“If you were stranded on a desert island and had to create a reference/information service with only ten sources, which ten would you choose?” The question posed by an editor of…
Abstract
“If you were stranded on a desert island and had to create a reference/information service with only ten sources, which ten would you choose?” The question posed by an editor of this journal provokes a cartoon vision of a tiny islet, one palm tree, and a sinking ship in the distance. A much more pleasant image to build upon would be a large, well‐equiped island, with a home ready for occupancy by our family—my wife and me plus our two sons, who still live with us. The house would have all the appropriate amenities, shelving for a couple thousand volumes, and of course, room for the ten reference sources that we would be bringing ashore.
Peaceful societies, groups of people described by social scientists as experiencing little if any internal or external violence, embrace the need for peacefulness, in contrast to…
Abstract
Purpose
Peaceful societies, groups of people described by social scientists as experiencing little if any internal or external violence, embrace the need for peacefulness, in contrast to most of the contemporary world, which accepts violence as normal and inevitable. The purpose of this article is to examine the ways that people in those societies view peacefulness, and to compare those ways with more “normal” violent societies.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach taken is a literature review of salient trends about anti‐violence among some of the more highly peaceful societies, and comparable trends in two state‐level societies—Norway, a relatively peaceful state, and the USA, a relatively more violent one.
Findings
The findings show that some of the peaceful societies avoid violence through nonresistance—not resisting aggression. In addition, many base their commitments to peacefulness on religious and mythological beliefs, though for others, peacefulness is based on cultural values or is seen as a practical, reasonable way to order their lives. The societies that appear to have very firm commitments to nonviolence are the ones where structures of peacefulness thrive.
Originality/value
The practical value of this research is that it points out how the peaceful societies can be contrasted with modern nation states, and it may suggest ways to challenge general patterns of violence.
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Looks at contrasting views of the future of the British LibraryDocument Supply Centre (BLDSC); that it will become obsolete or,conversely, grow in importance. Explores the…
Abstract
Looks at contrasting views of the future of the British Library Document Supply Centre (BLDSC); that it will become obsolete or, conversely, grow in importance. Explores the problems of co‐operative collection development, its economics, politics and terminology in both theory and practice. Examines methods for evaluating the costs of interlending, and demonstrates the limitations of a single price structure. Shows how reciprocal borrowing is becoming an increasingly popular solution to collection development.
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All seventeen had graciously agreed to my proposal to gather for a small conference to seek consensus. A generous grant from the Pierian Press Foundation would cover all of our…
Abstract
All seventeen had graciously agreed to my proposal to gather for a small conference to seek consensus. A generous grant from the Pierian Press Foundation would cover all of our expenses for a long weekend at a resort hotel; the only condition of the grant was that we offer our results to Reference Services Review for first publication. Over the past five years each of the seventeen had in turn accepted my challenge to answer the following question:
Dannii Jarvis, Jake Shaw and Tamsin Lovell
The purpose of this study is to investigate the experiences of adult male prisoners presenting with personality difficulties in an open (Category D) prison in the UK and their…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the experiences of adult male prisoners presenting with personality difficulties in an open (Category D) prison in the UK and their experience of a pilot offender personality disorder (OPD) pathway Psychologically Enhanced Resettlement Service (PERS) in the prison.
Design/methodology/approach
Thirteen participants who had engaged with PERS were interviewed about their experiences of open conditions and the service. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings
Two superordinate themes were identified relating to participants’ experience of open conditions, highlighting the challenges they faced. These were “the impact of institutionalization” and “relational barriers”. Two superordinate themes were identified relating to participants’ experiences of PERS; these were “relationships with staff” and “service structure”. Each superordinate theme had subordinate themes.
Research limitations/implications
Analysis is based on a small number of interviews in one male prison, and only qualitative data were collected. A mixed-methods approach would enable the triangulation of results.
Practical implications
Clinical importance for the pilot service is established, and there should be consideration for the rollout of PERS to other open establishments.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore the experiences of Category D prisoners within the open estate engaging with a pilot OPD pathway service. Findings illustrate the difficulties OPD service users encounter managing the transition into open prison conditions and highlight elements of the PERS model that can support this process. Clinical and research implications are identified.
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Moid Ahmad Siddiqui and Mohammad Ishaq Mirza
Library services have been tremendously influenced by rapid technological innovations over the years particularly in the area of reference and information services. The adoption…
Abstract
Library services have been tremendously influenced by rapid technological innovations over the years particularly in the area of reference and information services. The adoption of CD‐ROM technology has revolutionised the retrieval and delivery mechanism of information.
Michelle Lowe Davies, Douglas P. Fry, Nicola Graham-Kevan and Jane L. Ireland
Sarah-Jane Archibald, Colin Campbell and Derval Ambrose
Evidence has shown associations between personality disorder (PD) and poor treatment outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to: first, establish which risk assessment method (i.e…
Abstract
Purpose
Evidence has shown associations between personality disorder (PD) and poor treatment outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to: first, establish which risk assessment method (i.e. structured professional judgement or actuarial) is most reliable for predicting treatment outcomes for individuals with PD. Second, determine whether individuals identified as high risk are more likely to have poorer treatment outcomes. Third, determine if engagement in treatment helps to reduce risk assessment scores.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 50 patients were recruited from a medium secure forensic PD service. Their risk was assessed using one structured professional judgement instrument (the HCR-20) and one actuarial instrument (the RM2000). The study used a retrospective cohort design.
Findings
Overall, the HCR-20 was a better predictor of treatment outcome than the RM2000. Personality-disordered offenders with high HCR-20 scores are at an increased risk of adverse treatment outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
This investigation used a small, non-randomised sample of male patients with PD at one South East England medium secure unit. The data were over-represented by white British males. Future research should compare PD offenders with non-PD offenders to investigate what factors best predict poorer treatment outcomes.
Originality/value
The findings indicate that structured professional judgement approaches are more effective predictors of risk than actuarial measures for assessing patients with PD. This study therefore adds value to forensic services and to the risk assessment debate.
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Brianna Chesser, Ken Smith, Alyssa Sigamoney and Casey Becker
This paper aims to examine the ways in which the criminal justice system has evolved to accommodate mental illness. Mental health courts are one such alternative; these courts…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the ways in which the criminal justice system has evolved to accommodate mental illness. Mental health courts are one such alternative; these courts actively seek rehabilitative and therapeutic outcomes for participants. However, current literature suggests that these courts are ineffective for offenders who have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Design/methodology/approach
The aim of the current inquiry was to determine the degree to which participation in the Assessment and Referral Court (ARC) List in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria reduced re-offending rates for offenders diagnosed with BPD by providing a comparative analysis of pre and post ARC List offending.
Findings
The results of a two-year recidivism study suggest that successful completion of the ARC List reduces recidivism for 50% of offenders diagnosed with BPD.
Originality/value
To the authoring team’s knowledge, this is the second paper to explore the efficacy of the Assessment of Referral Court List (Magistrates’ Court of Victoria) in reducing recidivist behaviours for programme participants; however, it is the first paper to look specifically at the recidivist behaviours of participants of the Assessment of Referral Court List (Magistrates’ Court of Victoria) who have been diagnosed with BPD.