Library Collections Research Articles

Introducing synthetic thermostable RNase inhibitors to single-cell RNA-seq

Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) is revolutionizing biomedicine, propelled by advances in methodology, ease of use, and cost reduction of library preparation. Over the past decade, there have been remarkable technical improvements in most aspects of single-cell transcriptomics. Yet, little to no progress has been made in advancing RNase inhibition despite maintained RNA integrity being critical during cell collection, storage, and cDNA library generation. Here, we demonstrate that a synthetic thermostable RNase inhibitor (SEQURNA) yields single-cell libraries of equal or superior quality compared to ubiquitously used protein-based recombinant RNase inhibitors (RRIs). Importantly, the synthetic RNase inhibitor provides additional unique improvements in reproducibility and throughput, enables new experimental workflows including retained RNase inhibition throughout heat cycles, and can reduce the need for dry-ice transports. In summary, replacing RRIs represents a substantial advancement in the field of single-cell transcriptomics.

Exploring the East Asian Collection at the Wangensteen Historical Library of Medicine and Biology at the University of Minnesota

Abstract The Wangensteen Historical Library of Medicine and Biology (WHL) at the University of Minnesota (UMN) is a special collections library founded in the mid-1960s. It has been continuously collecting rare East Asian items over the last fifteen years, and now constitutes more than half of the UMN rare East Asian collection. The materials in WHL were primarily acquired for their relevance to medicine and biology but may also be beneficial to other disciplines. Most of the WHL items are understudied and less well known to the public. This article will feature four items to showcase the collection’s strength and diversity.

Copyright in the functioning of libraries and archives

The article is devoted to the legal analysis of the features of copyright in the functioning of libraries and archives in Ukraine. It is noted that in the legal framework, the functioning of libraries and archives is closely related to copyright, in particular, in the context of using works stored in the collections of libraries and archives. It is established that the main mechanism required to maintain a balance between the needs of society and the interests of copyright holders is the application of restrictions and exceptions to copyright in the functioning of libraries and archives. The author analyzes the provisions of the Law of Ukraine «On Copyright and Related Rights» No. 2811-IX dated December 1, 2022, and concludes that this law introduces significant changes to the legal regulation of copyright in the functioning of libraries and archives. The author concludes that the Law of Ukraine «On Copyright and Related Rights» includes in the non-exhaustive list of works that may be reprographically reproduced. It is noted that the Law of Ukraine «On Copyright and Related Rights» has expanded the range of entities that can freely use works in their activities. These institutions include libraries, museums with open access to visitors, archives, and organizations for the storage of audio and video recordings. The author concludes that the Law of Ukraine «On Copyright and Related Rights» No. 2811-IX dated December 1, 2022, for the first time legislated the definition of an orphan work and established the basis for legal regulation of orphan works in Ukraine. The analysis of Ukrainian legislation and EU directives regulating copyright issues in the functioning of libraries and archives shows that that the provisions of the Law of Ukraine «On Copyright and Related Rights» are in line with the provisions of Directive (EU) 2019/790 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market and amending Directives 96/9/EC and 2001/29/EC and Directive 2012/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on certain permitted uses of orphan works.

THE REALITY OF MAKING LIBRARY AS A LEARNING RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS IN READING ENGLISH AT SMA NEGERI 1 LAHEWA IN 2023/2024

This study aimed to find out the student's views on the school library as a learning resource for reading English, the involvement of English teachers in making the school library as a learning resource for students to read English and the availability of school library collections can be used as a learning resource for students to read English. This study used a descriptive qualitative method with the research subjects being students, an English teacher, and the head of the library at SMA Negeri 1 Lahewa. Data were collected through observation, interview, and documentation techniques. Data analysis was conducted through the stages of data reduction, data display, and verification or conclusion. The results showed that students of SMA Negeri 1 Lahewa have not fully utilized the school library as an English learning resource. From the available data, only 37.83% of students have used the library as a learning resource, while the others (62.16%) have not optimally utilized the facility. The main obstacles identified were the inadequate library opening schedule and the limited collection of English books. The involvement of the English teacher in making the school library a learning resource for students in reading English at SMA Negeri 1 Lahewa has played a quiet role, providing explanations about the library, inviting students to visit the library to learn together, sharing knowledge, look for book references for assignments and inviting students to make reading book reports containing summaries of books. Then, the availability of book collections at SMA Negeri 1 Lahewa library did not provide enough for the learning needs of students in reading English. It is supported by students' statements during interviews that most of them found the difficultness to get the appropriate English books.

