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The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the issues surrounding the future of microfilm in a digital age with particular reference to historical archive materials.

Based on personal experience of the microform publishing market and from a paper presented at the National Preservation Office’s annual conference, 2007, Second life for collections.

Sales figures from Japan for microform publications show a decline of 60 per cent over the last ten years. Recent demand falls in the niche market of print‐on‐demand microfilms and archival collections requested by academic institutions.

Discusses the pros and cons of preservation methods for archival material in various formats, i.e. digital, and the role of microfilm in archival publishing. Explores current issues of copyright, pricing policies and the long‐term future for microfilm use within research and archival collections.

A personal view from a publisher of academic microform, which assesses the current situation and poses questions for the future survival, use and preservation of microfilmed information.

The feasibility of publishing an electronic journal which will be accepted by the scientific community has always been hampered by factors such as a lack of standardisation of data transmission codes, limitations regarding the incorporation of graphics and photographs, as well as the absence of special columns, book reviews, letters to the editor, product reviews and advertisements. Standardised communication protocols such as TCP/IP have brought this dream one step closer to reality. The final step could be an electronic journal published through the World Wide Web (WWW), currently one of the frequently used Internet navigators. Three WWW specifications provide the ideal arena for electronic journal publishing: URL (uniform resource locator), HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol), and HTML (hypertext markup language). These specifications provide a standardised structure for storing, accessing and sending data, including multimedia (even sound and video) files. The possibilities of such a structure for electronic journal publishing are remarkable: full‐text retrieval could not only be by keyword but also by following hypertext links across articles — even to nodes in other computer systems. In this article the possibilities of publishing via the Web will be addressed and some hints for setting up and maintaining a multimedia scholarly journal will be provided.

A remarkably bullish forecast of the growth prospects for Japan's optoelectronics industry was contained in a report on the industry published earlier this year by the Economics Division of the Long Term Credit Bank of Japan. The industry was seen as growing to be as important as the electronics industry, with which it was seen as forming the mainstay of Japan's future industry. Believing it would be of interest to a wider readership we publish here a shortened version of the report.

Les Round has joined Alpha Circuits as Technical Manager. Previously he has held positions with Shipley and Imasa.

Some months ago a national organisation established to keep a watchful eye on the Nation's diet expressed concern over the eating trends of people in what to them appeared to be developing inbalances of necessary nutrient factors and the inadeuacy not so much of calories and energy values but in the nature and quality of main food factors. It was recommended that the national diet should be improved, but the authorities pointed to the National Food Survey results to show that the diet was not deficient; that the average daily intake of protein, vitamins, minerals and overall energy requirements were satisfied; all of which is true for the not‐too‐generous levels set. Even the pensioner households included in the Survey sample appear well‐fed. What causes concern is the year‐by‐year decrease in staple foods consumed—milk, red meat, bread, fresh vegetables—and the heavy reliance on refined, processed foods. In its annual reports on NFS reviews, the BFJ has almost monotonously referred to this downward trend. Individual NFS Reports do not reveal any serious deficiencies, as yet, but in the trend over the years—and herein lies the real value of the Survey and its data—few if any of the changes have been for the better; movements in food groups have tended to be downwards. If these trends continue, the time must surely come when there will be real deficiencies; that substitution within a food group cannot make good essential foods severely rationed by high prices.

The information age, where ICT is an essential tool for harnessing and disseminating information, has brought with it a number of very attractive innovations for libraries, such as the provision of information in electronic form, and the gradual move away from the just‐in‐case model, to the just‐in‐time service model, adopted by many libraries in the developed world. Many libraries in developing countries are still pondering the implications of going down the just‐in‐time route. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages for academic and research libraries, considers the experience of libraries in developed countries that have adopted the just‐in‐time model (using electronic resources) for services and draws lessons that academic and research libraries in developing countries can learn from.

This study explores the tourists' behavioral intention toward tasting ethnic food by proposing 'enjoyment’ as an indirect mechanism in improvising the model of Wang. In other words, when affective and cognitive components are triggered positively while reading online gastronomy reviews on social media platforms, enjoyment is aroused, subsequently enhancing the desire to taste ethnic foods displayed online.

Data from 385 visitors from Kashmir, India, were gathered using a purposive sample technique. The research model was put to the test using PLS-SEM.

Direct and indirect mechanisms influence Behavioral Intention. Enjoyment acts as a mediator. Overall, the results validated the presence of three direct and full mediation paths.

This study will help tourism practitioners justify their promotional activities on social networking sites, particularly in endorsing regional ethnic dishes. For example, tourism authorities could collaborate with bloggers on social media and offer incentives to promote attractive images of ethnic food. Similarly, ethnic food outlets can improve online exposure and interactivity by encouraging travelers to leave feedback after visits.

Unlike other studies, this research broadens our understanding by focusing on direct and indirect mechanisms. The inclusion of a mediator enhanced the total variance of the dependent variable.

Provides a comprehensive review of the significance attributed to the usefulness, practicality and appropriateness of graphic novels in the school library media center with specific implications for collection development.

A careful review of recent literature provides the school media specialist with an overview of graphic novels including definitions, challenges, benefits, helpful resources, curricular connections and collection development issues. The sources reflect the recent trends in the increasing popularity of graphic novels and their use and benefit in school media centers.

Presents information on the definitions of graphic novels and the challenges and benefits specific to the school media center. Notes that while challenges exist, the benefits of including graphic novels in the school library media center are many, including engaging reluctant readers. Offers practical information for collection development and provides useful sources that serve many purposes.

Offers background information for the school library media specialist about graphic novels. Includes advice and practical strategies for building a graphic novel collection in the school media center.

This paper reflects recent trends toward increased interest in graphic novels and offers the school media specialist practical advice on how to best meet that growing interest by including graphic novels in the school media center.

This paper aims to analyze the adoption of social media platforms by tourists in Pakistan. Based on an adaptation of the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study assesses the factors that lead users to adopt these platforms.

A survey was administered to a convenience sample of 399 travelers who use social media in Pakistan. A Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using AMOS to evaluate convergent and discriminant validity as well as composite reliability. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the causal relationship among all proposed constructs.

The findings reveal that the perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEoU) of a social media platform positively impact the behavioral intention of its users. The proposed constructs of compatibility, enjoyment, user expertise and e-trust all demonstrated their crucial roles in the adoption of a social media platform for tourism-related activities by enhancing the platform's PEoU and usefulness.

This research validates the relationship between PEoU and PU of a social media platform in the hospitality industry. Interestingly, this study has expanded TAM by validating the addition of four more constructs, (1) compatibility, (2) enjoyment, (3) e-trust, and (4) expertise, to add worth to this model regarding the understanding of social media usage in this specific industry. The findings are valuable both for managers and policymakers in the tourism sector in Pakistan, as the latter can utilize the results to entice a larger segment of social media users to the tourism industry.