Communicating with deaf people:deaf awareness for librarians

Recent legislation in Britain and elsewhere has implications for librarians and othersserving people with disabilities. This paper considers one type of disability: the communicationand information needs of deaf people. A review of the literature indicates that the professionaldevelopment of both health professionals and librarians is not preparing them forcommunication with deaf people. A growing recognition of the need for deaf awarenesstraining among library staff is discussed. A number of training resources are mentioned with achecklist of good communication skills.     

Human Figure Drawings by Schooled and Unschooled Children in Papua New Guinea

Human figure drawings were collected from 287 schooled and unschooled children, aged between 10 and 15 years, living in a remote region of the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, an area with no tradition of graphic art. A classification and ordinal scoring system was devised which encompassed graphic productions ranging from scribbles to conventional competent human figure drawings. The effects of school experience on drawing, even brief and indirect experience, were found to be significant. All the children attending school drew only conventional human figures, but the whole range of drawings, scribbles, transitional forms, and conventional human figure drawings were found in the unschooled children's attempts. Nonrepresentational scribbles and shapes were largely produced by unschooled children living in remote villages without a school, trade store, or mission. Some children appeared to be able to draw representations of the human figure without going through a scribbling stage. The material is considered in relation to other reports on drawings produced by children from societies with little or no indigenous graphic art. The results are discussed in relation to various theories on the development of drawing and representational abilities.     

AgeLine database on middle age and aging: Reflecting population diversity

TheAgeLine database brings an interdisciplinary approach to the literature on aging and older adults. Targeted to a variety of audiences ranging from researchers to consumers,AgeLine provides access to both book and journal literature. Small but steady increases in the amount of aging-related literature have been noted, especially in coverage by nonaging publications.     

Material characterization and preservation guidance for a collection of prosthetic limbs developed since 1960

National Museums Scotland has collections relating to many areas of science and technology, including medical science. This paper considers technical and conservation issues of an important collection of more than 150 prosthetic limbs. Much of the collection is of prosthetics developed for children born lacking or with malformed upper limbs caused by the prenatal morning sickness drug Thalidomide. However, many other examples are represented and the collection showcases a timeline of bioengineering development covering the past five decades. A wide range of plastics and metals were observed within the pieces examined, with many visibly degraded and degrading. The identification and characterization of these materials and their condition are fundamental to interpreting the development of the collection, for deciding on treatment, and for setting a strategy for future preservation. In addition to visual inspection, three analytical techniques were used to examine the various parts of the selected examples: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for polymer identification and condition; X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to identify the metals and alloys present, and X-radiography to reveal the internal mechanisms of the limbs. Interpretation of the results was greatly enhanced by documentation and conversation with engineers and scientists involved in research and development of the limbs. The combination of different materials, some with conflicting environmental requirements, makes storage and display challenging as the goal is to prevent degradation of any part the object. Some objects were found to be actively degrading and for these separate storage solutions have been recommended to slow the emission of volatile degradation products that would cause further damage throughout the collection.