Categories of Political Contestation in Public Libraries

Public libraries in the United States have historically been sites of political contestation. This ranges from contestation surrounding library funding to the content of library collections. Recently, activism within and against public libraries has become more frequent. This begs the question: how does political contestation in public libraries look today? Using a media analysis of U.S. public library contestation and controversy from 2014 to 2023, this paper presents a framework to categorize library contestation. This framework situates public libraries within an ongoing context of efforts to polarize local political institutions.

A Content Analysis of Health Library Support for Australian Medical Training Programs

ABSTRACT Health libraries play a critical role in supporting medical training in Australia. Accreditation is an important means of ensuring a program of study and the education provider suitably equips trainees with the knowledge, skills and professional attributes necessary to practice in the profession. This study identifies a lack of consistency and specificity in Australian medical colleges accreditation requirements as they pertain to health libraries. The recommended accreditation standard developed in this study provides a benchmark for training providers that will ensure consistency of access to high-quality library collections, services and spaces for all medical trainees. Accreditation standards from 52 medical colleges and associations supporting Australian medical training programs were reviewed. Information extracted from accreditation documents was entered into a working text spreadsheet. Data was organized under three key categories: Collections, Services and Space. Additional categories were added to record the use of the noun Library and expectations for journal access. A data extraction tool was created in Microsoft Excel to note the requirements of each provider for libraries and collections, services and spaces. The results of the content analysis highlight a lack of consistency in accreditation providers’ expectations for library collections, services and spaces. Most providers (87% n = 45) required host organizations to provide access to collections. Requirements for library space were mandated by 54% of providers (n = 28). Less than 50% of providers (n = 22) specified library services as requirements. This content analysis highlights the role of health libraries in supporting medical education, research and evidence-based practice. It also reinforces the need for improved specificity, consistency and clarity in accreditation requirements for health libraries in post-graduate medical training. The recommended benchmark accreditation standard developed in this study is a step toward addressing these issues and ensuring equity of access to library services and facilities for all medical trainees in Australia.

Machine learning based damage identification in SiC/SiC composites from acoustic emissions using autoencoders

Developing the ability to leverage machine learning (ML) to identify damage mechanisms in heterogeneous materials from their acoustic emissions (AE) has wide-reaching ramifications for multi-modal experimentation. It would allow researchers to augment damage triangulation, lifetime prediction, and high-resolution optical studies with complementary mechanism-informed data streams. However, developing this capability hinges on the collection of ground truth acoustic libraries from damage in realistic geometries. Due to time and monetary considerations, there is a dearth of ground truth libraries which can be used to robustly characterize ML mechanism identification frameworks. Addressing this gap, we present a multi-modal acoustic emission and x-ray computed tomography study where AE is gathered, and subsequently labeled, from SiC/SiC unidirectional composites under monotonic tension. This library is used to demonstrate that acoustic signals from early fiber breaks are obscured by matrix cracking. A first-order micromechanical model is used to explain the origin of this obscuring effect, and identify fundamental limitations of unsupervised frameworks. An autoencoder-based anomaly detector approach is used for the first time to overcome these limitations, additionally demonstrating that the frequency distribution of fiber break acoustic signals is narrow. Implications of these findings for enhanced multi-modal testing and online health monitoring are discussed, and strategies for implementation of supervised damage mechanism identification frameworks are proposed.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age: A Case Study of Private University Libraries in Bangalore

The digitalization of library materials is now a widespread worldwide trend and a novel method for managing library collections, particularly in academic libraries. The paper explores many factors driving digitalization and provides insights into the process and criteria for selecting digitalization initiatives. Additionally, it addresses the many concerns and obstacles associated with the digitization process in academic libraries, including legal considerations and financial matters. This research investigates the evolving aspects of electronic resources and existing procedures related to their acquisition, selection, procurement methods, promotion, development policy, challenges, and future strategies. Additionally, it emphasizes the techniques used to obtain resources and the strategy for preservation. It also acknowledges the obstacles that hinder the digitization of academic libraries. Lastly, it concludes by stating that despite the challenges, in order to execute digitalization in a regulated and controllable way, information workers and librarians need to have both the practical abilities and the vision.

