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This paper aims to report on a study of an academic library's wireless laptop lending service. The authors believed that the unexpectedly low usage level of the Monmouth University Library's Laptop Lending Service (LLS) could best be understood by engaging the intended users of the LLS, that is, the students of Monmouth University, a small university in New Jersey. A formal, systematic survey would provide substantive data that would help the Library to evaluate this service and determine how well it meets the needs and expectations of students and answer the question, “Is it sufficient to provide wireless access?”

The open source application PHP Surveyor was used to construct two web‐based surveys which were conducted two years apart (2005 and 2007). An invitation to participate in the survey was emailed to all registered students. Follow‐up emails attended both surveys.

Among other things, it was learned that the fact that a large majority of the students believe that an LLS is a valuable service may not, in itself, assure a high level of usage. But also, a high level of personal laptop ownership among students does not necessarily lead to low demand for the service.

The useful information and ideas that we gained from these surveys could benefit libraries that are planning to implement laptop services, or wish to assess their existing services.

Few research studies on library laptop services have focused on the students' perspective. This study does that, but also, uniquely, made it possible to juxtapose results from various similar studies of students and a survey of academic librarians.

This paper seeks to learn, by way of a survey, what librarians at US colleges and universities were doing and the issues they were encountering as they considered, developed, or maintained wireless laptop computer lending programs (WLLP).

PHPSurveyor was used to construct a web‐based survey of librarians subscribed to any of 19 library‐related listservs. An invitation to participate in the survey was posted to each listserv on the same day.

Student usage of WLLPs ranged from extremely heavy to very light. Difficulties with library WLLPs were variously characterized as minor to stifling. Nevertheless, patterns emerged in the statistics as well as the additional comments given by many librarians. For example, librarians are much more ambivalent than the “experts” on the supposed cost savings generated by “going wireless”.

The results of this survey are useful to libraries planning their own WLLPs, providing insights into what to expect and what to account for, including (and beyond) equipment costs.

By comparing what was found by the two most relevant earlier studies with these new findings, this study provides a more current picture of WLLPs in academic libraries.

The purpose of this paper it to determine the effectiveness of “single‐session” information literacy instruction as it was integrated into the curriculum of a general education course at Monmouth University, New Jersey.

Two types of assessment instrument were used: a pre‐ and post‐test to measure any changes in learning outcomes of information literacy (IL) concepts after an IL instruction (ILI) session, and a student survey conducted after the post‐test. Installed on the course management system, these assessments were administered by teaching faculty over three semesters.

Single‐session ILI had a positive if not dramatic impact on learning outcomes. The pre‐ and post‐test instrument was able to show specific strengths and weaknesses in the students' comprehension of IL concepts. And the survey revealed that most students believed that their ILI was valuable.

The paper did not employ a control group – a common practice in similar studies – although doing so could result in richer data and would conform the paper to general practices.

The results of this assessment study concur with other research that supports the position that single‐session ILI has a measurably significant positive effect on student learning outcomes.

The purpose of the article is to gauge reaction to the implementation of a wireless laptop lending program in a university library before it actually became operational and wireless access itself became available.

This online survey consisted of 22 multiple choice questions that all Monmouth University students and employees were invited by e‐mail to answer.

The vast majority of responses came from students, and most of them were ready for wireless access in the library and across campus. Several re‐emphasized in text their desire to log‐on to the network with their own laptops.

The survey ran for only two weeks, and yet, because tabulation was done by hand, a response rate ten times greater would have made our method impracticable.

This kind of survey is comparatively easy and fast to implement. It lends itself to follow‐up surveys to measure the success of a wireless computer program or other technological development, including the possible effects on user attitude.

This study was original in that it took place just before a wireless laptop‐lending program was activated. Tightly focused online surveys with a limited number of questions can help librarians anticipate issues not considered or sufficiently emphasized earlier, or quickly assess the impact wireless access is having.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the different rationales for devolving people management responsibilities to the line and examine their consequences for the HR function and HR’s interactions with line managers and employees.

A model was developed and tested that describes how the rationale for devolving people management to the line influences the HR function, HR’s interactions with line managers and the quality of people management. Survey data were collected from 446 managers who reported that their organisations had devolved people management to the line.

Results indicate that devolution rationales are associated with distinct changes to the HR function’s strategic integration and size. These changes in the HR function are in turn associated with utilisation of line manager focused HR practices, HR’s business partner orientation and people management effectiveness.

