scholarly journals Library Fines Make a Difference in Academic Library Book Return Behaviour

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
Sue F. Phelps
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Due Dates ◽  
Grace Period ◽  
Return Rates ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

A Review of: Sung, J. S., & Tolppanen, B. P. (2013). Do library fines work?: Analysis of the effectiveness of fines on patron’s return behavior at two mid-sized academic libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 39(6), 506-511. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2013.08.011 Abstract Objectives – To quantify library fines and their impact on patron return behaviour. Design – Hypothesis testing of data extracted from integrated library systems. Setting – Two midsize academic libraries, including one from the Pacific, University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), and one from the Midwest, Eastern Illinois University (EIU). Subjects – Undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. Methods – The authors collected data from two midsized universities. The universities have identical integrated library systems, which allowed for uniform data extraction. The authors counted book returns in each population group (undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty) for those books that were returned before and after the due dates with a focus on late fees as the primary variable. The authors tested the following five hypotheses: • Hypothesis 1: “There is no difference in return rates before due dates among the UHM patron groups because the fine policy is the same for all patron groups” (p. 507). • Hypothesis 2: “Before 2006, the EIU undergraduate students’ return rates before due dates should be the highest among the three EIU groups because this was the only group which had overdue fines. . . . There should be no difference in the return rates before due dates between EIU faculty and EIU graduate students (both groups had no overdue fines)” (p. 507). • Hypothesis 3: “EIU graduate students’ return rates before due dates was lower for 2002–2006 than 2007–2011” (p. 507). This hypothesis tests the impact of a change in fine policy that the library implemented in the fall of 2006. • Hypothesis 4: “UHM undergraduate students’ return rates before due dates is higher than that of EIU undergraduate students” because there is no grace period for UHM undergraduates (p. 507). EIU undergraduate students have a 10-day grace period. • Hypothesis 5: “UHM faculty’s return rates before due dates is higher than that of EIU faculty” (p. 507). UHM faculty incur overdue fines, but EIU faculty encounter no penalty for overdue materials. From the integrated library systems, the authors extracted data for the number of books returned before due dates and after overdue notices and for the number of books borrowed by the different populations for the time period starting with Fall 2002 and ending with Spring 2011. The authors analyzed the data using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and made comparisons using analysis of variance (ANOVA) expressed with an F-ratio and p-value < 0.01 as the level of significance. Main Results – The findings did not support hypotheses 1 or 2. For hypothesis 1, in which fines were the same for undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty, return rates increased with academic level and faculty groups. The rates were 90.4%, 93.9%, and 95.7%, respectively (F = 112.1, p < 0.001). For hypothesis 2, the return rate was 88.8% for undergraduates, 92.6% for graduate students, and 80.1% for faculty. The group difference was small but still statistically significant (F = 171.4, p < 0.001). The graduate students, who were not fined, had significantly higher return rates before due dates than undergraduates who incurred fines. Graduate students had higher return rates than faculty, though both groups had no fines. The data did not support hypotheses 3 and 4. For hypothesis 3, no significant change occurred in return rates before and after imposing fines (F = 5.75, p = .031). For hypothesis 4, the return rates of undergraduates at the university with a grace period showed no statistically significant difference in return rates from those undergraduates with no grace period (F = 4.355, p = .044). The findings supported hypothesis 5. The return rates indicated a statistically significant difference between faculty with fines for overdue books and those with no fines (F = 1701, p < 0.001). For those hypotheses for which the differences were not significant, the authors cite other variables, including reminders, grace periods, maturity of the borrower, withholding of privileges, fees, and lost book charges, that may contribute to return rates. Conclusions – In answer to the main research question, the authors conclude that “fines indeed make a difference” (p. 511) in patron book return conduct. However, they also note that fines can mar the reputation of the library creating a barrier to access and that courtesy notices and overdue notices are also effective ways to ensure timely return of materials.

scholarly journals The Quality of Academic Library Building Improvements Has a Positive Impact on Library Usage

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Julie McKenna
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Gate Count ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pearson's R ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pearson’S R

