Off-site Storage Research Articles

Caribbean libraries 2.0: the robotic revolution in Caribbean academic library spaces

Purpose This paper is the genesis for robots and robotic technology and their introduction to the Caribbean Academic library community. This paper aims to explore the specific areas that this technology can improve as well as their adaptability and dynamic yet multifaceted nature it possesses. Design/methodology/approach A thorough assessment of literature was done of all developed libraries that are employing the services of robots and robotic technology in their daily operations. Additionally, a meticulous analysis was done of all Caribbean Libraries that have explored, are currently exploring or actively explored the implementation of robots and robotic technology for effective use in their libraries. Findings Seamless functionality as well as the reduction of mundane repetitive tasks by library staff is at the fore. Efficacy and heightened levels of accuracy are also found to be a great factor for implementation as well as speed of retrieval and offsite storage are further benefits to the implementation of robots and robotic technology. Research limitations/implications This research primarily assessed material on robotics and robotic technology that offers unprecedented efficacy and accuracy in the processing of information and tasks assigned as well as smooth location and retrieval of library material resulting in reduction in wait time for all library users. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first of its kind and is intended to trigger a “light bulb” in the minds of decision-makers and managers of Library spaces as to the potential robots and robotic technology has on fostering greater levels of efficacy in certain key areas of libraries and help improve user services while adding to the theoretical body of knowledge available in the field on this fast rising area.

A Semantic Digital Twin for the Dynamic Scheduling of Industry 4.0-based Production of Precast Concrete Elements

Precast concrete construction enhances project efficiency, sustainability, and durability by leveraging a controlled production environment that ensures high-quality outputs. Still, the sequential nature of off-site production, encompassing casting, curing, and storage of the precast elements, is subject to significant uncertainties, including supply chain variability and environmental factors affecting curing times. Dynamic adjustments to the production schedule are essential for aligning with real-time changes, necessitating a robust framework for real-time data acquisition and analysis. Dynamic Scheduling (DS) is a responsive and adaptive approach that accommodates real-time changes, optimizes the production flow, and minimizes downtime or delays. However, the DS approach demands real-time data to quickly and efficiently respond to unforeseen challenges, which requires acquiring and analyzing production-relevant data throughout the production process. The Digital Twin (DT) emerges in Industry 4.0 (I4.0) as a bridge between physical operations and digital capabilities, enabling a seamless flow of information, for which the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) is a reference implementation. This study introduces a DS framework to optimize precast element production, utilizing a DT for real-time data aggregation across the production system. The framework implements a Semantic DT based on the AAS and the Linked Data approach. It employs Resource Description Framework (RDF) serialization of the AAS and an ontological representation of the production system for data integration. The framework leverages a simulation-based scheduler, which exchanges data with the DT in a Service-oriented Architecture (SoA) using SPARQL, a language for querying and updating graph databases. The approach is evaluated through a proof of concept, demonstrating effective uncertainty management in a dynamic production environment.

Stored collections of museums: an overview of how visible storage makes them accessible

Purpose This study aims to provide an overview of the dimension of stored collections displayed in visible storage and to indicate the main factors which hinder their accessibility. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on quantitative analysis: a survey was conducted through the offices of International Council of Museums and direct invitations to 2,558 museums located worldwide. Findings The study estimated 32% on average the share of stored collections displayed in visible storage. The analysis provides a picture of how many stored items are made accessible in visible storage across the continents, according to the collection’s type and size and the museums’ legal status. In addition, several aspects of visible storage are investigated to highlight whether or not it truly enables museums to achieve accessibility of their stored collections and which factors might hinder the accessibility. Amid them, the foremost factors involve the inadequacy of resources, such as the lack of staff (71%) and poor budget (68%). Because of it, museums are prone to setting up offsite storage (37%), often 16 km far from the city centre, thereby questioning the concept of accessibility itself. Research limitations/implications One major limitation of this study is that it does not consider people’s standpoints. Therefore, the author recommends that future studies focus on what people opine on visible storage, such as their appreciation of the display format, the behind-the-scenes, their need for interpretation and the degree of satisfaction with their information needs, as well as their perception of the size of stored collections. Practical implications These findings suggest that museums could take action in areas whereby the data demonstrated weaknesses in terms of accessibility. For instance, museums could set up a shuttle service or arrange public transportation service to allow people to visit offsite storage. Additionally, financial accessibility might be achieved by not charging some groups (elderly, students, etc.). Social implications The topic of stored collections and their accessibility has crucial social implications because not displaying collections triggers inequality amid social groups of excluded people and a small elite. Originality/value This study focuses on visible storage as a possible solution to enhance the accessibility of collections and indicates to what extent visible storage provides this accessibility. On the contrary, previous research did not estimate how much visible storage impacts the accessibility of stored collections.