The HR function should consider changes that refine job descriptions to include a clear statement of people management responsibilities, ensure performance appraisals incorporate an assessment of people management effectiveness and prioritise line manager training and rewards in an environment where line managers may be less than enthusiastic about their newly acquired people management responsibilities.

The study contributes to the devolution literature by outlining how the effects of devolution are tied to the rationale underlying devolution efforts. It suggests that the tendency to conceptualise devolution without reference to the reason why it is pursued may be contributing to the controversy over its consequences.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on food consumption as part of the wicked problem of obesity. Specifically, the authors seek to explore the complex interplay between stakeholders such as food producers, marketers, health and medical practitioners and policymakers and their influence on the ways in which individuals consume food and also chart a course forward using a systems approach, social marketing techniques and social enterprise to develop solutions to effect change.

This is a conceptual paper that proposes the food system compass to understand the complex interplay between stakeholders.

This new tool will provide social marketers with an improved understanding of the complexity of interactions between stakeholders and outcomes and integrating the necessity for coordination within and across micro, meso, exo and macro levels of the system as well as across sectors, institutions and stakeholders.

This is a conceptual paper and proposes the food system compass which offers a foundation for future research to expand upon.

This paper seeks to advance the theoretical base of social marketing by providing new insights into the trans-disciplinary and dynamic circumstances surrounding food consumption and obesity and highlights leverage points where joint actions can be facilitated with actors across and between micro, meso, exo and macro levels.

The paper sets out to understand the key issues that emerge in the context of decision making.

The paper is a literature review.

First, the authors review debates around talent management decision making. Second, they examine some of the main factors currently influencing decision making in talent management. Third, they seek to identify some future research areas that will inform future decision making in talent management.

The paper will be of interest to practitioners in designing and developing talent management decision systems.

The paper presents a state of the art review of talent management decision marking.

The author examines the industry, little known in the West, which produces European‐style wine in Japan. The technique of wine‐ making came to Japan from China approximately 1,200 years ago and it is known that by the end of the 12th century wine was being produced near Mount Fuji from an indigenous vine, the Koshu, which is still in use today. European wine was introduced into Japan in the 16th century when Catholic missionaries from Portugal introduced red wine for sacramental purposes. The real growth in wine‐making, however, came in the mid 1850's when the country began to open up to the West and the Japanese to develop an interest in all things Western. The article continues with a study of one particular producer, Château Lumiere SA, which, since 1957, has been run by an ex‐economics professor, Toshihiko Tsukamoto. Chateau Lumiere produces both red and white wines and these have won numerous prizes at international competitions. Mention is made of the production techniques developed by this successful producer.

Felicitous writing is enormously important. However, the art of writing well is rarely addressed by marketing scholars. This paper seeks to argue that the marketing academy has much to learn from historiography, a sub‐discipline devoted to the explication of historical writing.

Although it is primarily predicated on published works, this paper is not a conventional literature review. It relies, rather, on the classic historical method of “compare and contrast”. It considers parallels between the paired disciplines yet notes where marketing and history diverge in relation to literary styles and scientific aspirations.

It is concluded that marketing writing could benefit from greater emphasis on “character” and “storytelling”. These might help humanise a mode of academic communication that is becoming increasingly abstruse and ever‐more unappealing to its readership.

If its argument is accepted by the academic community – and, more importantly, acted upon – this paper should transform the writing of marketing. Although the academic reward systems and power structures of marketing make revolutionary change unlikely, a “scholarly spring” is not inconceivable.

The paper's originality rests in the observation that originality is unnecessary. All of the literary‐cum‐stylistic issues raised in this paper have already been tackled by professional historians. Whether marketers are willing to learn from their historical brethren remains to be seen.

