The quest for myriad strains

In the era in which the web is fully demonstrating its archival potential, more and more composers make use of sound, melody and computer library repositories. It is a clear trend in popular music, which is increasingly being extended also to ‘academic’ composition: today authors can access and contribute to a vast array of audio materials, of procedures and languages, where historicity and innovation coexist in an eternal present. At first glance it may seem a revolution. However, a closer look reveals ancient roots in the history of music that audio reproduction has made only more evident: the fixation of music on tape, at first, has led some composers (e.g. Bruno Maderna) to create sound libraries to be reused in different works, thus blurring the borders of the Opera; later on, the dematerialization and atomization of procedures in IT have pushed towards a philosophy of sharing (e.g. libraries for Computer Assisted Composition systems) – exalted today by the capillarity of the lightning-fast web distribution – raising deep questions about the concept of author itself. Moving further backwards, to the re-uses in Rossini and Mozart, or to the anonymous formulas in Gregorian chant, could we not find the recurrence of a quest for that world of «myriad strains that once shall sound», where the composer can stretch forth a hand for a musical idea, so wonderfully glimpsed by Busoni in his Sketch for a New Esthetic of Music?

Practical considerations for a library’s research data management services: the case of the National Institutes of Health Library

Objective: This study investigates research data management (RDM) services using a crosstab framework with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Library as a case study to provide practical considerations for libraries seeking to improve their RDM services.Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with four librarians who provide data services at the NIH Library regarding library user characteristics, RDM services provided, RDM infrastructure, and collaboration experiences. Through the analysis of interview transcripts, we identified and analyzed the NIH Library’s RDM services according to Online Computer Library Center (OCLC)'s three categories of RDM services and the six stages of the data lifecycle.Results: The findings show that the two models’ crosstab framework can provide an overview of an institution’s current RDM services and identify service gaps. The NIH Library tends to take more responsibility in providing education and expertise services while relying more on information technology departments for curation services. The library provides significant support for data creation, analysis, and sharing stages to meet biomedical researchers’ needs, suggesting areas for potential expansion of RDM services in the less supported stages of data description, storage, and preservation. Based on these findings, we recommend three key considerations for libraries: identify gaps in current services, identify services that can be supported via partnerships, and get regular feedback from users.Conclusion: These findings provide a deeper understanding of RDM support on the basis of RDM service categories and the data lifecycle and promote discussion of issues to be considered for future improvements in RDM services.

Teachers’ perspectives towards learning autonomy: a survey on English teachers

This study investigates teachers’ perspective toward autonomous learning in the context of English language learning in the current era. As a mixed research method then analyzing the collected data, it exposed that teachers’ perceptions on learning autonomy is low due to many of whom believed that their learners are still reluctant to take control of their study. It further indicated that, during thisCovid-19 pandemic, a learning autonomy may not be applicable in all context particularly within which school’s facility such as computer library and book library are limited or even not provided. This study concluded that learning autonomy practice is situational.

Natural Attenuation as a Decontamination Approach for SARS-CoV-2 on Library Materials

Based on the current scientific understanding regarding COVID-19, this article presents the results of new studies (Tests 4, 5, 6), conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), in partnership with Battelle. The purpose of the experiments is to determine how long frequently circulated library, museum and archival materials should be quarantined before being put back into public circulation.Each test has been conducted by applying the virulent SARS-CoV-2 virus on various materials held at standard room temperature and relative humidity conditions, and then examining the rate of natural attenuation of the virus. The items were not sterilized before testing. Battelle propagated the clinical isolate of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in-house, followed by characterization and testing to establish a certified titer. The materials in Test 4 included binding and cover items placed in a stacked configuration to imitate the common practice that libraries employ when handling book/DVD returns, as well as expanded polyethylene foam, which is typically used in museums for storage and shipping. Test 5 focused on textiles, while Test 6 included building materials (glass, marble, brass, laminate, and powder-coated steel). Test coupons cut from the materials were inoculated with active virus, and then allowed to dry. The test coupons were then examined at the following timepoints: on the second, third, fourth and sixth day (Test 4); on the second, fourth, sixth and eighth day (Tests 5 and 6). The results of the tests showed how much virus was detectable at the selected timepoints. In Test 4, the virus was still detected on all the five materials after six days. In Test 5, the virus was still detected on leather and synthetic leather publication after eight days. In Test 6, the virus was not detected on the tested materials after six days.This publication is provided for informational purposes only, and readers are encouraged to review federal, regional, and local guidance. The authors, sponsors and researchers are not liable for any damages resulting from use, misuse, or reliance upon this information, or any errors or omissions herein.