Closing the Loop: Automating Links to Open Access Versions of Articles in Faculty Profiles at a Large Research Institution

Introduction: Universities implement faculty profile systems for a variety of reasons, including to increase visibility of research produced at the institution. These profiles often connect with other campus systems, particularly institutional repositories. This article describes a collaboration at the University of Colorado Boulder aimed at integrating the institutional repository with the faculty profile system, which then expanded to encompass the automated creation of profile links to open access versions of faculty articles from any journal or repository. Description of Program: To achieve the initial project goals, a cross-campus team from the University Libraries and the Faculty Information System developed a strategy of using Unpaywall as an intermediary data source to connect the institutional repository with the faculty profile system. This also allowed for the development of an automated process for generating links to open access content from any journal or repository, which resulted in the creation of over 35,000 links to openly available content in faculty profiles, including over 2,900 links to content in the institutional repository. These links provide public users of the faculty profile system with a simple way to access all openly available research produced at the university. This article describes the development and implementation of this project as well as lessons learned. Next Steps: The ongoing collaboration provides additional opportunities to unlock data for monitoring rates of open access publishing and self-archiving, informing library collection development decisions, and connecting to other data sources to reveal further insights.

“Rumyantsev Readings — 2024”: N.P. Rumyantsev’s Heritage and Topical Issues of Development of Modern Librarianship

On 23—25 April 2024, the Russian State Library (RSL) hosted the annual International Research and Practical Conference “Rumyantsev Readings” (organizers: Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, RSL, the Library Assembly of Eurasia). The topics raised at the conference invariably attract a large number of specialists from different regions of Russia and other countries with their versatility and relevance. In 2024, representatives of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan took part in it. Our country was represented by specialists from many cities and regions. 294 people took part in the event in person, 1,697 connections were recorded during the broadcasting of the sessions.The conference topics covered a wide range of issues on the theory and practice of library science, bibliography and book studies. Among its main directions: history of libraries and other scientific and cultural institutions, as well as pages of life and activity of people connected with them; disclosure of book depositories’ funds; research of collections and individual copies of manuscript and printed monuments; multifaceted activities of modern libraries. One of the main goals of the conference is to expand intercultural interaction and co-operation between cultural, educational and scientific institutions. Within the framework of the “Rumyantsev Readings” the work of sections, both traditional for many years, and timed to the dates and events of 2024, was organized. Special attention was paid to the personality and heritage of the creator of the Rumyantsev Museum N.P. Rumyantsev (1754—1826), whose 270th anniversary is being celebrated in 2024. Other key topics of the conference were: “Scientific and methodological activities of libraries”, “Collectors, curators, researchers: the history of cultural institutions in the faces”, “The selfless people of the past and modern volunteer movement in the life of libraries”, “Book monuments in the library collections: creation, existence, storage and use”, “Library collections in the digital environment”, “Staffing makes the difference: young researchers in the modern library”.The programme of the event included, in addition to the plenary session, ten sections and two round tables. By the beginning of the conference a collection of materials in three parts was prepared and published by the publishing house of the RSL “Pashkov Dom”, it included 168 articles by 180 authors.“Rumyantsev Readings” have been held for more than four decades and continue to be a popular research and practical event among library professionals and representatives of other educational, scientific and cultural institutions, contributing to the development of scientific research and the introduction of new practices.

Doublet Collection of the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev Museums as a Source of Formation of the Library of D.V. Ulyaninsky

In the article on the basis of the analysis of the three-volume printed catalogue “Library of D.V. Ulyaninsky” (Moscow, 1912—1915) and the manuscript “Catalogue of New Acquisitions of the Library of Dimitri Vasilievich Ulyaninsky” the question of the acquisition of doublet copies from the Library of the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev Museums by a bibliophile is considered. The practice of selling books from the doublet collection of this book depository is little studied. The annual reports of the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev Museums present only data on the total amount of cash receipts under this item. The materials of D.V. Ulyaninsky allow us to examine in more detail the practice of private individuals buying copies from the doublet collection of the oldest public library in Moscow. On the basis of the studied data we can conclude that the doublet collection of the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev Museums was a valuable source of replenishment of private book collections with rare editions sold at relatively low prices.

