Elisabeth Alton, Barry Tolchard and Margaret Stark
The purpose of this study was to provide proof of concept and evaluate the project for the development of a forensic service in safeguarding adults at risk of harm who may have…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to provide proof of concept and evaluate the project for the development of a forensic service in safeguarding adults at risk of harm who may have suffered a non-accidental injury as a result of physical abuse or neglect.
Design/methodology/approach
This pilot project arising from a Safeguarding Adults Review was designed using an iterative process. Opinion from all partners of the Safeguarding Adults’ Boards in two adjacent areas as well as using expert forensic advice from the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine was sought.
Findings
All professionals recognised the need for a forensic service because at present decision-making around potential non-accidental injuries (NAI) may not be evidence based. The main barriers were seen as lack of knowledge and education combined with the area of work not being recognised as being needed and hence not commissioned. No similar service existed in England to aid the project being developed either academically or practically, other than reflecting what happens in children’s safeguarding.
Practical implications
The knowledge and skills as well as the resources developed for this project will aid safeguarding professionals to make more informed decisions when working with adults at risk of harm who have sustained a potential NAI.
Originality/value
This project has high originality with no other area in England offering a similar service or in the process of developing a service at present.
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LIBRARIES have come impressively into the public picture in the past year or two, and seldom with more effect than when Their Majesties the King and Queen opened the new Central…
Abstract
LIBRARIES have come impressively into the public picture in the past year or two, and seldom with more effect than when Their Majesties the King and Queen opened the new Central Reference Library at Manchester on July 17th. In a time, which is nearly the end of a great depression, that the city which probably felt the depression more than any in the Kingdom should have proceeded with the building of a vast store‐house of learning is a fact of great social significance and a happy augury for libraries as a whole. His Majesty the King has been most felicitous in providing what we may call “slogans” for libraries. It will be remembered that in connection with the opening of the National Central Library, he suggested that it was a “University which all may join and which none need ever leave” —words which should be written in imperishable letters upon that library and be printed upon its stationery for ever. As Mr. J. D. Stewart said at the annual meeting of the National Central Library, it was a slogan which every public library would like to appropriate. At Manchester, His Majesty gave us another. He said: “To our urban population open libraries are as essential to health of mind, as open spaces to health of body.” This will be at the disposal of all of us for use. It is a wonderful thing that Manchester in these times has been able to provide a building costing £450,000 embodying all that is modern and all that is attractive in the design of libraries. The architect, Mr. Vincent Harris, and the successive librarians, Mr. Jast and Mr. Nowell, are to be congratulated upon the crown of their work.
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This paper aims to reflect on the development of Australian doctoral education after the program commenced, initially at the University of Melbourne, following the end of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to reflect on the development of Australian doctoral education after the program commenced, initially at the University of Melbourne, following the end of the Second World War.
Design/methodology/approach
While utilizing the rich literature on doctoral education in Australia, the paper adopts a chronological approach to key issues that have had particular impact on the Australian doctorate since the mid-1980s.
Findings
Three major reports have had particular impact on the Australian PhD which was based on the Oxbridge model of supervisor/candidate with little or no coursework.
Originality/value
This reflection brings together a number of threads in Australia’s PhD program based on a wide range of historical and contemporary literature.
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Kathy Boxall, Julie Nyanjom and Janine Slaven
This paper aims to explore the place of disabled guests in the new world of hotel and holiday accommodation shaped by the sharing economy.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the place of disabled guests in the new world of hotel and holiday accommodation shaped by the sharing economy.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses Levitas’s (2013) Utopia as Method as a methodological tool to develop the hypothetical future scenarios, which are used to explore the place of disabled guests in peer-to-peer holiday accommodation.
Findings
Analysis of the hypothetical scenarios suggests that without state intervention, the place of disabled guests in both traditional hotels and peer-to-peer holiday accommodation is far from secure.
Research limitations/implications
This is a new area and the authors’ discussion is therefore tentative in its intent.
Practical implications
Planners and policymakers should consult with, and take account of, the needs of disabled people and other socially excluded groups when regulating shared economy enterprises. It may be helpful to put in place broader legislation for social inclusion rather than regulate peer-to-peer platforms. Any recourse to markets as a means of resolving access issues needs also to acknowledge the limited power of socially excluded groups within both traditional and sharing economy markets.
Social implications
The hypothetical scenarios discussed within this paper offer planners, policymakers and tourism stakeholders opportunities to think through the access and inclusion needs of disabled guests in the shared economy sector.
Originality/value
The paper extends discussion of hospitality and disability access to include shared economy approaches and the place of disabled guests in the new world of holiday accommodation shaped by the sharing economy.
