Twilight 10. INTERROGATIONS

10. INTERROGATIONS It was very hard, in the morning, to argue with the part of me that was sure last night was a dream. Logic wasn't on my side, or common sense. I clung to the parts I couldn't have imagined – like his smell. I was sure I could never have dreamed that up on my own. It was foggy and dark outside my window, absolutely perfect. He had no reason not to be in school today. I dressed in my heavy clothes, remembering I didn't have a jacket. Further proof that my memory was real. When I got downstairs, Charlie was gone again – I was running later than I'd realized. I swallowed a granola bar in three bites, chased it down with milk straight from the carton, and then hurried out the door. Hopefully the rain would hold off until I could find Jessica. It was unusually foggy; the air was almost smoky with it. The mist was ice cold where it clung to the exposed skin on my face and neck. I couldn't wait to get the heat going in my truck. It was such a thick fog that I was a few feet down the driveway before I realized there was a car in it: a silver car. My heart thudded, stuttered, and then picked up again in double time. I didn't see where he came from, but suddenly he was there, pulling the door open for me. â€Å"Do you want to ride with me today?† he asked, amused by my expression as he caught me by surprise yet again. There was uncertainty in his voice. He was really giving me a choice – I was free to refuse, and part of him hoped for that. It was a vain hope. â€Å"Yes, thank you,† I said, trying to keep my voice calm. As I stepped into the warm car, I noticed his tan jacket was slung over the headrest of the passenger seat. The door closed behind me, and, sooner than should be possible, he was sitting next to me, starting the car. â€Å"I brought the jacket for you. I didn't want you to get sick or something.† His voice was guarded. I noticed that he wore no jacket himself, just a light gray knit V-neck shirt with long sleeves. Again, the fabric clung to his perfectly muscled chest. It was a colossal tribute to his face that it kept my eyes away from his body. â€Å"I'm not quite that delicate,† I said, but I pulled the jacket onto my lap, pushing my arms through the too-long sleeves, curious to see if the scent could possibly be as good as I remembered. It was better. â€Å"Aren't you?† he contradicted in a voice so low I wasn't sure if he meant for me to hear. We drove through the fog-shrouded streets, always too fast, feeling awkward. I was, at least. Last night all the walls were down†¦ almost all. I didn't know if we were still being as candid today. It left me tongue-tied. I waited for him to speak. He turned to smirk at me. â€Å"What, no twenty questions today?† â€Å"Do my questions bother you?† I asked, relieved. â€Å"Not as much as your reactions do.† He looked like he was joking, but I couldn't be sure. I frowned. â€Å"Do I react badly?† â€Å"No, that's the problem. You take everything so coolly – it's unnatural. It makes me wonder what you're really thinking.† â€Å"I always tell you what I'm really thinking.† â€Å"You edit,† he accused. â€Å"Not very much.† â€Å"Enough to drive me insane.† â€Å"You don't want to hear it,† I mumbled, almost whispered. As soon as the words were out, I regretted them. The pain in my voice was very faint; I could only hope he hadn't noticed it. He didn't respond, and I wondered if I had ruined the mood. His face was unreadable as we drove into the school parking lot. Something occurred to me belatedly. â€Å"Where's the rest of your family?† I asked – more than glad to be alone with him, but remembering that his car was usually full. â€Å"They took Rosalie's car.† He shrugged as he parked next to a glossy red convertible with the top up. â€Å"Ostentatious, isn't it?† â€Å"Um, wow,† I breathed. â€Å"If she has that, why does she ride with you?† â€Å"Like I said, it's ostentatious. We try to blend in.† â€Å"You don't succeed.† I laughed and shook my head as we got out of the car. I wasn't late anymore; his lunatic driving had gotten me to school in plenty of time. â€Å"So why did Rosalie drive today if it's more conspicuous?† â€Å"Hadn't you noticed? I'm breaking all the rules now.† He met me at the front of the car, staying very close to my side as we walked onto campus. I wanted to close that little distance, to reach out and touch him, but I was afraid he wouldn't like me to. â€Å"Why do you have cars like that at all?† I wondered aloud. â€Å"If you're looking for privacy?† â€Å"An indulgence,† he admitted with an impish smile. â€Å"We all like to drive fast.† â€Å"Figures,† I muttered under my breath. Under the shelter of the cafeteria roof's overhang, Jessica was waiting, her eyes about to bug out of their sockets. Over her arm, bless her, was my jacket. â€Å"Hey, Jessica,† I said when we were a few feet away. â€Å"Thanks for remembering.† She handed me my jacket without speaking. â€Å"Good morning, Jessica,† Edward said politely. It wasn't really his fault that his voice was so irresistible. Or what his eyes were capable of. â€Å"Er†¦ hi.† She shifted her wide eyes to me, trying to gather her jumbled thoughts. â€Å"I guess I'll see you in Trig.† She gave me a meaningful look, and I suppressed a sigh. What on earth was I going to tell her? â€Å"Yeah, I'll see you then.† She walked away, pausing twice to peek back over her shoulder at us. â€Å"What are you going to tell her?† Edward murmured. â€Å"Hey, I thought you couldn't read my mind!† I hissed. â€Å"I can't,† he said, startled. Then understanding brightened his eyes. â€Å"However, I can read hers – she'll be waiting to ambush you in class.† I groaned as I pulled off his jacket and handed it to him, replacing it with my own. He folded it over his arm. â€Å"So what are you going to tell her?† â€Å"A little help?† I pleaded. â€Å"What does she want to know?† He shook his head, grinning wickedly. â€Å"That's not fair.† â€Å"No, you not sharing what you know – now that's not fair.† He deliberated for a moment as we walked. We stopped outside the door to my first class. â€Å"She wants to know if we're secretly dating. And she wants to know how you feel about me,† he finally said. â€Å"Yikes. What should I say?† I tried to keep my expression very innocent. People were passing us on their way to class, probably staring, but I was barely aware of them. â€Å"Hmmm.† He paused to catch a stray lock of hair that was escaping the twist on my neck and wound it back into place. My heart spluttered hyperactively. â€Å"I suppose you could say yes to the first†¦ if you don't mind – it's easier than any other explanation.† â€Å"I don't mind,† I said in a faint voice. â€Å"And as for her other question†¦ well, I'll be listening to hear the answer to that one myself.† One side of his mouth pulled up into my favorite uneven smile. I couldn't catch my breath soon enough to respond to that remark. He turned and walked away. â€Å"I'll see you at lunch,† he called over his shoulder. Three people walking in the door stopped to stare at me. I hurried into class, flushed and irritated. He was such a cheater. Now I was even more worried about what I was going to say to Jessica. I sat in my usual seat, slamming my bag down in aggravation. â€Å"Morning, Bella,† Mike said from the seat next to me. I looked up to see an odd, almost resigned look on his face. â€Å"How was Port Angeles?† â€Å"It was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was no honest way to sum it up. â€Å"Great,† I finished lamely. â€Å"Jessica got a really cute dress.† â€Å"Did she say anything about Monday night?† he asked, his eyes brightening. I smiled at the turn the conversation had taken. â€Å"She said she had a really good time,† I assured him. â€Å"She did?† he said eagerly. â€Å"Most definitely.† Mr. Mason called the class to order then, asking us to turn in our papers. English and then Government passed in a blur, while I worried about how to explain things to Jessica and agonized over whether Edward would really be listening to what I said through the medium of Jess's thoughts. How very inconvenient his little talent could be – when it wasn't saving my life. The fog had almost dissolved by the end of the second hour, but the day was still dark with low, oppressing clouds. I smiled up at the sky. Edward was right, of course. When I walked into Trig Jessica was sitting in the back row, nearly bouncing off her seat in agitation. I reluctantly went to sit by her, trying to convince myself it would be better to get it over with as soon as possible. â€Å"Tell me everything!† she commanded before I was in the seat. â€Å"What do you want to know?† I hedged. â€Å"What happened last night?† â€Å"He bought me dinner, and then he drove me home.† She glared at me, her expression stiff with skepticism. â€Å"How did you get home so fast?† â€Å"He drives like a maniac. It was terrifying.† I hoped he heard that. â€Å"Was it like a date – did you tell him to meet you there?† I hadn't thought of that. â€Å"No – I was very surprised to see him there.† Her lips puckered in disappointment at the transparent honesty in my voice. â€Å"But he picked you up for school today?† she probed. â€Å"Yes – that was a surprise, too. He noticed I didn't have a jacket last night,† I explained. â€Å"So are you going out again?† â€Å"He offered to drive me to Seattle Saturday because he thinks toy truck isn't up to it – does that count?† â€Å"Yes.† She nodded. â€Å"Well, then, yes.† â€Å"W-o-w.† She exaggerated the word into three syllables. â€Å"Edward Cullen.† â€Å"I know,† I agreed. â€Å"Wow† didn't even cover it. â€Å"Wait!† Her hands flew up, palms toward me like she was stopping traffic. â€Å"Has he kissed you?† â€Å"No,† I mumbled. â€Å"It's not like that.† She looked disappointed. I'm sure I did, too. â€Å"Do you think Saturday†¦ ?† She raised her eyebrows. â€Å"I really doubt it.† The discontent in my voice was poorly disguised. â€Å"What did you talk about?† She pushed for more information in a whisper. Class had started but Mr. Varner wasn't paying close attention and we weren't the only ones still talking. â€Å"I don't know, Jess, lots of stuff,† I whispered back. â€Å"We talked about the English essay a little.† A very, very little. I think he mentioned it in passing. â€Å"Please, Bella,† she begged. â€Å"Give me some details.† â€Å"Well†¦ okay, I've got one. You should have seen the waitress flirting with him – it was over the top. But he didn't pay any attention to her at all.† Let him make what he could of that. â€Å"That's a good sign,† she nodded. â€Å"Was she pretty?† â€Å"Very – and probably nineteen or twenty.† â€Å"Even better. He must like you.† â€Å"I think so, but it's hard to tell. He's always so cryptic,† I threw in for his benefit, sighing. â€Å"I don't know how you're brave enough to be alone with him,† she breathed. â€Å"Why?† I was shocked, but she didn't understand my reaction. â€Å"He's so†¦ intimidating. I wouldn't know what to say to him.† She made a face, probably remembering this morning or last night, when he'd turned the overwhelming force of his eyes on her. â€Å"I do have some trouble with incoherency when I'm around him,† I admitted. â€Å"Oh well. He is unbelievably gorgeous.† Jessica shrugged as if this excused any flaws. Which, in her book, it probably did. â€Å"There's a lot more to him than that.† â€Å"Really? Like what?† I wished I had let it go. Almost as much as I was hoping he'd been kidding about listening in. â€Å"I can't explain it right†¦ but he's even more unbelievable behind the face.† The vampire who wanted to be good – who ran around saving people's lives so he wouldn't be a monster†¦ I stared toward the front of the room. â€Å"Is that possible?† She giggled. I ignored her, trying to look like I was paying attention to Mr. Varner. â€Å"So you like him, then?† She wasn't about to give up. â€Å"Yes,† I said curtly. â€Å"I mean, do you really like him?† she urged. â€Å"Yes,† I said again, blushing. I hoped that detail wouldn't register in her thoughts. She'd had enough with the single syllable answers. â€Å"How much do you like him?† â€Å"Too much,† I whispered back. â€Å"More than he likes me. But I don't see how I can help that.† I sighed, one blush blending into the next. Then, thankfully, Mr. Varner called on Jessica for an answer. She didn't get a chance to start on the subject again during class, and as soon as the bell rang, I took evasive action. â€Å"In English, Mike asked me if you said anything about Monday night,† I told her. â€Å"You're kidding! What did you say?!† she gasped, completely sidetracked. â€Å"I told him you said you had a lot of fun – he looked pleased.† â€Å"Tell me exactly what he said, and your exact answer!† We spent the rest of the walk dissecting sentence structures and most of Spanish on a minute description of Mike's facial expressions. I wouldn't have helped draw it out for as long as I did if I wasn't worried about the subject returning to me. And then the bell rang for lunch. As I jumped up out of my seat, shoving my books roughly in my bag, my uplifted expression must have tipped Jessica off. â€Å"You're not sitting with us today, are you?† she guessed. â€Å"I don't think so.† I couldn't be sure that he wouldn't disappear inconveniently again. But outside the door to our Spanish class, leaning against the wall – looking more like a Greek god than anyone had a right to – Edward was waiting for me. Jessica took one look, rolled her eyes, and departed. â€Å"See you later, Bella.† Her voice was thick with implications. I might have to turn off the ringer on the phone. â€Å"Hello.† His voice was amused and irritated at the same time. He had been listening, it was obvious. â€Å"Hi.† I couldn't think of anything else to say, and he didn't speak – biding his time, I presumed – so it was a quiet walk to the cafeteria. Walking with Edward through the crowded lunchtime rush was a lot like my first day here; everyone stared. He led the way into the line, still not speaking, though his eyes returned to my face every few seconds, their expression speculative. It seemed to me that irritation was winning out over amusement as the dominant emotion in his face. I fidgeted nervously with the zipper on my jacket. He stepped up to the counter and filled a tray with food. â€Å"What are you doing?† I objected. â€Å"You're not getting all that for me?† He shook his head, stepping forward to buy the food. â€Å"Half is for me, of course.† I raised one eyebrow. He led the way to the same place we'd sat that one time before. From the other end of the long table, a group of seniors gazed at us in amazement as we sat across from each other. Edward seemed oblivious. â€Å"Take whatever you want,† he said, pushing the tray toward me. â€Å"I'm curious,† I said as I picked up an apple, turning it around in my hands, â€Å"what would you do if someone dared you to eat food?