The Challenges of Middle East Collection Librarianship :: Essays Papers

The Challenges of Middle East Collection Librarianship The life of a Middle East collections librarian is typically one of quiet cataloging balanced with defensive declarations of one's significance to a great many co-workers and fellow university folk who fail to understand the need to collect items in "those squiggly languages." In an effort to share ideas on how to gain greater respect among peers while serving patrons as best as possible, hard-working Middle East librarians across the United States and the world commiserate on listservs and attend the annual Middle East Librarian Association (MELA) conference. They often discuss the new and the continuing obstacles to this specialty reaching its full potential and obtaining its due respect. Censorship is an issue. Books are usually censored upon publishing, but the censors can change their minds†¦ Primary among concerns is money. Also, few things speak so clearly about what the library prizes than does space allocation. Middle East collections are frequently in the inner, dark depths, the highest reaches, or the most backward rooms of the libraries that contain them. Certified librarians regularly receive greater deference and respect within the library organizational structure, particularly those with bureaucratic (role) systems (Handy 185). But professionals cost more, so hiring students is an established practice. But, if finding qualified personnel is a problem at Princeton University, which has an endowment of 3.5 billion dollars, it is almost certainly a problem everywhere (Weinberger). Finally, respect infrequently comes from the lofty positions beyond the library walls. Presidents, Provosts, and Regents often fail to perceive the library as an essential, perpetually developing aspect of campus life. The core of the problem may be that the people making the decisions in libraries and in administrations do not see a need for a library because they do not visit it. This divide might best be bridged by personally inviting these leaders to annual report meetings, presentations, or displays related to your collection. When they do not at first respond--and they likely will not--display a bit of personal power (Handy 131) and continue to invite them. If they regularly receive things in your name, their curiosity may eventually get the better of them. Challenges specific to the Middle East Librarianship include: - Cataloging challenges - Delays of copy cataloging - Student-dependent work - Nothing arriving shelf- - On-line materials - A host of supply problems. Cataloging challenges center around transliteration systems, a marked dependency by more and more institutions on copy cataloging, and a shift from relying on expert catalogers to the growing use of student workers.

Victorian Education and the First Part of Hard Times by Charles Dickens

Victorian Education and the First Part of Hard Times by Charles Dickens The education system in the 19th century was one of the more prominent floors in society. Trainee teachers usually began work around 14 years of age, predictably resulting in poor quality teaching. Subjects and topics were drilled repeatedly until set deep into the children’s memories. Numbers of children to a class were incredibly high, meaning there was a huge lack min teacher – pupil relationship. If you happened to be particularly bright then you were likely to be dragged behind whereas if you were unfortunately slow, then you would be left behind with no special help or encouragement. Authorities were very domineering; everybody was expected to be able to follow the system, personal differences were not taken into account in any way productive. Corporal punishment is another feature commonly used by Victorian teachers; children were often beaten because of mistakes, and as you can imagine, violence from teachers was a frequent event mainly due to the narrow minded peremptory conditions. Evidently, the consequences of such an education produced uniformity to such a degree that linked each child into the system. The sense of depersonalisation that consumed the tender young imaginations, so vivid and active - the impersonal existence that dissolved away any trace of flourishing enthusiasm and discarded the dregs; deadpan, stunted adults. All the same, and all plugged into the same matrix. The novel Hard Times powerfully reflects Dickens’ personal interest in the education system. He seems to have taken samples from particular features of education and amplified them to create a fictional scenario constructed from reality. Th... ...ian education absolutely horrifies me (probably due to my love of expressive arts), and I think that there is no way that the humiliation and dehumanisation could have had any positive affect on the children. There was no stimulation or variations of syllabus for different levels of academic intelligence and I think that the introduction of these things have had a positive and productive outcome. I am curious to read on having reached this point, especially to look into how the young Gradgrinds turn out. I’d also like to see how Sissy is affected by the system – if she is at all. One of the things that really makes me want to read on, is the introduction of several new characters fairly early in the story; the way they are linked to each other and how they differ as individuals seems to entice my imagination – I want to know what’s going to happen next.