ASSESSING THE INVESTIGATIVE POWERS OF THE COMPETITION COMMISSION IN MERGER REGULATION AND CHALLENGES POSED BY THE DIGITAL ERA S.O.S Support Public Broadcasting Coalition v South African Broadcasting Corporation (SOC) Limited [2018] ZACC 37

The South African Competition Commission (the Commission) is celebrated as the most efficient and effective body in implementing competition law. The Commission is an independent and impartial body whose primary function includes investigating and prosecuting complaints raised against firms for failing to report notifiable mergers. Over the past decade, it has reviewed several mergers and successfully prevented many anti-competitive market structures.While the Competition Act (89 of 1998) (CA) empowers the Commission to conduct investigations, the scope and extent of these investigative powers has been unclear. This question was the subject of protracted litigation between the parties in S.O.S Support Public Broadcasting Coalition v South African Broadcasting Corporation (SOC) Limited ([2018] ZACC 37). In that case, the Constitutional Court was called upon to decide whether the Commission’s investigative powers included the authority to subpoena witnesses to appear before it. The decision of the court is a welcome addition to competition law jurisprudence insofar as it creates legal certainty concerning the powers of the Commission, especially in light of recent amendments to the Competition Amendment Act (18 of 2018) (CAA), which now broadens the scope of the Commission’s authority and powers. However, in light of some of the arguments that were brought up regarding missing documents, the case also serves as a warning of the challenges that the authorities may face in a more digital economy, especially relating to their exercise of investigative powers in the context of digital security, encryption and offsite storage of information. This note provides a chronological discussion of the facts, evaluates the court’s decision, highlights possible challenges to future investigations and provides concluding remarks.

THE POTENTIAL AND BENEFITS OF COMMERCIAL RECORDS CENTERS FOR BUSINESS COMPANIES IN MALAYSIA: A CONCEPTUAL PAPER

Information found in records is a valuable resource and a key component of a successful organization. For enterprises to safeguard and preserve records as proof of activities and transactions, a systematic approach to record management is crucial. The amount of their inactive records is significantly rising for many businesses and organizations. Records management lowers the risk involved in handling documentation of an organization's operations, which may have an impact on the operation, administration, performance, and reputation of the organisation. When an organisation faces the challenge of having too many files and not enough space for offices, it will begin to consider moving to off-site storage. The concept of outsourcing, or subcontracting selected services, has become a highly accepted management tool. This phenomenon becomes an opportunity to the commercial records center as an alternative place for agency and company to outsource their records storage. As a long-term answer to the issue of where to store and manage their records and information, several agencies and businesses have chosen to use commercial record center. Therefore, an in depth understanding about benefits of CRC is needed to ensure the successful of outsourcing activity among CRC companies. An extensive literature review was conducted to identify the potential and benefits of using CRC in records storage activities. The study highlights an overview potential and benefits of CRC in context of business environment in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to investigate and overview the benefits of using CRC in records storage activity and comparative finding between CRCs on services offered by them. This study elaborates the benefits of using CRC in order to increase the efficiency of the organizational performance.