† â€Å"You're always curious.† He grimaced, shaking his head. He glared at me, holding my eyes as he lifted the slice of pizza off the tray, and deliberately bit off a mouthful, chewed quickly, and then swallowed. I watched, eyes wide. â€Å"If someone dared you to eat dirt, you could, couldn't you?† he asked condescendingly. I wrinkled my nose. â€Å"I did once†¦ on a dare,† I admitted. â€Å"It wasn't so bad.† He laughed. â€Å"I suppose I'm not surprised.† Something over my shoulder seemed to catch his attention. â€Å"Jessica's analyzing everything I do – she'll break it down for you later.† He pushed the rest of the pizza toward me. The mention of Jessica brought a hint of his former irritation back to his features. I put down the apple and took a bite of the pizza, looking away, knowing he was about to start. â€Å"So the waitress was pretty, was she?† he asked casually. â€Å"You really didn't notice?† â€Å"No. I wasn't paying attention. I had a lot on my mind.† â€Å"Poor girl.† I could afford to be generous now. â€Å"Something you said to Jessica†¦ well, it bothers me.† He refused to be distracted. His voice was husky, and he glanced up from under his lashes with troubled eyes. â€Å"I'm not surprised you heard something you didn't like. You know what they say about eavesdropners,† I reminded him. â€Å"I warned you I would be listening.† â€Å"And I warned you that you didn't want to know everything I was thinking.† â€Å"You did,† he agreed, but his voice was still rough. â€Å"You aren't precisely right, though. I do want to know what you're thinking – everything. I just wish†¦ that you wouldn't be thinking some things.† I scowled. â€Å"That's quite a distinction.† â€Å"But that's not really the point at the moment.† â€Å"Then what is?† We were inclined toward each other across the table now. He had his large white hands folded under his chin; I leaned forward, my right hand cupped around my neck. I had to remind myself that we were in a crowded lunchroom, with probably many curious eyes on us. It was too easy to get wrapped up in our own private, tense little bubble. â€Å"Do you truly believe that you care more for me than I do for you?† he murmured, leaning closer to me as he spoke, his dark golden eyes piercing. I tried to remember how to exhale. I had to look away before it came back to me. â€Å"You're doing it again,† I muttered. His eyes opened wide with surprise. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Dazzling me,† I admitted, trying to concentrate as I looked back at him. â€Å"Oh.† He frowned. â€Å"It's not your fault,† I sighed. â€Å"You can't help it.† â€Å"Are you going to answer the question?† I looked down. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Yes, you are going to answer, or yes, you really think that?† He was irritated again. â€Å"Yes, I really think that.† I kept my eyes down on the table, my eyes tracing the pattern of the faux wood grains printed on the laminate. The silence dragged on. I stubbornly refused to be the first to break it this time, fighting hard against the temptation to peek at his expression. Finally he spoke, voice velvet soft. â€Å"You're wrong.† I glanced up to see that his eyes were gentle. â€Å"You can't know that,† I disagreed in a whisper. I shook my head in doubt, though my heart throbbed at his words and I wanted so badly to believe them. â€Å"What makes you think so?† His liquid topaz eyes were penetrating – trying futilely, I assumed, to lift the truth straight from my mind. I stared back, struggling to think clearly in spite of his face, to find some way to explain. As I searched for the words, I could see him getting impatient; frustrated by my silence, he started to scowl. I lifted my hand from my neck, and held up one finger. â€Å"Let me think,† I insisted. His expression cleared, now that he was satisfied that I was planning to answer. I dropped my hand to the table, moving my left hand so that my palms were pressed together. I stared at my hands, twisting and untwisting my fingers, as I finally spoke. â€Å"Well, aside from the obvious, sometimes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. â€Å"I can't be sure – I don't know how to read minds – but sometimes it seems like you're trying to say goodbye when you're saying something else.† That was the best I could sum up the sensation of anguish that his words triggered in me at times. â€Å"Perceptive,† he whispered. And there was the anguish again, surfacing as he confirmed my fear. â€Å"That's exactly why you're wrong, though,† he began to explain, but then his eyes narrowed. â€Å"What do you mean, ‘the obvious'?† â€Å"Well, look at me,† I said, unnecessarily as he was already staring. â€Å"I'm absolutely ordinary – well, except for bad things like all the near-death experiences and being so clumsy that I'm almost disabled. And look at you.† I waved my hand toward him and all his bewildering perfection. His brow creased angrily for a moment, then smoothed as his eyes took on a knowing look. â€Å"You don't see yourself very clearly, you know. I'll admit you're dead-on about the bad things,† he chuckled blackly, â€Å"but you didn't hear what every human male in this school was thinking on your first day.† I blinked, astonished. â€Å"I don't believe it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I mumbled to myself. â€Å"Trust me just this once – you are the opposite of ordinary.† My embarrassment was much stronger than my pleasure at the look that came into his eyes when he said this. I quickly reminded him of my original argument. â€Å"But I'm not saying goodbye,† I pointed out. â€Å"Don't you see? That's what proves me right. I care the most, because if I can do it† – he shook his head, seeming to struggle with the thought – â€Å"if leaving is the right thing to do, then I'll hurt myself to keep from hurting you, to keep you safe.† I glared. â€Å"And you don't think I would do the same?† â€Å"You'd never have to make the choice.† Abruptly, his unpredictable mood shifted again; a mischievous, devastating smile rearranged his features. â€Å"Of course, keeping you safe is beginning to feel like a full-time occupation that requires my constant presence.† â€Å"No one has tried to do away with me today,† I reminded him, grateful for the lighter subject. I didn't want him to talk about goodbyes anymore. If I had to, I supposed I could purposefully put myself in danger to keep him close†¦ I banished that thought before his quick eyes read it on my face. That idea would definitely get me in trouble. â€Å"Yet,† he added. â€Å"Yet,† I agreed; I would have argued, but now I wanted him to be expecting disasters. â€Å"I have another question for you.† His face was still casual. â€Å"Shoot.† â€Å"Do you really need to go to Seattle this Saturday, or was that just an excuse to get out of saying no to all your admirers?† I made a face at the memory. â€Å"You know, I haven't forgiven you for the Tyler thing yet,† I warned him. â€Å"It's your fault that he's deluded himself into thinking I'm going to prom with him.† â€Å"Oh, he would have found a chance to ask you without me – I just really wanted to watch your face,† he chuckled, I would have been angrier if his laughter wasn't so fascinating. â€Å"If I'd asked you, would you have turned me down?† he asked, still laughing to himself. â€Å"Probably not,† I admitted. â€Å"But I would have canceled later – faked an illness or a sprained ankle.† He was puzzled. â€Å"Why would you do that?† I shook my head sadly. â€Å"You've never seen me in Gym, I guess, but I would have thought you would understand.† â€Å"Are you referring to the fact that you can't walk across a flat, stable surface without finding something to trip over?† â€Å"Obviously.† â€Å"That wouldn't be a problem.† He was very confident. â€Å"It's all in the leading.† He could see that I was about to protest, and he cut me off. â€Å"But you never told me – are you resolved on going to Seattle, or do you mind if we do something different?† As long as the â€Å"we† part was in, I didn't care about anything else. â€Å"I'm open to alternatives,† I allowed. â€Å"But I do have a favor to ask.† He looked wary, as he always did when I asked an open-ended question. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Can I drive?† He frowned. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Well, mostly because when I told Charlie I was going to Seattle, he specifically asked if I was going alone and, at the time, I was. If he asked again, I probably wouldn't lie, but I don't think he will ask again, and leaving my truck at home would just bring up the subject unnecessarily. And also, because your driving frightens me.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Of all the things about me that could frighten you, you worry about my driving.† He shook his head in disgust, but then his eyes were serious again. â€Å"Won't you want to tell your father that you're spending the day with me?† There was an undercurrent to his question that I didn't understand. â€Å"With Charlie, less is always more.† I was definite about that. â€Å"Where are we going, anyway?† â€Å"The weather will be nice, so I'll be staying out of the public eye†¦ and you can stay with me, if you'd like to.† Again, he was leaving the choice up to me. â€Å"And you'll show me what you meant, about the sun?† I asked, excited by the idea of unraveling another of the unknowns. â€Å"Yes.† He smiled, and then paused. â€Å"But if you don't want to be†¦ alone with me, I'd still rather you didn't go to Seattle by yourself. I shudder to think of the trouble you could find in a city that size.† I was miffed. â€Å"Phoenix is three times bigger than Seattle – just in population. In physical size -â€Å" â€Å"But apparently,† he interrupted me, â€Å"your number wasn't up in Phoenix. So I'd rather you stayed near me.† His eyes did that unfair smoldering thing again. I couldn't argue, with the eyes or the motivation, and it was a moot point anyway. â€Å"As it happens, I don't mind being alone with you.† â€Å"I know,† he sighed, brooding. â€Å"You should tell Charlie, though.† â€Å"Why in the world would I do that?† His eyes were suddenly fierce. â€Å"To give me some small incentive to bring you back.† I gulped. But, after a moment of thought, I was sure. â€Å"I think I'll take my chances.† He exhaled angrily, and looked away. â€Å"Let's talk about something else,† I suggested. â€Å"What do you want to talk about?† he asked. He was still annoyed. I glanced around us, making sure we were well out of anyone's hearing. As I cast my eyes around the room, I caught the eyes of his sister, Alice, staring at me. The others were looking at Edward. I looked away swiftly, back to him, and I. asked the first thing that came to mind. â€Å"Why did you go to that Goat Rocks place last weekend†¦ to hunt? Charlie said it wasn't a good place to hike, because of bears.† He stared at me as if I was missing something very obvious. â€Å"Bears?† I gasped, and he smirked. â€Å"You know, bears are not in season,† I added sternly, to hide my shock. â€Å"If you read carefully, the laws only cover hunting with weapons,† he informed me. He watched my face with enjoyment as that slowly sank in. â€Å"Bears?† I repeated with difficulty. â€Å"Grizzly is Emmett's favorite.† His voice was still offhand, but his eyes were scrutinizing my reaction. I tried to pull myself together. â€Å"Hmmm,† I said, taking another bite of pizza as an excuse to look down. I chewed slowly, and then took a long drink of Coke without looking up. â€Å"So,† I said after a moment, finally meeting his now-anxious gaze. â€Å"What's your favorite?† He raised an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth turned down in disapproval. â€Å"Mountain lion.† â€Å"Ah,† I said in a politely disinterested tone, looking for my soda again. â€Å"Of course,† he said, and his tone mirrored mine, â€Å"we have to be careful not to impact the environment with injudicious hunting. We try to focus on areas with an overpopulation of predators – ranging as far away as we need. There's always plenty of deer and elk here, and they'll do, but where's the fun in that?† He smiled teasingly. â€Å"Where indeed,† I murmured around another bite of pizza. â€Å"Early spring is Emmett's favorite bear season – they're just coming out of hibernation, so they're more irritable.† He smiled at some remembered joke. â€Å"Nothing more fun than an irritated grizzly bear,† I agreed, nodding. He snickered, shaking his head. â€Å"Tell me what you're really thinking, please.† â€Å"I'm trying to picture it – but I can't,† I admitted. â€Å"How do you hunt a bear without weapons?† â€Å"Oh, we have weapons.† He flashed his bright teeth in a brief, threatening smile. I fought back a shiver before it could expose me. â€Å"Just not the kind they consider when writing hunting laws. If you've ever seen a bear attack on television, you should be able to visualize Emmett hunting.† I couldn't stop the next shiver that flashed down my spine. I peeked across the cafeteria toward Emmett, grateful that he wasn't looking my way. The thick bands of muscle that wrapped his arms and torso were somehow even more menacing now. Edward followed my gaze and chuckled. I stared at him, unnerved. â€Å"Are you like a bear, too?† I asked in a low voice. â€Å"More like the lion, or so they tell me,† he said lightly. â€Å"Perhaps our preferences are indicative.† I tried to smile. â€Å"Perhaps,† I repeated. But my mind was filled with opposing images that I couldn't merge together. â€Å"Is that something I might get to see?† â€Å"Absolutely not!† His face turned even whiter than usual, and his eyes were suddenly furious. I leaned back, stunned and – though I'd never admit it to him – frightened by his reaction. He leaned back as well, folding his arms across his chest. â€Å"Too scary for me?† I asked when I could control my voice again. â€Å"If that were it, I would take you out tonight,† he said, his voice cutting. â€Å"You need a healthy dose of fear. Nothing could be more beneficial for you.† â€Å"Then why?† I pressed, trying to ignore his angry expression. He glared at me for a long minute. â€Å"Later,† he finally said. He was on his feet in one lithe movement. â€Å"We're going to be late.† I glanced around, startled to see that he was right and the cafeteria was nearly vacant. When I was with him, the time and the place were such a muddled blur that I completely lost track of both. I jumped up, grabbing my bag from the back of my chair. â€Å"Later, then,† I agreed. I wouldn't forget.

