The post at the end of next week will be the last until the first week back, in January 2009.
We at ACLibraries hope staff have a break that is relaxing and rejuvenating (& that includes some recreational reading).
I
Friday, 12 December 2008
Thursday, 11 December 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 11/12):
Business & management:
• SlideRocket is a website that provides the power of a desktop presentation tool like PowerPoint to people who want to share their slide presentations across the Web, and basic access is free.
• Transparency International’s 2008 Bribe Payers Index (BPI) exposes the degree to which companies of the leading exporting nations are likely to engage in bribery when doing business abroad.
• The New Zealand Institute has today released the fourth report in its series on “Creating a global New Zealand economy”.
• NZ Wood has released a building materials carbon calculator so that people can work out the CO2 emissions or savings that can be attributed to the building materials used for a new home.
Education
• A British charity has released a report that says that faith schools in the UK educate a "disproportionately small" number of children from the poorest backgrounds, which it says contradicts the historical mission of faith schools to challenge poverty and inequality and serve the most disadvantaged in society.
• Researchers at a US university have shown for the first time that the brains of low-income children function differently from the brains of high-income children. Children from lower socio-economic levels show brain physiology patterns similar to someone who actually had damage in the frontal lobe as an adult.
• A major review of the curriculum for England's primary schools suggests that six broad "areas of learning" could replace individual subjects.
• The Open University’s podcasts are already available from Youtube and iTunesU, but are now also available from their own beta site.
• The UK’s Children’s Secretary has ordered bullying experts to draw up guidance to tackle inappropriate language, advise teachers on how to manage cases of harassment, and encourage healthy friendships between teenage boys and girls amid concerns of misogynistic attitudes linked to gang culture.
Environment & sustainability:
• A US company is planning to package sequestered carbon from golf courses participating in their program and sell the resulting carbon credits.
• The UNEP’s new Carbon and Biodiversity Demonstration Atlas pinpoints where high densities of carbon overlap with high levels of biodiversity, so that the atlas spotlights where governments and investors can deal with two crises for the price of one.
• Researchers say that the domestication of wild plants that grow in salty conditions could help reduce global food shortages. Only 1% of the world’s water is fresh, and salinisation is irreversible.
• A European Union report has recommended banning conventional incandescent light bulbs by 2012 to save energy and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.
• Controversial findings in a new study show that very large earthquakes can trigger an increase in activity at nearby volcanoes.
• A leading overseas expert in green energy speaking at the annual conference of Sustainable Electricity Association NZ says NZ could easily generate all its electricity from renewable sources within twenty years with the right support from government.
• A Victoria University researcher has been working on protecting marine environments from unnecessary waste runoff.
Health & wellbeing:
• Research by US scientists shows that cancer researchers may have underestimated the power of some cancers to spread and cause new tumours, as they have found that just one skin cancer cell was often enough to generate a whole new tumour.
• It’s 40 years since the invention of the original computer mouse, but these days it’s becoming well known as a source of RSI (repetitive strain injury) or NSAP (non-specific arm pain).
• Happiness is spread through social networks and exists in clusters of close friends and neighbours, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.
• The World report on child injury prevention from WHO and UNICEF provides the first comprehensive global assessment of unintentional childhood injuries and prescribes measures to prevent them. The report shows that children from poor families, even in high-income countries, are more vulnerable to unintentional injuries.
• An allotment area in Daventry UK is more than just a place for local school children to learn about growing and eating healthy food, it can be a place to exercise.
• New research shows that diabetes and high levels of blood sugar may be linked to abnormalities in a person’s body clock and sleep patterns.
• The Youth '07 study conducted by the University of Auckland Adolescent Health Research Group has shown that youth depression and drug use are declining.
Law & Government:
• Public policy is encouraging the community ownership and management of assets in the UK. A report reviews the evidence on the scale of this activity, the benefits that arise and the factors that support it happening.