Professor J. C. Drummond concluded his Cantor Lectures in January, 1938, by a quotation from Thomas Muffett's Healths Improvement, published in 1655: “Wherefore let us neither with the impudent, call diet a frivolous knowledge, or a curious science with the imprudent; but embrace it as the leader to perfit health (which as the wise man sayeth) is above gold, and a sound body above all riches.” Diet as the leader to perfect health: let us consider this for a moment in connection with the present subject. The object of the application of science to food is essentially the improvement of the diet of the people of the world. That, at any rate, is the long view of the question, though other motives may actuate certain groups at certain times. To‐day, for example, in this country, the main object of scientific work is to feed the population as efficiently as possible with the food available. Science in Germany for several years has been the handmaiden of the Nazi party and their four years' plan has been far more scientifically developed than any food plan in this country (so far as is at present obvious). It may be taken as certain that science applied to food has improved the diet of the people, although governments and industry have not necessarily always utilised the knowledge gained with this end in view, a position that obviously applies to all new discoveries in science. Scientists engaged in studies concerning food have the development of the knowledge of food chemistry either directly or indirectly as their main object; the majority are not concerned with the application of the results of this knowledge. Before dealing in detail with a few of the particular aspects of the application of chemistry to food, its production, its treatment, its storage and its service, I would briefly summarise the activities of the scientist as follows. He seeks to find the reason for the rule‐of‐thumb methods of the farmer, the stock‐breeder, the baker, the brewer, the physician, the requirements of the consumer himself, and, having found the explanation, he seeks to remove the unknowns, to standardise procedure, and to improve the process. This, I think, sums up the work of the scientist, and in doing this his studies lead him into every phase of the problems of the feeding of the people. Initially the chemist devoted his particular attention to the purity of foods. He did not know what “purity” entailed, neither do we know to‐day; like all knowledge, the science of food is an ever‐widening circle. The theory of “calorie” feeding has given place to the “vitamin” hypothesis, the limitations of which are now being more and more realised; tomorrow or next year a new concept of food and diets will be developed. The studies in the “purity” of food undertaken by the predecessors of the present members of the “Society of Public Analysts and other Analytical Chemists” were of fundamental importance. The objects of that Society, founded in 1874, are not without significance. Broadly they may be stated as follows: The study of analytical chemistry and of questions relating to the adulteration of articles of food, and the promotion of the efficiency and proper administration of the laws relating to the repression of adulteration. For the moment I wish to stress just one of these objects, namely, the study of analytical chemistry. Without reliable methods of analysis, studies in the composition of food are useless; the importance of a large proportion of the work published to‐day has to be discounted because of failure to appreciate the importance of reliable methods of analysis. It is only by the light of careful analysis that the picture of the composition of a food can be thrown on to a screen and examined. Appreciation of the composition of the food is the key which will open the door to a knowledge of its reactions, not only in its production, but also in its digestion by the human being. Without the work of the analysts, the research worker is unable to appreciate the influence of the facts he may discover. In this country the field of scientific investigation is covered by a number of organisations, Government‐controlled, partially Government‐controlled and private (the private consisting of academic workers in universities and colleges and the laboratories of the large commercial firms concerned with food production). Problems of the production of basic foods, of manufacture, of cooking, of storage and preservation and of distribution are all investigated. The science of agriculture is very modern, and it is only in comparatively recent years that chemistry, as such, has been seriously applied to this branch of practical science. In this country, the Rothamsted Experimental Station at Harpenden, founded in 1843, has been foremost in trying to collate scientific data with details of farming practice. Other important research stations, such as the Long Ashton Research Station, the Chipping Campden Station, the Rowett Institute, the National Institute for Research in Dairying, are all products of the present century. These bodies are essentially concerned with the production of the basic materials, fruit, cereals, meat, etc., for the food manufacturer, although this limitation of activity is not applicable everywhere; for example, Long Ashton devotes particular attention to the cider industry, Chipping Campden to canning, and Reading to cheese and other milk products. The next stage, food manufacture in all its phases, is in this country covered by the Food Investigation Board of the D.S.I.R. and by a number of Research Associations which are jointly supported by the Government and by member firms. But by far the greater proportion of scientific work on food manufacture is carried out in the laboratories of the great food firms. The Food Group of the Society of Chemical Industry has been active in arranging meetings concerned with the chemistry of food and has helped considerably to foster free discussion. In problems of distribution the food scientist has collaborated with the Royal Sanitary Institute and the Association of Medical Officers of Health. This collaboration has been of the greatest use, because it is of little worth for the food manufacturer to produce wholesome food if in its distribution the shopkeeper does not take the necessary precautions to see that the food is handed to the purchaser in as good a condition as the precautions taken in its production warrant. Dr. Andrew Borde, the seventeenth‐century physician, wrote in his Breviary of Dyet—“A good cook is half a physician for the chief physic dotli come from the kitchen, wherefore the physician and the cook must consult together.” A striking commentary on this thought has lately appeared in the preface to a book by McCance and Widdowson, published under the regis of the Medical Research Council: “The nutritional dietetic treatment of disease, as well as research into problems of human nutrition, demand an exact knowledge of the chemical composition of food.”