The Uddevalla Volvo plant represents a different paradigm for automotive assembly. In parallel-flow work, self-managed work groups assemble entire automobiles with comparable productivity as conventional series-flow assembly lines. From the perspective of the demand-control model, operators at the Uddevalla plant have low physical and timing…

This randomized experiment examined survey mode effects for self-reporting illicit drug use by comparing prevalence estimates between a Web-based survey and a mail-based survey. A random sample of 7,000 traditional-aged undergraduate students attending a large public university in the United States was selected to participate in the spring of…

Twenty-eight students (aged 9 to 17) freely explored a science Web site structured either in an outline (linear) format or "puzzle" (non-linear) format for 2.5 hours. Subjects then engaged in tasks involving locational memory and informational recall. The results indicate that presence of metacognitive skills was a necessary but not sufficient…

Today's world demands an expansive search environment. The universe of information resources is immense and is growing rapidly. The content needed for research and scholarship is dispersed among publishers, aggregators, repositories, library catalogs, e-print servers, and servers throughout the Web. Users do not want to jump from one interface to…

The last time this author wrote about open source (OS) software was in last September's 2004 issue of Computers in Libraries, which was devoted to making the most of what you have and do-it-yourself solutions. After the column appeared, she received an e-mail from David Dorman of Index Data, who believed that she had done OS products a disservice…

This paper presents the findings of an empirical study of critical factors associated with e-business success. An a priori model relating the success factors to e-business success is developed. The study uses the "balanced scorecard" methodology to measure the success of e-business organizations, as the authors believe that financial measures are…

This paper details the use of the Internet by educators and parents of students with disabilities, software tools that make the Internet accessible to students with special needs, and the state of Web-based instruction for these students. Issues are discussed that relate to current research with students with various disabilities as well as the…

The one feature that most distinguishes the Internet from any previous communications medium is its interactivity. The Net is a two-way street. One gives, and one receives. Savvy organizations and individuals have long recognized this, making it easy for people to contact them and diligently respond to e-mail. Organizations on the vanguard have…

Small solutions solve discrete, well-bounded problems and can be pieces of larger solutions. They can move things forward by mixing and matching available components in new and previously unimagined ways. A number of innovations, which at first glance are completely unrelated, can come together and create important synergics. This article…

This article details the work of Lucia Chen of the New York Public Library. Lucia Chen combined her two passions--organization and beautification--in her recent project, creating an online version of the New York Public Library's (NYPL) legendary picture collection. Artists ranging from set designers to filmmakers have long used the collection,…

Eva Miller has a knack for creating order out of disorder. She single-handedly brought Oregon's virtual reference service, Answerland, live in just under 90 days, says Rivkah Sass, now director of the Omaha Public Library. Miller created its web site, designed the graphics, developed marketing materials, and recruited and trained librarians--all…

CAPTCHAs are images used on the internet by companies that want to block computer programs from their site. This article presents a method for solving some of these puzzles.

Similar trends are occurring in schools. Lenhart, Simoin, and Graziano (2001) found that 94% of teens online use the Internet for school research projects, and according to the U.S. Department of Education (2004), "even students from low-income groups without access to technology at home seek and find it-using computers at schools, libraries, or…

Eighty-three percent of teenagers are online. The average teen spends 5 to 10 hours a week on the Web. When using Web sites, teenagers are easily bored. Teenagers are also not nearly as skilled as adults at navigating the Web and do not really care for glitzy graphics. Insufficient reading skills, immature research strategies, and unwillingness to…

Wireless hotspots are popping up in local coffee shops everywhere. Anyone with a wireless-ready laptop or PDA can surf the Internet at one of these hotspots. The same is now true for all 32 branches of the Orange County Public Library (OCPL) in California. Though many public library systems are moving toward wireless access, most require patrons…