Medical Libraries in the State of Bahrain

The main objective of this research paper is to introduce the concept of medical libraries, and to survey the present status of medical libraries in the State of Bahrain in terms of their history, collections, staff, and services. The study gives a general background about the State of Bahrain and its libraries. It also discusses the main problems facing medical libraries in Bahrain. Finally, the study gives some recommendations for developing medical libraries in Bahrain. Personal interviews and documents were used for collecting the information.     

Communication, Relationships, and Religious Difference in the Northern Ireland Workplace: A Study of Private and Public Sector Organizations

Four large organizations, two each from the private and public sectors of the Northern Ireland economy, were selected for this study which, first, explored the effects of religion-based workforce difference on intergroup relationships, second, investigated the contribution of organizational sector to communicative differences, and third, gauged the effects of group-based negativity on the flow and distribution of functional information within the organization. Little evidence of intergroup conflict was found although employees expressed a desire for greater quantity and quality of outgroup contact. Significant differences between the private and public bodies emerged in this respect. Contrasts were consistent with general organizational differences typifying the sectors. Findings are discussed in relation to diversity management and the characteristics of organizational sectors.     

Literature-Based Scientific Learning: A Collaboration Model

Amidst exponential growth of knowledge, student insights into the knowledge creation practices of the scientific community can be furthered by science faculty collaborations with university librarians. The Literature-Based Scientific Learning model advances undergraduates' disciplinary mastery and information literacy through experience with primary literature research practices and scientific scholarly communication traditions.     

Emergent Agents: The Forgotten Publics in Crisis Communication and Issues Management Research

Crisis communication research rarely highlights the voices of marginalized publics or their advocates whose interests are affected by crisis situations. We take a different approach by using a response to a natural disaster to expand our theorizing about crisis situations beyond those that hurt the bottom line. Using official statements from Senators Landrieu and Obama about events surrounding Hurricane Katrina as texts for analysis, we demonstrate how they used transcendence, rhetorically, and appropriated the Bush administration's key term—security—to garner more support for their positions, Katrina sufferers, and relief efforts. Implications of this strategy serve to broaden crisis communication theorizing, and to provide insights into ways to strengthen the quality of crisis emergency response planning and response protocols.     

Conceptualizing Continuous Coverage: A Strategic Model for Wall-to-Wall Local Television Weather Broadcasts

The 2005 hurricane season provided unprecedented opportunities for local television stations to serve the public interest in live, often commercial-free, coverage of severe weather. In this examination of four local television stations' coverage of four Atlantic hurricanes in two Southeastern markets, observed patterns of behavior culminated in the development of the Local Weather Continuous Coverage Model. The study showed that unlike their cable news counterparts, local television news continuous coverage prioritizes weather personnel over live, on-the-scene news reporting. Of all the weather tools used, radar was the most frequently used, followed by watch and warning graphics.