Buddhist protestant

At first glance, the Protestant and Buddhist religions do not appear to have much in common. However, some of the rituals observed in one have parallel rituals observed in the other. At the structural level, there are more comparisons than contrasts to be made. If the view is expanded to include the followers of each religion, however, many more contrasts than comparisons can be observed. It is the people, the Protestants and the Buddhists, that make the religions different, due to teachings that cannot necessarily be observed.The customs of each religion will be detailed, and the similarities and differences made clear, in the essay that follows. This particular Sunday morning Protestant service begins at nine o’ clock, though the schedule is far from rigid. Members of the congregation are milling happily about, most wearing smiles that are wide and bright. Some of them spot me as a newcomer as soon as I step through the doorway, and they rush to shake my hand and introduce t hemselves. (One of these is Tobias Scouten, who agrees to be interviewed for this essay.) Protestants in this particular church, and this may be the same everywhere, are always welcoming new members. This is evidenced almost immediately after the service begins. The room, which Scouten calls â€Å"the sanctuary,† is dimly lit, except for the stage. Three spotlights illuminate the entire stage. There are candles burning on either side, but the dominant aromas are carpet cleaner and the various mingled odors of the people filling the room. After a few songs, which are sung with great enthusiasm by the entire congregation, the preacher takes the stage.His smile is perhaps brightest of all, and he makes a point of welcoming any visitors who might be in the audience. (There are no pews in this sanctuary; the worshippers are seated in cushioned chairs, which are arranged in long rows. ) He then offers up the microphone to anyone who has a â€Å"testimony† to share. Testimoni es, in this context, means a story in which congregation members spread the letter or the spirit of the message. Examples shared this morning include a few bags of groceries purchased for a needy family, an invitation extended to a despairing nonbeliever, and a night spent in prayer over a friend’s sick father.The congregation encourages these stories with calls of â€Å"Amen† and â€Å"Praise Jesus. † In this way, individual church members are rewarded, if with nothing more than the acclaim of their peers, for helping the Protestant faith as a whole to grow. The testimonies are followed by a musical performance. A young man and a young woman take the stage, the former holding a cordless microphone and the latter wearing an acoustic guitar. While they sing, the congregation sits back and listens, though a few scattered â€Å"Amen† calls can be heard at crucial moments in the lyrics. When the pastor returns to the stage, he reads from the Bible.He pauses d uring this reading to clarify certain points, bringing the ancient writing into more current context. After the reading, he relates an family anecdote, which in the end returns to the theme (this week, the church is focusing on â€Å"forgiveness†) discussed in the Bible passage. This is the only time during the service that everyone in the audience is quiet. All eyes are on the pastor as he walks up and down the stage, speaking through a headset microphone. His pacing is matched to the tone of his voice; when his volume increases, so does the length of his stride.Upon speaking the final words of his sermon, he allows full silence to descend on the congregation for a full five seconds before requesting everyone bow their heads in prayer. There is another song, again sung by the entire congregation, and the service comes to a close. No one appears to be in much of a hurry to leave the sanctuary. Many of the worshippers turn to each other and recommence the mingling in which the y had been indulging before the service began. At this point, Tobias Scouten escorts me out of the sanctuary and into what he terms â€Å"the fellowship hall† for coffee and cookies.We seat ourselves at one of the many tables, and he fills in the blanks for me. The information Mr. Scouten provides will be put to use when the Protestant practice is compared with the Buddhist practice, following the explanation of the latter. A small group of people, â€Å"fifty or so, on a good day,† according to Abbot Bai Tue, comes together at nine o’ clock on Saturday mornings for an English-language Zen service. The temple is a modest building, which consists of one large meeting room—called the â€Å"Zendo†Ã¢â‚¬â€and a few smaller rooms.Among these lesser chambers, the Abbot has an office, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. Upon