Assessment on future rainfall variability for adaptive water resource management in Sabah

Climate is changing at an unprecedented rate, and the increasing demands of the growing population will place further pressures on the climate and environment. Water infrastructures such as water treatment plants often face increased stress during extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall or prolonged drought, disrupting societal needs and prompt urgent upgrades to adapt to the changing climate. The use of climate model projections is increasingly adopted in engineering practices for assessing climate risks and impacts to inform adaptive design and strategy of new infrastructures or upgrades. Using a bias-corrected ensemble member of the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) tailored for applications in the water sector, we assessed the variability of projected rainfall from 2021 to 2050 under the moderate warming scenario (RCP 4.5). The findings from this study aim to inform adaptive strategies for upgrading 22 water treatment plants across 18 sites in Sabah, Malaysia, where these plants have experienced numerous disruptions due to high turbidity resulting from heavy rainfall in recent years. The average annual rainfall amount ranges from 1630 mm to 4415 mm, with average total monthly rainfall peaks (>460 mm) in June and August at most sites. The observed shift in June and August is a deviation from historical patterns and is also reflected in the maximum consecutive 1- to 5-day rainfall, ranging from 22 mm to 760 mm across all sites, particularly in the interior and west coast districts. This highlights the need for resilient infrastructure upgrade strategy and adaptive water resource management, such as the introduction of off-site river storage to accommodate the anticipated future rainfall.

Clear the Floor: One Library’s Approach to the Removal and Integration of Items from Two Print Journal Collections

Due to the desire for more student space at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, the Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center reviewed its serial holdings both in the library and in its offsite storage facility and determined which titles to retain and discard. This paper will briefly describe the selection process and then discuss the methods and phases of the project used to discard material in two shelving locations including auctioning material, donating material to another library, removing unselected material, and repurposing material for a decorative noise-abatement wall. This paper will also discuss the process of integrating items selected for retention from two shelving locations in separate buildings into one shelving location. The author will share the lessons learned throughout the project.

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PATIENT DECISION-MAKING PROCESS FOR DISPOSITION OF CRYOPRESERVED EMBRYOS

At our institution, cryopreserved embryos remain in onsite storage for up to three years, after which point patients are given the option to transfer embryos to an offsite storage facility, donate them to research, or discard them. This study aimed to assess factors influencing patient decision-making regarding embryo disposition, primarily the use of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and donor gametes, and secondarily household income. It was hypothesized that patients using PGT or donor gametes will be more likely to maintain embryos in storage.

European Radio’s Silenced Witness: The European Broadcasting Union’s Written Archives

International collaboration in radio was formally established in Europe in 1925 by the International Broadcasting Union (IBU) in Geneva, which sought to co-ordinate and harmonise the work of public service broadcasters. Both its work and its archive of minutes, reports, documents and books were carried on by its successor, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). In 2012, this archive was moved into off-site storage, where it remains, effectively silenced for research purposes. This article reflects on the recent silencing of the archive by examining its history as a ‘silenced witness’ in multiple respects. First, it considers the archive in the light of the organisation’s function as an ‘apolitical’ monitoring witness and gatherer of information. Second, it examines which activities were witnessed and converted into the ‘silent’ medium of paper. Finally, it explores the relationship of the archive to the organisation, and in particular its placement and use.

Optimisation of the national grain reserve system using a two-phase algorithm

ABSTRACT The local grain reserve system is widely recognised as the key to ensure Chinese grain security in response to emergency events. Hence, the government should optimize the amounts and locations of grain reserves. Nevertheless, the grain supply process for emergencies is hard to be analytically model due to the complexity and uncertainty. In this paper, we propose an off-site storage structure to balance the high storage cost and the lack of storage capacity. Based on the off-site storage structure, we build a simulation model of the local grain reserve system and develop a systematic two-phase optimisation algorithm to achieve the optimal scheme. The numerical results show that the optimal off-site grain storage scheme can reduce the total annual operation cost of the entire system by 16%. Finally, other managerial suggestions are proposed for the government to build a more efficient local grain reserve system.

