Anexploratorywhitepaper 1 I n the past decade, college libraries have undergone significant changes in their use of infor mation technology and computing. The increased use of computing services on campus has increased the need for standards and guidelines for college campuses to follow in the strategic planning process. However, the sheer rate of change may make any technology-related standard obsolete as soon as it is determined. At this time, however, the most pressing question related to computers in college libraries concer ns the lack of a standard to follow in determining the ideal ratio of number of workstations to college FTE (full time equivalent).A scan of the existing standards shows that although infor mation technology issues have been addressed in a qualitative fashion, there are no real quantitative or firm guidelines to follow to determine the ideal number of workstations for a particular library. In the summer of 2005, the authors designed an online survey in an effort to provide infor mation on current practices in libraries.Requests for participation were sent through the College Library Section electronic list, COLLIB-L. W e received 225 usable responses of which 140 were from private colleges, 39 from public colleges, 44 from community colleges, and 2 from propriety institutions. The ratio of FTE to computers in the libraries ranged from 5 to 1 at a 125 FTE tribal college to 417 to 1 at a 5,000 FTE community college. Correlation studies were run and showed no significant relationship between FTE and the number of computers in libraries. That is, the number of computers available to students in libraries does not increase or decrease with differences in FTE. There are other factors at work.We also discovered that 144 or 64 percent of our 225 respondents provide wireless access in their buildings, and only 12 (5 percent) of responding institutions require their students to purchase laptops. Circulating laptops were provided by 87 respondents (39 percent). Influencing factorsIf FTE counts do not signifi cantly impact the numbers of computers available in academic libraries, what factors are infl uencing decisions on technology? The factors listed below were identifi ed in our survey and may serve as talking points for campus discussions.1) Student ownership of desktop or laptop computers. Very few of our responding institutions required their students to purchase personal computers. However , some libraries explained that large numbers of their students did own personal co mputers, and this fact was easing the tension on the library to provide additional access.
The training of language-type skills to Tich, a rhesus monkey, is described. The merhod and apparatus make it possible that language-type skills could be examined in lesser animals. The authors suggest some areas for further research and a change in emphasis from language as communication to the cognitive prerequisites of language.It has been suggested that chimpanzee language-like performance should not only be compared with human performance but also with animals lower on the phylogenetic scale. In this regard, the Psychology Department of Columbia University has provided information on skills regarded as equivalent to the language-trained chimpanzees in pigeons (Straub, Seidenberg, Bever, & Terrace, 1979). There has also been a more satirical attempt to demonstrate symbolic communication between lower animals, namely pigeons (Epstein, Lanza, & Skinner, 1980). Such performance has not been universally accepted, however, as equivalent to ape language (Rumbaugh & Savage-Rumbaugh, 1980). If one were to look for analogues of the ape's performance, then monkeys would be the logical choice. The results of an attempt to train a monkey in language are reported here.The apparatus was a keyboard of 15 doors on which lexigram keys could be placed. The keys were made of black metal with coloured plastic lexigrams, similar to those used by Rumbaugh, attached to the front. During the experiment positions of the lexigrams were randomized over the 15 doors, at least wery 5 trials in the training sessions and on every trial in the test sessions. Above the keyboard there was a feedback display of two rows of slides representing the lexigrams which would light when the subject pressed a key. If the subject pressed the lexigram for apple, then the slide of the lexigram of apple would light up, the sound associated with the lexigram would occur and the door holding the lexigram would open. There was also a display box above the keyboard which could hold objects for naming and a projector for question and command slides to be shown by the experimenter.Training consisted initially of 200 trials on which the most successful sub-'Thiswork was carried out at the Institute of Psychiatry, D e Crespigny Park, London. W e would like to thank the Medical Research Guncil for financial support and Ray Parrish for help in training some of the subjects. Send reprint requests to S. J. Muncer.
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