• Volunteers contribute hugely to local services during disasters, but non-professional volunteers are not always involved in the highest levels of disaster planning. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has addressed this by appointing a secretary of service and volunteering at cabinet level.
• A new Bill introduced into the UK parliament last week provides new scope for councils and businesses to work together to invest in the long-term economic prosperity of their local communities.
People, culture & diversity:
• God has a postbox and an address. All you need write is "To God, Jerusalem" and the postman in the holy city's dead-letter office will deliver it for you.
Science, technology & transport:
• An Australian company is another that is close to going into production with a small biodiesel-manufacturing unit: a transportable biodiesel processor the size of a 10ft ISO shipping container, called the BioCube. The unit has the potential to provide the fuel requirements for a community of 400 to 500 people.
• Better Place now has 400 wired parking spots, mainly in and around Tel Aviv, since it launched its initiative in June, with 10 stations recently demonstrated in a Tel Aviv mall parking lot.
• Hewlett Packard has shown in its latest green 3-year technology refresh that any business with an IT budget can find some savings especially if they look into consolidation of data services.
• A solar-powered car has travelled through 38 countries with only occasional need to plug into the local grids to power up the car’s batteries.
• For those wanting to understand Google more or search it more effectively, check out “Google: the hidden ideology of search” and “Everything you always wanted to know about Google”.
• A leading UK computer scientist who will give this year's Royal Institution Christmas lectures says that the way we control and interact with computers is set to change rapidly in the next five years.
Engineers are succeeding in research that could mean that "self-powered" devices, such as phones that charge when you speak into them, are one step closer to reality.
• New car sales in Japan are declining, and that in combination with greater environmental awareness means that the trend is away from car ownership and towards car usage, i.e. car sharing.
• In a nationwide survey, 39% of Kiwis believe that calling and texting from their mobile has reduced their need to travel.
• SlideRocket is a website that provides the power of a desktop presentation tool like PowerPoint to people who want to share their slide presentations across the Web, and basic access is free.
• Transparency International’s 2008 Bribe Payers Index (BPI) exposes the degree to which companies of the leading exporting nations are likely to engage in bribery when doing business abroad.
• The New Zealand Institute has today released the fourth report in its series on “Creating a global New Zealand economy”.
• NZ Wood has released a building materials carbon calculator so that people can work out the CO2 emissions or savings that can be attributed to the building materials used for a new home.
Education
• A British charity has released a report that says that faith schools in the UK educate a "disproportionately small" number of children from the poorest backgrounds, which it says contradicts the historical mission of faith schools to challenge poverty and inequality and serve the most disadvantaged in society.
• Researchers at a US university have shown for the first time that the brains of low-income children function differently from the brains of high-income children. Children from lower socio-economic levels show brain physiology patterns similar to someone who actually had damage in the frontal lobe as an adult.
• A major review of the curriculum for England's primary schools suggests that six broad "areas of learning" could replace individual subjects.
• The Open University’s podcasts are already available from Youtube and iTunesU, but are now also available from their own beta site.
• The UK’s Children’s Secretary has ordered bullying experts to draw up guidance to tackle inappropriate language, advise teachers on how to manage cases of harassment, and encourage healthy friendships between teenage boys and girls amid concerns of misogynistic attitudes linked to gang culture.
Environment & sustainability:
• A US company is planning to package sequestered carbon from golf courses participating in their program and sell the resulting carbon credits.
• The UNEP’s new Carbon and Biodiversity Demonstration Atlas pinpoints where high densities of carbon overlap with high levels of biodiversity, so that the atlas spotlights where governments and investors can deal with two crises for the price of one.
• Researchers say that the domestication of wild plants that grow in salty conditions could help reduce global food shortages. Only 1% of the world’s water is fresh, and salinisation is irreversible.
• A European Union report has recommended banning conventional incandescent light bulbs by 2012 to save energy and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.