Data Warehouse

The Kimball Lifestyle is the recommended approach to design, develop & deploy he DO/BI, as described in aforementioned text book (eBook). The illustration at Figure 1 summarizes main stages from the Lifestyle. Figure 1: The Kimball DO/BI Lifestyle The Kimball method helps to explain business requirements adding value to an organization. The company must realize this value add, acknowledge it and then decide to implement the solution. (MS. Com, n. D. ).Issues and Process involved in Implementation of DO/BI system Dimensions Business Processes Date Transaction Client outlet Category Type Product Venue Budget Events_organize x Celebrity Booking Advertisement Books Sale Book Distribution Commission payment The Data Warehouse Bus Matrix The main process involved is the development of the Data warehouse Bus Matrix, as it was highlighted in the earlier section. The Enterprise Data Warehouse Bus Matrix is the data framework for the enterprise data warehouse.The Figure below shows the bus mat rix for Jar Bookstore: Data Model Design The Kimball method provides practical approach land selects the right physical model based upon how usable and flexible it is and how is its performance & maintenance. Almost all these type of models are classic star schemas, as shown in Figure 3. The complete information of a process is its central fact table. Its like a first normal form or ‘De-normalized' dimension tables, which surrounds the fact table.Then there are details or dimension tables which can be joined with integer keys called ‘surrogate keys'. This is shown in the below figure. Some researchers call for the normalized, third normal form model at lowest level in data warehouse as this provides Max flexibility. The dimension or detail table bear an analogy to this as will be shown in the subsequent analysis in the later sections. (MS. Com n. . ) Figure 3: An orders business process star schema Star Schema Model Here is a design of star schema, with clear dimensions with Primary an Foreign Keys.As per the Kimball Method, the star schema represents the Normalized Source Tables. As per the model, the â€Å"dimensions are the objects that participate in an organization's business processes. We generally model these as one table per object. Building the dimension in the TTL system involves joining the various normalized description and hierarchy tables that populate the dimension attributes and writing the results into a single table. (Thorniest, W, 201 1) RED Diagram to provide a complete overview of the Online Bookstore.Data warehouse requires designing Fact tables and dimension tables. As provided earlier the fact table is the central table within star schema of a data warehouse. A fact table contains basic, raw and De-normalized data. For the Jar Bookstore there are three types of facts: (Thorniest, W, 2011) 1. Additive: these are summed up data 2. Semi-Additive: Semi-additive facts that can be summed up for some data only 3. Non-Additive: Non -additive facts are facts that cannot be summed up. In the context of Jar Bookstore we illustrate each these three types of facts.The first example assumes that we are a retailer, and we have a fact table with the follows Eng columns: Date Store Sales Amount This table records the sales amount for each product in each store on a daily basis. This data is extracted in the excel sheet as well and will be analyzed in the later sections. The Jar Bookstore has the following fact table: Date Books Current Balance Profit_Margin The object of this table is to record the current balance for each account at the end of each day (DOD Balance).

