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Existing studies have extensively explored factors that affect users' intentions to use university library website resources (ULWR); yet little attention has been given to factors affecting university library website design. This paper investigates factors that affect university library website design and assesses the success of the university library website from both designers' and users' perspectives. The findings show that when planning a website, university web designers consider university guidelines, review other websites, and consult with experts and other divisions within the library; however, resources and training for the design process are lacking. While website designers assess their websites as highly successful, user evaluations are somewhat lower. Accordingly, use is low, and users rely heavily on commercial websites. Suggestions for enhancing the usage of ULWR are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT: Family planning services are frequently used and important services for American women, yet little is known about their quality. Service quality has important implications for women’s reproductive health. If women do not receive adequate information and tools, and learn appropriate skills, from their providers, they may be hampered in their efforts to control their fertility. METHODS: A variety of strategies, including database, journal and Internet searches, were used to identify published and unpublished U.S. studies on family planning service quality that came out between 1985 and 2005. Studies were categorized by their focus, and key points of their methodologies and findings were assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies were identified, most of which were based on client surveys. Most conceptualized quality as a multidimensional construct, but a uniform definition of quality is lacking, and the domains studied have not been consistent. The available studies focus on four areas: assessments of quality, its correlates, its consequences for client behavior and attitudes, and clients’ values and preferences regarding services. Relations between clients and service facility staff have typically been rated favorably, but communication, patient-centeredness and efficiency have been rated more poorly. Service quality varies by characteristics of the facility, provider, client and visit. Research on the consequences of service quality for clients’ contraceptive behavior or risk of unintended pregnancy has been very limited and yielded mixed results. CONCLUSIONS: Studies that assess service quality need stronger designs and greater consistency in measures used so that results are comparable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the correction of hallux valgus using the lateral soft-tissue release and proximal chevron osteotomy through a medial incision in the U.S. The two surgical access for lateral soft-tissue release includes the dorsal approach, and the medial approach, which passes under the first metatarsal head. The author stated that some surgeon preferred to do the distal osteotomy due to its inherent stability for correction of moderate to severe deformity.

The MIRACLE (Making Institutional Repositories A Collaborative Learning Environment) Project is a multi-phased research project that is investigating the development of institutional repositories (IRs) in U. S. colleges and universities to identify models and best practices in the administration, technical infrastructure, access to, and preservation of repository collections. This paper features preliminary findings from the project's first phase, a nationwide census that will reveal the extent of college and university involvement with IRs in the United States. Preliminary findings address the types of investigative activities that institutions are conducting prior to making the decision to implement an IR, perceived benefits of IRs, staffing for IRs, methods of recruiting digital content, characteristics of operational IRs including their costs, and participating institutions' next steps on the road to implementing an IR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]