entering the building, it is required that I remove my shoes. In a coatroom just inside the front door, every pair of shoes is stowed in a separate cubby. Not many of the cubbies are used, either because the temple does not attract a large group of regulars or because more people choose to attend the Sunday morning Japanese-language service. As it is, I am joined with less than twenty people in the temple. These people are dressed casually, in comfortable clothes, to make seated meditation more peaceful.As I will be told later, it is requested that people wear clothes that will not make much noise when the wearer moves, as this might be distracting during the meditation period. The dominant aroma here is one of incense, though the exact scent is unknown. Behind where the Abbot sits, a display consisting of a small Boddhisatva statue, a cup of incense sticks, and several burning sticks which are poking out of the base of the statue. The Zendo itself looks to be all natural wood, without much—if any—paint on the walls or ceiling.As the Abbot will tell me later, the sight of natural wood calms those who co me to the temple to meditate; it â€Å"allows them to feel surrounded by nature,† even while they are inside the building. No one says a word while they set up for the service. Cushions are retrieved from a closet off the main room for everyone to sit on, for there are no chairs. â€Å"Silence,† the Abbot will tell me, â€Å"is required in the Zendo. † The temple’s attendance might be small, but this matters little to those who do come regularly. They do not come to meet with the other members of the â€Å"Sangha†Ã¢â‚¬â€meaning the group—they come to experience something within themselves.The service begins with the ringing of a smell bell and a chanting ritual, alternating between the Abbot and the Sangha. The nature of this chanting is the offering up of the mind and the prostration of the body to something higher. This higher ideal is not a being, but rather a state of being: enlightenment. It is a myth that Buddhists worship Buddha. The y look to him as a leader, more of an example than a personification of judgment and the resulting punishment or reward. Following the chants, there is a type of sermon made by the Abbot, though the Sangha are encouraged to â€Å"turn inward† while listening.The words are not to be taken at face value, but to be seen as portals beyond which greater meaning can be found. The Sangha meditates during this time, and after a short period the Abbot falls silent. Within the Zendo, not a sound can be heard. The remote location of the temple becomes a notable positive at this point, as the only noise from outside is the rather soothing rush of the wind in the trees. The meditation lasts almost an hour and a half, after which Abbot Bai Tue invites anyone with questions related to the temple in particular or the Buddhist practice in general to stay and talk.Though I am not the only person to remain once the meditation is over, it quickly becomes clear that I am the only visitor to the t emple this morning. The Abbot is more than willing to provide answers for me, though he does not lead me in my interview at all. Even now, the search is a personal one. He speaks only when a question is posed, and his responses are concise and to-the-point. As stated in the introduction, the comparisons to be made between the religions are mostly structural. Both Protestants and Buddhists come together to practice.They begin with acts of participation, with songs in the Protestant church and chants in the Buddhist temple. Then a leader takes control of the service and gives the congregation or the Sangha what they cannot receive anywhere else. But even in these similarities, there are intrinsic differences. Mr. Scouten tells me he sings in order to show his â€Å"gratitude and love for the Lord. † According to Abbot Bai Tue, the chants have a different purpose; they â€Å"prepare the mind for meditation. † It would seem that the Protestant songs are sung for God, while the Buddhist chants are done for personal preparations.When the sermon begins, the Protestants are listening closely to each word spoken, and vocal responses are encouraged. In the Buddhist temple, the sermon is meant only to set the stage, and such responses are discouraged. These differences point to a fundamental contrast between the two religions. The Protestant faith is founded on the concept of propagation, and the practitioners of the faith take great pride in aiding that propagation. Diametrically, the Buddhist faith is about looking inward and finding peace within oneself. Bibliography Scouten, Tobias. Personal Interview. 18 February 2007. Tue, Bai. Personal Interview. 24 February 2007.