Library management system Essay

In one of the first papers on library management systems (LMS) in the UK to be published during the review period of 1991-2000, Arfield 1 describes how the changing economics of computing resulted in staff at Reading University Library wishing to move away from a system shared between various libraries to an integrated library management system under local control. Reading had been a member of the SWALCAP (originally standing for the South Western Academic Libraries Co-operative Automation Project) which had provided shared cataloguing and circulation services to a number of academic libraries in the UK since 1979. However, ageing equipment was becoming increasingly unreliable and staff at Reading felt that the SWALCAP service was unable to cope with the increasing number of terminals that were required for the users. This situation was replicated in other academic and public libraries at the start of the 1990s and many moved over, or migrated, to integrated library management systems (in Reading’s case the LIBS 100 system from CLSI was chosen). Jones 2, of the House of Lords Library, describes how the decline in the number of customers of the shared services resulted in the decision by SLS (SWALCAP Library Services) to withdraw this service. Following a study undertaken by an external consultant (when it was recommended that a multi-user integrated LMS be chosen) a decision was made to implement the ADVANCE system from the company Geac in the House of Lords. Another reason for libraries choosing to replace their LMS during this period was the fact that some LMSs were not designed to cop e with dates in the 2000s –i.e. they were not Year 2000 (or Y2K) compliant. Many of the integrated LMSs, such as CLSI’s LIBS 100 and Geac’s ADVANCE, were developed during the 1980s so that by the 1990s these comprised a number of modules to cover the general library housekeeping functions of: Cataloguing – creating records for material held in the collection Circulation – keeping track of who has what item from the collection on loan Providing access to the catalogue – via an Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) Acquisitions – selecting and ordering items for the collection and maintaining the accounts Serials control –managing the acquisition of serial publications and so dealing with challenges such as claiming for missing issues. Interlibrary lending – to enable books and serials to be borrowed from different libraries. Most LMSs are now integrated, i.e.data is only held once by the system and is then used by all the modules and functions. This has an obvious benefit as a search of an OPAC can inform the user as to the number of copies of the title are held, where they are housed, as well as whether or not they are out on loan, and if so when they are likely to be returned. The libraries of the early 1990s, be they public, university, college, medical, government, legal, industrial, or school, dealt primarily with printed materials such as books, reports, scholarly journals and so on, as well as what were referred to as non-book materials, such as films, videos, tape-slide productions, CD-ROMs and so on. However, by the end of the 1990s the huge impact of the Internet and the World Wide Web meant that staff in libraries increasingly were involved in not just managing the collections housed physically within the four walls of their library building but were also involved in providing access to a vast range of digital information sources of potential relevance to their users which were housed outwith the library building. This mixture of providing access to print and digital collections caused some writers, e.g. Oppenheim and Smithson 3 , to refer to the development of the hybrid library. For staff working in libraries in the early 1990s the LMSs were, for many, their first experiences in using computers. By the end of the 1990s though, following much training in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as part of the Electronic Libraries Programme (eLib) in the UK’s academic libraries (Rusbridge4) and the People’s Network in public libraries ( Library and Information Commission 5) staff became much more familiar with using computer systems. The functionality required by LMSs inevitably evolved during the 1990s and some suppliers kept pace with technological developments whereas others failed. Another development of the 1990s was that many smaller libraries were able to afford to buy LMSs as systems began to cost thousands (or in some cases hundreds) of pounds rather than hundreds of thousands of pounds. A number of books appeared during the decade providing, inter alia, advice to librarians involved in selecting and managing LMSs. Examples include Clayton with Batt6 , Harbour7, Rowley 8 9 and Tedd 10. Managing the Electronic Library 11 covers a wider area than LMS with 40 contributors, mainly from the UK academic community. The main theme of this book is change and how staff in university libraries were responding in the 1990s to the rapidly changing higher education system in the UK with its increasing student numbers and greater diversity and requirement for flexibility of access to information. For many libraries the challenge relating to LMS was not necessarily choosing a new system ‘from scratch’ but migrating from one system to another as described earlier. Muirhead’s book12 includes a number of case studies written by library staff from a range of different types of library describing their experiences in migration. Muirhead also edited the British version of a book13 on planning for library automation which was written in the US. Brief descriptions of some of the LMS available In this section brief descriptions will be given of some of the LMSs used in UK libraries between 1991 and 2000. Further details are provided in the excellent directory of 30 LMS compiled by Leeves with Russell 14 through funding from the British Library Research and Development Department (BLR&DD) under the auspices of the Library Information Technology Centre (LITC) at South Bank University in London. The LITC was a centre which, in 1991, moved from its former base at the Polytechnic of Central London to the then South Bank Polytechnic. LITC was funded by the BLR&DD to offer impartial advice on LMSs and general automation projects to librarians and information professionals. Staff at LITC were involved in a number of activities related to LMSs including the production of briefing documents, guides (e.g. 15 16) , introductory packs (e.g. for special sectors, such as school libraries17), providing consultancy advice to individual libraries choosing a new LMS, being involved in funded research work and publishing the journal Vine. The Leeves with Russell directory was based, in part, on an earlier directory (Leeves et al. 18) of some 29 LMS in Europe; of these over 50% referred to LMS used in UK libraries at that time. Other references to case studies describing particular implementations have, in the main, been taken from the journals Program: electronic library and information systems and Vine. ADLIB This LMS was initially developed in the 1980s by Lipman Management Resources of Maidenhead and in the 1990s was supplied by Adlib Information Systems. Leeves with Russell record 11 users of ADLIB in the mid-1990s most of which, ten, were special libraries. An example of a library and information service implementing ADLIB is provided by Wilsher19 who describes the decision made by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) to choose the catalogue, OPAC and acquisitions modules of this system to replace the previous BookshelF system used when ACAS was part of the UK government’s Department of Employment. ALEPH 500 Ex Libris developed its first LMS, the forerunner of the ALEPH 500 system, for the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in the 1980s and it became a popular system in Europe. The first customer for ALEPH 500 in the UK was King’s College London (KCL) which, in 1996, was looking for a new LMS to replace the soon to be defunct LIBERTAS system. Sudell and Robinson 20 describe that procurement process and explain how its use of industry standards (Unix, Oracle, Windows, SQL etc.) was one of the major reasons for its being chosen for King’s. Many other academic libraries followed KCL in choosing ALEPH 500 including Bristol, as described by King21. ALICE This LMS originated in Australia and was introduced into the UK market in 1992. It is primarily aimed at school libraries and has proved to be popular with Leeves with Russell recording some 320 users in special, college and prison libraries as well as in schools. Darroch 22 provides a brief description of the place of ALICE in the LMS marketplace in the late 1990s. ALS Automated Library Systems (ALS) is a British company that has been involved with computer-based library systems since the late 1960s when it developed a special device based on punched paper-tape for automatically recording details of books and borrowers at a library’s issue desk. During the 1990s the suppliers developed a version of the ALS System 900 which would run on open systems platforms (as opposed to the previous proprietary hardware and software solution) as well as dealing with Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) developments in the acquisitions module. Ashton23 describes how EDI with ALS was used at Hertfordshire Libraries Arts and Information Service. BookshelF/Genesis BookshelF originated as a microcomputer-based software package developed in the 1980s for the Cairns Library at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. However, by the 1990s the multi-user system of BookshelF became known as Genesis and was marketed by the Specialist Computer Group (SCG). Rowley 24 describes how this LMS was one of the first to run as a Windows product with a graphical user interface (GUI). Further details of BookshelF are provided by Fisher and Rowley 25. Leeves with Russell report that takeup of this new LMS had been quite rapid during the early 1990s with there being 37 customers (mainly college or small academic) including both previous BookshelF customers which had upgraded to the new improved system as well as new customers. CAIRS-LMS The Computer Assisted Information Retrieval System (CAIRS) was initially developed as an inhouse information retrieval system for the Leatherhead Food Research Association in the mid-1970s. CAIRS-LMS was developed to complement this and was used by those libraries in the 1990s which typically had sophisticated information retrieval requirements and comparatively low numbers of loans. Perrow26 describes the upgrade from the microcomputer version of CAIRS (MicroCAIRS) to CAIRS-LMS at Templeton College. Leeves with Russell record 218 users of CAIRS-LMS, the vast majority of which were special libraries. Bennett and Tomlinson27 describe the use of the interlibrary loans module of CAIRS-LMS at the library of the Institutions of Electrical Engineers. DataTrek This LMS originated from software developed in the US but by the 1990s some UK special libraries were using it. Hoey28, for instance, describes its implementation at the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). As similar learned societies, the RSC had been using online information retrieval system since the 1980s and by the 1990s realised the need for a complementary LMS. In 1996 DataTrek, by then part of the Dawson Holdings group, acquired Information Management and Engineering (IME) the producers of the Tinlib software. Dynix/ Horizon The history of Dynix up to the early 1990s is provided by Gilmartin with Beavan29 who were responsible for implementing this LMS at Glasgow Caledonian University. The original Dynix LMS was developed in the US in the 1980s and Leeves with Russell state that there were 68 users of this LMS in the UK in public, university, small academic/college and special libraries. During the 1990s a client-server LMS, Horizon, was marketed by the firm Ameritech Library Services, which had merged with Dynix during the 1990s. Hackett and Geddes30 describe the Horizon LMS noting that it was truly scaleable with installations in small special libraries as well as large multi-site academic libraries, although they also note that it might have been argued that Horizon was marketed too early in the UK in 1995, when the product lacked depth of functionality required to deal with the needs of large multi-site universities. However by 1998, when universities including Huddersfield, Middlesex, Staffordshire, Strathclyde and Birkbeck College, University of London had implemented Horizon the feeling was that customers were â€Å" beginning to reap the benefits of its fully graphical, client/server construction†. In 2000 Ameritech Library Services became known as epixtech Inc.and continued to supply existing products as well as web-based solutions and services. Galaxy The Galaxy 2000 LMS, from the British firm, DS proved to be a popular system, particularly in public libraries, during the 1990s. Neary31 describes how Birmingham Library service, the biggest metropolitan library authority in the UK with 40 community libraries and the busiest lending library in Europe installed the Galaxy 2000 LMS in 1994 and the upgraded it  to a newer version in 1999. Galaxy 2000 offers the usual LMS modules but also has a separate issuing function for use of the Birmingham’s housebound service. The OPAC module of Galaxy is known as ViewPoint and there have been some 230 ViewPoint terminals located throughout Birmingham since 1994. Geac This Canadian firm Geac first installed its Geac Library Information System in a UK library in 1979 and this software ran on proprietary hardware and was used in several UK libraries in the 1980s. In 1988 Geac acquired an American company, Advanced Libraries, and developed its software, ADVANCE, to run under the Unix operating system and this became its main LMS offering in the 1990s. For instance, in the mid-1990s Edinburgh University upgraded its previous Geac (Geac 9000) system to ADVANCE, Newcastle University chose this system as did the public library at Hamilton District Libraries in Scotland, the National Library of Wales and the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford. A history of library automation at the Bodleian, including the implementation of the DOBIS/LIBIS system in the late 1980s is provided by Crawshaw32 and Burnett 33 describes the 1995 decision to migrate to ADVANCE along with an assessment of the impact of automation on such a large organisation and a catalo gue of some eight million items. Geac ADVANCE was the basis for the Oxford Library Information System (OLIS) that provided library housekeeping services for many of the Oxford colleges, academic libraries within the university as well as the copyright library. During the 1990s Geac also acquired CLSI and its LIBs 100 LMS and marketed this for some time. Heritage Heritage, like Genesis, was developed from the original BookshelF software although Heritage was initially a single-user system, and was marketed by Logical Choice (which became known as Inheritance Systems during the 1990s) in Oxford. Alper 34 describes the implementation of Heritage in a small one-librarian medical service and concluded that this LMS had proved to be a great time-saver in issuing and claiming books and had excellent statistical reporting facilities. In 1997 the library at the Central School of Speech and Drama, having outgrown its previous LMS, needed a new system. Edwards 35 describes the selection process for this new system which resulted in a short list of four LMS ranging in price from  £3,000 –  £27,400. Heritage was chosen ( at a cost of  £11,350) and the paper describes some of the innovative features of this LMS. INNOPAC/ Millennium Innovative Interfaces Inc. (III) is an American company which started to market the INNOPAC LMS in the UK in the early 1990s with the first customer being the library at the University of Wales, Bangor. In 1995 staff at the University of Hull, as described by Leeson 36, chose INNOPAC to replace the previous Geac 9000 as it had improved functionality. In 1997 III acquired the UK company SLS and its LIBERTAS software. Towards the end of the 1990s III started to develop its Millennium system which, inter alia, provided a web-based interface for each module. Users of Millennium in the UK included Sheffield Hallam University, St. Andrew’s University, and St. Mary’s University College in Twickenham. The School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London chose Millennium because of its proven ability to deal with Chinese, Japanese and Korean material. Myhill37 provides a personal insight into the challenges faced at the University of Exeter in migrating from th e LIBERTAS LMS to Millennium. LIBERTAS The stand-alone LMS LIBERTAS, of SLS, was designed with assistance from many of the systems librarians who were working in the libraries of member universities of the SWALCAP co-operative. LIBERTAS was launched in 1986 and initially incorporated modules for cataloguing, OPAC, and circulation control. Leeves with Russell report 46 users of LIBERTAS in UK libraries by the mid-1990s. Bradford38 outlines the advantages and disadvantages of using the ILL module of LIBERTAS at Bristol University, which was an original member of SWALCAP. In 1997 SLS was sold to III and support for the LIBERTAS system declined. OLIB Smith39 describes how the Bar Library in Belfast which serves all practising barristers in Northern Ireland implemented the OLIB LMS from the British  firm Fretwell Downing in 1996. The requirements for this special library included the need to provide a document management/delivery service for members as well as an efficient system for managing the library. Initially the Bar Library used the cataloguing, circulation and OPAC modules of OLIB with the intention of implementing the acquisitions and serials modules at a later date. Talis The other early co-operative for library automation in the UK was BLCMP- or Birmingham Libraries Co-operative Mechanisation project. Like SWALCAP it had developed stand-alone software for its members which, in the early 1990s, was known as BLS – BLCMP’s Library System- and included modules for acquisitions, OPAC, circulation control and serials control. In 1992 BLCMP announced a new Unix-based system known as Talis. Like LIBERTAS, Talis had been designed in conjunction with the co-operative’s member libraries. It was based on a modular principles using computing industry standards for an open systems design. Among the early users of Talis were the John Rylands Library of the University of Manchester and the public library of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Leeves with Russell report 30 users of Talis in the mid-1990s, most of which were university or public libraries in the UK. Wilson 40 describes the experiences of migrating from BLS to Talis at Nene College, the first institution to undertake this migration and produced a lengthy list of ‘morals of migration’. In 1999 the organisation supplying Talis ceased being a co-operative of member libraries and became a commercial company. This decision followed much consultation with the members of the co-operative and the new company stated that strong customer relationships and customer focus would remain central to the culture of the business. Tinlib Tinlib, also known as the Information Navigator, was developed by the British firm IME in the 1980s. It was one of the earliest systems to offer a navigational facility and to make use of Windows for display and selection of data. Leeves with Russell report that there were 315 users of Tinlib in the mid-1990s in the UK although a full customer list was not supplied.  