The National Institutes of Health's methods for reviewing and financing academic research proposals are often praised as the gold standard. Some American scientists, though, have recently offered less flattering descriptions, like "broken" and "arbitrary." NIH officials have heard both arguments, and plenty in between, in recent months. They have…

Each year throughout the country college hiring committees are charged with the task of filling countless numbers of vacant job positions. In theory, by utilizing the expertise of the committee members and working through an equitable process, the brightest and best people available are offered positions at the colleges. The reality of the hiring…

To help defuse censorship efforts, this booklet identifies issues and strategies for handling censorship efforts and provides the instructional materials selection policies of two Montana school districts. The booklet also includes sample forms for a citizen requesting reconsideration of materials and for a school media committee's reconsideration…

An exploratory study focused on teacher participation in the decision-making processes of personnel selection in public schools. A stratified random selection procedure was employed to select a sample of public school teachers (kindergarten through 12th grade) in a large midwestern state. The survey was mailed to a total of 305 teachers, 60…

This paper is intended to be a guide for constructive and helpful participation by parents and citizens in inquiry about and involvement in the selection of educational materials. The paper argues for a systematic, step-by-step selection process, sensitive to local needs and concerned with high quality materials that should be divided into (1)…

Presents a 1992 study which discovered and investigated collection development bias in academic and public libraries in California. The investigation was carried out in five stages: (1) selected a controversial topic; (2) identified representative works; (3) ranked works by qualified judges; (4) measured holdings via library online computer…

The four basic criteria for the selection of library materials--quality, library relevancy, aesthetic and technical aspects, and cost--remain the same in the electronic era of information. What they mean and how they are used has changed. But even quality and cost, the two most controversial criteria, carry great importance for the responsible…

Malaysia's Vision is for the country to become a fully developed nation by 2020. In order to compete at an international level, the country needs to produce future workers who are well-versed in English. The National Philosophy of Education aims to produce holistic graduates who excel academically and have better intercultural understanding, which…

America has a serious weight problem. Two-thirds of adults and nearly one-fifth of children in the United States are overweight, placing them at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases including cancer and arthritis. Furthermore, obesity and its related health problems are placing a major strain on the U.S. health care…

City University of Seattle, a comprehensive teaching university that focuses on the needs of working adult students, sought to streamline its faculty recruitment and hiring practices by identifying a list of candidate screening criteria that could be used to identify adjunct faculty candidates who are likely to be successful as instructors. To…

SETDA and NASTID's "Technology Tools for Schools Resource Guide" provides definitions of key technology components and relevant examples, where appropriate as a glossary for educators. The guide also presents essential implementation and infrastructure considerations that decision makers should think about when implementing technology in schools.…

Open Source Software (OSS) is a major force in today's Information Technology (IT) landscape. Companies are increasingly using OSS in mission-critical applications. The transparency of the OSS technology itself with openly available source codes makes it ideal for students to participate in the OSS project development. OSS can provide unique…

This study expands upon the research of arts-based inquiry by exploring the ways creativity and flexibility impact communicating and organizing in an arts-based nonprofit. Based on ethnographic observation and interviews, this piece reveals specific tensions that impact the ways staff members and mentors communicate: (a) consistency/inconsistency,…

Planning is necessary in selecting the appropriate digital asset management system for your institution. Key issues one should consider in planning: the objects to be stored, where they come from, and how they will be accessed; the end users; and the needed staffing levels for system maintenance. During the development of the system requirements,…

Offering a separate, popular reading collection can be a valuable public service in academic libraries. Popular reading is also known as leisure reading, recreational reading, and reading for pleasure. These phrases are synonyms for an interest in reading bestsellers, mysteries, romance novels, biographies, graphic novels, humor, self-help, or…