Internet and television Essay

Internet and television are changing the face of political discourse. In his book, Amusing Ourselves To Death Neil Postman gives candid details of how television has shaped political conversation in the last 20 years but this has been overcome by the advent of internet technology. Television has changed much since 1987 in addition to advancements such as HDTV, DVR. News can be watched 24 hours across many networks. For example cable subscribers are able to watch over 1000 channels with the click of a button. Advertising has grown tremendously as ads jam programs in the form of product endorsements and normal commercials. The internet is not excluded from this change because it offers the users a simple way of accessing news and communication with many people all over the world. Each of these mediums represents a new era in which people try to become politically enlightened while at the same time minimizing the quantity of information they are able to consume (Postman, 13) Political discourse and the media have been changing over the years. Hume observes that, â€Å"the television commercial is a primary instrument of political discourse† (Hume, 27). This is true in the current media although some other instruments like The Daily Show are gaining political importance. Political programs should be placed on the same platform as political commercials instead of using them as the main source of political discourse. Although the commercials have a good impact this is reduced by the video recorders that give user the ability to navigate commercials to view programs that they like most. Internet has become a threat to the television since it is easy to get information easier using the internet. â€Å"Young people don’t buy newspapers or watch the evening news-even or perhaps especially, with cute Katie Couric reading it to them. Blogs are more fun to read and sometimes more reliable† (Leonard, 10). Bloggers have the ability to put emphasis on political candidates, policies and actions that have taken place. As such blogging offers the citizens a chance to comment on stories in a manner that permits freedom of expression. The media has continued to change political discourse significantly though television, internet and advertising. Currently advertisements, blogs and the 24 hour news and internet have a big impact on political discourse. According to a survey done by Pew Internet it was observed that â€Å"15% of all American adults say the internet was the primary source for campaign news during the election, up from 7% in the mid-term election of 2002? (Leonard, 2). Therefore, the Internet is a strong force in the changing shape of political discourse. The information that people find and share over the internet shapes their opinions and can assist them in becoming better citizens. Political information can be shared in a way that ties the emotions of the participants but the internet helps the people to form their own opinions. Hume posits, â€Å"new technology may facilitate a new type of citizenship commitment that combines exchange of information and evaluation, in which emotion and experience are not discounted but an accepted part of the processes of opinion formation† (2006, p. 305). In summary, political dialogue in the media has been transformed significantly by the new media. The availability of internet has helped people write blogs, surf for information that could not be easily found through conventional means. Television commercial as well as comedy programs are still abundant in the political discourse. Ellen Hume give a good summary of political discourse and its relationship with the media by saying, â€Å"The old media deliver the old politics† (1998, p. 207). From this observation one can conclude that the new media will give rise to new politics and continue to change everything as we know it now. Works cited Hume How novel technologies are changing the news. In C. Harper (Ed. ), What’s Next in mass communication. Original York: St. Martin’s Press. 1998 Leonard, M. ‘Fake’ news is as good as the real thing . Herald Times, p. B2. , E. 2007. Postman, N. Amusing ourselves to death. New York: Penguin books. 1985

A Cry from the Grave by Leslie Woodhead Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Cry from the Grave by Leslie Woodhead - Essay Example This mass killing is indeed a very horrible and a very traumatic occurrence in Bosnia. The experience of Bosnian Muslims during the period of war is of course a tragic one. Nobody except the Bosnian community could understand what it was like to be there in a place where it had seemed that death was the only thing that could happen to them at the end of the day. Nonetheless, the documentary â€Å"A Cry from the Grave† which has captured the dread and terror of the hour by hour story of the July 1995 Srebrenica genocide during the Bosnian war conveys a message that even if the war is over, it is not enough because there were more than 80,000 Bosnian Muslim who were still crying for justice from their graves. The images from video clippings of the camcorder and from the photographs of the Bosnian war, without a doubt, served a function of being the strongest element in the documentary itself to express that disastrous incident. Images of people seeking for refuge, images of peop le trying to escape their danger from the Serbian forces, images of people wounded, and the images of people killed have captured and covered not only the Bosnian genocide but can also elicit sentiments of sorrow, grief and fear from the testimonies of the survivors of the said war. The Bosnian war had all begun when the Bosnian Serbs attacked the lands where the Bosnian Muslims were residing. They attacked such zones in order to secure the Serb’s territory. This was followed by â€Å"ethnic cleansing†. The Serbian forces systematically eliminated the Muslim population within their territory. They separated the men from the women and children. Some of them were forced to escape the zones which the Serbs had considered to own. Nonetheless, this also resulted to thousands of deaths among the Bosnian Muslims. In addition to that, the series of constant attacks made by the Serbian army had likewise resulted to thousands of killings. Meanwhile, the United Nation declared th at Srebrenica was a safe area in 1993. Nonetheless, two years later, this â€Å"safe area† had started to deteriorate in 1995 and marked the beginning of the traumatic genocide. The documentary showed how those protecting the Bosnian Muslims had started to withdraw their support in Srebrenica. Basic resources including food and medicine, as well as the fuel and ammunition, had started to lowered. Bosniak civilians suffered from famishment. A few also had been killed because of starvation. The humanitarian situation of Bosnian Muslims turned to be the worst. It is the case that even the United Nation forces in the Srebrenica had been affected from such withdrawal of support. The United Nation forces were no longer patrolling using their means of transport but were just on foot as they guarded the enclaves. Likewise, from 600 Dutch soldiers, it had dropped to only 400. Moreover, the Serbian forces were now within their territory. Their forces had become stronger and stronger an d were out of control. On the one hand, the forces governing the safety of the Bosnian Muslim civilians had also lowered. Support from the air forces was also rejected. They were made to hope about the support which never had come. The situation had become worse and worse every single day for the lives of the Bosnian Muslims who all had their lives and nothing else. The situation was far from achieving a peaceful Srebrenica. What happened was an environment of total insecurity. There was no hope for the lives of the Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica asking for refuge. The documentary had illustrated the thousands of refugees from Srebrenica gathered around in the compound of United