Chappell and Thackeray41 outline the need for an automated system to replace the existing manual systems at the library of the Arts Council of Great Britain and how the use of Tinlib had increased the effectiveness and efficiency of the library and made its collections much more accessible. Unicorn Haines42 describes her experiences during 1990 in attempting to negotiate the acquisition of an American system, Unicorn, from the Sirsi Corporation, which was previously not available in Europe, for use in a British independent health fund, the King’s Fund. Sirsi was determined not to enter the European market without a partner with expertise in library software support and with the necessary technical skills in Unix systems. This was finally achieved and the system was successfully launched in the UK in 1991. Leeves with Russell reported some 37 users of Unicorn most of which were medical, legal or government libraries. Cree43, for instance, outlines how Unicorn was introduced into the UK government’s Department of Health library where it needed to be integrated with the Department’s office information system and added to a large network with multiple applications. By the end of the 1990s Unicorn was used in a variety of libraries including the Cheltenham and G loucester College of Higher Education, the London School of Economics, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal Veterinary College, and the library at the Natural History Museum. Voyager Endeavor Information Systems was formed in the US in 1994 and its first product was its Voyager LMS. The WebVoyage module of Voyager allows web browsers to query the Voyager database, which is based on the Oracle relational database management system. Voyager became the LMS of choice for a number of libraries looking for new systems following the demise of LIBERTAS. In Wales , for instance, the university libraries of Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Lampeter and Swansea as well as the Welsh College of Music and Drama were all faced with choosing a new system and they decided to approach the selection process in a consortial way, as described by West44. Each institution was free to choose its own system following the selection process. In the event all chose Voyager from Endeavor and these systems were  implemented, with differing OPAC interfaces in 1999. Knights45 outlines the procurement and migration experiences at Hertfordshire University Library in moving also from LIBERTAS to Voyager. Inevitably not all the LMSs offered all modules in a way that satisfied all staff in libraries. In the 1990s there were some examples of libraries which had one LMS for most of its applications but used another for a specific function. For instance, Edwards46 describes that although Croydon Libraries had automated its circulation and stock control procedures for many years a decision had been made to delay the automation of the acquisitions processes as the LMS in place (CLSI’s LIBS 100) did not satisfy the needs of the acquisitions staff. In 1997 the acquisitions module from ALS’s Meritus LMS was used, in conjunction with a network solution for EDI ordering and invoicing was implemented. The requirements for interlibrary loans (ILL) within the UK which for many libraries involves the use of the centralised British Library’s Document Supply Centre have not always been met by LMSs, particularly those developed outside the UK. Leeves47 describes solutions for autom ating ILL in the early part of the 1990s and Prowse 48 describes the process of developing an ILL module for the ALEPH 500 LMS that had been installed at KCL. Reports in the literature of overviews of LMS during 1991-2000 Apart from the Leeves with Russell directory which includes details of users of the different LMS there have also been other studies and surveys undertaken during the period. In 1991 Blunden-Ellis49 reported on an update to a previous survey and aimed to provide an analysis of the UK market for LMS in a form that complemented the US annual LMS marketplace survey (e.g. Bridge50). The data for this market analysis was retrieved from questionnaires sent to LMS suppliers including ALS, BLS, CLSI, DS, Dynix, Fretwell Downing, Geac, IME and SLS. He concluded that DS was the overall market leader and that there was plenty of evidence of suppliers enhancing their products. In conclusion he stated that â€Å" This market will become increasingly competitive on economic, geographic and technological levels and so no vendor, even with a good current share, can confidently expect a ‘blue skies future. Investment in research and development and customer satisfaction remain the key activities for the immediate future.† By 1992 Blunden-Ellis51 reported that BLS had the market share with SLS as second. These were both established major forces and newer suppliers in the market at that time, i.e. Dynix and IME were performing well. In the final survey in this series Blunden-Ellis and Graham52 extended the coverage of their questionnaire as it was sent to 38 suppliers identified by the LITC and 29 responses were received. Previous surveys had concentrated on larger LMS suppliers and since this survey included many smaller LMS suppliers a total of nine market segments was identified. The Web was just beginning to impact on libraries at the time of this last survey and the final point made was that library housekeeping systems will become just one of a suite of services designed to deliver packaged information quickly and effortlessly. A different perspective on the use of, and growth of, LMS in public libraries in the UK has been provided in other surveys. In 1991 Dover53 reported on a survey undertaken through funding from the UK government’s Office of Arts and Libraries through the BLR&DD. Questionnaires were sent to 109 public library authorities and 95 responses were analysed. Batt, then of the London Borough of Croydon, carried out a series of six surveys of information technology in public libraries between 1984 and 1997. Comparisons year on year though are problematic given various local government reorganisations, such as that in 1997. In the sixth edition54 he reported that 95% of the 168 authorities surveyed had some form of automated circulation system in at least one service point. This compared with 82% in the previous survey of 1993. He also found that 38% has an automated circulation system in all their libraries. Table 1 shows some of the LMS used. Table 1 LMS used in public libraries as reported by Batt in 1997 1993 1997 ALS913 BLS1532 CLSI/GEAC PLUS119 DS2836 Dynix1520 Genesis8 Unicorn1 Availability of an OPAC had featured on Batt’s questionnaire since 1985 and his report shows the shift from seven authorities with some form of OPAC in 1985 to 143 in 1997 – a considerable shift. Automated acquisitions were reported in 76% of the authorities and 26% (44 of the 168) were also using EDI to communicate with a range of suppliers. An intriguing view of LMS in the 1990s is provided by Heseltine 55 who outlines the history and current state of the LMS market using the stages through which Christian passes in Pilgrim’s Progress. The ‘delights’ to be found at the end of the journey were described as: improvements in the user interface. He noted that many of the LMSs were developed from systems of the 1970s and 1980s which had rudimentary user interfaces access to a wider range of information  improved management information  systems designed for end users and not library staff implementation of standards. Yeates56 also wrote about how the LMSs of the 1990s reflected a conservative view of the library as a passive repository which took little account of the needs of the users and of the possibility of dynamic interaction. However, in a study of 10 libraries from the academic, public and special sectors which had purchased library management systems in the mid-1990s Murray 57 found that some of Heseltine’s ‘delights’ had come to pass as he noted the following: New generation LMSs are more flexible (portable and easier to use, more powerful in terms of connectivity) and incorporate industry standards. New LMSs are less staff intensive (in terms of support and backup). More suppliers now offer software only packages. Client/server systems and Windows-based LMSs have yet to become a mandatory requirement in the procurement process. Some of the libraries had taken the views of their end users into account when having systems demonstrated. The production of management information remained an area of difficulty for some systems. There was unanimity in the belief that Web developments in terms of software being provided by sippliers and the ability to link from the LMS to the Internet would dominate the marketplace. Raven 58 provides a very general review of the LMS marketplace for academic libraries in 2000 and notes that â€Å"Deciding on a new library management system has become much more difficult for universities in the UK in the last two years. The range continues to expand rapidly and if you’ve grown with your present system for the last ten years or so , change can be a frightening prospect.† Some developments in LMS between 1991-2000 Akeroyd59 provides an overview of integrated LMS towards the end of the decade in his introductory paper to a special issue of Vine on LMS in 1999. His developments have been used as a basis for this section although other aspects have also been added. Technological developments Many of the early LMSs used their own specially developed operating systems. However, during the 1990s many suppliers moved to developing systems that ran on the Unix operating system. Similarly many of the early LMSs were designed around specially developed database management systems. During the 1990s there was a move away from these to industry standard relational database management systems such as Ingres (used by Galaxy 2000), Informix (used by Unicorn), Oracle (used by ALEPH and Olib) and Sybase (used by Horizon and Talis). Another technological development of the 1990s was the adoption of the client-server architecture. In this model a split is made between the applications software (which runs on a computer known as the client) and the database software (which runs on a computer known as the server). The two communicate with each other over a network using a communications protocol (or set of rules). Processing which involves data manipulation or aspects of screen display can be carried out on the client computer and only database queries from the client and responses from the server need to be communicated across the network. Self service An important development during the 1990s was the installation of self-issue and self-renewal machines in libraries so that users can issue and return their own books. The library at the University of Sunderland was one of the first to use machines from the 3M company for this purpose. Stafford 60 describes this service and highlights the four Ps (preparation, publicity, position and persuasion) necessary for a successful implementation. In 1996 a conference was held at Sunderland on self-issue systems and its proceedings61 contain a number of case studies. A special issue of Vine was published in 1997 on self service in libraries and Cookman62 describes the introduction of a 3M self-issue terminal at Maidenhead public library. The general experience was that library staff accepted the benefits of the new terminal and that on busy days queues had reduced noticeably. However, when the issue desk was quiet it appeared that users preferred the human approach to issuing and returning mat erials. Messages to users by e-mail or text With many users having access to e-mail and/or mobile telephones some LMS have incorporated the facility to use these technologies for sending overdue notices, alerts for reserved items or other communications. Sudell and Robinson63 note that the reader record in the ALEPH 500 system at KCL can hold a variety of addresses. If an e-mail address is entered then that will be first in line, if not the system can handle multiple postal addresses so that an appropriate address may be used depending on whether it is term time or vacation. Improved accessibility via the OPAC and use of the Z39.50 protocol OPACs have always been designed with end users in mind and so the interfaces that have developed over the years from the command-driven and menu-based systems at the start of the decade to the form filling on Web pages have all been intended to be straightforward to use. However the information that is searched i.e. the records in the catalogue database are often stored in MARC format which has little information to support elaborate subject searching. The 856 field of MARC allows the inclusion of a URL into the bibliographic record by the end of the 1990s some OPACs were using this to provide links to digital objects.. A further development of the 1990s related to OPACs was the Z39.50 standard. As defined by Dempsey et al.64 Z39.50 is â€Å" a retrieval protocol which allows client programs to query databases on remote servers, to retrieve results and to carry out some other retrieval-related functions.† The main impact of this is that it enables users to, say, search the OPAC of a neighbouring library (which might perhaps use the Horizon LMS) using the same user interface as the local library (which might be based on the Talis LMS). For this to happen the relevant LMSs need to have appropriate software to make them Z39.50 compatible. A list of LMS with this capability is provided by Dempsey et al. and includes: ADVANCE, ALEPH, DataTrek, Dynix, Horizon, INNOPAC, LIBERTAS, OLIB, Talis, Tinlib and Unicorn. Brack65 describes t he RIDING Project which resulted from one of the eLib Programme’s large scale resource discovery (clumps) projects and which provided a Z39.50 Search and Retrieve facility for all the Yorkshire and Humberside university OPACs, plus the British Library Document Supply Centre databases and the Leeds Library and Information Service OPAC. Catalogue record provision Most LMS allow for original cataloguing of bibliographic records as well as for allowing the import of, usually MARC, records from external sources. Although not all LMSs use the MARC record for internal processing of records they usually do include the ability to input or output records in this format. The early UK co-operatives of BLCMP and SWALCAP developed large databases of MARC records which proved valuable to the cataloguers of their respective member libraries. Many of these records have now been incorporated into the OCLC database in the US and made available internationally. Retrospective cataloguing of materials held in libraries continues and Bryant’s report66 outlines the issues, opportunities and need for a national strategy in this area. Examples of consortial working Although the BLCMP and SWALCAP co-operatives had disappeared by the end of  the 1990s there were several examples of other consortial projects and systems related to LMSs. Some of these consortia were formed as part of the eLib Programme, others, such as the Welsh academic libraries already mentioned were linked with the sharing of resources for the procurement of a new LMS. COPAC COPAC is the OPAC of the Consortium of University Research Libraries which provides free access to the merged catalogues of 20+ major university research libraries in the UK and Ireland. Cousins67 describes the development of COPAC and its launch in the mid-1990s. COPAC is an example of a physical merged catalogue i.e. all the records from all the libraries are combined into one database and checks are made to identify duplicate records. During the 1990s COPAC was available via a text interface as well as a Web interface. M25 consortium The M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries was formed in 1993 with the aim of fostering co-operation amongst its London-based, higher education member libraries in order to improve services to users. In 1998 the M25 Link project was funded as part of the eLib Programme and aimed to establish a pilot virtual clump to provide single search access to the library catalogues of six members of the M25 Consortium. The project consisted of a seamless search tool, using the Z39.50 protocol, to the OPACs of the six pilot partners which between them had a range of LMSs including: Horizon, INNOPAC, Libertas, Talis and Unicorn. An overview of the work undertaken by the M25 Consortium is provided by Enright68. Foursite consortium Froud 69 describes the Foursite consortium of four public libraries in the South West of England which came together to identify replacement computer requirements and which subsequently went on to share a single LMS operated by one of its members, Somerset. The Foursite consortium demonstrated that significant cost savings could be achieved at all stages in the process of specifying, selecting and implementing an LMS provided: political support and enthusiasm by members of the consortium flexible management in all authorities who were prepared to make sacrifices in the interest of the consortium’s objectives, coupled with an openness that precluded any hidden agendas tight project management clear terms of reference for individual groups and clear ground rules good communication systems  expert technical advice. Use of project management methodologies There was some evidence during the 1990s of project management methodologies being used for the procurement and implementation of LMSs. Lewis70 describes the use of the PRINCE (Projects IN Controlled Environments) methodology at the University of Wales Bangor for the procurement, in conjunction with the North East Wales Institute, of a replacement LMS. PRINCE is a project management methodology used within government departments. Chambers and Perrow71 report on a questionnaire carried out as part of a study on the sue of project management methodologies generally in university libraries in the UK. Of the 80 university librarians who responded, 28% had used project management software – and the most popular software was Microsoft Project. Closer links between LMSs and archives Suffolk County Council’s Libraries and Heritage is an example of an organisation which covers public libraries, record offices, arts and museums. Suffolk had installed its first LMS (a batch system to deal with circulation in conjunction with a microfiche catalogue) in 1980. By 1987 this had been replaced with an LMS using proprietary hardware, software and communications which managed circulation, acquisitions, cataloguing, community information, the OPAC, e-mail, dial-in facilities and management information. In 1995, when the time came to replace this LMS, the aim was to provide a system which would use generic hardware, software and communications which would provide a networking infrastructure to bring Internet access to all branches and which would also serve the needs of Suffolk’s archives and museums. Pachent 72 describes the procurement process which resulted in the acquisition of DS Ltd’s Galaxy 2000 and the CALM 2000 systems. Closer links between LMSs and archives in the public sector was enhanced during the decade by the formation of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) ( and its forerunner Re:Source) as the strategic body working with, and for museums, archives and libraries. Fitzgerald and Flanagan 73 describe the implementation of the Unicorn system at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew for managing its collections of archives as well as books. Human aspects One of the core texts related to the human aspects of the use of computers in libraries is that by Morris and Dyer74. In the introduction to this work the authors note that there are many pitfalls on the road to the successful implementation of any computer system, such as an LMS, in a library and that if people respond badly to the introduction of the new system, the anticipated effectiveness will not be achieved. They also note that poor workstation and job design can result in poor health and can induce, or increase, stress and that poorly designed user interfaces can result in under-used systems and a decrease in accuracy. The book provides much advice as to how to overcome such challenges and to design systems that are human-friendly. The role of the systems librarian developed during the 1990s. Following research funded in the early 1990s by the BLR&DD Muirhead75 reported on the result of a questionnaire aimed at identifying the education, qualifications, previous experience and so on of staff who were involved in the day to day running of LMSs in libraries in the UK and also edited a book76 containing a series of case studies. Stress related to technology, or ‘technostress’, emerged as an identifiable condition during the 1990s. Harper 77 noted that with UK libraries undergoing increasingly rapid technological change at the end of the 1990s this change would have consequences at every level of an organisation, all of which must be managed. He advised that managers need to adopt solutions which range from addressing technical and health issues to being prepared to review job descriptions and roles. Further information on how the implementation of an LMS has effects on job design and staffing structures is provided by Dyer et al.78 whereas Daniels 79 looks on the effect the implementation of an LMS has had on non-professional staff in three college libraries. Some final thoughts Inevitably there have been many changes and developments related to the provision and availability of library management systems during the 1990s. Much appeared in the literature on experiences of libraries in choosing and implementing particular LMSs. One aspect that was promised in LMSs and that probably was not used greatly during the 1990s was the management information delivered from LMS. By the end of the 1990s some LMSs incorporated interfaces to standard tools such as Microsoft’s Excel for the presentation of statistical data. During the 1990s there was an almost total lack of reporting on ways of evaluating LMSs once they had been installed. Given the large amounts of resources, in terms of time and money, invested in procuring LMSs it is perhaps surprising that libraries have not carried out a post-implementation review, although there may well be reasons for this including, for instance: no-one requested in  not enough time,  no money ,no suitable staff to carry out the evaluation  fear of drawing attention to an LMS’s defects soon after large amounts of time, money and collective energy ahs been expended lack of a baseline for comparison of improved service. However, there are many reasons why a post-implementation evaluation of an LMS should take place. Such reasons include to: determine if the broader goals of the library are being met by the LMS determine if the particular goals of implementing the LMS have been met determine if the system as delivered satisfies the contract enable others to learn from the experience  provide an account to the funding body of the money spent on the LMS  investigate complaints from the staff or users about the system establish a benchmark showing at what level of performance the LMS is operating. Akeroyd 80 concluded his overview of LMSs with a description of some of the functionality required by future systems and which were beginning to be investigated in some research projects at the end of the 1990s. These included: the integration of multiple sources and systems, both of bibliographic information and the full-text of documents the simplification of access to sources  the personalisation of systems  a change in the way that software is created and maintained. Only a review of the next years would provide an overview of such future developments.   

