Yearly Archives: 2025

Magic, Serendipity, Discovery, and the Poetry Machine

Essay, , , , ,

Joshua Finnell
Associate University Librarian
Director of Research & Scholarly Initiatives
Colgate University

A Brief History of Vending Machines

The Hellenistic Age is not often considered a golden era of  automation, but inventors such as Archimedes, Heron of Alexandria, Ctesibius, Dionysius of Alexandria and Philon of Byzantium were some of the first inventors to ponder the development of a mechanized world. Some modern scholars have even revisited this time period to uncover Artificial Intelligence’s “ancient origins.”1 Fanti, Lucrezia, Dario Guarascio, and Massimo Moggi. 2022. “From Heron of Alexandria to Amazon’s Alexa: A Stylized History of AI and Its Impact on Business Models, Organization and Work.” Journal of Industrial and Business Economics 49 (3): 409–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40812-022-00222-4. Whereas Ctesbius invented the first self-regulated water clock, Philon of Byzantium developed the world’s first robot – a life-size servant that automatically poured wine into an empty cup placed in its left hand.2Rossi, Cesare. 2016. “The Beginning of the Automation.” In Advances in Robot Design and Intelligent Control, edited by Theodor Borangiu, 59–67. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21290-6_6. Perhaps the most surprising invention to emerge from this era is the vending machine. Credited to Heron of Alexandria, the world’s first vending machine dispensed water for ritualistic cleansing before entering temples in Egypt.

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  • 1
    Fanti, Lucrezia, Dario Guarascio, and Massimo Moggi. 2022. “From Heron of Alexandria to Amazon’s Alexa: A Stylized History of AI and Its Impact on Business Models, Organization and Work.” Journal of Industrial and Business Economics 49 (3): 409–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40812-022-00222-4. ↩︎
  • 2
    Rossi, Cesare. 2016. “The Beginning of the Automation.” In Advances in Robot Design and Intelligent Control, edited by Theodor Borangiu, 59–67. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21290-6_6. ↩︎

Implementation of a Research Information Course in the Radiology Curriculum

Peer-Reviewed Article, ,

Lyubov Tmanova
Darnall Medical Library
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Bethesda, MD

Abstract

Objective: The study objective was to evaluate research skills and the impact of educational instruction on enhancing these skills among first-year graduate medical education (GME) trainees. Another objective was to design the research course focusing on developing essential research skills for conducting research projects and publishing findings in scholarly journals.

Methods: The Research Information Skills Proficiency Scale (RISPS) was designed and used in this study to assess both perceptive and objective research information skills in GME trainees. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the pre-test and post-test data collected after two 45-minute lectures on information and literature literacy. Additionally, trainees’ learning methods and approaches were assessed using a learning assessment and the clinical research appraisal inventory to evaluate their learning and skills perception.

Results: The RISPS scale was beneficial in assessing trainees’ skills and influenced the design of an elective course for the radiology curriculum. Demographic and educational factors, like research experience and major, have a significant impact on radiology residents’ skills, perceptions, and research abilities. Radiology residents have varying levels of understanding of study conceptualization, design, and collaborative research skills.

Conclusions: The study’s design of the RISPS scale enables the assessment of GME trainees’ perceived and objective research information skills. Implementing the RISPS perceived and objective scale each year for a new cohort of GME trainees equips GME program directors with essential educational data to tailor instructional designs according to the cohort’s learning proficiency. Furthermore, RISPS and the clinical research appraisal inventory (CRAI) are crucial in assessing research information skills and integrating trainees’ learning styles and preferences for research efficiency. The GME faculty can use the data from these questionnaires to guide the design of learning interventions aimed at enhancing the research skills and competencies of GME trainees. The course developed in the study can be added as an elective to the GME radiology curriculum to improve research skills and meet the scholarly activity requirements for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

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Making Room for Everyone: A Practical Guide to Creating Sensory Spaces in Libraries

Peer-Reviewed Article, ,

Jacqueline L. Frank, Instruction & Accessibility Librarian, Montana State University Library
Jennifer Pawlak, Research & Instruction Librarian, Montana State University Library

Abstract

Offering sensory spaces in libraries is a unique, fun, and specific way to better meet the needs of neurodivergent users. These environments give users an opportunity to engage with various interactive and creative elements, textures, and/or visual stimuli in a controlled manner, helping them reduce stress. Sensory spaces basically give users a variety of options, allowing them to regulate their sensory input based on their individual needs and preferences.

By creating sensory spaces, libraries not only provide specialized support for neurodivergent patrons, they also benefit everyone by enhancing spaces and offering greater variety. In this article we share a case study from the Montana State University (MSU) Library, and discuss the development of our first sensory space, from proposing ideas with varying budget options, to executing the concept and gathering student feedback. Along the way, we share key insights, challenges, and success from creating a sensory space, and provide a Sensory Space Proposal Template so other libraries can do the same. We hope this article will convince you that sensory spaces are the absolute coolest, and that every library can offer them.

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Cryptozoic Librarianship: Deck-Building Games as a Microcosm of Collection Development

Essay, ,

By Samuel S. Ready, MLIS

The main article written at this time about deck-building games and library collection development appears to be the one by Robbins for Library Journal in 2012. Robbins recommends deck-building games for acquisition by libraries with robust game collections—but this is only the beginning of the relationship between such games and libraries.

Robbins (2012) does a good job of explaining why trading card games such as Magic: the Gathering are not a great fit for libraries: competitive and commercial, they present a never-ending arms race that is won by spending money buying new cards all the time. Trading is not the same as sharing, and the game is not a closed system. Robbins points out that deck building games are more democratic and self-sufficient, which is true. What Robbins fails to then say is that deck-building games such as those manufactured by Cryptozoic Entertainment are a good fit for libraries because they are in a way a simulation of library collection development.

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Micro-Programming: A Dynamic and Flexible Approach to Student Engagement

Peer-Reviewed Article, , ,

Kelsey Hammer, Coordinator of Student Engagement & Programming
Julia Feerrar, Head of Digital Literacy Initiatives
University Libraries at Virginia Tech

Introduction

Academic library outreach and engagement often works at the nexus of multiple challenges. Librarians must meet the needs and interests of patron communities, make the most of limited staff time and resources, and navigate competing priorities for time and attention across campus. Over the last several years, our team of teaching librarians at Virginia Tech has sought out multiple opportunities to rethink and restrategize some of our approaches to these challenges.

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