Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-11, Section: A, page: 4167. Adviser: Allen Renear. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-207) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

<p> Dissemination of news and information is often challenging in small, rural communities, where sprawling geography and limited resources can limit the effectiveness of communication systems. While traditional media and local organizations attempt to inform the public through newspapers, flyers, radio, social media, and word of mouth, no one means of communication is entirely successful in reaching the masses. Rural institutions and organizations often lack a means of communicating current news to members of small towns due to the void of an integrated information infrastructure, or <i>infostructure </i>. </p><p> Borrowing from the framework of Communication Infrastructure Theory and previously suggested models for community infrastructure, this study was an effort to better understand how people in this small town communicate&mdash;how they create, disseminate and prefer to receive information about the community. This exploratory, qualitative, case study examined communications in one small, rural town to determine whether or not the library might be able to partner with local media, resident networks, and other organizations in the community, to maximize available resources, eliminate duplication, and increase overall effectiveness in the communication infrastructure. This new model would place the public library, or anchor institution, at the center of the storytelling network, as the hub for local news and information. </p><p> Through interviews and focus groups with 32 members of the community under study, I identified ways in which people communicate, connections between storytelling agents within the local storytelling network, and voids that, if addressed might improve the community&rsquo;s ability to communicate in general. This study suggested ways that libraries might serve a role as the anchor of anchors for communication in rural communities.</p><p>

<p> The role of the academic library has shifted from developing book collections to serving the information and technology needs of students and faculty. The needs of library users change more quickly and unpredictably than the needs of books, and library directors have pushed beyond the traditional incremental approach to library development to respond to changing needs. As many universities struggle to balance budgets, library directors must demonstrate the value and demand for library spaces and services to justify investments in construction and renovation projects. This study investigates the reasons that the new library space projects were undertaken and the forces driving decisions about investments in the library facilities. The cases in this dissertation present studies of three private, non-profit liberal arts institutions in the Eastern United States that have recently invested in major renovation or construction projects for new library spaces. At each site, interviews and focus group sessions were conducted with librarians, students, faculty, and library administrators. Archival material was researched to supplement the data collected from the subjects of the interviews. A multi-lens framework of strategic change is used to examine the forces and factors that influenced the decisions to pursue new library spaces in each case study. The institutions in the study successfully developed new learning commons and library spaces through renovation or construction projects. Each of the libraries in the study faced similar factors leading to a new space, including overcrowding, interest from students in collaborative learning, increased demand for access to technology, and the decline in the use of the printed book. The strong leadership of the library director, with support from the institution&rsquo;s president, contributed to the success of each project in the study. The importance of this study derives from its examination of the changing factors and forces that drive the uses of new library spaces, highlighting the need to build flexibility into new construction projects.</p><p>

Most if not all organisations claim to pursue a continued improvement philosophy. The processes often adopted are predominantly concerned with the collection and analysis of data. Such approaches take little account of the opinions or varying points of view of the affected groups or individuals. Within this research, these processes are referred to as first order processes. The thesis explores what is termed the second order of organisational improvement, placing the emphasis of the inquiry on the worldviews of those involved. The research includes a study of peoples' attitudes towards organisational improvement and an in depth review of the relevant literature. Initial research consisting of questionnaires and interviews, gave an indication of the willingness within the workforce to engage in improvement activities. This led to the development of a model looking to understand and incorporate the differing worldviews of individuals, into action plans to improve the situations of concern, and an improvement process embedding understanding of others' perspectives and worldviews, dialogical communication and systems thinking. Incorporation of the differentiation of opinions and views of the people affected is central to the second order process. Implementation is possible in any organisation that enjoys an open trusting environment, irrespective of the operational sector. The major contribution of the process is in the change of emphasis from establishment of a commonly held shared view of a situation, to understanding the differences between worldviews of those involved. In effect, the second order process explores the differences in opinions and beliefs that underlie how individuals view a situation. The aim is to understand peoples' different views and incorporate those views in any agreed action.