Entrepreneurship Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Entrepreneurship - Case Study Example However, in recent days, the concept has been altered greatly and presently it includes several social as well as political elements. Entrepreneurship has a considerable significance in the present business scenario as consumers are greatly influenced by innovative business ideas. The world has witnessed the emergence of many eminent entrepreneurs who contributed to the growth of modern business concepts. At this juncture, this paper will evaluate the entrepreneurial success of James Caan in his venture Hamilton Bradshaw and how his attitudes, approaches, and strategies have played a major role in the success of his venture. James Caan James Caan is a UK entrepreneur who was born in 1960 in Lahore, Pakistan. Caan, who got popularity for his innovations has been developing and selling business ventures since 1985. Lahore Business School has expressed its admiration to Caan when it awarded honorary doctorate to this innovative entrepreneur. The business world witnessed Caan’s he ight of confidence when he sold his venture, the Alexander Mann Group, a company with turnover of ?130m and operations in 50 countries. Recently in 2010, Caan launched his new venture HB Real Estate into market with intent to target investments. History of Hamilton Bradshaw ‘Hamilton Bradshaw is a leading mid-market private equity firm’ which is headquartered at London and it is founded by James Caan in 20031. James Caan himself made whole investments to commence this business venture and that makes the Hamilton Bradshaw different from other similar private firms. Even though Hamilton Bradshaw is a mid-market firm, it has business interests in all sectors of the industry. It ‘invests in companies across sectors and at all stages’ irrespective of the business traditions of firms; Hamilton Bradshaw is also interested in Real Estate business and it has reserved an amount of $35 million for the purpose2. Caan got a gap year after he sold his shares in Alexander Mann, Humana Mann, and Recruitment International. During this period, Caan closely watched different market sectors in addition to his advanced management study at Harvard. From his observations, Caan identified that many industries collapsed as they had failed to develop innovative concepts, and sufficient financial sources that were highly necessary. Caan had good experience in recruitment and hence he believed that the concept of HB would play a vital role in the business world if it made equity investments in financially and strategically struggling companies. Moreover, the sale of Alexander Mann also persuaded Caan to begin this new venture. James Caan strongly believed that major portions of corporate failures can be avoided if the firms are provided with sufficient strategic advices and financial assistance. Hence, HB not only finances the companies but also closely examines their business strategies. It will also identify the most appropriate resources in order to safeguard HB’s interests in those companies. Caan also believed that inter-cooperation between international business houses would avert business failures to a large extent. Since HB is a huge company having world wide network of top performing business houses, it can assist weaker member firms to get access into HB’s global network of resources and thereby increase their operational efficiency. Caan’s admirable innovativeness is evident in the success of

