- LIS-Forum - ncsi.iisc.ernet.in

Re: [LIS-Forum] Damning indictment of LIS profession
by Mailing List Manager 19 Apr '06

19 Apr '06

Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 15:30:18 +0530 From: Mrs. Y.T.Vaishnav <ytv(a)godrej.com> Dear All, Some times, Librarians are approached in a very rude manner, questioned for the rules (Which perhaps they have not made) and asked to make changes to accommodate someone 'SPECIAL' We donot know the other side of the story & hence with all expectations of very cordial/friendly behavior..may be Librarians are rubbed on the wrong s ide some times and hence the reactions. With regards, Mrs. Vaishnav (Consulting Librarian)=0D

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Need an article
by uma.vaithy＠wipro.com 19 Apr '06

19 Apr '06

Dear all I'm in need of these two articles (softcopy) , Kindly send me if you have this in your collection 1. T. Sun and Y. Neuvo, "Detail-preserving median based filters in image processing," Pattern Recognit. Lett., vol. 15, pp. 341-347, Apr. 1994. 2. D. A. F. Florêncio and R. W. Schafer, "Decision-based median filter using local signal statistics," Proc. SPIE, vol. 2308, pp. 268-275, Sept.1994. Thanks and Regards Uma Vaithy The information contained in this electronic message and any attachments to this message are intended for the exclusive use of the addressee(s) and may contain proprietary, confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately and destroy all copies of this message and any attachments. WARNING: Computer viruses can be transmitted via email. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. www.wipro.com

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Re: Re: [LIS-Forum] Damning indictment of LIS profession
by Mailing List Manager 19 Apr '06

19 Apr '06

Date: 18 Apr 2006 11:00:59 -0000 From: Vijay Raghav Tiwari <vijayrt(a)rediffmail.com> Dear Professionals I would like to say the following: Is it the opinion of the all the user? Whenever one complains he/she hides his/her own mistakes. As a user dont we have to follow some rules and regulations. There may be certain library/information centre where a common user without showing a proper identity may not be even allowed to enter in the campus itself. Do we get sufficient patting too whenever we be good with others? Did anyone find and any praise get quoted for anyone? I feel that user and the use should be more specific and friendly. Sometimes you/user feels that he is at the top of the world and if he is shown some formalities, feels offended. We want to serve users all out but rules are to be followed too. Hope that you will agree with me. regards vrt On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 harry(a)pbi.ac.in wrote : >LIS professionals' response to a particular problem by a media >professional has got enough coverage in LIS professionals' mailing list. A >summary of what has been discussed regarding this matter should also be >posted on media professionals' mailing lists. > >HPS Kalra >DLIS, Punjabi University, >Patiala.

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Special Lecture Invitation
by Krishnamurthy M 19 Apr '06

19 Apr '06

Association of British Scholars Karnataka Chapter and British Library,Bangalore Cordially invite you to the special lecture on "INFORMATION INDUSTRIES- A Global Perspectives" By Shri N.V.Sathyanarayana Chairman & Managing Director Informatics(India) Ltd, Bangalore 560003 at British Library On Saturday, 13th May 2006 at 4.30 p.m (Prof.I.K.Ravichandra Rao) (Mr.K.T Rajan) (Mr.R.Dhandapani) I.H.Jahagirdar President Secretary Treaurer Manager M.Krishnamurthy -- Dr.M.Krishnamurthy Librarian Indian Statistical Institute 8th Mile Mysore Road R.V.C.E. Post Bangalore 560059 Ph:91-80-8483002/3/4/4 Fax: 91-80-8484265

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Business leaders endorse open access
by Subbiah Arunachalam 19 Apr '06

