Ireland (SHELLI). The review was commissioned to gain a broad understanding of what was happening in practice in Ireland; acquire knowledge about international best practice, and to inform strategic plans to develop and sustain health libraries and librarianship in Ireland.

Methods

A Mixed Methods approach was used: a literature review; an online survey distributed to health librarians; Semi structured interviews with key stakeholders; a focus group drawing participants from the survey. All evidence was triangulated.

Results

New roles for health librarians needed development and the changing educational needs of health librarians warranted attention. Increased collaboration across institutional boundaries needed more consideration, especially in relation to access to e‐resources. Marketing of library services was crucial. Irish health library standards, needed to be updated and enforced and a proper evidence base established. The literature provided a number of examples of potentially useful initiatives.

Conclusions

A strategic plan of action was drawn up in three areas: (i) to identify champions and promote visibility of health service libraries, (ii) to establish a body of evidence and (iii) to support service development and staff mentoring.