• Controversial findings in a new study show that very large earthquakes can trigger an increase in activity at nearby volcanoes.
• A leading overseas expert in green energy speaking at the annual conference of Sustainable Electricity Association NZ says NZ could easily generate all its electricity from renewable sources within twenty years with the right support from government.
• A Victoria University researcher has been working on protecting marine environments from unnecessary waste runoff.
Health & wellbeing:
• Research by US scientists shows that cancer researchers may have underestimated the power of some cancers to spread and cause new tumours, as they have found that just one skin cancer cell was often enough to generate a whole new tumour.
• It’s 40 years since the invention of the original computer mouse, but these days it’s becoming well known as a source of RSI (repetitive strain injury) or NSAP (non-specific arm pain).
• Happiness is spread through social networks and exists in clusters of close friends and neighbours, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.
• The World report on child injury prevention from WHO and UNICEF provides the first comprehensive global assessment of unintentional childhood injuries and prescribes measures to prevent them. The report shows that children from poor families, even in high-income countries, are more vulnerable to unintentional injuries.
• An allotment area in Daventry UK is more than just a place for local school children to learn about growing and eating healthy food, it can be a place to exercise.
• New research shows that diabetes and high levels of blood sugar may be linked to abnormalities in a person’s body clock and sleep patterns.
• The Youth '07 study conducted by the University of Auckland Adolescent Health Research Group has shown that youth depression and drug use are declining.
Law & Government:
• Public policy is encouraging the community ownership and management of assets in the UK. A report reviews the evidence on the scale of this activity, the benefits that arise and the factors that support it happening.
• Volunteers contribute hugely to local services during disasters, but non-professional volunteers are not always involved in the highest levels of disaster planning. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has addressed this by appointing a secretary of service and volunteering at cabinet level.
• A new Bill introduced into the UK parliament last week provides new scope for councils and businesses to work together to invest in the long-term economic prosperity of their local communities.
People, culture & diversity:
• God has a postbox and an address. All you need write is "To God, Jerusalem" and the postman in the holy city's dead-letter office will deliver it for you.
Science, technology & transport:
• An Australian company is another that is close to going into production with a small biodiesel-manufacturing unit: a transportable biodiesel processor the size of a 10ft ISO shipping container, called the BioCube. The unit has the potential to provide the fuel requirements for a community of 400 to 500 people.
• Better Place now has 400 wired parking spots, mainly in and around Tel Aviv, since it launched its initiative in June, with 10 stations recently demonstrated in a Tel Aviv mall parking lot.
• Hewlett Packard has shown in its latest green 3-year technology refresh that any business with an IT budget can find some savings especially if they look into consolidation of data services.
• A solar-powered car has travelled through 38 countries with only occasional need to plug into the local grids to power up the car’s batteries.
• For those wanting to understand Google more or search it more effectively, check out “Google: the hidden ideology of search” and “Everything you always wanted to know about Google”.
• A leading UK computer scientist who will give this year's Royal Institution Christmas lectures says that the way we control and interact with computers is set to change rapidly in the next five years.
Engineers are succeeding in research that could mean that "self-powered" devices, such as phones that charge when you speak into them, are one step closer to reality.
• New car sales in Japan are declining, and that in combination with greater environmental awareness means that the trend is away from car ownership and towards car usage, i.e. car sharing.
• In a nationwide survey, 39% of Kiwis believe that calling and texting from their mobile has reduced their need to travel.
Thursday, 4 December 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 04/12):
Business & management:
• Concern is so high over a demographic crisis of a very low birth rate, that Japanese companies are being asked to allow married employees to spend more time at home, and the government is considering legislation to allow more family time.
• The UK Employment Tribunal has made a ruling that people trying to combine work with caring for disabled or elderly relatives will have the right to claim against employers who discriminate against them in refusing to offer flexible working.