Natural Attenuation as a Decontamination Approach for SARS-CoV-2 on Library Materials

Based on the current scientific understanding regarding COVID-19, this article presents the results of new studies (Tests 4, 5, 6), conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), in partnership with Battelle. The purpose of the experiments is to determine how long frequently circulated library, museum and archival materials should be quarantined before being put back into public circulation.Each test has been conducted by applying the virulent SARS-CoV-2 virus on various materials held at standard room temperature and relative humidity conditions, and then examining the rate of natural attenuation of the virus. The items were not sterilized before testing. Battelle propagated the clinical isolate of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in-house, followed by characterization and testing to establish a certified titer. The materials in Test 4 included binding and cover items placed in a stacked configuration to imitate the common practice that libraries employ when handling book/DVD returns, as well as expanded polyethylene foam, which is typically used in museums for storage and shipping. Test 5 focused on textiles, while Test 6 included building materials (glass, marble, brass, laminate, and powder-coated steel). Test coupons cut from the materials were inoculated with active virus, and then allowed to dry. The test coupons were then examined at the following timepoints: on the second, third, fourth and sixth day (Test 4); on the second, fourth, sixth and eighth day (Tests 5 and 6). The results of the tests showed how much virus was detectable at the selected timepoints. In Test 4, the virus was still detected on all the five materials after six days. In Test 5, the virus was still detected on leather and synthetic leather publication after eight days. In Test 6, the virus was not detected on the tested materials after six days.This publication is provided for informational purposes only, and readers are encouraged to review federal, regional, and local guidance. The authors, sponsors and researchers are not liable for any damages resulting from use, misuse, or reliance upon this information, or any errors or omissions herein.

The Fast and the FRDR: Improving Metadata for Data Discovery in Canada

The Federated Research Data Repository (FRDR), developed through a partnership between the Canadian Association of Research Libraries’ Portage initiative and the Compute Canada Federation, improves research data discovery in Canada by providing a single search portal for research data stored across Canadian governmental, institutional, and discipline-specific data repositories. While this national discovery layer helps to de-silo Canadian research data, challenges in data discovery remain due to a lack of standardized metadata practices across repositories. In recognition of this challenge, a Portage task group, drawn from a national network of experts, has engaged in a project to map subject keywords to the Online Computer Library Center’s (OCLC) Faceted Application of Subject Terminology (FAST) using the open source OpenRefine software. This paper will describe the task group’s project, discuss the various approaches undertaken by the group, and explore how this work improves data discovery and may be adopted by other repositories and metadata aggregators to support metadata standardization.

Social Tags of Select Books Written by Mahatma Gandhi a Comparative Study of Library Thing Tags and OCLC Fast Subject Headings

Retrieval to specific information is critical to user satisfaction in today’s semantic web environment. Users use various terms, nomenclatures and words for aiding mnemonic value to identify concepts for future access and sharing with community members. Social tagging has emerged as a popular option for the millennials to address this issue Tagging is a convenient way used by today’s users for naming their web resources in their own terms. In this study a comparative study was carried out between the standardised Online Computer Library Centre (OCLC) Faceted Application of Subject Terminology (FAST) Subject headings and the popular user-generated tags observed on the LibraryThing website for select books written by Mahatma Gandhi, the iconic Father of Modern India, who was also a prolific writer. M K Gandhi wrote many books, letters, newsletters, essays and edited journals on various subjects like health, vegetarianism, diet, religion and social reforms. A close examination of the subject headings and tags given by users to works authored by M K Gandhi reveal that there is a vast amount of difference between the standard terms assigned using OCLC FAST Subject Headings and tags assigned by the users. The study reveals that neither subject headings nor tags are perfect systems by themselves, but they may complement each other in library catalogues. The inclusion of user-generated keywords into catalogues will greatly enhance representation, organisation and retrieval of resources in a library environment.

Singularity: A maple Library for Local Zero Bifurcation Control of Scalar Smooth Maps

Singularity theory is designed for the local bifurcation analysis and control of singular phenomena. The theory has a significant technical computational burden. However, there does not exist any (symbolic) computer library for this purpose. We suitably generalize some powerful tools from algebraic geometry for correct implementation of the results in singularity theory. We provide some required criteria along with rigorous proofs for efficient and cognitive computer implementation. Our results also address permissible truncation degrees in Taylor expansions of smooth bifurcation maps. Accordingly, an end-user friendly maple library, named “singularity,” is developed for an efficient bifurcation analysis and control of real zeros of scalar smooth maps. We have further written a comprehensive user guide for singularity. The main features of our developed maple library are briefly illustrated along with a few examples.