In the past twenty years, contactless technology has been helping us to conduct transactions quickly, easily, and securely. Contactless is here to stay, and it is expected to grow and become even more widely used in the coming years. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we work, travel, and connect with family and friends, and it simultaneously revolutionized the way we conduct business and everyday transactions. As technology changes daily, libraries have continued to upgrade. The Handbook of Research on Advancements of Contactless Technology and Service Innovation in Library and Information Science provides the reader with a variety of emerging trends concerning contactless technology in libraries, information centers, and other enterprises. This book offers chapters on emerging research, surveys, and technology. Covering topics such as digital libraries, metaverse, and security challenges, this major reference work is an essential resource for librarians, information professionals, administrators, students and educators of higher education, researchers, and academicians.

Since the spread of COVID-19, conferences have been cancelled, schools have closed, and libraries around the world are facing difficult decisions on which services to offer and how, ranging from minimal restrictions to full closures. Depending on the country, state, or city, a government may have a different approach, sometimes ordering the closure of all institutions, others indicating that it's business as usual, and others simply leaving decisions up to library directors. All libraries worldwide have been affected, from university libraries to public library systems and national libraries. Throughout these closures, libraries continue to provide services to their communities, which has led to an emerging area of research on library services, new emerging technologies, and the advancements made to libraries during this global health crisis. The Handbook of Research on Library Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic consists of chapters that contain essential library services and emerging research and technology that evolved and/or has continued during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the challenges and opportunities that have been undertaken as a result. The chapters provide in-depth research, surveys, and information on areas such as remote working, machine learning, data management, and the role of information during COVID-19. This book is a valuable reference tool for practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students who are interested in the current state of libraries during a pandemic and the future outlook.

Over the years, new IT approaches have manifested, including digital transformation, cloud computing, and the internet of things (IoT). They have had a profound impact on the population, including libraries. Many organizations can save on their IT budget by adopting these new approaches because they provide technology in easier ways, often at lower costs and to the benefit of users. Emerging Trends and Impacts of the Internet of Things in Libraries is a critical research publication that explores advancing technologies, specifically the internet of things, and their applications within library settings. Moreover, the book will provide insights and explore case studies on smart libraries. Featuring a wide range of topics such as smart technology, automation, and robotics, this book is ideal for librarians, professionals, academicians, computer scientists, researchers, and students working in the fields of library science, information and communication sciences, and information technology.

The more-or-less domestic feline intrigues us as no other animal can. But what is going on behind those luminous eyes? Barbara Holland reveals a refreshingly candid view of cats: their history, lore, intelligence, and relations with people and each other. This is a lively appreciation of cats as you know them, with witty analysis and fresh observations about felines both high and low - including Winston Churchill's ginger tom, who attended cabinet meetings; Teddy Roosevelt's cat Slippers, who came to dinner; and, even the author's own cat George II, who was bitten by a mouse and adopted by a blue jay. Barbara Holland's warm, vivid speculations on their life and times, their social, psychic, and mythological legacy, and their impenetrable mysteries, offer a delightful and loving cat's eye view of the world.

This collection explores how pioneering gender equality policies have shaped women's economic presence in Europe since 2000. Equal pay policies, parental leave reforms, corporate quotas and electoral quotas have raised pressing questions about the effectiveness in promoting equal participation, as researchers quote both quantitative improvement in gender diversity and qualitative lag in cultural change. The chapters in this book present interlocking cross-national and cross-policy comparisons of the three most controversial reforms: equal pay, parental leave, and quotas for political representatives. The contributors address the cultural context in which reforms arose, internally contradictory policies, and the relative effectiveness of fast-track quotas and incentives compared to long-term efforts to change the overall culture of gender. This critical examination of the new millennium's groundbreaking gender policies will appeal to academics and practitioners interested in the progress of gender equality in the economic, political, and social welfare fields.

This collection explores how pioneering gender equality policies have shaped women's economic presence in Europe since 2000. Equal pay policies, parental leave reforms, corporate quotas and electoral quotas have raised pressing questions about the effectiveness in promoting equal participation, as researchers quote both quantitative improvement in gender diversity and qualitative lag in cultural change. The chapters in this book present interlocking cross-national and cross-policy comparisons of the three most controversial reforms: equal pay, parental leave, and quotas for political representatives. The contributors address the cultural context in which reforms arose, internally contradictory policies, and the relative effectiveness of fast-track quotas and incentives compared to long-term efforts to change the overall culture of gender. This critical examination of the new millennium's groundbreaking gender policies will appeal to academics and practitioners interested in the progress of gender equality in the economic, political, and social welfare fields.

