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This article surveys university library users’ attitudes towards overdue fines. Users of the libraries of the University of Benin, Benin City, and Delta State University, Abraka, both in Nigeria, were used as subjects for the study. A total of 143 users who responded to a questionnaire participated in the study. Frequency counts, percentages and t‐test statistic were used to analyze data. Findings revealed the users’ opinions and feelings about overdue fines. No significant difference was found between either university library with respect to their users’ attitude toward overdue fines. Neither was any discovered in attitude between genders. This paper makes recommendations that can help libraries boost the collection of overdue fines.

The University of Exeter Library, in conjunction with NatWest UK and Mondex, commenced a pilot smartcard project in October 1996. The smartcard functions as a campus card, combining many different features such as identification, student voting, building access, registration, electronic payment — and a library card. Of all these applications, the library card is compulsory. The pilot project concentrates on identification features of current smartcard technology but recent developments, especially an International standard multiple operating system (MULTOS), will increase potential applications for libraries and other agencies. Despite encountering many operational and technical obstacles, the University of Exeter project is now in its second year of operation.

REFLEXION, the new system from Fretwell‐Downing, is a fully integrated library system which incorporates the latest technological developments, such as open systems, hardware independence, and external interfaces, and which aims to be flexible enough to meet the different needs of different types of libraries.

In 2006 the German-based electronics company Siemens faced widespread corruption and bribery allegations. Investigations of the German state attorney’s office disclosed an amount of more than 2.3 billion of suspicious payments to foreign governments (Schubert & Miller, 2008). It turned out that Siemens had bribed governmental officials in order to secure contracts and to obtain favorable conditions over more than three decades (Schmidt, 2009). Though Siemens had a clearly stated anticorruption policy this did not prevent the company from getting involved in one of the largest corporate scandals in German business history.

A deeper analysis of the scandal reveals at least four fundamental shortcomings which enabled the corrupt practices on all organizational levels. First, most of the managers saw no alternatives to secure their foreign business, especially in countries where bribery payment has been a widespread practice. Second, the managers had created misguided bonds of loyalty believing that personal engagement in the corruption scheme was part of their dedication to the company. Third, due to corporate routines and commonly accepted practices, most managers lacked a clear sense of reality seeing corruption as part of the regular business at Siemens. Fourth, poor governance structures and a lack of clear regulations for doing business in a corrupt environment made it easier for managers to bypass official regulations.

Describes the auditor′s responsibility in the expanding arena of computer‐related criminal activity within the organization and the organization′s liability for criminal activity. Formulates professional standards of conduct from these definitions of responsibility, both for the auditor and for the organization.

VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the UK. It is edited and substantially written by the Information Officer for ctdirary Automation bused in Southampton University Library and supported by a grant from the British Library Research and Development Department. Copyright for VINE articles rests with the British Library‐Boards but Opinions expressed in VINE do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the British Library. The subscription for 1983 for VINE is £22 for UK subscribers and £25 for overseas subscribers. The first copy will be charged at normal rate, but all others will be supplied for only £12 per year UK and £14 per year overseas. VINE is available in either paper copy or microfiche and all back issues are available on microfiche.

The article discusses the use of microcomputers for the automation of the two remaining major library functions: circulation control and serials control. Both are concerned with controlling the movement of stock and both require software which can perform several different types of operation including the creation of printed outputs and financial control. Circulation control is about the issuing, returning and reserving of stock, and the pursuit of overdue items. It is also an especially rich source of management information. Serials control is primarily concerned with the registration of individual issues as they arrive and the claiming of missing ones. Subsidiary functions are ordering, binding control, circulation to readers, searching and financial management.

Discusses some of the issues surrounding violence in the library workplace, analysing violent behaviour in libraries and the various types of “problem users” public library staff may encounter. Discusses the results of a mail survey of public library staff. Staff from four public library authorities were surveyed, to explore the extent to which violent and aggressive behaviour by library users is a recognized problem in public libraries. The results indicate that public libraries suffer from a wide range of “problem users”. Serious incidents which involve physical assault are rare, although verbal abuse is widespread and is generally tolerated by staff who regard it as “part of the job”. Outlines possible preventive measures to reduce the problem and improve the working environment with a particular emphasis on training and customer care initiatives.

The objective of this paper is to investigate perceptions and stereotypes associated with the library and information profession and to determine whether the public image of library professionals has improved with the extensive use of ICT.

The areas covered in this study include: perceptions of the nature of work performed by librarians, their personality traits, social status, education level, employment opportunities, income level, and contributions made to society. A pre‐tested questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were collected at three academic and three public libraries in Singapore. A total of 214 individuals participated in this study.

It was found that library users in Singapore do not have a flattering image of librarianship and perceived the status of librarians to be low as compared to certain other professions. They also believed that library work does not require higher education and is routine‐based, easy, and boring work. On the one hand, the personality of a librarian was described as helpful, friendly, orderly, and polite; on the other hand, it was perceived to be a person who is bookish, boring, quiet, and conservatively dressed.

The paper offers some suggestions for improving the image of library and information professionals in society.

As in other developing countries, increased highway development in Vietnam provides enormous opportunities for international construction companies (ICCs). However, a prolonged schedule delay (SD) can have an extremely detrimental impact on a project’s efficiency, cost and investment reputation. The purpose of this paper is to identify potential SD risk factors in international highway projects (IHPs) in Vietnam, and to explore the effects of and influences on such factors. A specific risk management framework is proposed as a useful tool for ICCs.

A system of SD risk indicators is presented for IHPs in Vietnam through a questionnaire survey. The system comprises 50 indicators that are grouped into 12 main factors. A structural equation model (SEM) is then used to assess the influences and mechanisms of these factors. Based on the obtained results, corresponding suggestions for preventing SD risks are presented and discussed.

First, among the 12 aforementioned major factors, the authors identify eight facors that have significant effects on IHP SDs. Second, the SEM analysis reveals that policy flaws and the fiscal ability of the owner play the most important roles, on account of their direct and indirect influences on SDs.

Considering stakeholders and external environmental effects, a system of indicators is introduced to explore SD risks to IHPs. In particular, an SEM is used to assess the effects of potential SD factors and characterize their interacting influences. This study could help ICCs to avoid or mitigate project delays and cost overruns in Vietnam, and also provide valuable lessons for other developing countries.