Is Miltons Satan the hero of Paradise Lost in any way other than being Research Paper

Is Miltons Satan the hero of Paradise Lost in any way other than being the effective protagonist Is it possible to sympathize with him - Research Paper Example The paper will give an account of Milton’s treatment of Satan, while taking into account the critical tradition and debate represented by some of Teskey critics mentioned above. Like other epics, Milton’s poem, Paradise Lost celebrates a culture or a religion he fervently fought for. Satan is one character who has and still provokes emotions such as loathe, despise, and terror. However, these emotions are mainly elicited by the societal reflections on Satan and not from individual experiences. Generally, Satan is a character who is admired by some writers due to his reputation of pursuing evil. Milton is one such writer who demonstrates Satan as a hero though in a negative way (Herman and Sauer 50-54). Milton did not intend to popularize the evilness associated with Satan. On the contrary, he wants to establish Satan’s motive of wanting to be above his peers. While describing the Creation and Fall of Man, Milton focuses more on roles of Satan other than those of God. However, he is able to defend God’s superiority and virtuous intentions and portray Satan as malicious and compelling. Milton’s depicts Satan as one who understands our interests and plans to use this knowledge to deceive us into believing that he cares for us ("Answerable Style": The Genre of Paradise Lost Web). According to C. S. Lewis, â€Å"Every poem can be considered in two ways- as what the poet has to say and as a thing which he makes. From the one point of view it is an expression of opinions and emotions; from the other, it is an organization of words which exists to produce a particular patterned experience in readers† (Milton and Gordon, â€Å"Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism† 404). Milton’s poem has different variations of epic conventions, which makes it prevalent. In Paradise Lost, Satan is one of the characters whom some critics such as William Blake and Percy Bysshe Shelley consider the epic hero of the poem. This

Organized Crime in the United States Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organized Crime in the United States - Assignment Example If push comes to shove, Mafia usually ends up with an option to murder and other related act of crimes just to make it a point to achieve its objectives. Organized crime just like the Mafia continues to exist today because it has substantial hold prior to its foundation and sustainability. Its operations as an organization substantially involve both economic and political concerns. In this reason, it is always an opportunity for Mafia to have tie up with corrupt political machines (Mallory, 2007). Not only that, it also ensures to have strong link with other powerful few in the society. In this way, they could have more freedom to initiate everything prior to the achievement of their objectives. Furthermore, social disorganization in the face of gangs usually evolves into a group something bigger and ends up like organized crime (Mallory, 2007). This means, culture in making violence persists and even could form into something more systematic just with the case of organized crime. The U.S. criminal justice system is dealing with the American Mafia due to the following reasons. First, part in the judicial investigation and emancipation of law, there is a concrete battle on how to define Mafia or even organized crime. The state tries to come up with concrete definition how to define organized crime and substantially includes Mafia in this category (Lyman & Potter, 2007; Mallory, 2007). Another point is the fact that the US justice system is not oblivious about the crimes committed by this group that at some point may lead to terroristic activities. That is why The Patriot Act may substantially deal with this issue (Reichel, 2007). This eventually paves the way to investigate further this group and even subject their actuation to the rule of law in order to ensure that justice system prevails in the state. For this reason, the US criminal justice system views the cases of crimes committed by Mafia in the same

