The Myth of the Paperless Office

The Myth of the Paperless Office PDF

Author: Abigail J. Sellen

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2003-02-28

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 0262250497

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

An examination of why paper continues to fill our offices and a proposal for better coordination of the paper and digital worlds. Over the past thirty years, many people have proclaimed the imminent arrival of the paperless office. Yet even the World Wide Web, which allows almost any computer to read and display another computer's documents, has increased the amount of printing done. The use of e-mail in an organization causes an average 40 percent increase in paper consumption. In The Myth of the Paperless Office, Abigail Sellen and Richard Harper use the study of paper as a way to understand the work that people do and the reasons they do it the way they do. Using the tools of ethnography and cognitive psychology, they look at paper use from the level of the individual up to that of organizational culture. Central to Sellen and Harper's investigation is the concept of "affordances"—the activities that an object allows, or affords. The physical properties of paper (its being thin, light, porous, opaque, and flexible) afford the human actions of grasping, carrying, folding, writing, and so on. The concept of affordance allows them to compare the affordances of paper with those of existing digital devices. They can then ask what kinds of devices or systems would make new kinds of activities possible or better support current activities. The authors argue that paper will continue to play an important role in office life. Rather than pursue the ideal of the paperless office, we should work toward a future in which paper and electronic document tools work in concert and organizational processes make optimal use of both.

Physics in a New Era

Physics in a New Era PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2001-07-15

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 0309073421

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Physics at the beginning of the twenty-first century has reached new levels of accomplishment and impact in a society and nation that are changing rapidly. Accomplishments have led us into the information age and fueled broad technological and economic development. The pace of discovery is quickening and stronger links with other fields such as the biological sciences are being developed. The intellectual reach has never been greater, and the questions being asked are more ambitious than ever before. Physics in a New Era is the final report of the NRC's six-volume decadal physics survey. The book reviews the frontiers of physics research, examines the role of physics in our society, and makes recommendations designed to strengthen physics and its ability to serve important needs such as national security, the economy, information technology, and education.

Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer

Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer PDF

Author: Robert J. Grover Professor Emeritus

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2015-03-19

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 1610699580

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This book explains the rapidly changing, complex flow of information in the context of 21st-century culture, policy, technology, and economics—an essential resource for librarians and information specialists in all types of settings. The role of information professionals today is to interact creatively with clientele: to help them navigate the information infrastructure. Shattering the concept of the library as a place, Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer describes "the library" as transformed to a dynamic virtual presence in the information infrastructure, where people are the most important resources in a digital library or information center—not the collections. Instead of focusing on specific technologies, which are always changing, this book examines the "big picture" of how information is created, recorded, mass produced, distributed, and utilized in society. This unique approach enables readers to better understand how they fit into this changing world, to envision their place in the digital age, and to assume a leadership role that ensures the success of their clients as well as themselves. This standout work is ideally suited for all types of librarians, educators, information workers, members of the research community, and policymakers in public and private sector organizations.

International Handbook on Transport and Development

International Handbook on Transport and Development PDF

Author: R. Hickman

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2015-08-28

Total Pages: 724

ISBN-13: 085793726X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In the last forty years or so the research field exploring the relationship and interaction between transport and development has developed rapidly. While sophistication in analysis has increased, understanding the effective integration of transport and development often remains poor in theory and in practice - with sometimes devastating effects. This Handbookprovides a comprehensive analysis of both the current and emerging thinking in this field, drawing on multidisciplinary thinking in transport planning, transport, urban and spatial economics, and the wider social sciences. With 45 chapters from leading international authors, the book is organised around three main themes: - urban structure and travel - transport and spatial impacts - wider dimensions in transport and development. The chapters each present commentary on key issues within these themes, presenting the debate on the impacts of urban structure on travel, the impacts of transport investment on development, and social and cultural change on travel. A multitude of competing inter-disciplinary perspectives are considered - leaving the reader with an invaluably comprehensive and critical understanding of the field. This major Handbookwill serve as a guide for undergraduates and graduate students, researchers, consultants, and also practitioners and policy makers, wishing to find a comprehensive and original reference to research on transport and development. Contributors: J.A. Annema, F. Avelino, D. Banister, D. Bonilla, F. Bruinsma, C.C. Cantarelli, X. (Jason) Cao, C.-L. Chen, G. Cohen-Blankshtain, C. Curtis, G. Dane, J. Dodson, A. Donald, R. Dowling, M. Echenique, A. El-Geneidy, R. Ewing, E. Feitelson, B. Flyvbjerg, N. Garrick, H. Geerlings, K. Geurs, M. Givoni, A.R. Goetz, P. Gordon, A. Grigolon, D. Halden, P. Hall, I. Hamiduddin, S. Handy, P. Headicar, D.A. Hensher, D. Hidalgo, R. Hickman, R. Hjorthol, M. Hillman, E. Holden, T. Holvad, H. Holzapfel, M. Iacono, O.B. Jensen, P. Jones, J. Kenworthy, S. Kenyon, C.A. Klöckner, K.J. Krizek, B. Lee, S. Leleur, D. Levinson, T. Li, Z. Li, K. Linnerud, S. Marshall, W. Marshall, E. Matthies, L. Meija Dorantes, R. Meyfahrt, P. Mokhtarian, J.C. Muñoz, P. Naess, P. Newman, S. Nordbakke, S. Petheram, S. Rasouli, P. Rietveld, O. Rotem-Mindali, T. Schwanen, N. Sipe, D. Stead, P. Stoker, G. Stokes, H. Timmermans, B. Van Wee, R. Wilson, D. Yang

Lanterna Rally - Theme by Grace Themes