Digital Commons Network^™

Mobile Technology-Based Library Services In Academic Libraries Of Ghana, Silas Adjei, Patience Adetsi, Isaac Kojo Agyeman

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In contemporary academic library settings, there's a growing need for libraries to offer access to their resources and services remotely and without boundaries. Mobile technologies (MT) have gained widespread acceptance among academic library stakeholders globally, as they are seen as effective communication tools for providing convenient library services to patrons. This study aimed to explore the potential benefits of adopting and implementing Mobile Technology-based Library Services in academic libraries in Ghana. Conducted as a descriptive survey using a quantitative approach, the research focused on two private universities in Ghana: Valley View University and Central University. The sample comprised 390 undergraduate …

Spartan Daily, February 20, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 13

Spartan Daily, February 19, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 12

Cultural Influences On Parental Advocacy For Inclusion: Experiences Of South Asian Families With Children With Extensive Support Needs, Sudha Krishnan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This qualitative study examined the cultural factors in parental advocacy in South Asian parents of children with extensive support needs (ESN), concerning the educational placement decisions for their children. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic coding. The findings revealed that the predominant preference for segregated educational settings among participants was shaped by various cultural influences: persistent social stigma surrounding disability, a culturally-rooted belief in the curability of the disability, the prioritization of safety over academic integration, perceived inadequacies within general education settings, institutional pressures from school or IEP recommendations, advocacy for intensive home-based instruction, and a …

Spartan Daily, February 18, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 11

Analytical Factors Boosting Staff Training In University Libraries In Ekiti State, Nigeria – A Review Of The Literature, Japheth Abdulazeez Yaya Dr, Jerome Idiegbeyan-Ose Phd

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper examined some factors that would boost staff training in university libraries in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A review research design was adopted. Training has been the integral part of any organization that desired to be productive in its services; therefore, university libraries have been embarking on training and capacity enhancement for their employees so as to boost and promote productivity and overall performance of their workforce. To this end, the following factors could contribute to staff training in any library especially the university libraries that are our focus in this paper: training budget and budget, conducive training environment, effective …

Strategies For Enhancing The Ability Of Rural Farmers To Deal With Challenges Of Climate Change Through Adult Education Programme In South East, Nigeria, Abaobi David Agbo Dr., Ngozi Justina Igwe Dr., Onyinye Regina Ekere, Stella C. Nwizu Prof.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Agriculture has become the main stay of the economy of developing countries in the world especially south-east, Nigeria. Rural farmers in South-east, Nigeria have suffered significant losses due to extreme weather events and natural disasters attributed to climate change such as severe flooding, drought, decease and pest attack etc. The responses and reactions of rural farmers to these extreme weather events and natural disasters has suggested that there is a lack knowledge of climate change. This study therefore is aimed at developing strategies that could help enhance the ability of rural farmers to cope and deal with the effects of …

Spartan Daily, February 13, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 10

Spartan Daily, February 11, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 8

Use Of Electronic Information Resources By Distance Learners Of The Open University Of Sri Lanka, Irosha Marasinghe

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Electronic resources’ availability, accessibility, currency and reliability make distance learners use e-resources for their learning and research activities. This study investigated the use of e-resources in terms of frequency, types of e-resources, purposes of use, and reasons to use by distance learners of the Open University of Sri Lanka. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The total population of the study comprises 26,503 active undergraduates of the Open University of Sri Lanka. The stratified random sampling technique was used to select a representative sample of 379 respondents. Data were collected using a questionnaire and were analyzed using …

Library Staff Perceptions Of Virtual Library And Information Services At Makerere And Uganda Christian Universities, Uganda, Lydia Namugera, Joyce Bukirwa, Constant Okello-Obura

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study, which was underpinned by the ServQual model aims to determine the perceptions of library staff of Makerere and Uganda Christian Universities on the provision of virtual library and information services (VLIS), the challenges faced and strategies for the enhancement of VLIS provision. A qualitative design was used to collect data from eight library staff who were selected through purposive sampling until data reached saturation. The findings indicated that majority of librarians exhibit poor perceptions towards VLIS; as manifested in their reluctance to participate in VLIS provision, their conservatism, which impedes acceptance of new VLIS and their …

“Burned Through”: Performing Social Justice In The Academy, Matthew P. Bejar, Saemi Lee, Terilyn C. Shigeno, Leslie K. Larsen

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In this chapter, we discuss and interrogate our experiences of infusing social justice into our research, teaching, and service amidst sexism, racism, and other intersectional forms of oppression that are prevalent within the academy and how this tension has tended to elicit performative social justice. First, we situate this chapter by summarizing our individual journeys with social justice in sport and exercise psychology (SEP). Second, we describe our collective journey as former graduate students and early career professionals. Third, we discuss the challenges that we encountered with respect to our social justice work. Fourth, we share the ways that we …