19 Apr '06

Dear Rohan: Please forward this message to all members of the Library Working Group as well as working groups considering higher education and research. Thanks very much. Arun -------------- From Peter Suber's blog Business leaders endorse OA to publicly-funded research The Committee for Economic Development has issued a new report, Open Standards, Open Source, and Open Innovation: Harnessing the Benefits of Openness, April 2006. (Thanks to Ian Brown.) The report was prepared by the CED's Digital Connections Council of the Committee for Economic Development. From the executive summary: "Open science" is making scientific information available well beyond the subscribers of traditional scientific journals. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) are encouraging widespread publication within 12 months of the results of the research that they fund. Open courseware is providing self-directed students around the world with the syllabi and course readings of great university teachers. All of these efforts rest on the assumption that society benefits by increasing access to information and allowing more people to contribute their special skills and experiences. Advocates for more openness contend that openness will result in greater innovation than would be achieved by restricting access to information or allowing first creators to exert greater control over it. Such a belief in the value of tapping the collective wisdom is profoundly democratic. In order to foster open innovation, the Council recommends not only that the NIH should continue their efforts to expand the dissemination of the research they support, but also that other federally funded, unclassified research should be made broadly available. Consistent with the position it has taken in its earlier reports, the Council recommends that any legislation or regulation regarding intellectual property rights be weighed with a presumption against the granting of new rights. The burden of proof should be on proponents of new rights to demonstrate with rigorous analysis the necessity of such an extension, because of the benefits to society of further innovation through greater access to technology. Finally, the Council suggests that the National Science Foundation (NSF) fund research into alternative compensation methods, similar to those created to facilitate the growth of radio, to reward creators of digital information products and accommodate the changes brought about by the digitization and growth of the Internet. Posted by Peter Suber at 4/18/2006 08:40:00 PM. Dear Rohan: Please forward this message to all members of the Library Working Group as well as working groups considering higher education and research. Thanks very much. Arun -------------- From Peter Suber's blog Business leaders endorse OA to publicly-funded research The http://www.ced.org/ Committee for Economic Development has issued a new report, http://www.ced.org/docs/report/report_ecom_openstandards.pdf Open Standards, Open Source, and Open Innovation: Harnessing the Benefits of Openness , April 2006. (Thanks to http://dooooooom.blogspot.com/2006/04/harnessing-benefits-of-openness.html Ian Brown .) The report was prepared by the CED's Digital Connections Council of the Committee for Economic Development. From the executive summary: Open science is making scientific information available well beyond the subscribers of traditional scientific journals. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) are encouraging widespread publication within 12 months of the results of the research that they fund. Open courseware is providing self-directed students around the world with the syllabi and course readings of great university teachers. All of these efforts rest on the assumption that society benefits by increasing access to information and allowing more people to contribute their special skills and experiences. Advocates for more openness contend that openness will result in greater innovation than would be achieved by restricting access to information or allowing first creators to exert greater control over it. Such a belief in the value of tapping the collective wisdom is profoundly democratic. In order to foster open innovation, the Council recommends not only that the NIH should continue their efforts to expand the dissemination of the research they support, but also that other federally funded, unclassified research should be made broadly available. Consistent with the position it has taken in its earlier reports, the Council recommends that any legislation or regulation regarding intellectual property rights be weighed with a presumption against the granting of new rights. The burden of proof should be on proponents of new rights to demonstrate with rigorous analysis the necessity of such an extension, because of the benefits to society of further innovation through greater access to technology. Finally, the Council suggests that the National Science Foundation (NSF) fund research into alternative compensation methods, similar to those created to facilitate the growth of radio, to reward creators of digital information products and accommodate the changes brought about by the digitization and growth of the Internet. http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/2006_04_16_fosblogarchive.html#114540813… http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/permalink.gif Posted by Peter Suber at 4/18/2006 08:40:00 PM.