The bookplates of the fund of Lituanica of the 18th century at the library of Lithuanian academy of science

This article is the sequel to the article "The Bookplates of the Fund of Lituanica of the 17th Century at the Library of Lithuanian Academy of Science." There are 6,524 books with 1,883 bookplates in the Fund of Lituanica of the 18th century. All of them were registered in the bookplates card index while recataloguing the fund. The first large group of all bookplates comprises manuscript inscriptions (provenancial, memorial, and dedicational). There are 613 of them. Provenancial ones make up 90% of all inscriptions. Those of monastery libraries make up only 10% of all inscriptions. This is different from the 17th-century books, where monastery inscriptions used to predominate. The second large group of bookplates consists of ex-librises, superex-librises, and book stamps. There are 1,267 of them, which is twice as many as manuscript inscriptions. It's natural because every inscription is unique, while bookplates of the second group can be easily multiplied. After reviewing all the 18th-century bookplates of Lituanica, the formation of this fund becomes clear. It was completed by mechanically selecting books published in the 18th century. Any larger private or library collections are not dominant. Inscriptions of solitary persons make up the majority in this fund. This review of bookplates is material that will help in studies of book history and especially in studying the history of libraries of Lithuania, their dispersion, and the history of book travel.

Peran Komunikasi Interpersonal dalam Meningkatkan Kinerja Tim Kerja

The purpose of this article is to discuss interpersonal communication in improving performance, work teams. As it is known that the existence of human resources plays a very important role in an agency. Employees as motivated human resources will carry out an activity or task as well as possible so as to provide maximum work results. In an organization or agency, communication activities are one of the most important activities. The type of research used by the author is library research, namely research that only uses library collection materials without any field research. the author obtains data based on the library in the form of books, journals, documents and so on. This research can only be answered through library research and it is impossible to expect from field research data. The results showed that interpersonal communication carried out by the Work Team aims to create a good relationship between one employee and another. This relationship has an impact on the emergence of an attitude of openness and trust obtained from interpersonal relationships in the work environment. In the work environment, an employee's performance will be good when the employee has a good interpersonal communication pattern and vice versa. Interpersonal communication carried out by the work team becomes a practical communication pattern that is useful in establishing relationships with work partners, leaders and fellow employees, as well as managerial levels that require interpersonal communication.

A Combined Computational and Experimental Approach to Studying Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B Binders for Potential Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Tropomyosin kinase receptor B (TrkB) has been explored as a therapeutic target for neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, the development of TrkB agonists was hindered by our poor understanding of the TrkB agonist binding location and affinity (both affect the regulation of disorder types). This motivated us to develop a combined computational and experimental approach to study TrkB binders. First, we developed a docking method to simulate the binding affinity of TrkB and binders identified by our magnetic drug screening platform from Gotu kola extracts. The Fred Docking scores from the docking computation showed strong agreement with the experimental results. Subsequently, using this screening platform, we identified a list of compounds from the NIH clinical collection library and applied the same docking studies. From the Fred Docking scores, we selected two compounds for TrkB activation tests. Interestingly, the ability of the compounds to increase dendritic arborization in hippocampal neurons matched well with the computational results. Finally, we performed a detailed binding analysis of the top candidates and compared them with the best-characterized TrkB agonist, 7,8-dyhydroxyflavon. The screening platform directly identifies TrkB binders, and the computational approach allows for the quick selection of top candidates with potential biological activities based on the docking scores.

Revaluing the Eros Collection for Australian cultural histories

ABSTRACT The Eros Collection at Flinders University is the largest collection of materials produced by the sex industry and its affiliates in Australia. Acquired in 1997 and added to over the years, the varied collection (now part of the umbrella Australian Sexuality Collection) includes restricted or censored audiovisual and print materials – in short, porn. Thus this archive – typically a site of protection and care – comprises materials that many people think don’t deserve protection, and this ambiguous status has raised many challenges in terms of how the Collection is valued, researched, and utilized. The thorny question of the Collection’s value is traced in our research through interviews with Special Collections librarians involved with the Collection over different periods and an audit of Collection contents, access, and usage, which we analyse within the broader context of international porn archives and Australian media histories. The article examines how the Collection (specifically its pornographic material) shares key challenges faced by porn archives internationally, including public perception and access, and its uneasy fit within the Australian media histories. We argue that this neglected archive holds promise for understanding porn’s place in Australia’s audiovisual and cultural history.