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Janet M. Alger and Steven F. Alger
Ever since Mead, sociology has maintained a deep divide between human and non human animals. In effect, Mead constructed humans as having capacities that he saw lacking in…
Abstract
Ever since Mead, sociology has maintained a deep divide between human and non human animals. In effect, Mead constructed humans as having capacities that he saw lacking in animals. Recent research on animals has challenged the traditional ideas of Mead and others by providing evidence of animal intelligence, adaptability, selfawareness, emotionality, communication and culture. This paper examines the human‐animal relationship as presented in Introductory Sociology Textbooks to see if this new research on animals has allowed us to move beyond Mead. We find outdated information and confused thinking on such topics as the relationship between language and culture, the development of the self in animals, and the role of instinct, socialization and culture in animal behavior. We conclude that, with few exceptions, the main function of the treatment of animals in these texts is to affirm the hard line that sociology has always drawn between humans and other species.
Yusuf Ayodeji Ajani, Fatimoh Danmaigoro, Olufemi Olubunmi Ilori, Ayotola Olubunmi Onanuga, Nkechi Margaret Amaechi, Shehu Olanrewaju Ishola and Colette Ogugua Onyebinama
The purpose of this study is to explore how drone technology can enhance the reach and efficiency of mobile library services, particularly in remote and underserved areas. It aims…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore how drone technology can enhance the reach and efficiency of mobile library services, particularly in remote and underserved areas. It aims to evaluate the potential of drones in overcoming traditional access barriers, improving resource distribution and fostering greater community engagement through advanced service delivery mechanisms.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a qualitative approach to explore the integration of drone technology in mobile library services, framed within the context of the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR). Drawing literature from databases such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate and Scopus, it also presents a case study of drone-enabled library services implemented in rural communities of Nigeria. The study focuses on the practical aspects of drone deployment, the impact on underserved communities and the challenges faced, offering insights into the logistical and operational dynamics of this innovative service model.
Findings
The study reveals that drone technology significantly improves access to library resources, particularly in hard-to-reach and disaster-prone areas. Drones offer an eco-friendly, cost-effective alternative to conventional mobile libraries, cutting operational costs by 60% and reducing delivery times by 40%. Despite these advantages, the implementation process encountered challenges such as financial sustainability, community skepticism and the need for specialized staff training.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the evolving discourse on mobile library innovations, positioning drones as a practical and sustainable solution for expanding library services in the 5IR era. It provides new perspectives on the logistical, social and environmental benefits of drone-enabled libraries, emphasizing their potential to enhance digital literacy, aid in disaster recovery and build stronger community connections.
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Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are…
Abstract
Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.
Mhairi Sumner and Bernie Quinn
The purpose of this study is ascertain if the hotel concierge service will continue to be relevant in a technological world where consumers have increasing access to information…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is ascertain if the hotel concierge service will continue to be relevant in a technological world where consumers have increasing access to information about their destination. To trace the origins of the hotel concierge, their route into the profession and establish whether the profession is geographically localised. Their role within the hotel, working philosophy, core values and characteristics were considered in relation to creating and delivering an experiential service encounter.
Design/methodology/approach
Eleven participants were selected who worked on the concierge desk in four- and five-star hotels in Edinburgh. All were male, aged between 20 and 64 years old; nine were Scottish, six of whom were from Edinburgh, one from Wales and one from England. Six respondents were members of The Golden Keys Society. A qualitative approach was adopted with semi-structured interviews designed around key themes identified in the literature review.
Findings
No feelings of servility or inferiority were documented in the host/guest relationship. Comparisons were made between the contextual setting and the appearance and manner of the respondents with that of a “performance”. The uniform was deemed to facilitate feelings of empowerment analogous to having superpowers. Technology has been adopted by the concierge department as a tool, but is considered to be ancillary to their personal recommendation and network of business and personal contacts and collaborators.
Research limitations/implications
Changes in the demographics of people travelling and discounted rates being offered in four- and five-star hotels has resulted in general perceptions of a less elite clientele. This may have implications for the future of concierge services.
Practical implications
The internet seems to have opened up this profession to enable concierges to effectively operate in a location they are not indigenous to. The personal recommendations that the concierge provides through their own knowledge are used in conjunction with technology, but are not in imminent danger of being replaced by it. It may prove beneficial for the hotel to provide some training for older members of staff to keep up with technological developments. This study could prove useful to service providers who aim to gain competitive advantage by elevating their level of guest service to exceed guest expectations through emulating the personalised service that the concierge can offer.
Social implications
The socio-cultural issues within this study are important. Internet technology is generally perceived to be the panacea of all contemporary communication ills in the twenty-first century. The authors however propose that the concierge is the last bastion of front-line service personnel who are still approached for their individual, sometimes unique, knowledge that cannot be found online.
Originality/value
This study contributes to an area of interest that lacks contemporary research due to the natural gatekeeping that occurs within this “closed” environment.