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European research to be freely available on the Internet
by Subbiah Arunachalam 19 Apr '06

19 Apr '06

From Peter Suber's blog More on the EC report Richard Wray, Brussels delivers blow to Reed Elsevier, The Guardian, April 19, 2006. Excerpt: Scientific research funded by the European taxpayer should be freely available to everyone over the internet, according to a European commission report - a blow to the lucrative scientific publishing operations of media groups such as Reed Elsevier and Germany's Springer. The report, produced by economists from Toulouse University and the Free University of Brussels for the EC, shows that in the 20 years to 1995 the price of scientific journals rose 300% more than the rate of inflation over the period. In the 10 years since then, price increases slowed but still significantly outpaced inflation. "While it is important to stress the societal value of the existing publication system, it is also important to acknowledge the societal cost linked to high journal prices, in financial terms for public budgets, but also in terms of limits on the dissemination of knowledge and therefore of further scientific progress," the report concludes. The report, published this month and open to consultation until the summer, recommends open access to publicly funded research. It proposes that researchers who receive EU funding should be "mandated" to place copies of articles published in subscription journals on web-based archives that can be accessed by everyone for free. The worry for traditional publishers such as Reed, Springer, Blackwell and the hundreds of learned societies that make their money through journals, is that if research is available for free on the internet no one will pay subscriptions.... Peter Willis, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough and current chair of the science and technology select committee, described the EC report as "a good trigger for the UK government and science minister Lord Sainsbury to say this is something we support as well....I am delighted at the EC's recommendations and indeed hope it will act as a catalyst for the UK government to apply similar principles to the publishing market in the UK," he said. "Now is the time to bite the bullet and say this is the future of publishing."...[BioMed Central] publisher, Matthew Cockerill, said of the EC report: "It confirms what BioMed Central has been saying for some time - that scientists and funders are getting a poor deal from the traditional publishing system, which delivers limited access at high cost." Posted by Peter Suber at 4/18/2006 10:45:00 PM. From Peter Suber's blog More on the EC report Richard Wray, http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1756426,00.html Brussels delivers blow to Reed Elsevier , The Guardian , April 19, 2006. Excerpt: Scientific research funded by the European taxpayer should be freely available to everyone over the internet, according to a European commission report - a blow to the lucrative scientific publishing operations of media groups such as Reed Elsevier and Germany's Springer. The report, produced by economists from Toulouse University and the Free University of Brussels for the EC, shows that in the 20 years to 1995 the price of scientific journals rose 300% more than the rate of inflation over the period. In the 10 years since then, price increases slowed but still significantly outpaced inflation. "While it is important to stress the societal value of the existing publication system, it is also important to acknowledge the societal cost linked to high journal prices, in financial terms for public budgets, but also in terms of limits on the dissemination of knowledge and therefore of further scientific progress," the report concludes. The report, published this month and open to consultation until the summer, recommends open access to publicly funded research. It proposes that researchers who receive EU funding should be "mandated" to place copies of articles published in subscription journals on web-based archives that can be accessed by everyone for free. The worry for traditional publishers such as Reed, Springer, Blackwell and the hundreds of learned societies that make their money through journals, is that if research is available for free on the internet no one will pay subscriptions.... Peter Willis, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough and current chair of the science and technology select committee, described the EC report as "a good trigger for the UK government and science minister Lord Sainsbury to say this is something we support as well....I am delighted at the EC's recommendations and indeed hope it will act as a catalyst for the UK government to apply similar principles to the publishing market in the UK," he said. "Now is the time to bite the bullet and say this is the future of publishing."...[BioMed Central] publisher, Matthew Cockerill, said of the EC report: "It confirms what BioMed Central has been saying for some time - that scientists and funders are getting a poor deal from the traditional publishing system, which delivers limited access at high cost." http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/2006_04_16_fosblogarchive.html#114541528… http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/permalink.gif Posted by Peter Suber at 4/18/2006 10:45:00 PM.