Spartan Daily, February 6, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 7

Sjsu Erfa Board Minutes, December 2, 2024, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Executive Board Minutes

December 2, 2024

Spartan Daily, February 5, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 6

Enhancing Care: Child Protective Service Workers’ Perspectives And Experiences Of Serving Children With Disabilities, Meekyung Han, Celia Rocio Murillo Lechuga, Gaby Solis

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Children with disabilities (CWD) are overrepresented in the child welfare system (CWS), yet limited research exists on how child protective service (CPS) workers respond. This exploratory qualitative study conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 12 CPS workers in Northern California to explore their experiences. Thematic analysis identified five key themes: contributors to maltreatment, challenges of working with CWD, the influence of personal/professional experience, collaboration with disability experts, and the need for training. Findings suggest that disability-focused training in the graduate Title IV-E program and ongoing professional training can enhance CPS workers’ competency and strengthen interactions with CWD, leading to better outcomes.

Death And Disappearance: Measuring Racial Disparities In Mortality And Life Expectancy Among People In State Prisons, United States 2000-2014, Bryan L. Sykes, Ernest K. Chavez, Justin D. Strong

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background Research on carceral institutions and mortality finds that people in prisons and jails have a high risk of death immediately following release from custody and that while incarcerated, racial disparities in prisoner mortality counter observed death patterns among similarly situated non-incarcerated, demographic groups. Yet, many of these studies rely on data prior to the millennium, during the COVID-19 pandemic, or are relegated to a small number or select group of states. In this paper, we explore changes in mortality and life-expectancy among different demographic groups, before and after the Great Recession, across forty-four states that reported deaths in custody …

The Potential For Fuel Reduction To Reduce Wildfire Intensity In A Warming California, Patrick T. Brown, Scott J. Strenfel, Richard B. Bagley, Craig B. Clements

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Increasing fuel aridity due to climate warming has and will continue to increase wildfire danger in California. In addition to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, one of the primary proposals for counteracting this increase in wildfire danger is a widespread expansion of hazardous fuel reductions. Here, we quantify the potential for fuel reduction to reduce wildfire intensity using empirical relationships derived from historical observations with a novel combination of spatiotemporal resolution (0.375 km, instantaneous) and extent (48 million acres, 9 years). We use machine learning to quantify relationships between sixteen environmental conditions (including ten fuel characteristics and four temperature-affected aridity …

Biomechanical Risk Classification In Repetitive Lifting Using Multi-Sensor Electromyography Data, Revised National Institute For Occupational Safety And Health Lifting Equation, And Deep Learning, Fatemeh Davoudi Kakhki, Hardik Vora, Armin Moghadam

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Repetitive lifting tasks in occupational settings often result in shoulder injuries, impacting both health and productivity. Accurately assessing the biomechanical risk of these tasks remains a significant challenge in occupational ergonomics, particularly within manufacturing environments. Traditional assessment methods frequently rely on subjective reports and limited observations, which can introduce bias and yield incomplete evaluations. This study addresses these limitations by generating and utilizing a comprehensive dataset containing detailed time-series electromyography (EMG) data from 25 participants. Using high-precision wearable sensors, EMG data were collected from eight muscles as participants performed repetitive lifting tasks. For each task, the lifting index was calculated …

Understanding The Prevalence Of Mental Health And Behavioral Distress In Transit Assaults And Presenting Targeted Response And Mitigation Methods To Reduce Victimization Trends, Kathleen Moore, Emilie Ellenberg, Melissa Carlson, Jodi Godfrey, Lisa Staes

Mineta Transportation Institute

This research project was performed to better understand the prevalence of mental health and behavioral distress in transit assaults and present corresponding targeted response and mitigation methods to reduce victimization trends. It includes a literature review, a data presentation and overview of reported public transit assault-related events, an examination of the contributing factors to those events, and documentation of 10 transit agency case studies. The literature review discusses some of the misconceptions of mental illness and associated stigmas and discrimination that can occur in response to these misconceptions. It discusses various approaches and strategies that transit agencies have used to …

The Impact Of Vacations On Urban Women's Well-Being From The Perspective Of Feminist Urbanism, Jie Gao, Deborah Kerstetter, Tianfu Wang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Vacations are known to foster well-being outcomes, yet few researchers have accounted for the influence of individual attributes such as gender, residential setting, or cultural context. As a result, there is a noticeable gap in the well-being literature concerning well-being outcomes for female travelers whose subjectivities have been shaped in as well as by their residential environment (urban) and culture. Using qualitative inquiry informed by the feminist urbanism perspective, this study uncovered urban Chinese women's cognitive representations of well-being outcomes from vacations. Findings revealed that vacations provide liberation from cultural constraints, boosting of social bonds and relationship building, enabling reflection …