• A UK commentator promotes co-owned businesses as more successful in providing public services than either pure public services or private sector providers. A publication called “Innovation Included: why co-owned businesses are good for public services” can be downloaded from the Employee Ownership Association website
• An Oxford University professor believes he has traced the world’s earliest example of a credit crunch – in Rome in 88BC.
• The Commerce Commission has today released guidelines to businesses that make environmental, or ‘green’, claims in their marketing.
Education
• The Serious Virtual Worlds report focuses on virtual worlds for educational uses, and explores the ‘serious’ – as opposed to leisure-based – uses of virtual worlds.
Environment & sustainability:
• The current financial crisis is causing some to call for a return to the days when lawns were less important than vegetable gardens.
• The NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development has released surveys of more than 3,500 New Zealanders' experiences with their homes, and their policy preferences. Included is a policy to improve the performance of NZ houses.
Health & wellbeing:
• A UK commentator says that long term social care and support needs to be reintegrated with, and owned by, the wider community.
• An investigation in the UK has discovered that some schools are illegally discriminating against HIV-positive children and teachers.
• Scientists have discovered how stress physically reshapes the brain and causes long-lasting harm to humans and animals.
Law & Government:
• Victoria University of Wellington’s eighth Post-Election Conference will be held on 12 December 2008 at the Legislative Council Chamber at Parliament. Politicians, political scientists and journalists will contribute.
• Stratford District Council’s Information Centre has launched a new touch-window information system. The interactive window display allows visitors to tap the street-side window menu to browse for information at any time whether or not the centre is open.
• A US commentator lists the “Seven silent crises” facing metropolitan areas in the US – although these could be applied to metropolitan areas around the world.
• In the Office of the Ombudsmen’s Annual Report to Parliament, concern is expressed that some parts of the public service have been deliberately delaying responses to Official Information requests.
• Britain’s binge drinking culture is to be curbed by giving local authorities the power to ban happy hours, all you can drink offers and other price promotions in troublesome pubs and bars. Some other innovative ideas to modify drinkers’ behaviour are also being trialled by police.
• Mapping tools provided by Google, Microsoft and Yahoo might lead some local authorities in the UK to be in breach of the Ordnance Survey’s copyright on the original maps.
• Students studying a range of different courses at UK universities are being encouraged to think about the impact of terrorism - town and country planning students are taught to think about how to mitigate the effects of bomb blasts in public spaces.
People, culture & diversity:
• Social networking sites proved their immediacy in the last week during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, with many providing information and images much more quickly than the formal news agencies.
• An American commentator has written about the way the Bush administration has “done unspeakable violence” to the English language.
• The famous open-air booksellers in Paris may be under threat from online book dealers and tourism.
• A UK researcher’s study of the interaction between time poverty and income poverty shows that freeing lone parents from income poverty only comes at the price of deepening their existing time poverty, which is unlikely to improve their children's well-being, and that men are less likely to experience both time and income poverty than women.
• Developmental psychologists have provided evidence that children are naturally tuned to believe in gods of one sort or another.
Science, technology & transport:
• Brain scientists have succeeded in fooling people into thinking they are inside the body of another person or a plastic dummy.
• Traffic calming features used nowadays to reduce speed even include the unconventional, e.g. “psychological traffic calming” or if you are in India, sacred cows (mentioned in a recent book: Traffic: why we drive the way we do (and what it says about us) / Tom Vanderbilt.)
• The new .tel domain is intended to act as a universal contact point rather than as a hook on which to hang websites, and will work either via the web or mobile phones.
• Researchers say that the impact of emissions from today’s road traffic on the global temperature in 2100 will be six times greater than that from today’s air traffic.
• In the food vs fuel debate, new research shows that perennial grasses may be a better crop to use for producing ethanol than corn.
• Concern is so high over a demographic crisis of a very low birth rate, that Japanese companies are being asked to allow married employees to spend more time at home, and the government is considering legislation to allow more family time.