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Eminent physicists appeal to President Bush
by arun＠mssrf.res.in 19 Apr '06

19 Apr '06

Friends: Here is a news report you might wish to read. Ms Usha Munshi may kindly forward this to all Fellows of INSA. Regards. Arun ------- Prominent U.S. Physicists Send Letter to President Bush Discussion at PhysOrgForum Thirteen of the nations most prominent physicists have written a letter to President Bush, calling U.S. plans to reportedly use nuclear weapons against Iran gravely irresponsible and warning that such action would have disastrous consequences for the security of the United States and the world. The physicists include five Nobel laureates, a recipient of the National Medal of Science and three past presidents of the American Physical Society, the nations preeminent professional society for physicists. Their letter was prompted by recent articles in the Washington Post, New Yorker and other publications that one of the options being considered by Pentagon planners and the White House in a military confrontation with Iran includes the use of nuclear bunker busters against underground facilities. These reports were neither confirmed nor denied by White House and Pentagon officials. The letter was initiated by Jorge Hirsch, a professor of physics at the University of California , San Diego , who last fall put together a petition signed by more than 1,800 physicists that repudiated new U.S. nuclear weapons policies that include preemptive use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear adversaries (http://physics.ucsd.edu/petition/) Hirsch has also published 15 articles in recent months (http://antiwar.com/hirsch/) documenting the dangers associated with a potential U.S. nuclear strike on Iran . We are members of the profession that brought nuclear weapons into existence, and we feel strongly that it is our professional duty to contribute our efforts to prevent their misuse, says Hirsch. "Physicists know best about the devastating effects of the weapons they created, and these eminent physicists speak for thousands of our colleagues. The fact that the existence of this plan has not been denied by the Administration should be a cause of great alarm, even if it is only one of several plans being considered, he adds. The public should join these eminent scientists in demanding that the Administration publicly renounces such a misbegotten option against a non-nuclear country like Iran . The letter, which is available at http://physics.ucsd.edu/petition/physicistsletter.html, points out that nuclear weapons are unique among weapons of mass destruction, and that nuclear weapons in today's arsenals have a total power of more than 200,000 times the explosive energy of the bomb that leveled Hiroshima, which caused the deaths of more than 100,000 people. It notes that there are no sharp lines between small and large nuclear weapons, nor between nuclear weapons targeting facilities and those targeting armies or cities, and that the use by the United States of nuclear weapons after 60 years of non-use will make the use of nuclear weapons by others more likely. Once the U.S. uses a nuclear weapon again, it will heighten the probability that others will too, the physicists write. In a world with many more nuclear nations and no longer a taboo against the use of nuclear weapons, there will be a greatly enhanced risk that regional conflicts could expand into global nuclear war, with the potential to destroy our civilization. The letter echoes the main objection of last falls physicists petition, stressing that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty will be irreversibly damaged by the use or even the threat of use of nuclear weapons by a nuclear nation against a non-nuclear one, with disastrous consequences for the security of the United States and the world. It is gravely irresponsible for the U.S. as the greatest superpower to consider courses of action that could eventually lead to the widespread destruction of life on the planet. We urge the administration to announce publicly that it is taking the nuclear option off the table in the case of all non-nuclear adversaries, present or future, and we urge the American people to make their voices heard on this matter. The 13 physicists who coauthored the letter are: Philip Anderson, professor of physics at Princeton University and Nobel Laureate in Physics; Michael Fisher, professor of physics at the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland and Wolf Laureate in Physics; David Gross, professor of theoretical physics and director of the Kavli Institute of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Nobel Laureate in Physics; Jorge Hirsch, professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego; Leo Kadanoff, professor of physics and mathematics at the University of Chicago and recipient of the National Medal of Science; Joel Lebowitz, professor of mathematics and physics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and Boltzmann Medalist; Anthony Leggett, professor of physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Nobel Laureate, Physics; Eugen Merzbacher, professor of physics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and former president, American Physical Society; Douglas Osheroff, professor of physics and applied physics, Stanford University and Nobel Laureate, Physics; Andrew Sessler, former director of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and former president, American Physical Society; George Trilling, professor of physics, University of California, Berkeley, and former president, American Physical Society; Frank Wilczek, professor of physics, MIT and Nobel Laureate, Physics; Edward Witten, professor of physics, Institute for Advanced Study and Fields Medalist. The physicists are sending copies of their letter to their elected representatives, requesting that the issue be urgently addressed in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Source: University of California, San Diego, by Kim McDonald