Future use or no future at all? An examination of post-excavation historical archaeological repositories in NSW

In NSW the availability of excavation records, physical remains (primarily artefacts), technical datasets, and reports associated with a historical archaeological project can only be described as varied. These forms of data can be collectively termed an archaeological archive. The storage of archives commonly includes any combination of small-scale centralised repositories, on-site facilities, private (client or investigator) off-site storage, or digital platforms. Archaeologists recognise the value of sustainably archiving these resources, as well as making them available for research, public access, or other intentions, however, what is the status of our combined approaches? Data collected from 40 historical archaeological sites in NSW has been used here to benchmark the current situation in the state. It was found that only three of the investigated sites had a complete and accessible archaeological archive with suitable metadata available before reaching the storage facility. This research outlines the precarious status of our efforts in archiving for perpetuity and the reliance on informal and personal networks within the archaeological community to discover and access archives. It is argued here that a framework of visibility, accessibility, and longevity should be applied to any project to consider the strength of archaeological archive retention methods. While the focus remains on understanding the key issues, several recommendations are also made for improving the consistency and long-term success of accessing historical archaeological repositories and data management systems. Key suggested approaches are to promote significance in the decision to create archaeological archives in the first place, prioritise resolving visibility constraints and focus on small and achievable system improvements.

A Robotic Storage Facility for the Dutch National Library Collections

ABSTRACT The KB National Library of the Netherlands (KB) is developing a new offsite storage facility for rehousing its entire physical collection. In an effort to become more sustainable, the national collection will be housed in a purpose-built passive building without elaborate heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Using a super high-density automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS), the combination of building and collections plays a major role in establishing a safe climate. Since control over the indoor environment in this new building is limited, it is vital to study the hygrothermal behavior of the building and collection by modelling. This simulation is novel in that it explores the impact of collections on the indoor environment. The effect on the indoor relative humidity (RH) of the way in which the storage volume is progressively filled and of the moisture content of the collection are evaluated.

Consolidated nuclear waste storage in Andrews, Texas: An integrated technical and policy risk analysis

Over the last 50 years, nuclear energy has reduced US energy-related CO2 emissions by over 30 gigatons compared to if the same electricity were produced by fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. However, many kilotons of spent nuclear fuel have accumulated at different sites across the country, and sociopolitical factors have frustrated efforts to address the challenge of nuclear waste disposal. Presently, a consolidated interim storage facility in Andrews, Texas, provides a promising temporary solution. In this paper, we compare the technical and policy risks of the project to continued storage at independent spent fuel storage installations. Our results indicate that the cost of the radiological risk is low (&lt;$30,000) for both scenarios. However, policy and societal considerations will impact the viability of the proposed consolidated interim storage facility. The safety and suitability of this interim storage facility will be affected by when a permanent repository becomes available, whether insurance for offsite waste storage is available, and the impact of climate risks. Although a consolidated interim storage facility at Andrews can potentially serve as a safe and economically advantageous solution, we highlight why these concerns must be addressed for the successful implementation of this facility, and more broadly for the future of the US nuclear industry.

Audit Logs Management and Security - A Survey

Audit logs are key resources that show the current state of the systems and user activities and are used for cyber forensics and maintenance. These logs are the only source that can help in finding traces of some malicious activities or troubleshooting a system failure. Insight view for troublefree availability of computing resources and performance monitoring and meaningful forensic audit depends on the management and archival system of audit logs. These logs are prone to multidimensional threats and superusers or system administrators have unprecedented access to these logs and can alter these logs as and when required. Similarly, repudiation is another serious issue in computer forensics and non-repudiation can be provided by a secure recording of event logs. Periodic backups, encrypted data transfer, off-site storage and certificate based storage of these logs are commonly being used. In this survey, we searched for the requirements of securing audit logs and available approaches to secure these logs. Based on the available literature, a taxonomy of audit log management is developed. We have drawn a comparison between these approaches and also highlighted the current challenges to these logs security and their available options.

The Offsite Collection Storage Project for the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural (Santiago, Chile) 2009-2019

As a result of almost 200 years of scientific activity and the enactment of different legal mandates, including specific requirements stipulated by the National Monuments Act of 1970, the collections of the Chilean National Museum of Natural History (MNHN, founded in 1830) have grown considerably since the museum's creation. However, it has been impossible to fulfill optimal preventive conservation requirements in the current building, which dates to 1875. After the problem was identified, a collection management project was implemented: one that included setting up off-site storage to house the existing collections at MNHN and include room for growth. The challenge was to secure funding for an off-site building that would fit the purpose; meanwhile, the collections needed to be prepared for the move. The project was carried out over 10 years, between 2009 and 2019, and succeeded in improving a significant percentage of the total collection. This article discusses this unique national project as a case study, describing the processes carried out to complete it, its challenges, and the main lessons learned.