Politics and Children's Books: Evidence From School Library Collections

The recent spike in book challenges has put school libraries at the center of heated political debates. I investigate the relationship between local politics and school library collections using data on books with controversial content from a sample of 6,631 public school libraries. Libraries in conservative areas have fewer titles with LGBTQ, race/racism, or abortion content and more Christian fiction and discontinued Dr. Seuss books. This is true even though most libraries have at least some controversial content. State laws that restrict curricular content are negatively related to access to some LGBTQ and race/racism titles. Finally, I present short-term evidence that book challenges in the 2021–22 school year are associated with decreases in the acquisition of new LGBTQ materials.

Diverse Book Finders: Diversifying a Children’s Picture Book Collection by Integrating Acquisitions Into a Classroom Experience

Two recent trends in collection development include finding new ways to bring patron voices into collection development and developing strategies for increasing the diversity and representation within collections. Indiana University Southeast (IU-Southeast) Library recently developed a project that combined these two strategic directions by embedding an acquisition experience that used students enrolled in a sophomore block elementary education course to use the Diverse Book Finder (DBF) to select diverse picture books for the IU-Southeast collection. While diversification strategies and projects around children’s picture book collections in academic libraries are nothing new, IU-Southeast’sproject is unique in its incorporating of students to participate in the selection and diversification of a collection, rather than relying on more traditional strategies driven by librarian or faculty selection. This case study focuses on the design of the project, the integration and embedding of the acquisition project into the education course, how the DBF and its collection were leveraged to enhance the learning experience, and the effect this experience had on the diversity of the IU-Southeast Library collection and on the faculty, librarians, and students that were involved.

Advancing Young Learners’ Scientific Literacy Through School Media Resource Centres

This qualitative study explores the state of school media resource centres (SMRCs) and their impact on fostering scientific literacy among early-grade learners in Staff Primary Schools. Perspectives of primary school librarians were gathered through photovoice methodology and semi-structured interviews from four selected schools within Owerri Education Zone 1, Nigeria. Thematic analysis was employed to scrutinise the data, ensuring credibility and trustworthiness through member checking and triangulation. Findings reveal a glaring absence of functional SMRCs despite the presence of school libraries, impeding effective teaching and learning processes. Librarians expressed the significance of SMRCs in advancing scientific literacy, yet perceived constraints hinder their efficacy. Challenges include inadequate funding, technological infrastructure, security concerns, and outdated resources. Recommendations highlight the necessity for prioritised financing, professional development opportunities, and collaboration with external stakeholders to enhance SMRCs. Moreover, addressing electricity-related challenges, updating library collections, strengthening security measures, involving parents, and implementing talent development programmes are crucial. In conclusion, the absence of functional SMRCs in staff primary schools significantly impedes the progress and holistic development of scientific literacy of early-grade learners. Addressing these deficiencies is imperative to foster scientific literacy and ensure quality education in the 21st century.

Systematic review of family and pediatric constipation: An overlooked piece of the puzzle.

The objective of this review is to summarize pertinent literature looking at family dynamics and/or adherence to treatment in pediatric functional constipation. A structured systematic literature search was conducted on MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science core collection libraries from the years 2000 to 2023 using specific search terms: constipation, treatment adherence, family dynamics, parenting style, and pediatrics. Seventy-one publications were identified and included for review. After screening based on alignment to the review, 20 publications remained. These publications were placed into three categories depending on their intent and findings: (1) recommendations to further increase adherence, (2) studies analyzing factors of adherence, and (3) studies stating a need for a better understanding of family factors. A future area of research is identifying the associations between family factors on adherence to constipation treatment regimens. Results from such studies would increase the amount of positive treatment outcomes and decrease unnecessary healthcare costs.

"Development of East Asian Collections in North American university libraries and distribution of Korean studies research materials"

"Development of East Asian Collections in North American university libraries and distribution of Korean studies research materials"