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The purpose of this paper is to understand how changes in an older adult’s physical capacity alter their bathing preferences, how the care environment incorporates residents’ values and beliefs around bathing to fulfil these changing care needs, and how institutional factors, such as staff scheduling and communication processes, influence Resident Care Aides’ (RCAs) bathing practices.

A multiple methods approach involving surveys and interviews with residents and RCAs in a Canadian residential care facility. This paper draws mostly from the semi-structured, qualitative interviews with older adult residents (n=9; Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) scores > 15) and RCAs (n=10) on two nursing units offering different bathing options.

Decreasing energy levels and physical decline were commonly cited reasons for residents’ changing bathing preferences. Residents were overall very appreciative of the bathing care they received in residential care, and identified the weekly tub bath as an anticipated encounter where they experienced a valued social interaction with their assigned RCA. While identifying bathing as an occasionally stressful aspect of their work, RCAs also described the bathing experience as an intimate bonding activity. The study identified bathing as an important activity in residential care.

Previous studies have focused on moderate to severely cognitively impaired older adults’ and their demonstration of agitated behaviours during bathing. Most participants in this study had only minor cognitive impairment, as measured by MMSE scores (average score=20.6); therefore, this study provides insight into the experiences and needs of older adults whose perspective is not generally reflected in the literature.

MRS ANN DAVINSON has been appointed as Branch Librarian of the newly opened Barlby Branch of the East Riding County Library. Mrs Davinson has previously worked with Middlesbrough, Whitby and Widnes Public Libraries.

THE Institution of Chemical Engineers library has taken a bold step and is now marketing itself to non‐members as ‘The Information Centre for Chemical Technology’. The cost of a subscription is a modest £30 per year. This allows the corporate or personal subscriber 12 hours' use of the service. A record of all enquiries is kept, with answers given and time taken, so that a check can be made of use—and of the time remaining. For time used over and above the subscription period a charge of £3 per hour is made. These rates do not by any means represent the full cost of the service, since the institution is not a profit making organisation. The income will help develop and expand the library service to meet the proven need for technical information. Much credit is due to the librarian, in taking this commercial initiative inside an academic body. I hope the income derived will buy lots of books and even perhaps one day more staff. The centre is offering its first publication for sale, a thesaurus of 650 chemical engineering keywords with an associated 2,000 lead‐in words. Price £10. In preparation is a list of chemical engineering consultants. Details from 15 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PT. A booklet on the service is available.

In addition to providing a review of the literature recently published in the librarianship of non‐book materials this survey aims to draw attention to the characteristics, problems and achievements particular to the documentation and handling of non‐book materials (NBM) in many types of libraries. The materials are briefly described and considerations of selection, acquisition, organization, storage and in particular bibliographic control are dealt with in some detail. Other areas of concern to the librarian dealing with media resources, including the organization and training of staff, planning, equipment, exploitation and copyright, are also discussed. The past decade has seen the widespread introduction of NBM into libraries as additional or alternative sources of information. Librarians have been given an opportunity to rethink many basic principles and adapt existing practice to encompass the new materials. The survey reflects the achievements and some of the failures or problems remaining to be solved in this rapidly expanding area of library work.

… Strange but true facts, number 7: Wandsworth is famous for more than its blue halo.

In a full blaze of comings and goings, it is unnecessary to remind ourselves that the holiday season is upon us; mass travel to faraway places. The media have for months, all through the winter, been extolling a surfeit of romantic areas of the world, exspecially on television; of colourful scenes, exotic beauties, brilliant sunshine everywhere; travel mostly by air as so‐called package tours — holidays for the masses! The most popular areas are countries of the Mediterranean littoral, from Israel to Spain, North Africa, the Adriatic, but of recent years, much farhter afield, India, South‐east Asia and increasingly to the USA.

It has often been said that a great part of the strength of Aslib lies in the fact that it brings together those whose experience has been gained in many widely differing fields but who have a common interest in the means by which information may be collected and disseminated to the greatest advantage. Lists of its members have, therefore, a more than ordinary value since they present, in miniature, a cross‐section of institutions and individuals who share this special interest.

The author is certainly conscious of what he is not including and in his introduction he constantly refers to other books available on specific aspects which he has consequently not covered in detail. For instance, when dealing with low‐intensity applications, only short reference is made to the applications of micro‐wave accoustics and surface wave applications and none at all to underwater sound.

‘THE FIRST public libraries opened more than 100 years ago, and their services are now taken very much for granted. Even so, the idea that every kind of book should be available free to the borrowing public, still seems remarkably enlightened.’