Moving everything out – a risk assessment: Off-site storage for the Frick Art Reference Library, analysed by an ARIAH-RIHA Professional Exchange Fellow

AbstractIn the fall of 2019, I received the ARIAH-RIHA Professional Exchange Fellowship, which gave me the opportunity to spend time in New York City, working on a project that aligned with my research and practice interest in emergency preparedness. The Frick Art Reference Library hosted me for three weeks, during which I could apply some of my theoretical knowledge and gain practical experience, while contributing to their preparedness by assessing risks related to an impending move of the collection. Working on prevention and preparedness in my own institution at the time, I wanted to get a sense of the steps that another library, similar in size and scope, was taking to ensure the integrity of its holdings in preparation of such a complex activity as a relocation of the entire collection.

Minimizing the operation cost of distributed green data centers with energy storage under carbon capping

The expensive cost and intermittent availability of renewable energy bring great challenges to its efficient utilization in green data centers. In this paper, we propose a new way to achieve an explicit trade-off between operational cost and carbon emission by dynamic storing off-site renewable energy in distributed data centers. We first formulate a constrained stochastic optimization problem for cost minimization of data centers. Then, by leveraging Lyapunov optimization theory, we design an online Carbon Capped Cost Minimization algorithm (CCCM) to achieve a near-optimal cost with rigorous mathematical proof. Specially, the decisions at each time slot are determined with an efficient iterative algorithm based on the Generalized Benders Decomposition (GBD) technique. Finally, extensive simulations are conducted to show the effectiveness of our algorithm. The results show that our algorithm can save about 6% total costs compared with the algorithm without offsite energy storage.

The World-Revealing Goblet: Reading Farhād Mīrzā’s Geographical Treatise Jām-i Jam as a Lithograph

Abstract This article examines a copy of Farhād Mīrzā’s Jām-i Jam (the World-Revealing Goblet) published in 1856 in Tehran and kept at Columbia University Library offsite storage. It demonstrates the dual importance of this book in geographic knowledge production and as part of the library of Saʿīd Nafīsī, one of the most prominent Iranian scholars of Persian literature. Methodologically, the paper offers various ways to study a single lithograph to decipher larger historical processes in histories of education, translation, and print. First, it analyzes the paratext to expose scholarly and political networks in order to examine the genealogy of geographic knowledge production in mid-nineteenth century Qajar Iran. Second, it studies the content and translation practices employed by Farhād Mīrzā to offer novel strategies for analyzing dissemination and reception of new ways of production and categorization of geographic knowledge as well as methods utilized in composition of pedagogical geography books. Finally, it discusses how cataloging practices affect current scholarship and lead to rendering certain texts “hidden.” It therefore illustrates how the study of Farhād Mīrzā’s Jām-i Jam, a book aspiring to reveal the world, can expose much about scholarly practices not only in the past but also the present.

Development of an online map of safe gun storage sites in Maryland for suicide prevention

Reducing access to lethal means of self-harm is a cornerstone of suicide prevention, and temporary, voluntary gun storage outside the home is one recommended approach. With the goal of facilitating access to gun storage outside the home in Maryland, we developed an online map of gun shops and law enforcement agencies willing to offer temporary, voluntary gun storage on a case-by-case basis. This project was modelled off of prior work by the Colorado Firearm Safety Coalition. As of July 2020, 32 gun shops and 3 law enforcement agencies agreed to be listed on our map. Others were hesitant to participate due to perceived legal and logistical barriers to temporary firearm storage. We demonstrate the feasibility of creating an online map that lists organisations offering temporary gun storage in Maryland. This brief report details our process, barriers encountered, and future considerations to improve access to offsite gun storage options.