• The UK Employment Tribunal has made a ruling that people trying to combine work with caring for disabled or elderly relatives will have the right to claim against employers who discriminate against them in refusing to offer flexible working.
• A UK commentator promotes co-owned businesses as more successful in providing public services than either pure public services or private sector providers. A publication called “Innovation Included: why co-owned businesses are good for public services” can be downloaded from the Employee Ownership Association website
• An Oxford University professor believes he has traced the world’s earliest example of a credit crunch – in Rome in 88BC.
• The Commerce Commission has today released guidelines to businesses that make environmental, or ‘green’, claims in their marketing.
Education
• The Serious Virtual Worlds report focuses on virtual worlds for educational uses, and explores the ‘serious’ – as opposed to leisure-based – uses of virtual worlds.
Environment & sustainability:
• The current financial crisis is causing some to call for a return to the days when lawns were less important than vegetable gardens.
• The NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development has released surveys of more than 3,500 New Zealanders' experiences with their homes, and their policy preferences. Included is a policy to improve the performance of NZ houses.
Health & wellbeing:
• A UK commentator says that long term social care and support needs to be reintegrated with, and owned by, the wider community.
• An investigation in the UK has discovered that some schools are illegally discriminating against HIV-positive children and teachers.
• Scientists have discovered how stress physically reshapes the brain and causes long-lasting harm to humans and animals.
Law & Government:
• Victoria University of Wellington’s eighth Post-Election Conference will be held on 12 December 2008 at the Legislative Council Chamber at Parliament. Politicians, political scientists and journalists will contribute.
• Stratford District Council’s Information Centre has launched a new touch-window information system. The interactive window display allows visitors to tap the street-side window menu to browse for information at any time whether or not the centre is open.
• A US commentator lists the “Seven silent crises” facing metropolitan areas in the US – although these could be applied to metropolitan areas around the world.
• In the Office of the Ombudsmen’s Annual Report to Parliament, concern is expressed that some parts of the public service have been deliberately delaying responses to Official Information requests.
• Britain’s binge drinking culture is to be curbed by giving local authorities the power to ban happy hours, all you can drink offers and other price promotions in troublesome pubs and bars. Some other innovative ideas to modify drinkers’ behaviour are also being trialled by police.
• Mapping tools provided by Google, Microsoft and Yahoo might lead some local authorities in the UK to be in breach of the Ordnance Survey’s copyright on the original maps.
• Students studying a range of different courses at UK universities are being encouraged to think about the impact of terrorism - town and country planning students are taught to think about how to mitigate the effects of bomb blasts in public spaces.
People, culture & diversity:
• Social networking sites proved their immediacy in the last week during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, with many providing information and images much more quickly than the formal news agencies.
• An American commentator has written about the way the Bush administration has “done unspeakable violence” to the English language.
• The famous open-air booksellers in Paris may be under threat from online book dealers and tourism.
• A UK researcher’s study of the interaction between time poverty and income poverty shows that freeing lone parents from income poverty only comes at the price of deepening their existing time poverty, which is unlikely to improve their children's well-being, and that men are less likely to experience both time and income poverty than women.
• Developmental psychologists have provided evidence that children are naturally tuned to believe in gods of one sort or another.
Science, technology & transport:
• Brain scientists have succeeded in fooling people into thinking they are inside the body of another person or a plastic dummy.
• Traffic calming features used nowadays to reduce speed even include the unconventional, e.g. “psychological traffic calming” or if you are in India, sacred cows (mentioned in a recent book: Traffic: why we drive the way we do (and what it says about us) / Tom Vanderbilt.)
• The new .tel domain is intended to act as a universal contact point rather than as a hook on which to hang websites, and will work either via the web or mobile phones.
• Researchers say that the impact of emissions from today’s road traffic on the global temperature in 2100 will be six times greater than that from today’s air traffic.
• In the food vs fuel debate, new research shows that perennial grasses may be a better crop to use for producing ethanol than corn.
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