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THIS issue forms the conclusion of Volume LX of THE LIBRARY WORLD, and from the editorial point of view we regard the last issue as the final stage in the completion of an entirely separate undertaking—in much the same way that we regard December 31st as completing an independent calendar episode—for in one moment a whole present period of time suddenly becomes a part of the past; and we incline to review this (no longer current) volume of THE LIBRARY WORLD in brief fashion, and to mention the considerable changes which it has witnessed, not only in its own make‐up, but also in the make‐up of the library world.

Sports management and marketing research has failed to study the dimensions of Latino sports consumption behaviour and fan identification. This research examined the relationships among ethnic identity, acculturation, identification with sport in general, and identification with specific sports for Latinos living in the United States. Even though the four models used fit the data well, in general, ethnic identity and acculturation had little or no influence on sports identification. Hence sports marketers should not create marketing campaigns solely based on the assumption that Latinos or any ethnic group are necessarily fans of any particular sport (e.g. soccer).

THE first of the Islington Public Libraries, opened on September 21st, has proved a phenomenal success, and, at the same time, has thrown an interesting light on several modern theories in librarianship. It is, as our readers know, the fust of a system of five libraries, towards the erection of which Dr. Carnegie has given £40,000. The building itself is, as many librarians had an opportunity of judging at the “private view” described in our last number, of an exceedingly well‐lighted and attractive character. The arrangement and accommodation provided present several novel features. On the ground floor, opening from the Central Hall, is the Children's Lending Library and Reading Room. This is stocked with about 3,000 volumes for lending purposes, including French and German juvenile literature, and the reading room portion has seating accommodation for about a hundred children. A representative selection of children's magazines are displayed here, and there are special study‐tables for girls and boys equipped with suitable reference collections. A feature of this room is a striking dado of pictures illustrating scenes from English history, which goes far to make the room interesting and attractive.

The report of the Departmental Committee on the Irish butter industry to the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland was issued on March 23 as a parliamentary paper. Mr. J. R. CAMPBELL was chairman of the Committee, and the other members were Mr. T. CARROLL, Mr. E. G. HAYGARTH‐BROWN, Lord CARRICK, and Mr. A. POOLE WILSON, with Mr. D. J. MCGRATH as secretary. The Committee were appointed:—

This study aims to examine the effect of country of origin (COO) on customers' value expectation and willingness to pay by employing signalling theory and cue utilisation.

The data were collected from 386 customers via an online survey in the context of Australian food retail franchise stores in China.

The findings indicate that COO origin is an important determinant of customer expectations including service quality, social value, emotional value, monetary price, behavioural price and reputation. Furthermore, the only social value was a significant predictor of willingness to pay. Although the direct effect of COO on willingness to purchase was not significant, the COO had a significant indirect effect on willingness to pay via social value. Finally, the COO has a stronger effect on monetary price expectation among customers who were aware of the country brands than those who were unaware.

The study extends the body of knowledge related to the effect of COO during the pre-purchase process and provides important implications for retailers who are looking to enter an overseas market such as China.

It is not proposed here to treat the sheaf catalogue from a controversial point of view, and to enter into a detailed examination of the respective advantages and disadvantages of this as compared with other forms of catalogues. Many are alive to the merits of the sheaf catalogue, either as the only means of displaying and indexing the contents of a library, or as an addition to some already existing means, and it is for the use of these that the following practical notes on the making of a sheaf catalogue are submitted.

Ensuring that a child has a good start in life requires a partnership that extends beyond that of the parents and that precedes a child's conception. Sharing this vision among agencies that have contact with marginalised young people led to the use of an infant simulator to attract ‘at risk’ young people into a program that helps ensure that the choice to conceive is not only informed but also has the potential to promote mental health. Participants demonstrated that they increased their knowledge of the health and other implications of having a baby and some took active measures to improve their health.

A study comprising both questionnaire and interview of patients waiting for general surgery revealed that the majority of patients suffer from relatively few clinical conditions, that more than three‐quarters had been on the in‐patient list for over a year and that they suffered significant pain while waiting. Patients added to long lists with initially non‐serious (non‐life‐threatening) conditions may be overlooked, yet their clinical and associated social conditions may deteriorate. Since treatment for these conditions is generally effective, many patients would benefit from more organised queue management and earlier surgery.

To examine the status and strategies of the broadband cable TV industry on a world‐wide basis.

Data were gathered through a review of the literature and a series of one‐on‐one interviews with key industry executives, and with consultant analysts dedicated to the industry. The SWOT technique proved useful in analyzing the organizational environment; value chain analysis was used to understand the value‐generating components of the core activities; a Boston Consulting Group product portfolio matrix identified the nature of the products offered by the industry.

Four forces were identified which had impacted significantly on the industry. These were the rise of the internet, the experience of competition for telephony services, the arrival of satellite TV, and a persistent image of poor customer service. The paper observes that recent trading results have revealed very little evidence that modified strategies are making a significant improvement in the industry's overall competitive position.

Limitations relate to scope of companies chosen for the research and by the dependence on the mainly qualitative nature of the data. Further research is required to review innovation in the light of continuing technology developments and mergers within the industry.

More radical innovation is required so that the industry can successfully address its current difficulties whilst simultaneously preparing itself for future competition.

The interview data when submitted to a strategy framework formulation exercise enabled the environmental situation of the industry to be understood and the identification of the critical success factors to achieve strategic objectives.

The purpose of this paper is to predict e‐procurement adoption through integrating the constructs of the technology acceptance model and the theory of planned behaviour.

A structural equation modelling is conducted through the analysis of 316 usable questionnaires.

The results show that the proposed model has good explanatory power and confirms its robustness, with a reasonably strong empirical support, in predicting users' intentions to use e‐procurement technology. Behavioural intention toward e‐procurement technology is mainly determined by user's attitude and additionally influenced by perceived usefulness and subjective norm.

The paper provides procurement system developers and managers with a useful adoption model that demonstrates the significance of perceived usefulness of e‐procurement system in influencing the adoption decision. This highlights the importance of maximizing the benefits of e‐procurement system for potential users to facilitate the adoption process.

System developers and procurement managers should also consider the role of social influences, such as these from supply chain partners, in the adoption process and how such influences may facilitate or inhibit e‐procurement adoption process.

The paper is the first study that examines e‐procurement adoption in the United Arab Emirates. Also, the findings allow us to understand the importance of both technology‐related aspects and social influence in e‐procurement adoption.