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Predicting and circumventing incipient faults in expensive and intensively used machinery becomes more important every day — from the points of view of extending machinery life, of reducing costly downtime and of avoiding critical failure situations. The author describes recent work done by one of Britain's leading scientific engineering consultancies in collaboration with the Naval Engineering Department of The Royal Aerospace Establishment. A series of techniques was evolved which, when integrated into an intelligent system, can produce an effective and economic condition‐monitoring concept for supervising turbocharged diesel engines. Based on the processing of signals from conventional sensors it could be added to a machine control system without significantly increasing its complexity.

Contract research company Cambridge Consultants is adding biotechnology to its range of sensing interests and is keeping its eye on the transputer. Jack Hollingum went along for an update

Discusses the terms entrepreneur and entrepreneurship, emphasises the economic and social importance of entrepreneurs and summarises key research findings to produce a model of outcomes and capital created by entrepreneurs. Shows how entrepreneurs can be found in many walks of life, not just business, and explains that they are responsible for creating social and artistic capital as well as financial wealth. Concludes with reflections on the challenges faced, in part by educationalists, in trying to develop both more entrepreneurs and more enterprise in organisations.

The purpose of this paper is to present a rare example of the roots of (comparative) urban failure. This acts as counterpoint to the more common preoccupation with investigating how and why some cities become successful.

The main methodology used is a series of in‐depth qualitative interviews with a representative sample of the urban elite of the city being studied. The initial main source of key contacts was the City Centre Management Committee.

Analysis of the in‐depth qualitative interviews showed that most respondents, whether from the public or private sectors, genuinely believed in, and spontaneously expressed the view, that negative parochialism was a pervasive drag on the future plans and aspirations of city leaders. The findings are triangulated with other evidence that this parochialism has endured for generations.

Though the sample of respondents is small, it does represent a high percentage of the local urban elite. Other forms of data triangulation may be possible and could be helpful in corroborating the findings. Future research should seek to identify other instances of the problem.

Not all cities are highly publicised success stories nor deliver the environment that their residents deserve: but good intentions can be thwarted by negative parochialism. Urbanists need to be aware of the existence of negative parochialism and its implications for urban policy and practice.

By examining a rare‐documented example of the roots of (comparative) urban failure, the findings are of value to all who seek to understand the functioning of policymaking in the urban arena.

HIS holidays over, before the individual and strenuous winter work of his library begins, the wise librarian concentrates for a few weeks on the Annual Meeting of the Library Association. This year the event is of unusual character and of great interest. Fifty years of public service on the part of devoted workers are to be commemorated, and there could be no more fitting place for the commemoration than Edinburgh. It is a special meeting, too, in that for the first time for many years the Library Association gathering will take a really international complexion. If some too exacting critics are forward to say that we have invited a very large number of foreign guests to come to hear themselves talk, we may reply that we want to hear them. There is a higher significance in the occasion than may appear on the surface—for an effort is to be made in the direction of international co‐operation. In spite of the excellent work of the various international schools, we are still insular. Now that the seas are open and a trip to America costs little more than one to (say) Italy, we hope that the way grows clearer to an almost universal co‐working amongst libraries. It is overdue. May our overseas guests find a real atmosphere of welcome, hospitality and friendship amongst us this memorable September!

The purpose of this study is to examine Kelly's proposed fundraising roles scales to describe the daily activities of male and female fundraisers.

The data collection procedure involved a national survey to a random sample of 286 fundraisers from the American Health Association. The pen‐and‐paper survey had a 48 percent response rate, and the scale indices were found to be reliable with Cronbach alpha tests.

The study found that there were no statistical differences in how male and female fundraisers enacted the technician role; however, gender differences emerged for all three managerial roles with males enacting the roles at statistically significant greater rates.

This study represents an important initial step in advancing theoretical knowledge on fundraising, and it is the first quantitative test of Kelly's proposed fundraising role scales.

A question of size THE Committee set up by the Minister of Education in 1957 to “consider the structure of the public library service in England and Wales, and to advise what changes, if any, should be made n the administrative arrangements, regard being had to the relation of public libraries to other libraries,” was the first such since the Kenyon Committee which reported in 1927. One of the most controversial aspects of the Roberts Committee's deliberations was the consideration of the minimum size (in terms of population) of an independent library system.

NOW removed to Chaucer House, Malet Place, London, W.O., the Library Association is in its permanent home adjoining University College and the new National Central Library. Some strenuous work has yet to be done by the secretary and his staff before the ceremonial opening, but when Chaucer House is completed it should not only facilitate and permit the growth of the work of the Library Association; it should also form a meeting place of great value. We refer not only to meetings of a formal character, although room for these, for council and committee meetings and for examinations will, for the first time in our record, be adequate; we refer rather to the clubbable meetings that have hitherto been rather difficult. For many years librarians have advocated a professional club, where meals might be taken, friends might meet, and some of the social amenities generally be possible. There seems to be an opportunity here; but, clearly, no such club idea can be realized unless there is a definite desire for it, and, what is more, practical use made of it. If the London members dropped in regularly some catering scheme could be arranged which the provincial members could take advantage of too whenever they visited London. Can this be done? Other professions have managed it. It is merely sense to recognise that the provision of refreshments and other necessaries can only be made if there is a regular demand for them which will at least pay their cost.