Introduction to management science coursework Research Paper

Introduction to management science coursework - Research Paper Example better analysis, we have separated the data into Small debtors (250 customers owing in total $86,370) and Big debtors (30 customer owing in total $43,630). This division resulted in significant increase in correlation coefficient for both groups in comparison to the general population. Correlation coefficient values (0.780 and 0.655) indicate strong positive relationship between amount of debt and number of days. That means that customers who receive bigger amount of credit tend to pay later compared to the group's average. An average big debtor pays back later than the average small debtor (19.2 vs. 14.1 days on average). It is recommended: To implement stricter credit policy and receivables collection for high amounts of credit for each group separately (e.g. more than $500 for small debtors and more than $1,500 for big debtors); To concentrate on big debtors as, on average, they pay later and own significant amounts (less than 11% of customers owe 33.6% of the total amount of receivables). 3. 'All-For-Kids': i. Storage costs: one pack gets allocated the cost of renting 1.5/15 = 0.1 feet (10) Let S be average stock throughout the year. Then annual holding stock cost is: 0.15*2.50*365*S + 10*S = 146.9*S Storage cost constitutes 10S/146.9S = 6.8% out of total holding stock cost. ii. The quantity ordered should equal to 2S. With the optimal order schedule the cost of order-handling and shipment would offset the cost of holding one more additional day of stock: 0.15*2.50*S + (10/365)*S = 30 Solving we find S = 75. The optimal order should be 2S = 150 packs and made every three working days. iii. It has been assumed that when the new order is delivered the actual quantity on stock is zero. It is not very realistic with regard to real businesses because of demand...However, the two distinct groups in the set can be seen and, for purpose of better analysis, we have separated the data into Small debtors (250 customers owing in total $86,370) and Big debtors (30 customer owing in total $43,630). This division resulted in significant increase in correlation coefficient for both groups in comparison to the general population. Correlation coefficient values (0.780 and 0.655) indicate strong positive relationship between amount of debt and number of days. That means that customers who receive bigger amount of credit tend to pay later compared to the group's average. An average big debtor pays back later than the average small debtor (19.2 vs. 14.1 days on average). iii. It has been assumed that when the new order is delivered the actual quantity on stock is zero. It is not very realistic with regard to real businesses because of demand fluctuations and safety stock that is usually kept. Conducting the similar analysis for lower limit of every range, we see that in all cases additional costs are higher than additional savings and the store's manager should keep the order level at 150 packs.

Informative speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informative speech - Essay Example rney of mankind thereafter, paper became a most handy tool for the scholars and writers to record their knowledge so that future generations could take advantage of it. All ancient manuscripts of those days were written and preserved on the pieces of paper. It was obvious that single copy of manuscript could not spread the knowledge far and wide. Knowing this fully, Chinese invented the ways and means of printing. To preserve the knowledge, paper came to be known as the most basic necessity; however, printing too occupied equally an important place without which perhaps, spread of knowledge across the world was just not possible. Block printing was developed during Tang Dynasty. To prove the point, a Buddhist book called The Diamond Sutra, is still stored in the British Library that was block printed during 868 AD of the Tang Dynasty. When sea becomes stormy and the days are cloudy, the sailor of the ship wants to sail in the right direction and then do you know what is that that he needs most urgently? You are absolutely right – it is the compass that comes to the rescue of sea sailors then. This compass is a Chinese invention and the different Chinese craftsmen were involved in making of these devices during the Three Kingdom and Southern Song Dynasty. Worlds most refreshing ancient drink is tea and do you know where it was invented? The Chinese Emperor Shan Nong in 2737 BC just accidently discovered that tea consumption provides relaxation to the mind; the drink infuses vigor and energy though at that time its use was limited for medicinal purpose rather than as a routine drink. It was only during a Song Dynasty that it got prominence as a national drink of China. Thus, it can be said that the most revolutionary inventions such as paper, printing, compass and tea were given to us by the ancient Chinese people that later occupied the most prominent roles in everyone’s