Expertinnen internationaler Frauenpolitik aus Brasilien, Sudafrika, USA, Ost- und Westeuropa beleuchten in diesem Band die feministischen Herausforderungen aktueller Prozesse und Diskussionen globaler Politik. Global Governance als Konzept steht dabei ebenso auf dem Prufstand wie frauenpolitisch bedeutsame internationale Ereignisse und Entwicklungen der letzten Jahre. Unterschiedliche Systeme und Verfahren internationaler Verhandlungen werden auf ihre spezifischen frauenpolitischen Chancen hin verglichen."

Die ersten UEberlegungen zu diesem Text entstanden bereits im Wintersemester 1994/95, als ich noch am Otto-Suhr-Institut der Freien Universitat Berlin gearbeitet habe. Die wissenschaftlich au- sserst anregende Atmosphare und die stets spannenden Seminardis- kussionen, fur die ich mich noch einmal herzlich bedanken moech- te, bilden den impliziten Grundstein meiner demokratietheoreti- schen UEberlegungen. Die ausseren Begleitumstande des Schreibens waren dagegen leider nicht durchgangig erfreulich. Ich moechte deshalb ganz be- sonders denjenigen danken, die sich die Zeit genommen haben, den Grossteil des Manuskripts in einer fruhen Phase grundlich zu lesen und positiv zu kommentieren: Christine Bauhardt, Tanja Berg, Karin Meissenburg und Uta Ruppert. Ein ganz herzliches Dankeschoen fur Unterstutzung, Ermutigung, solidarische Rat- schlage und ungezahlte Telefoneinheiten Geduld! Besonderer Dank geht an Christine Bauhardt, die sich professionell mit dem Manuskript befasste. Die Zusammenarbeit hat, trotz der Umstande, Freude gemacht. Ein Dankeschoen ebenfalls an Josef Esser fur sei- ne aufmunternde Beratung aus der US-amerikanischen Ferne. Gleichfalls Ermutigung und Unterstutzung sowie wichtige inhaltliche Anregungen verdanke ich einmal mehr meiner langjah- rigen Theoriearbeitsgruppe: Lieben Dank an Michela Betta, Ursula Hornung und Christi ne Kruse. Auch Erich Weiss stand mit Rat und Tat, mit Trost, Aufmunterung und grosser Geduld unermudlich zur Seite: Merci! Siegrid Wieczorek hat schnell und zuverlassig Literatur re- cherchiert, die auf unterschiedliche Weise in diesen Text oder sei- ne Vorfassungen und -uberlegungen eingegangen ist. Herzlichen Dank dafur. Ein herzliches Dankeschoen ebenfalls an Andrea 7 Herrmann, die als Computerfachfrau dem Manuskript die endgul- tige Form gegeben hat.

Over the years, new IT approaches have manifested, including digital transformation, cloud computing, and the internet of things (IoT). They have had a profound impact on the population, including libraries. Many organizations can save on their IT budget by adopting these new approaches because they provide technology in easier ways, often at lower costs and to the benefit of users. Emerging Trends and Impacts of the Internet of Things in Libraries is a critical research publication that explores advancing technologies, specifically the internet of things, and their applications within library settings. Moreover, the book will provide insights and explore case studies on smart libraries. Featuring a wide range of topics such as smart technology, automation, and robotics, this book is ideal for librarians, professionals, academicians, computer scientists, researchers, and students working in the fields of library science, information and communication sciences, and information technology.

"This is about me. How I felt how it was. There are wonderful days and days of misery. Pain and pleasure intermingled." Barbara's unusual life, deep in hurt and hope is told in that special way she possesses. Witty and sarcastic, clever light and distinctive, she suggests there is more under her learned, never pedantic poetry.

