Discusses how carpeting is a key factor in providing comfort, safety, acoustical enhancement, temperature control, and natural lighting enhancement for schools. Tips for choosing the right carpet and carpet maintenance are provided. (GR)

Explores how, tempered by the collapse of the dot-com boom, education institutions are taking a more guarded approach to moving their purchasing operations online; however, those who have moved to such systems have found less bureaucracy, more efficiency, and better prices. (EV)

Focuses on how and where to find maps and discusses the options that are open to geography students in terms of access to maps and spatial data sets, such as buying printed maps and downloading maps from the Internet. Addresses copyright and permission issues along with the citation of maps. (CMK)

Provides advice on successfully managing an educational facility's roofing system by first getting the best roofing system possible, then undertaking regular precautionary measures to assure its peak performance. Specific points address such areas as choosing a roofing contractor, hiring a professional to create specifications, monitoring…

Discusses the effects of electric power deregulation on an educational facility's planning and purchasing for future power needs. Highlights ways schools can take advantage of deregulation. Examines various chiller technologies and economically assessing these technologies on a life-cycle cost basis. (GR)

Examines the physical health risks attributed to poor furniture and equipment ergonomics and looks at ways to help assure that furniture and equipment purchases and practices are ergonomically sound. Cautions to be wary wary of marketing hype that a company's furniture is ergonomically set, and acquire adjustable furniture and encourage students…

Presents an alphabetical product index; a listing of products and services, along with the companies that supply them; descriptions of free-brochures and other material from key suppliers; a detailed examination of product information; and a directory of educational-related associations. Supplier and article indexes conclude the guide. (GR)

Describes an instructional activity to teach middle school through college students how to critically analyze health-related infomercial messages and content; identify techniques commonly used in infomercials to persuade customers to purchase products; identify how and why these techniques can be misleading and unreliable; and discuss benefits and…

This article describes the benefits one gets when big schools roll out highly effective eProcurement systems--strategic improvements and savings. eProcurement systems are hot again in higher education, driven by unrelenting cost containment demands, along with industry shifts that have consolidated choices and brought top products to the…

This newsletter issue describes 3-wheeled scooters and van lifts that can assist a person with a disability to drive independently or have access to transportation. The section on van lifts compares hydraulic lifts and electric lifts, lists manufacturers, and offers an "assessment quiz" outlining factors to consider in selecting a van…

This model policy is designed to help local school officials provide vendors with the greatest reasonable opportunity to compete for access to the school community, while protecting the school's need for reasonable control of that access, so that students, parents, and staff can obtain the best goods and services at the best price. It is offered…

This guide to supermarket shopping begins with a study of the American food shopper. The major types of shoppers and their needs are identified. Chapter 2 discusses planning at home. Topics include preparation of a comprehensive list, using coupons, impulse buying, and comparison shopping. Chapter 3 focuses on the actual shopping experience. Unit…

This guide to supermarket shopping provides information in an outline format. It first covers preliminary activities such as determining family needs, shopping on a budget, and planning at home. A number of suggestions are then made for the actual shopping. Topics include shopper aids (unit pricing, nutritional labeling, freshness coding), store…

This bulletin presents detailed income and expenditure data for 1984 from the interview component of the ongoing Consumer Expenditure Survey. Data in this bulletin are for the urban population. Text tables include the following: (1) annual expenditures of urban consumer units, and percent change in consumer expenditures, Interview Survey and…

The purpose of this study was to explore alternative methods for saving public funds in the purchasing of school bus bodies in the state of Georgia. Officials from each of the 50 states responded to a questionnaire that solicited descriptions of the methods used by state officials in purchasing school bus bodies. The discussion focuses on (1) the…