What's Coming Off the Shelves? A Reference Use Study Analyzing Print Reference Sources Used in a University Library

To what extent is the print reference collection being used? Use of the print collection at a small private university was tracked for a four-month period. The results suggest that the reference collection is too big and underused.     

Using Desk-top Publishing to Develop Literacy

Desk-top publishing is an important growth area in the use of computers in business, and it is beginning to have an impact in schools. In this paper we examine the learning benefits which may accrue from the use of desktop publishing techniques with children, especially in terms of the development of literacy skills. Desk-top publishing is analysed as an extension of word-processing, but with several extra important features. The paper concludes by describing some of the possible ways of using desk-top publishing in the classroom.     

Authors and information technology: new challenges in publishing

Last year 1279 professional authors completed a lengthy questionnaire on their use of, and attitudes towards, technological tools for writing and publishing. The data were analysed quantitatively, by examining the most frequent responses to items on the questionnaire, and qualitatively, by looking closely at details illuminating the relationship between authors and publishers. The results, for present purposes, are divided into three broad bands of interest: first, what types of writing software authors are currently using; second, what the implications of using authors’ disks in the publication chain are; and third, how technology alters perceptions of the ‘copy’ as a unit of sale. Findings suggest that though authors are operating at basic levels, they have embraced technology with more enthusiasm than their publishers. The challenge facing those involved in books is to make provision for presenting and displaying work in electronic form: to improve contracts and licensing agreements, and to disseminate information on technology to authors.     

Promoting Early Literacy Through Professional Development For Childcare Providers

This study investigated the potential benefits of offering childcare providers professional development to promote preliteracy skills in young children. It was hypothesized that direct instruction to providers, through rigorous training and mentorship, would increase children's opportunities for reading success and thus, enhance their preliteracy skills. The BUILDING BLOCKS for Literacy program followed recommendations made by the National Research Council, which included shared book reading, phonological awareness, and relationships between speech and print. Sixty-seven providers from 44 settings were trained and mentored over six months. Preliteracy skills of 88 children from those settings were assessed before and after the training. A control group of children was also assessed during the same time frame. Results demonstrated that target children showed significantly greater preliteracy gains than did controls. More importantly, a larger proportion of target children rose from below to above a level considered at risk for reading failure. Implications and recommendations are discussed.     

外籍经理人的跨文化管理

联想集团（Lenovo Group Ltd.）的首席执行长比尔&;#183;阿梅里奥（Bill Ameloc）胸怀大志。这位中国最大电脑公司的美国当家人明年的目标是：在美国提高联想集团品牌的知名度，抢占重要的新兴市场以及在乒乓球上击败公司的董事长杨元庆。