EXILE IN EDEN covers our lives as expatriate Norte Americanos in Andalusia, where we explored every corner of Spain, raised our three children and found ourselves. We arrived with children ages five, three, and one, two cats, a dog, and six hundred bucks to our name. Spain was our classroom as we unearthed international intrigue and Paleolithic digs. We followed the ferias, the corridas, rediscovering the Europe from whence we came. We spent six happy years at Casa La Chopera, overlooking the Mediterranean, before tourism reached the newly christened Costa del Sol. A planned international airport in nearby Malaga spurred us further inland. We found buildable land thirty miles from the nearest tourists and there we built Coritjo de las Yeguas, where we raised our family, lived and learned, worked and played for twenty-two years. During our travels throughout Spain, we collected over five thousand significant artifacts dating from Neolithic times to the fifteenth century, as well as some 400 pieces of early Spanish hand-hewn furniture and decor. In 1982, the Museo Hollander was born (finding it more reasonable to have the museum to store our collection, the Cortijo just couldn't accommodate another bancal or mesa). Gino and I returned to the States 17 years ago. Our kids are all scattered with our nine grandchildren. Gino paints and I write and we pretend that life will go on forever. But it doesn't really, does it? I've spent the last five years documenting those magic years long gone in poetry and prose.

A whimsical collection of poetry, prose, travel notes, and esoteric observances from author and poet Barbara Hollander.

The Taboo of Enlightenment is a precious gift, offered with love to all human beings on Earth. The Taboo of Enlightenment is a proof that Spirit invents new ways to reach people's hearts. It celebrates human beings. This book is a pathway into the inner dimension of reality. This book is designed to empower you and remind you of your natural and unlimited abilities to create. The coded language of this beautiful book reaches your conscious awareness and gradually guides you towards the light of your divine self. In this book, the enlightened spiritual teacher Eleni Ierodiakonou invites you to share her personal journey and her experiences on the way to enlightenment. Eleni Ierodiakonou values people highly and addresses each of you when she says to finally turn inward to connect to your love essence. Eleni Ierodiakonou was born in Nicosia, Cyprus. She studied journalism in Athens, Greece and Astrology in New York, USA. In the past she traveled a lot and studied different approaches to the truth. Today she lives and offers her light and healing energy to people in Athens, Greece. She helps her students to access personal answers and make positive healing changes in their lives. When her students let go of their ego, trust, open their heart and move to a deeper level of awakening, they experience a great breakthrough in consciousness and remarkable life transformations. They have a profound experience of love and compassion. When these frequencies of love are anchored in the physical body, people manifest abundance on all levels. Her personal story has inspired audiences in Greece and this book was embraced by many. At this moment she is about to publish her second book in Greece.

Throughout history there have been women, endowed with curiosity and abundant spirit, who stepped out of the cave, cast off the shackles of expectation, and struck out for new territory. In this ode to bold, brash, and sometimes just plain dangerous women, Barbara Holland reanimates those rebels who defied convention and challenged authority on a truly grand scale: they traveled the world, commanded pirate ships, spied on the enemy, established foreign countries, scaled 19,000-foot passes, and lobbied to change the Constitution. Some were merry and flamboyant; others depressive and solitary. Some dressed up as men; others cherished their Victorian gowns. Many were ambivalent or absentminded mothers. But every one of them was fearless, eccentric, and fiercely independent. Barbara Holland evokes their energy in this unconventional book that will acquaint you with the likes of Grace O’Malley, a blazing terror of the Irish seas in the 1500s, and surprise you with a fresh perspective on legends like Bonnie Parker of “Bonnie and Clyde” fame. With wit, wisdom, and irreverent flair, They Went Whistling makes a compelling case for the virtue of getting into trouble.

The minute the alarm clock punctures our dreams, we go to work. We have convinced ourselves that productivity is the name of the game and that leisure is a notorious sign of laziness. In Endangered Pleasures, Barbara Holland insists that enough is enough. It's time to kick back, relax, and relish the truly good things in life. "Delightfully quirky."--The Boston Globe.

Here is a refreshing look at life as it ought to be. Bare feet, gardening, dawdling over the newspaper, oversleeping, and idle summer vacations are infinitely more satisfying than counting fat grams, eating only vegetables, and sitting behind that desk every day. So toss out the guilt and rebel. Don't just stop and smell the flowers--call in sick and lie among them, preferably with a good friend, a bottle of wine, and a handful of chocolates. Endangered Pleasures is a delightful reminder that rest and relaxation are more rewarding than a job performance review. After all, life's too short. Why not have some fun while you're supposed to be living it?

This series introduces students to the world of global finance, from the recent economic crisis to globalization. Complete with case studies and links to readers' lives, these books boil down economic concepts in an understandable way.