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Fwd: SciDev.Net Weekly Update: 10 - 18 April 2006
by Prof. N. Laxman Rao. 18 Apr '06

18 Apr '06

info(a)scidev.net wrote: Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:14:06 +0100 (BST) From: info(a)scidev.net To: naglaxman(a)yahoo.com Subject: SciDev.Net Weekly Update: 10 - 18 April 2006 THE ITEMS BELOW HAVE BEEN POSTED ON http://www.scidev.net OVER THE PAST WEEK. ======================================== NEWS ======================================== Bird flu update: 18 April 2006 http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2785&langua… A roundup of the latest news on the spread of the bird flu virus and the threat to human health. China cracks down on malpractice in fertility industry http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2775&langua… China's health ministry has issued new rules for controlling the use of reproductive technologies following media reports of unethical practices. Nitrogen emissions threaten biodiversity 'hotspots' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2776&langua… The rising nitrogen emissions from developing nations will put biodiversity at risk, scientists warn. Spend on science to beat brain drain, says WHO head http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2777&langua… The director-general of the World Health Organization has urged African nations to invest in science to tackle the brain drain. Genetic change helped pig microbe kill 38 Chinese http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2778&langua… A bacterium that normally infects pigs appears to have changed genetically, potentially explaining why it killed 38 people last year. Caribbean & Central America may get drier summers http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2779&langua… Researchers predict that by the end of this century, climate change could have cut tropical rainfall by 25 per cent in Central America and the Caribbean. Yeast 'factories' could produce key malaria drug http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2781&langua… GM yeast factories could become a cheap and productive source of the antimalarial drug artemisinin, currently in short supply, say researchers. Studies disagree on safety of lemon juice against HIV http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2780&langua… Researchers who disagree about whether lemon and lime juice could safely protect women from HIV infection will present their findings at a conference later this month. Planting trees 'will not cancel out climate change' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2784&langua… The planet's plant life will not absorb excess emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as previously hoped, say researchers. Climate change 'worse threat than deforestation' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2786&langua… By the end of the century, climate change could pose a bigger threat to biodiversity than deforestation, say researchers. OTHER NEWS Costa Rica: scientists give new president funding plan http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2783&langua… Scientists have presented Costa Rica's president-elect with a plan for increasing science funding from 0.4 to 3 per cent of the nation's GDP, with private sector support. [Spanish full text] Lack of scientists worries Uruguayan government http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2782&langua… Uruguay's education minister has called for an increase in the number of researchers, in order to build a more competitive country. [Spanish full text] ======================================== FEATURES ======================================== Not just weapons: nuclear science for development http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=512… Over the past decade, the UN's nuclear energy regulator has helped over 90 developing countries reap the benefits of safe radiation-based technology, reports Marilyn Smith. Chinese science: forging the future http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=511… Richard Suttmeier and colleagues describe how the Chinese Academy of Sciences is changing to meet the challenges of China's long-term scientific ambitions. (Source: Science) Tapping new wells: Qatar's education revolution http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=510… Qatar is investing billions in becoming the Gulf's top knowledge economy but will research excellence follow the money? Lone Frank investigates. (Source: Science) ======================================== OPINIONS ======================================== Do we still need the Cartagena Protocol? http://www.scidev.net/Opinions/index.cfm?fuseaction=readOpinions&itemid=489… Arnoldo Ventura argues that the international debate over the potential risks that GM crops pose to biodiversity is wasteful and unnecessary. ======================================== POLICY BRIEFS ======================================== How real is the threat of sea-level rise? http://www.scidev.net/dossiers/index.cfm?fuseaction=policybrief&dossier=4&p… warming causes sea-level rise not only by melting glaciers