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At the Retail Conference held by stockbrokers Capel Cure Myers in June, MFI were one of three companies invited to speak. In his Chairman's introduction, Richard Weir of the Retail Consortium outlined the points of interest which these retailers (Sainsbury and Mothercare among them) had to offer. He emphasised the way in which a company such as MFI had a clear identity, aiming straight for its market in such a way that the customer could differentiate it easily from other multiples. Mr Weir thought this an asset at a time when so many companies are diversifying away from their original merchandise base. The following paper was presented by Arthur Southon at the conference, and it provides an insight into the workings of a major multiple and its plans.

MIDSUMMER sees the general settling down of thoughtful librarians to a contemplation of their Winter programmes. This seems a cruel suggestion since (if we are fortunate) the skies are still blue above us, the trees green, and—well, holidays are just ahead. One duty, however, belongs to midsummer and that is the annual election of the Library Association Council. There is growing evidence that in this matter we are no longer prepared to leave our representation in the most important council that exists for us to chance. By the time these words appear the question, so far as 1928 is concerned, will have been settled. We hope a well‐balanced Council will be the result, and that, after an interval of several years, Ireland will be represented.

iNNoVaNDiS started in 2005 at the University of Deusto (Spain) as a program that aimed to train students to perform as entrepreneurs. The aim of the chapter is to share the story of this 10-year old experience.

The chapter follows a case study approach, describing in a narrative form the evolution had by the program, from the perspective of the people that have been involved in it. It draws on the analysis of the different stages the program has gone through, over these 10 years, until the current structure of the program has been defined. Primary data are used to explain this evolution.

The chapter illustrates how the approach followed in iNNoVaNDiS has always been action-oriented. The rationale is that being entrepreneurial and innovative is a way of thinking, a mindset, and a personal identity. To achieve this different contexts are built during various workshops, working with real challenges faced by local organizations.

The program is run by a team with very different profiles, including consultants, researchers, academics, coaches, artists, engineers, entrepreneurs, actors, etc. This diversity allows the program to be in constant renewal. The program demystifies prejudices about the entrepreneur, the business idea and failure.

The philosophy behind the program is that entrepreneurship and innovation are not goals or disciplines to learn, and their purposes go far beyond starting a business. The scope of the initiative has not been the development of a business but rather to foster ethical entrepreneurship and innovative behavior in everyday life.

This is a case study of Taylor’s Business School, Taylor’s College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is a pioneer in developing a business school as a knowledge organisation following the principles of knowledge management in the context of a developing knowledge economy. Describes the management structure and processes adopted by the college to deliver a curriculum educating students in knowledge management for a knowledge economy. This reflects a policy initiative of the Malaysian government which has embraced a knowledge economy in which soft technology and knowledge replace capital and energy. The philosophy of Taylor’s Business School is to produce graduates with professional and industry relevant skills to meet the demands of the knowledge economy.

We have received a communication from Mr. A. H. Mitchell Muter, F.I.C., Public Analyst for Lambeth, with reference to the contamination of cheese as the result of it being wrapped in tinfoil.—Mr. Muter observes that the following facts are those upon which he based his remarks, re the potential danger to health arising from contamination by tin in cheese wrapped in this metal, contained in his report for the fourth quarter of 1929 to one of the Local Authorities for which he acts :—On 4th November, 1929, a Food Inspector to the Authority in question submitted an informal sample of wrapped cheese as the result of a complaint having been received from a ratepayer to the effect that he had been taken ill after partaking of it.—Mr. Muter's analysis showed it to contain 5·68 grains of tin per lb., and he therefore reported that he was of opinion that the ratepayer was fully justified in bringing the matter to the notice of the Inspector.—On 15th November a formal sample of wrapped cheese was submitted, which he found contained 6·89 grs. tin per lb., and he issued a report to this effect. As the result of this report he received on the 25th November five informal samples of various brands, all of which were found to contain tin varying from 0·28 to 6·34 grs. per lb., and a further three informal samples received on the 3rd December contained tin in quantities from 1·37 to 11·03 grs. per lb. On the 12th December a formal sample was submitted which contained as much as 14·8 grs. tin per lb.

Approaches to quality improvement in healthcare based on clinical communities are founded in practitioner networks, peer influence and professional values. However, evidence for the value of this approach, and how to make it effective, is spread across multiple disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to review and synthesise relevant literature to provide practical lessons on how to use community‐based approaches to improve quality.

Diverse literatures were identified, analysed and synthesised in a manner that accounted for the heterogeneity of methods, models and contexts they covered.

A number of overlapping but distinct community‐based approaches can be identified in the literature, each suitable for different problems. The evidence for the effectiveness of these is mixed, but there is some agreement on the challenges that those adopting such approaches need to address, and how these can be surmounted.

Key lessons include: the need for co‐ordination and leadership alongside the lateral influence of peers; advantages of starting with a clear programme theory of change; the need for training and resources; dealing with conflict and marginalisation; fostering a sense of community; appropriate use of data in prompting behavioural change; the need for balance between “hard” and “soft” strategies; and the role of context.

The paper brings together diverse literatures with important implications for community‐based approaches to quality improvement, drawing on these to offer practical lessons for those engaged in improving healthcare quality in practice.