A review of: Shill, Harold B. and Shawn Tonner. “Does the Building Still Matter? Usage Patterns in New, Expanded, and Renovated Libraries, 1995-2002.” College & Research Libraries 65.2 (Mar. 2004): 123-150. Objective – To measure the impact of academic library facility improvements on physical library usage. Design – The facility improvement data used for this study were previously collected through a 68-item Web survey for the companion article “Creating a Better Place: Physical Improvements in Academic Libraries, 1995-2002” (Shill and Tonner). The measurement of library usage was by exit gate counts before and after library improvements. Setting – American academic libraries in which: facility improvement projects were completed between 1995 and 2002, the project space was not smaller than 20,000 square feet, the project space did not include off-site storage or non-public space, and gate-count statistics from before and after facility changes were available. Subjects – Ninety of 384 identified academic libraries were able to provide usable data on: exit gate count, total circulation, in-house collection use, and reference transaction data. Methods – The data collection was undertaken in 2003 for the companion study (Shill and Tonner). A population of 384 libraries potentially able to meet criteria for the study was gathered and each library was invited by e-mail to complete a Web-based survey. Through this initial contact, 357 libraries were confirmed as meeting the study criteria, and responses were received from 182 of those providing a 51% overall response rate. Respondents were asked about institutional characteristics (public or private, Carnegie classification, etc.); project specific features (year of completion, nature of project, etc.); nature and extent of changes (seating, wiring, HVAC, etc.); presence of non-library services in the facility; collection arrangements; before and after quality changes in lighting, seating and a range of services (as assessed by the survey respondent); and before and after project completion gate count usage statistics. Respondents were asked a set of eleven questions each with a five-point scale about facility quality and librarian satisfaction with the former and the changed facility. A further criteria requirement of the availability of pre- and post-project gate count was implemented, reducing the number of libraries to be studied to 90. Facility usage changes were calculated by subtracting the gate count total for the last complete year pre-project from the most recent year gate count post project. Main results - Eighty percent of the 90 libraries reported increased gate count post-project, and 20 percent reported a decline in usage. The median increase across the libraries was 37.4 percent with 25.6 percent of libraries experiencing a post-project increase of 100 percent or more. Renovated facilities were more likely to see usage decline, but there was no statistically significant difference in usage change between renovated and new facilities. Libraries more recently upgraded saw greater usage growth than those renovations completed earlier in the study period, although 75 percent of the facilities continued to experience higher post-project usage levels. Nearly all of the private institutions (93.1%) experienced usage increases and almost half experienced growth of 100 percent or more. No statistically significant relationship was found between changes in post project usage and: The proportion of facility space allocated for library functions The physical location of the library on campus The size of the library facility The level of degrees offered at the institution The availability of wireless access The number of computers in the instruction lab The number of public access workstations A larger number of seats The number of group study rooms The shelving capacity, the use of compact shelving or off-site storage The presence of coffee or snack bars The presence of any non-library facilities There was a statistically significant correlation (Pearson’s r) between increased post project usage and: The institution type (public or private) (p=.000) The number of data ports in the facility (p=.005) The percent of wired seats (p=.034) Ten elements relating to improved quality emerged as statistically significant in relation to increased usage, although the correlation for quality of artificial lighting was not statistically significant (p=.162 n.s.). The statistically significant correlations (Pearson’s r) between quality and increased usage in order of strength of correlation were: the quality of the instruction lab (p=.000); layout (p=.001); public access workstations (p=.006); natural lighting (p=.007); user workspace (p=.008); telecommunications infrastructure (p=.014); overall ambience (p=.020); collection storage (p=.026); heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system (p=.026); and service point locations (p=.038). Conclusion – This study confirmed that 80 percent of libraries experience usage increase after a library improvement project. The study revealed those investments that cause increased use, and also found that a number of variables previously predicted to cause usage growth were not significant. The study also found that quality of the improvements, additions, and the building are a significant driver of increased use. The median 37.4 percent increase demonstrates that, contrary to reports in the literature (Shill and Tonner 460), overall library usage is increasing in these institutions.

scholarly journals Stress and Heart Rate Variability during University Final Examination among Lebanese Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabah Hammoud ◽  
Rita Karam ◽  
Rabih Mourad ◽  
Iman Saad ◽  
Mazen Kurdi
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Real Life ◽  
First Year ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Degree Of Confidence