and other land ice, but also because water expands as it warms up. The consequences are likely to be significant, although mitigating action can be taken. ======================================== LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ======================================== UK development policy is not ignoring science http://www.scidev.net/editorletters/index.cfm?fuseaction=readeditorletter&i… Hilary Benn, UK secretary of state for international development, denies that the new white paper on UK aid policy has ignored science. ======================================== EVENTS ======================================== International Conference on Aflatoxins in Groundnuts http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=898&lan… Location: Guangzhou, China Date: 30 October 2006 - 3 November 2006 Biotechnology Havana 2006 http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=897&lan… Location: Havana, Cuba Date: 13 - 16 November 2006 International Conference on Digital Information Management http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=896&lan… Location: Bangalore, India Date: 6 - 8 December 2006 ======================================== GRANTS ======================================== Scholarship for young Muslim scientists http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=283&lan… Organisation: King Faisal Foundation Closing date: 15 May 2006 Research Capacity Strengthening Programme Grants http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=281&lan… Organisation: The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases Closing date: 31 May 2006 The African Fellows Programme http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=282&lan… Organisation: Rothamsted International Closing date: 3 July 2006 ======================================== ANNOUNCEMENTS ======================================== 'Expose Urban Solutions' photo contest http://www.scidev.net/announcements/index.cfm?fuseaction=readannouncement&i… Agency: International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Closing date: 25 April 2006(extended) Global e-learning program http://www.scidev.net/announcements/index.cfm?fuseaction=readannouncement&i… Organisation: International Food Policy Research Institute Closing date: 1 July 2006 SciDev.Net's email alert is available in English, French, Spanish or Chinese, and in html or plain text formats. If you would like to update your details, or unregister from SciDev.Net, please go to http://www.scidev.net/register --------------------------------- 24 FIFA World Cup tickets to be won with Yahoo! Mail. Learn more info(a)scidev.net wrote: Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:14:06 +0100 (BST) From: info(a)scidev.net To: naglaxman(a)yahoo.com Subject: SciDev.Net Weekly Update: 10 - 18 April 2006 THE ITEMS BELOW HAVE BEEN POSTED ON http://www.scidev.net OVER THE PAST WEEK. ======================================== NEWS ======================================== Bird flu update: 18 April 2006 http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2785&langua… A roundup of the latest news on the spread of the bird flu virus and the threat to human health. China cracks down on malpractice in fertility industry http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2775&langua… China's health ministry has issued new rules for controlling the use of reproductive technologies following media reports of unethical practices. Nitrogen emissions threaten biodiversity 'hotspots' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2776&langua… The rising nitrogen emissions from developing nations will put biodiversity at risk, scientists warn. Spend on science to beat brain drain, says WHO head http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2777&langua… The director-general of the World Health Organization has urged African nations to invest in science to tackle the brain drain. Genetic change helped pig microbe kill 38 Chinese http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2778&langua… A bacterium that normally infects pigs appears to have changed genetically, potentially explaining why it killed 38 people last year. Caribbean & Central America may get drier summers http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2779&langua… Researchers predict that by the end of this century, climate change could have cut tropical rainfall by 25 per cent in Central America and the Caribbean. Yeast 'factories' could produce key malaria drug http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2781&langua… GM yeast factories could become a cheap and productive source of the antimalarial drug artemisinin, currently in short supply, say researchers. Studies disagree on safety of lemon juice against HIV http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2780&langua… Researchers who disagree about whether lemon and lime juice could safely protect women from HIV infection will present their findings at a conference later this month. Planting trees 'will not cancel out climate change' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2784&langua… The planet's plant life will not absorb excess emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as previously hoped, say researchers. Climate change 'worse threat than deforestation' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2786&langua… By the end of the century, climate change could pose a bigger threat to biodiversity than deforestation, say researchers. OTHER NEWS Costa Rica: scientists give new president funding plan http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2783&langua… Scientists have presented Costa Rica's president-elect with a plan for increasing science funding from 0.4 to 3 per cent of the nation's GDP, with private sector support. [Spanish full text] Lack of scientists worries Uruguayan government http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2782&langua… Uruguay's education minister has called for an increase in the number of researchers, in order to build a more competitive country. [Spanish full text] ======================================== FEATURES ======================================== Not just weapons: nuclear science for development http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=512… Over the past decade, the UN's nuclear energy regulator has helped over 90 developing countries reap the benefits of safe radiation-based technology, reports Marilyn Smith. Chinese science: forging the future http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=511… Richard Suttmeier and colleagues describe how the Chinese Academy of Sciences is changing to meet the challenges of China's long-term scientific ambitions. (Source: Science) Tapping new wells: Qatar's education revolution http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=510… Qatar is investing billions in becoming the Gulf's top knowledge economy but will research excellence follow the money? Lone Frank investigates. (Source: Science) ======================================== OPINIONS ======================================== Do we still need the Cartagena Protocol? http://www.scidev.net/Opinions/index.cfm?fuseaction=readOpinions&itemid=489… Arnoldo Ventura argues that the international debate over the potential risks that GM crops pose to biodiversity is wasteful and unnecessary. ======================================== POLICY BRIEFS ======================================== How real is the threat of sea-level rise? http://www.scidev.net/dossiers/index.cfm?fuseaction=policybrief&dossier=4&p… warming causes sea-level rise not only by melting glaciers and other land ice, but also because water expands as it warms up. The consequences are likely to be significant, although mitigating action can be taken. ======================================== LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ======================================== UK development policy is not ignoring science http://www.scidev.net/editorletters/index.cfm?fuseaction=readeditorletter&i… Hilary Benn, UK secretary of state for international development, denies that the new white paper on UK aid policy has ignored science. ======================================== EVENTS ======================================== International Conference on Aflatoxins in Groundnuts http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=898&lan… Location: Guangzhou, China Date: 30 October 2006 - 3 November 2006 Biotechnology Havana 2006 http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=897&lan… Location: Havana, Cuba Date: 13 - 16 November 2006 International Conference on Digital Information Management http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=896&lan… Location: Bangalore, India Date: 6 - 8 December 2006 ======================================== GRANTS ======================================== Scholarship for young Muslim scientists http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=283&lan… Organisation: King Faisal Foundation Closing date: 15 May 2006 Research Capacity Strengthening Programme Grants http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=281&lan… Organisation: The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases Closing date: 31 May 2006 The African Fellows Programme http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=282&lan… Organisation: Rothamsted International Closing date: 3 July 2006 ======================================== ANNOUNCEMENTS ======================================== 'Expose Urban Solutions' photo contest http://www.scidev.net/announcements/index.cfm?fuseaction=readannouncement&i… Agency: International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Closing date: 25 April 2006(extended) Global e-learning program http://www.scidev.net/announcements/index.cfm?fuseaction=readannouncement&i… Organisation: International Food Policy Research Institute Closing date: 1 July 2006 SciDev.Net's email alert is available in English, French, Spanish or Chinese, and in html or plain text formats. If you would like to update your details, or unregister from SciDev.Net, please go to http://www.scidev.net/register 24 FIFA World Cup tickets to be won with Yahoo! Mail. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail/uk/taglines/default/fifa_trueswitch/*http://eur… Learn more