What Tackles Vehicle Ghg Emissions In California: Regional Plan Adoption Or Local Leadership?, Ahoura Zandiatashbar, Serena Alexander, Branka Tatarevic

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The California Senate Bill No. 375 (SB 375) serves as a model policy for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by integrating transportation and land-use planning through regional and local policies. The 18 California Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are tasked with developing Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS) to guide emissions reductions, often implemented locally through Climate Action Plans (CAPs). However, CAPs are voluntary, and misalignment with SCS objectives can undermine their effectiveness. This study examined 25 California cities using content analysis and regression modeling to explore whether independent local actions, supported by community engagement, activist strategies, and leadership, are more effective than …

“I Need This Person’S Support To Have A Career” The Material And Emotional Impacts Of Neoliberalism On Trans Collegians’ Classroom Experiences At A Public University, Justin A. Gutzwa, Robert A. Marx

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Neoliberal capitalism has undoubtedly impacted every sphere of public education in the United States. As faculty are pushed towards identity-neutral modalities of instruction, students who identify as transgender, non-binary, or other expansive gender identities (trans) are forced to reckon with implicit and explicit power dynamics in classrooms that prioritize White, cisheteropatriarchal modes of knowledge production in nuanced ways. This qualitative study explores the ways neoliberal capitalism impacts the curricular experiences of trans students by centering the power dynamics they encounter through interactions with their professors and their peers. Findings underscore the pernicious nature of the neoliberalization of higher education in …

Spartan Daily, January 30, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 4

Walking Through The Aristotelian Lane: Amartya Sen On Rational Choice, Barada Laxmi Panda

Comparative Philosophy

The term ‘rational choice’ has great impact on the life of a rational agent. Rational choice helps the agent to understand her capability of making choice and the intentional involvement for working on a particular aspect considering certain circumstances. At the same time, this creates a lot of dilemmas in terms of understanding the freewill of the agent while being committed for a work. Following this, Amartya Sen’s discussion on this subject seems relevant where Sen very prominently reflects on the point that rational choice involves freedom, rationality, and normativity. These three features are coherent with each other and with …

The Methodological Problems Of Incorporating Indigenous Philosophy In Collaborative Research, Luthonliu Gangmei, P. Milan Khangamcha

Comparative Philosophy

This paper addresses the methodological challenges inherent in collaborative research endeavours focused on the development of Indigenous philosophy. It argues that these challenges persist due to a lack of recognition of the autonomy and intrinsic philosophical value of ethno-philosophy or Indigenous philosophy. Despite the United Nations acknowledging the significance of indigenous worldviews and their philosophical underpinnings, they are still yet to be fully integrated into the global knowledge domain. The paper highlights the tendency to view indigenous philosophy solely as a cultural asset of indigenous peoples rather than recognizing its broader philosophical relevance. It identifies this as a critical interdisciplinary …

Epicurus And The Buddha On Desire, Andrew Alwood

Comparative Philosophy

The philosophies of Epicurus and the Buddha aim to free us from suffering by helping us to recognize how ignorance and delusion lead us to pursue harmful desires. Since the problem lies in our attitudes, the solution is to change our attitudes. Like doctors healing the sick, they offer therapeutic practical advice, to remove the groundless opinions and the unhealthy desires that cause suffering. Although various misconceptions may lead us to conceive of these two thinkers as quite different with respect to values and ethics, there are remarkable similarities. Indeed, their practical advice for how to live has the same …

Spartan Daily, January 23, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 1

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Data Privacy: A Risk Management Perspective, Norman Mooradian, Patricia C. Franks, Amitabh Srivastav

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to increase the artificial intelligence (AI) ethical literacy of information governance professionals by explaining how AI intensifies familiar data privacy issues by virtue of its dependency on data and ability to create new personal information, to explicate emerging privacy enhancing methods and to show their continuity with existing privacy and information governance principles. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses an interdisciplinary design research methodology that extends current governance frameworks by combining information science, information governance and applied ethics concepts. Three information sources were referenced: 1) academic papers; 2) standards and best practices published by governmental …

The Influence Of Maternal Size/Age Effects On The Physiological Responses Of Adult Female Gopher Rockfish (Sebastes Carnatus) To Ocean Acidification And Hypoxia, Dylan H. Sarish

Master's Theses

Climate change is rapidly reshaping the chemistry of the ocean. Fishes living in California coastal waters are experiencing increased ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH) due to more frequent and intense upwelling. Nearshore rockfish may be particularly threatened by these conditions due to their long generational times. However, it is unknown how OAH may impact maternal physiology and reproduction in these viviparous fish. To understand the physiological effects of OAH during gestation, adult female gopher rockfish, Sebastes carnatus, were exposed to a variety of combined OAH stress treatments during different gestational stages. Routine metabolic rate (RMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR), blood …