Real-life stressors, such as university examination, cause an increase in sympathetic activity of the nervous system innervating the heart, and thus an increase in heart rate (HR). Our study aimed to detect changes in heart rate variability (HRV) during different stages of an exam in a group of 90 healthy university students (30 males and 60 females), over 4 h of monitoring divided into 1 h before, 2 h during, and 1 h after the examination. HRV was significantly highest after the exam, indicating release from stress, as compared to before and during the examination when stress was observable. Undergraduate students in different academic years did not differ in terms of stress, indicating the absence of adaptation to exam procedures. However, HR and R-R interval after the exam showed significant difference between first year undergraduate studies and first year of a graduate program, indicating a higher degree of confidence in graduate students. Results also suggest that HRV in females is significantly lower than that in males before and after examination, despite men having greater sympathetic input. In conclusion, the results of our novel study assessing stress in real-time examination show important gender differences, and lack of adaptation with academic study year.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on the Use of Academic Library Resources

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Sara Connell ◽  
Lisa Wallis ◽  
David Comeaux
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Interlibrary Loan ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Time Frames ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted higher education, including academic libraries. This paper compares the use of library resources (including interlibrary loan, website and discovery tool pageviews, database use, patron interactions, etc.) at three university libraries before and after the pandemic. The latter part of the 2019 and 2020 spring semesters are the time frames of focus, although two control time frames from earlier in those semesters are used to determine how the semesters differed when the coronavirus was not a factor. The institutions experienced similar patterns of use across many metrics.

The interplay of glossing with text difficulty and comprehension levels

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110204
Author(s):  
Seyede Faezeh Hosseini Alast ◽  
Sasan Baleghizadeh
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
First Language ◽  
Think Aloud ◽  
Text Difficulty ◽  
L2 Reading ◽  
Think Aloud Protocols ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
L2 Reading Comprehension ◽  
Underlying Processes

The aim of this experiment was to investigate how glossing influences second language (L2)reading comprehension in relation to text difficulty and the two local and global meaning representations. Fifty-eight undergraduate students were asked to read three easy, moderate, and difficult texts and, following each passage, answer twenty comprehension questions targeting local and global concepts in one of the two first-language-glossed and unglossed conditions. Half of the participants in each group were supposed to think aloud while reading. The results revealed a significant difference between the performance of glossed and unglossed groups on comprehension of local concepts in all three difficulty levels. However, the impact of glossing on comprehension of global concepts was significantly influenced by text difficulty. The qualitative analysis of think-aloud protocols suggested a substantial difference in glossing functionality on fluency between the easy and the difficult texts. Furthermore, it is suggested that revisiting the glossing effect in combination with text difficulty on the reading product and underlying processes might reconcile some divergent hypotheses on glossing impact on fluency.

scholarly journals 1166. Evaluating the Impact of the 2016 Candidemia Guidelines on the Incidence of Ocular Complications of Candidemia

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S609-S609
Author(s):  
Molly Hillenbrand ◽  
Senu Apewokin
Keyword(s):  
Vision Loss ◽  
Bloodstream Infections ◽  
Empiric Therapy ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Ocular Complications ◽  
Ocular Penetration ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Eye Exams ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The incidence of Candida bloodstream infections has risen over the last several decades. Complications of candidemia include endogenous fungal endophthalmitis which can result in devastating outcomes including vision loss. In 2015, the IDSA guidelines were updated to recommend echinocandins as initial therapy for candidemia. Given the poor ocular penetration of echinocandins there has been some concern this change may portend an increased incidence of ocular complications in candidemic patients. We sought to examine whether patients who received empiric echinocandin therapy developed higher rates of ophthalmic complications of candidemia. Methods We identified patients in our healthcare system who had blood cultures positive for Candida species and a completed ophthalmology consult between January 1, 2014 and April 30, 2019. Chi-squared analysis was used to compare antifungal prescribing patterns before and after release of the updated IDSA guidelines. We assessed whether the switch to empiric echinocandin therapy as directed by the guidelines was associated with higher rates of abnormal eye exams. Results 47 patients treated before the guideline change were compared to 57 patients treated after the guideline change. There was no significant difference in age, gender, or comorbid diabetes and hypertension between the groups. Before the guideline change, 24/47 (51%) of patients received eye-penetrating antifungals. This decreased to 21/57 after the updated guideline (37%, p=0.21). The percentage of patients with positive eye exams was nearly equal before and after the updated guidelines, 10/47 (21%) before vs 13/57 (22%) after (p=1). After the guideline change, 7/21 (33%) of the patients treated with penetrating antifungals had positive eye exams vs 6/36 (16%) who received echinocandins (p=0.19). Conclusion Echinocandins are known to have poor ocular penetration yet our data demonstrate no change in the incidence of ophthalmic complications of candidemia after the 2016 guideline endorsed echinocandins as empiric therapy. The prevalence of positive eye exams throughout our study period was 22%, suggesting ongoing utility for these exams. Ongoing investigation is necessary to confirm and further study these findings. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Impact of adenotonsillectomy on the quality of life of patients operated on at the Hospital de Clínicas, Paraguay