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Damning indictment of LIS profession
by K.Sankaraiah 18 Apr '06

18 Apr '06

Dear Moderator, Grateful for publishing the following in lis-forum. I wish to draw the attention of our professional colleagues to an article under the Musings, entitled "What are your bonafides?", by Mr Ranjit Lal in the Magazine section of the Hindu of 9 April, 2006. I think all of us should read this and ponder over the implications. I'm sure many of us must have already done so. The gist of the article is the author, obviously not a member, approached the librarian of the National Museum library in Delhi for help and the librarian promptly asked him to prove his bonafides. Ranjit Lal contributes articles to the Hindu and probably does so to many other renowned newspapers and journals. In any case he told the librarian that he uses the Teen Murthi library and the British Council Library in Delhi and he is working on a book for which he needs help. According to the article, this did not cut ice with the librarian. This article, I believe, is a damning indictment of the unhelpful and bureaucratic attitude of the librarian of one of the premier institutions of the country. It should rouse the collective conscience of the LIS profession and force us to think if in today's competitive world we can afford to have this kind of unhelpful attitude. Even otherwise, isn't service to the user at the centre of our profession ?. The aurthor rightly says the public pays for librarian's salary, allowances and the innumerable cups of tea, justifiable and just righteous indignation!!. How do we change this attitude?. I was under the impression that things have changed and we all swear by service. All the works of SRR emphasise this aspect. Because of instaces like this,( I hope they are isolated) the whole profession gets the stick. And this is why society does not give us the status that an intellectual profession like ours deserves. We need to do something here. Sankaraiah, K Immediate past President of the Madras Library Association (MALA) Dear Moderator, Grateful for publishing the following in lis-forum. I wish to draw the attention of our professional colleagues to an article under the Musings, entitled "What are your bonafides?", by Mr Ranjit Lal in the Magazine section of the Hindu of 9 April, 2006. I think all of us should read this and ponder over the implications. I'm sure many of us must have already done so. The gist of the article is the author, obviously not a member, approached the librarian of the National Museum library in Delhi for help and the librarian promptly asked him to prove his bonafides. Ranjit Lal contributes articles to the Hindu and probably does so to many other renowned newspapers and journals. In any case he told the librarian that he uses the Teen Murthi library and the British Council Library in Delhi and he is working on a book for which he needs help. According to the article, this did not cut ice with the librarian. This article, I believe, is a damning indictment of the unhelpful and bureaucratic attitude of the librarian of one of the premier institutions of the country. It should rouse the collective conscience of the LIS profession and force us to think if in today's competitive world we can afford to have this kind of unhelpful attitude. Even otherwise, isn't service to the user at the centre of our profession ?. The aurthor rightly says the public pays for librarian's salary, allowances and the innumerable cups of tea, justifiable and just righteous indignation!!. How do we change this attitude?. I was under the impression that things have changed and we all swear by service. All the works of SRR emphasise this aspect. Because of instaces like this,( I hope they are isolated) the whole profession gets the stick. And this is why society does not give us the status that an intellectual profession like ours deserves. We need to do something here. Sankaraiah, K Immediate past President of the Madras Library Association (MALA)

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Fw: Call for articles on institutional repositories
by Subbiah Arunachalam 18 Apr '06

18 Apr '06

Call for articles on institutional repositories Please excuse duplicate postings. Forward to other listservs and interested colleagues. _OCLC Systems & Services: International Digital Library Perspectives_ will be publishing a special issue on institutional repositories in early 2007. This peer-reviewed journal is looking for case studies related to the planning, implementation, collaboration, metadata decisions, ongoing issues, etc. of institutional repositories. Lessons learned, mistakes to avoid, cooperation among various constituencies are also topics of interest. Please direct all questions and proposals to the editor, Dr. Brad Eden, by April 30 for approval. Deadline for article drafts will be October 2006. Do not reply to this message; please send all correspondence to the email provided below. Thanks. Dr. Brad Eden Editor, _OSS: IDLP_ Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and Scholarly Communication University of California, Santa Barbara eden(a)library.ucsb.edu ------------------------------------------------- Ann Apps. IT Specialist (Research & Development), MIMAS, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 6039 Fax: +44 (0) 161 275 6040 Email: ann.apps(a)manchester.ac.uk WWW: http://epub.mimas.ac.uk/ann.html --------------------------------------------------

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