http://hdl.handle.net/10468/55 2013-06-07T17:57:03Z 2013-06-07T17:57:03Z McCarthy, J. P. http://hdl.handle.net/10468/565 2012-07-11T02:00:18Z 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Dutch influence in the urban landscape of Cork City pre-1800: Fact or myth? McCarthy, J. P. The early years of the eighteenth century Irish port town, Cork saw an expansion of its city limits, an era of reconstruction both within and beyond the walls of its Medieval townscape and a reclamation of its marshlands to the east and west. New people, new ideas and the beginnings of new wealth infused the post Elizabethan character of the recently siege battered city. It also brought a desire for something different, something new, an opportunity to redefine the ambience and visual perception of the urban landscape and thereby make a statement about its intended cultural and social orientations. It brought an opportunity to re-imagine and model a new, continental style of place and surrounding environment.

2011-03-01T00:00:00Z Cronin, James G. R. http://hdl.handle.net/10468/272 2011-04-13T10:43:41Z 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Excavating the future: taking an 'archaeological' approach to technology Cronin, James G. R. This is an invited essay review of titles and new editions on media culture published by MIT Press. The titles are Caleb Kelly Cracked Media: The Sound of Malfunction (MIT Press, 2009); Paul Virilio The Aesthetics of Disappearance (MIT Press, 2009); Carrie James Young People, Ethics, and the New Digital Media (MIT Press, 2009). The leitmotif threading the three texts under review is the socio-cultural impact of technological mediation on the processing and dissemination of information. Technologies are tools of transformation both through practical usage and ideological construction. For Caleb Kelly, turntablism mediates the expanded soundscapes so emblematic of the twentieth century's 'sonic turn', for Paul Virilio, hypermodernity is played out via the cinema screen through immersive moments of accelerated vision, while, for Carrie James, the computer screen is the locus for questioning constructions of the networked self. Already in the first decades of the twenty-first century we are on the cusp of a proliferation of enhanced participatory cultures mediated through user generated content -- a digital hive mind. The experience of technology is not neutral it changes the rate and flow of information and in so doing it changes us in many imperceptible ways. Adopting an 'archaeological' lens challenges deterministic approaches to media history and may even assist us in mapping alternative futures.

2011-03-01T00:00:00Z Flynn, Maura G. McGuinness, Claire http://hdl.handle.net/10468/882 2013-03-08T03:02:22Z 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Hospital clinicians information behaviour and attitudes towards the 'Clinical Informationist': an Irish survey Flynn, Maura G.; McGuinness, Claire Background: Hospital clinicians are increasingly expected to practice evidence-based medicine (EBM) in order to minimize medical errors and ensure quality patient care, but experience obstacles to information-seeking. The introduction of a Clinical Informationist (CI) is explored as a possible solution. Aims:  This paper investigates the self-perceived information needs, behaviour and skill levels of clinicians in two Irish public hospitals. It also explores clinicians perceptions and attitudes to the introduction of a CI into their clinical teams. Methods: A questionnaire survey approach was utilised for this study, with 22 clinicians in two hospitals. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics. Results: Analysis showed that clinicians experience diverse information needs for patient care, and that barriers such as time constraints and insufficient access to resources hinder their information-seeking. Findings also showed that clinicians struggle to fit information-seeking into their working day, regularly seeking to answer patient-related queries outside of working hours. Attitudes towards the concept of a CI were predominantly positive. Conclusion: This paper highlights the factors that characterise and limit hospital clinicians information-seeking, and suggests the CI as a potentially useful addition to the clinical team, to help them to resolve their information needs for patient care.

2011-03-01T00:00:00Z Fallon, Helen Maxwell, Jane McCaffrey, Ciara McMahon, Seamus http://hdl.handle.net/10468/271 2011-05-10T10:18:21Z 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

Engaging with leadership development in Irish academic libraries: some reflections of the Future Leaders Programme (FLP) Fallon, Helen; Maxwell, Jane; McCaffrey, Ciara; McMahon, Seamus Four librarians from Irish university libraries completed the U.K. Future Leaders Programme (FLP) in 2010. In this article they recount their experience and assess the effect of the programme on their professional practice and the value for their institutions. The programme is explored in the context of the Irish higher education environment, which is facing significant challenges due to the demise of the Celtic Tiger economy. A brief review of the literature relating to structured programmes to prepare librarians for senior positions, is presented. The structure and content of the FLP and the learning methodologies, theories, tools and techniques used throughout are discussed. The article suggests that the programme has real value for both individuals and institutions and that it can play a significant role in succession planning and the leadership development of librarians

2011-02-01T00:00:00Z