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Carlos Mena Canata ◽  
Rebeca Noemí Ruiz Vallejos
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of adenotonsillectomy on the quality of life of postoperative patients.The study is observational, cross-sectional, and retrospective. The files of all postoperative adenotonsillectomy patients in Otorhinolaryngology Service, Hospital de Clínicas, San Lorenzo Paraguay. The Obstructive sleep apnea – 18 questionnaire (OSA 18) was applied, asking patients about symptoms before and after surgery. An effective sample of 143 postoperative patients was obtained. The average age was 6.05 ± 2.08 years, 55.10% (81) were male and 44.89% (66) were female, 65.30% (96) were from urban areas and 34.69% (51) from the rural areas. The t test was performed for means of two paired samples, comparing the results of the Obstructive sleep apnea – 18 questionnaire surveys before and after surgery which presented a significant difference (p <0.05) with a tendency to improve the quality of life after surgery. It has been shown that there is a significant difference, a considerable improvement in the quality of life of patients after adenotonsillectomy.

scholarly journals How is Satiety Affected When Consuming Food While Working on A Computer?

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily Ding ◽  
Nazimah Hamid ◽  
Daniel Shepherd ◽  
Kevin Kantono
Keyword(s):  
Energy Intake ◽  
Eating Behavior ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Restrained Eating ◽  
Computer Work ◽  
Meal Intake ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

More people working at offices are choosing to eat meals at their desks, making “desktop dining” an increasingly common phenomenon. Previous studies have reported that environmental distractors, such as television viewing, can influence meal intake and subsequent snack intake. However, the impact of stressful mental tasks on eating behavior has received relatively less attention, focusing only on subsequent meal intake or concurrent snack intake. This study sets out to determine whether eating while working influenced current meal energy intake. This research also examined the relationship between dietary restraint status and energy intake. A crossover experimental design was employed requiring participants (14 males and 29 females) to eat pizza quietly and at rest (control), and while working on a computer (work). Measurements included BMI, energy intake, state anxiety, restrained eating behavior, stress levels (pre- and post-eating), and appetite (before and after both work and control sessions). The findings showed that consuming food while working on a computer significantly increased stress but had no influence on energy intake compared to the control condition. However, post-eating hunger levels were significantly higher in the work condition compared to the control condition. As expected, satiety levels decreased significantly from pre- to post-eating for both work and control conditions. In addition, no significant relationship was observed between restrained eating behavior and energy intake in both work and control conditions. These results suggest that eating while working affected satiety of normal weight participants, as indicated by the significant difference in post-meal satiety levels between work and control conditions.

scholarly journals Impact of the Emerging COVID-19 Pandemic on the Consumption of Multivitamins (C, D and Zinc) by the Saudi Arabian Population

2021 ◽  
pp. 11-20
Author(s):  
Duaa Mohamed Bakhshwin ◽  
Abdulaziz Bakhshwin
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin C ◽  
World Health ◽  
Saudi Population ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Zinc Supplements ◽  
Vitamin D Supplements ◽  
The Impact

