Attitudes Toward Services of State Departments of Education,

The structure of attitudes toward services rendered by state departments was studied in six southeaste states with a 70-item scale. Development procedures are described. The scale was administered to randoml chosen samples of superintendents (N = 671), central office personnel (N = 404), principals (N = 627) teacher, (N = 3, 684), and other local personnel (N = 373). Data from each group were factored and studied for dimensic ality. The two factors common to all groups consisted, respectively, of positively and negatively worded item despite the fact that the instrument was developed in a way intended to minimize response set factors. A thire factor dealt with university-state relationships.     

Characterization of Age Differences in Error Types in a Multitrial Spatial Learning Task

Although increased age is associated with greater errors in spatial memory tasks, it is unclear if there are age differences in error types. To investigate this, 334 participants (ages 22–88) completed a task in which they remembered object locations across multiple study-test trials. Far and close error types were categorized based on the spatial proximity of recalled objects to their actual location. Younger adults showed a greater difference in the proportion of close and far errors, and middle-aged adults showed this pattern to a lesser extent. However, older adults committed close and far errors at an equal rate. Results revealed that all age groups reduced their far errors across trials, and task complexity similarly affected older and younger adults' error-type rates. Study time did not appear to predict error types. Overall, these results suggest that increased age is associated with more far errors, but that a reduction in these error types can occur through repeated learning trials.     

Cost and competition in the adoption of satellite news gathering technology

This study finds that many local stations subscribe to satellite news networks to obtain material for news broadcasts but that the high cost of satellite news gathering vehicles stops most from obtaining such vehicles. The study also finds that intensity of competition in the local market is a primary reason for acquiring such equipment.     

Context and Sources in Broadcast Television Coverage of the 2004 Democratic Primary

This study examined context variables (reporter speculation, multiple viewpoints, and story emphasis) and source variables (anonymous sources and source transparency) in broadcast television coverage of the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries. Primary coverage was compared with coverage of other major stories. Primary coverage was no more focused on conflict than were other major stories. Primary coverage was, however, more focused on winners and losers, and primary reporting was more likely to include reporter speculation. Primary stories were just as likely to include anonymous sources as were other major stories, but primary stories also were more likely than other major stories to fully identify sources.     

Library outreach near and far: programs to staff and patients of the Piedmont Healthcare System

The librarians at the Sauls Memorial Library at Piedmont Hospital describe two services they offer to Piedmont Healthcare personnel and patients. Included are the system-wide library outreach program and the Sauls Memorial Library Business Center at the main hospital. These services create good will between patients, employees, and the healthcare system, and are also vital elements in promoting and marketing the library. This article illustrates the steps that were taken to create these services within Piedmont Healthcare's growing system.     

Age-Related Effects of Study Time Allocation on Memory Performance in a Verbal and a Spatial Task

Past studies have suggested that study time allocation partially mediates age relations on memory performance in a verbal task. To identify whether this applied to a different material modality, participants ages 20-87 completed a spatial task in addition to a traditional verbal task. In both the verbal and the spatial task, increased age was associated with poorer utilization of study time, suggesting that age differences in study time allocation are qualitatively similar across material modality. Furthermore, age differences in how individuals allocated their study time partially mediated the age relations on memory performance in both tasks, indicating the importance of effective regulation of study time when learning information. Finally, age differences in study time allocation did not appear to be due to differences in awareness of performance. When a subset of participants was asked about their prior performance, awareness of previous performance was not associated with study time allocation on either task. Interestingly, asking participants about their prior performance tended to decrease recall performance. Overall, these results illustrate that how one allocates study time is related to subsequent memory performance in both a verbal and spatial modality, but knowledge about prior performance is not associated with study time utilization, and inquiring about past performance during study may disrupt rather than facilitate learning.     

Close enough but not too far: Assessing the effects of university-industry research relationships and the rise of academic capitalism

Analysts assessing the impact of university-industry research relations (UIRRs) and increasing proprietary behavior on the part of universities often focus on single-indicators or adopt promotional or critical stances. However, assessing impacts of shifts toward a more proprietary university is inherently complex because of potential countervailing or mediating factors within working relationships. From interviews with 84 biological scientists at nine universities we find scientists view UIRRS and university intellectual property (IP) policies in complex and often conflicting ways. For example, university scientists believe UIRRs are valuable for increasing contact with scientists, but are problematic because working with industry can restrict communication among scientists. Also scientists believe university IP policies should shield their work from opportunistic behavior and at the same time be designed to attract industry partners. In addition scientists believe universities use their IP policies primarily as revenue raising vehicles and secondarily to address public good issues such as technology transfer.     

The computer and the print media

The computer offers extensive advantages over even the most advanced printing and information distribution technologies. Most important, it brings into the public compendium quantities of information too vast to be embodied in print. The computer has increased the power of societies, just as the printing press did. It also has the capacity to change our basic conception of reality and alter the power of the word. Because of its capacity to alter society, basic issues of access and privacy must be resolved as a new information infrastructure is created, comparable to that existing for print. Dan Lacy has been Assistant Archivist of the United States, Deputy Chief Assistant Librarian of Congress, head of the USIA overseas library and publishing program, managing director of the American Book Publishers Council, and senior vice president of McGraw-Hill, Inc.