Selfies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Selfies - Assignment Example However, some older people are trying to use selfies in the quest of associating themselves with the young generation. Selfies are though to have more benefits than disadvantages and have attracted the attention of the older generation which has been trying to use selfies to associate with the youth. Selfies are self taken photographs and with the right photo angle and posture, selfies may result in eye catching portraits, images and photos (Kraus, 2005). Selfies were not known before 2005. As camera mobile phones started to be popular, self portraits started to be appreciated. People started taking their own photos in different places and time. When social media came into being, people felt that it would be a good idea to share their selfies with their friends and family. Argument Block One Some people in the society feel that selfies are not good while others believe that they are good for the young adults and teenagers. Critics of selfies claim that the young especially those who have not gotten to adulthood may not know the limits of taking selfies. True to that, some adolescents may go to the extent of taking inappropriate selfies for example naked images. Though they are self taken and probably in secret, they would not have a good image if they are shared through the social media. Proponents of selfies disregard this claim stating that the self taken portraits are for self expression. As such, they should not matter how they are taken as long as they are expressing an issue or concern (Day, 2013). A teenager may take a selfie of some part of the body like to hear the comments of their friends for example. Teenagers that are vulnerable to relatively inappropriate selfies are those that are weight gain sensitive yet their friends are spread across the country or the globe. They would want to request their friends to comment yet they want instantaneous answers or responses after they are informed they look in a certain way, for instance being told they look fat. Some people can go to the extent of taking a selfie of their entire body to get the right response from their friends. People taking such selfies should use friend specific message media that is specific to their friends. Selfies of such nature should only be sent after requesting their friends accordingly and they approve the suggestion. Argument Block Two Other critics claim that selfies may have negative effects on especially young adolescents and teenagers. Material of all nature is shared through the social media and those who do not have certain knowledge may be curious. As such, they may try experimenting and trying out some things on their own. They are usually afraid to ask their parents. Inappropriate selfies may in fact change the behavior and perception of adolescents towards certain things. Even so, those in support of selfies claim that the content is somehow regulated. Most social media websites cannot be used by those less than thirteen years. By the time someo ne is thirteen years, they know a lot about their bodies. In that case, they would not be adversely affected in case they come across inappropriate images. At the same time, the chances of inappropriate images being posted over the social media is relatively low. In addition, social media sites do not encourage posting of inappropriate selfies. People who are likely to post inappropriate images and content are socialites. It would be extremely hard for adolescents and teenagers having socialites as their friend through social media. However, it cannot be ignored that some teenagers know such celebrities and may search for them on the internet and come across inappropriate content. Argument Block Three Critics argue that selfies are not good and may have a negative

October 2007 IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting Essay

October 2007 IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting - Essay Example housing market, adverse credit conditions, and the rapid appreciation of some currencies could be some of the areas of concern in the days to come. Djoudi confirmed that the World Bank is defining strategic directions to address this growing threat. The World Bank would focus on good governance and financial stability frameworks, knowledge transfer, and cohesive agreements on trade and aid to mitigate the impacts. Otohiko Endo (Temporary Alternate Governor of the Bank and the Fund for JAPAN) suggested that "IMF should establish a new crisis-resolution strategy built upon the responses to the movement of private capital across borders". He said that IMF must set up a user-friendly preventive instrument, taking into consideration the views of major emerging market economies. For surveillance, he recommended that "IMF should shift its emphasis from a static analysis of the current situation toward a dynamic analysis of the risk of financial crises over a medium-term horizon". Globalization was identified as one of the other primary challenges. Globalization has brought uneven benefits to the billions in middle income countries and the developed countries are also facing the opportunities and strains of globalization. A few steps, as suggested by the participants, to mitigate the risks of globalization include: Leveraging the strengths and synergies among the four principal entities that make up the World Bank Group - IBRD, IDA, IFC, and MIGA. IDA 15 replenishment with more contribution from the World Bank. Stronger growth strategy for IFC. Better cooperation between IDA and IFC to boost the private sector in poorer economies. Price simplification and reduction for loans from IBRD. World Bank President Bob Zoellick assured that the development committee would focus on strategic direction of the World Bank Group, IDA15 replenishment, and the role of the Bank in the fight against global climate change. Infratructure is also a basic necessity in the global economic environment, a lack of which is a definite threat to growth. It is serious concern, considering that the investment in infrastructure has declined significantly in developing countries. Corruption in governments is one of the key detriments to infrastructure development. A World Bank report says that Africa could have saved $45 billion in road reconstruction costs if had spent just around $12 billion [in the late 80s] towards maintenance of the roads. So, the issue in most of the developing countries is not only lack of infrastructure, but a lack of will to invest in it, coupled with corruption. Reforms or Changes in IMF Policy The Minister of Finance for Nigeria - Shamsuddeen Usman - emphasized that the developing countries need a greater voice and representation in the two institutions, and the greater voice would come only through the quota arrangements. He called for "at least a tripling of the basic votes for the developing countries, and the other quota and voice reforms, especially using

Operation Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operation Managment - Essay Example n the period of five years, as stated in the case, the number of fire alarms had increased by 96%, putting a strain on the City Fire Departments budget and other resources. Resource allocation, police violence and corruption were some of the problems in the New York Police Department. Resource allocation was also the issue for the ambulance services. In the Fire Project, real life simulation was used as the major model in order to look at the situation. Also, methods such as queuing models for fire company availability, Bayes approach to alarm forecasting, and integer linear programming of fire company relocations. In the Police Project, real life simulation was also used along with optimization and queuing models in order to provide with staffing alternatives. As for the ambulance services, simulation analysis was also used. For the Fire Project, the major solution that was proposed was the closing of 24 fire company locations and disbandment of ten fire companies. The fire company locations were determined in relation with the area they covered, and dependent on their distance to the area that they could service. With the use of management science models, it was found out that in order for the NYC to cut down on costs in relation to the effectiveness of the company, this solution was vital. Also, as for deployment, staffing alternatives were created in order to address the issue of the mismatch between the number of fire companies on duty during peak times of fire alarms. The solution was successful that the NYC government sought the use of management scientists in addressing other problems of resource-allocation and deployment. For the Police Project, staffing alternatives were created from the optimization and queuing models in order to determine the allocation of patrol cars and police officers in different locations of the city that demanded the police services. As for the ambulance services, the solution was to tie up the ambulances to the areas with

Influencing Performance- organization behavior Personal Statement

Influencing Performance- organization behavior - Personal Statement Example This job security would help the employees to work harder to retain their position in the company. Promotions are also necessary to motivate workers and every employee should be given a chance so that he can prove himself. Effective leaders can improve individual performance by using different techniques. It is the duty of an effective leader to analyze all the workers that are under him. It would help him to understand the needs of the workers in accordance to the work that they are being designated. Silverthorne (2005) puts forward that three motivational factors help an employee to work harder. These three factors are appreciation, job nature and job security. Effective leaders can make a secure environment for the workers and provide them with the job that they are most interested in. This would help the employees to work with interest and get motivated accordingly. When I worked for an organization I was motivated in such a way by my leader that I could contribute my creativity to the firm’s growth. The firm was launching a product and it had to decide whether it would target the teenagers or the women. I came up with a recommendation of targeting both the groups through one advertisement. At first my recommendation was not liked by many but later on it was accepted and the advertisement turned out to be very successful.

Profile of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Essay Example for Free

Profile of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Essay Hospital Name: New York-Presbyterian Hospital Address: 525 E 68th St Fl 11, New York, NY 10021-4870, United States Contact Number: (212) 434-5500 Website: http://www.nyp.org Vission: â€Å"To sustain its leadership position in the provision of world class patient care,   t  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   eaching, research, and service to local, state, national, and  international    communities.† (2006, p.2) Mission: â€Å"As a not-for-profit academic medical center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is   committed to its unique and complex mission of providing the highest quality patient  care, teaching, research, and community service.† (2006, p.2) Director: Dr. Philip Wilner Ownership: New York Presbyterian Hospital Dimension: 12-storey building, total beds summed up to 2,335 774 beds equipped with full-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   service hospital (the Greenburg Pavilion), connected to the existing facility.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is an 8-storey parking lot that is 527,000 in square feet. Main Facilities: The Allen Pavilion, Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital of NewYork-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Presbyterian, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Center   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Weill Cornell Medical Center NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division Centers for Excellence: Cancer, Digestive Diseases, Geriatrics, Heart, Orthopedics,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Neuroscience, Pedriatrics, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation Medicine, Tranplants,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Womens Health Types of Services Provided: Medical Services, Surgical Services, Ambulatory Care   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Services, Emergency Care, Specialized   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Services, International and Corporate Health, Elderly Care. Awards and Recognitions Received: New York Magazines Best Hospitals 2006, U.S.News   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World Reports Honor Roll of Americas Best Hospitals (since 1997),   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Americas Top Doctors, New York Magazines 2007 Best Doctors,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   American Alliance of Healthcare Providers Hospital of Choice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Awards, eHealthcare Leadership Award, Greystone Web    Awards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (All were the awards   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   mentioned in the website as of January 30, 2008). Population Served: (As of April 10, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Outpatient Visits: 828,136  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ambulatory Surgeries 47,594   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emergency Visits: 202,154  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inpatient Days: 729,088   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Deliveries: 10,242 Number of Workers: (As of April 10, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Employees: 15,078  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Physicians: 5,588 Affiliations: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Weill Medical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   College of Cornell University. Payer Sources: Blue Cross, Charity Care/Financial Aid, Medicare, Medicaid, Self Payment,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Workers Compensation. References: (n.d.). New York-Presbyterian: The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell.Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   January 30, 2008 from http://www.nyp.org/about/facts-statistics-2006.html. New York-Presbyterian: The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell. Awards and Recognition. Retrieved January 29, 2008 from http://www.nyp.org/about/awards-   recognition.html. (2005). New York Presbyterian Hospital 2005 Community Service Plan Annual   Ã‚   Implementation Report. Retrieved January 30, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://search.med.cornell.edu/search?q=mission-vision%20of%20newyork-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   presbyterianspell=1access=poutput=xml_no_dtdie=UTF-8client   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   =Nyp_Subsite=NYP_Suboe=UTF-8proxystylesheet=NYP (n.d.). New York Presbyterian Hospital. Retrieved January 29, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.bovislendlease.com/llweb/bll/main.nsf/all/fp_newyork_hospital_america. Dun Bradstreet. (2007). The New York and Presbyterian Hospital. Retrieved January 29,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008 from http://www.manta.com/comsite5/bin/pddnb_company.pl?  Ã‚   dlanding=1referid=3550id=06qjjk.