Background: On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the Coronavirus outbreak officially as a pandemic. This pandemic has led to new measurements to prevent viral spread. The measures included decreasing the person’s mobility outside homes with subsequent changes in the lifestyles, particularly in physical activity and eating habits. It has been noticed that consumption of some vitamins may help in preventing or reducing the symptoms of viral infection. Those vitamins include vitamin C, D and zinc. There is a common observation that the general public believes that the use of vitamins, especially vitamins C, D and zinc, reduces the chance of acquiring COVID-19. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on taking vitamins supplements by the Saudi general population in order to explore their believes regarding the protective value of these vitamins against COVID-19 infection. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administrated questionnaire that was designed, uploaded to the Google form and distributed online to the general Saudi population through the social media (Whatsapp, Twitter) as well as through email between August and December 2020. Statistical Packaged of Social Sciences program (SPSS) for Windows (version 17.0., Chicago: SPSS Inc) was used to analyze the data. A significant difference was considered when the p value is < 0.05. Student t-test and Chi-square (χ2) test were used to compare the studied variables as appropriate. Results: A total of 1043 participants were included in this study (64.9% females, 35.1% males). The mean age for them was 35.3±14.78 years. Only 9.3% (97 participants) were diagnosed to have COVID-19. About 28% of the participants were in contact with COVID-19 cases. Among participants diagnosed to have COVID-19 infection, (13% versus 29%) were taking vitamin C and (2% versus 15%) were taking zinc supplements daily during the 6 months before and after the pandemic, respectively, while (20% versus 25%) were taking vitamin D supplements weekly during the 6 months before and after the pandemic, respectively. Among participants who were in contact with COVID-19 cases, (8% versus 20%) and (3% versus 11%) were taking vitamin C and zinc supplements daily during the 6 months before and after the pandemic, respectively, while (14% versus 16%) were taking vitamin D supplements weekly during the 6 months before and after the pandemic Conclusion: The interest of taking multivitamin by Saudi population, such as vitamins C and D, zinc increased during and after the pandemic compared to that before it. There is no scientific evidence based on previous studies confirmed the role of dietary supplementation and multivitamins in preventing COVID-19 infection, therefore, effective education on the rationale use of vitamins during COVID-19 pandemic should be emphasized at local and/or national levels.

scholarly journals Study the Religiosity and Stress among Graduate Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mr. Awin A. Akolkar
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Significant Difference

The present study is conducted to measure religiosity and stress of graduate students belonging to gender living in Marathwada. The investigators employed one independent variables, gender can influence the religiosity and stress of students. The study was carried out on the sample of graduate students. To measure the religiosity and stress the researcher used the standardized scale of Bhusan and Bisht Battery of stress. The sample consisted of 100 students, out of which, 50 were males and 50 females. The findings of the study revealed that there is significant difference in the religiosity and stress of undergraduate students. Correlation between religiosity and stress is not significant found.

scholarly journals SP9.1.1 The Impact of Anaesthetic Use on Healing in Sub-cutaneous Abscess Management: A Retrospective Before and After Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Elkadi ◽  
Eleanor Dodd ◽  
Theodore Poulton ◽  
William Bolton ◽  
Joshua Burke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Local Anaesthetic ◽  
Surrogate Endpoints ◽  
Incision And Drainage ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Aims Despite being the most common surgical procedure, there is wide variation that exists in the management of simple subcutaneous abscesses with no national guideline describing best practice. During the COVID-19 Pandemic national guidelines promoted the use of regional or local anaesthetic (LA) instead of general anaesthesia (GA) to avoid aerosol generating intubation associated with GA. This study aimed to assess the impact of anaesthetic choice in outcomes following incision and drainage of subcutaneous abscesses. Methods Two cohorts of patients undergoing abscess incision and drainage at St. James’ University Hospital Leeds were retrospectively identified over a 14-week period before and after the introduction of the new COVID-19 anaesthetic guidelines. Wound healing surrogate endpoints were used: i) total number of follow up appointments and ii) attendance to healthcare services after 30 days from I&D. Result 133 patients were included. Significantly more procedures were performed under LA after the intervention (84.1% vs 5.7%; p &lt; 0.0001) with a significant reduction in wound packing (68.3% vs 87.1%. p=0.00473). Follow up data found no significant difference in the average number of follow-up appointments (7.46 vs 5.11; p = 0.0731) and the number of patients who required ongoing treatment after 30 days (n = 14 vs n = 14, p = 0.921). Conclusion Drainage of simple subcutaneous abscess under 5 cm is safe under local anaesthetic with no significant difference in surrogate endpoints of wound healing observed in this patient cohort. Recurrent packing may not be required. Future work should explore patient reported measures such as pain management and the health economics of this intervention.

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