http://hdl.handle.net/1808/22 Search the Channel search http://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/simple-search http://hdl.handle.net/1808/5442 Title: Mammals of Cabo Blanco: History, diversity, and conservation after 45 years of regrowth of a Costa Rican dry forest<br/><br/>Authors: Timm, Robert M.; Lieberman, Diana; Lieberman, Milton; McClearn, Deedra<br/><br/>Abstract: Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco, a strongly seasonal deciduous forest located at the southernmost tip of northwestern Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, was established in 1963 and is the country's oldest nationally protected reserve. The peninsula has been occupied for millennia and is a heavily impacted landscape, and, unfortunately, its biotic diversity is among the most poorly studied in Central America. As part of multiyear studies of the flora and fauna of the region, we assess the changes in vegetation and the terrestrial mammal community from earlier times to the present day. Through historical records, interviews with long-term residents of the area, and our studies over the past decade, we document changes in forest cover, settlement, and land use, and assess the changes in species diversity and in mammal species’ abundance. We then discuss the ecology of the mammal species on the peninsula, emphasizing the role that humans have played in influencing population levels.After 45 years of protection, the forest structure of the 3100 ha reserve differs markedly from that observed in the early 20th Century and it is quite heterogeneous. Species diversity of both the native vegetation and the mammals is substantial in the regenerating forest. The known mammal fauna included at least 37 species of non-flying mammals and 39 species of bats. Six species (Geoffroy's Spider Monkey, Giant Anteater, White-lipped Peccary, Central American Red Brocket Deer, Baird's Tapir, and Jaguar) have been extirpated from the reserve. Poaching of game species continues and will be difficult to eliminate completely. Nevertheless, with regenerating habitats, coupled with protection of wildlife, reestablishment of the reserve's native species has been dramatic both in terms of species diversity and abundance. The reserve is not in a defaunated condition. Many mammalian frugivores, seed dispersers, and/or seed predators are common and most top mammalian predators are present. We present several testable hypotheses regarding the significance of this mammalian community in the context of other Neotropical forest mammal and plant communities. Rapid expansion of tourism in this region has the potential to affect the reserve adversely. In recent years, the reserve has served as an important site for teaching tropical biology courses. Small reserves, such as Cabo Blanco, even if not connected to larger protected areas through corridors, provide critical habitat for native flora and fauna, a source of genetic stock, and valuable regional teaching and research sites. http://hdl.handle.net/1808/5233 Title: The E-Book Dilemma: a Study of Aggregator and Publisher Options to Deliver Electronic Book Content<br/><br/>Authors: Emde, Judith; Kottman, Miloche<br/><br/>Abstract: The University of Kansas Libraries initially experimented with electronic books through a NetLibrary purchase of around 9600 books beginning in 2002. In subsequent years, collections of reference materials and historical content have been licensed, e.g. Oxford Reference Premium; Literature Online. Confronted with an offer too good to refuse last year, the Libraries purchased Springer e-book content from 2005-2007 and negotiated to receive all future publications electronically. As the market continued to develop with additional aggregators and publishers offering content, the collection development librarian organized a study group to review the various options and packages offered. We organized trials, webinars, and on site visits for three aggregators: ebrary, EBL and MyiLibrary and reviewed how publishers were offering access to their e-books. This presentation will examine results of our study by highlighting the following issues: digital rights management, technology, interfaces, purchase/subscription options, and perpetual access. We are also interested in how academic libraries market their e-book content and plan to survey if Voyager libraries are employing features to promote e-books through their catalogs. http://hdl.handle.net/1808/4452 Title: What are we getting ourselves into? KU Libraries investigates e-book vendors and publishers<br/><br/>Authors: Emde, Judith; Currie, Lea<br/><br/>Abstract: The University of Kansas Libraries sponsored a special task force to investigate e-book vendors and models during the spring of 2008, comparing the services and technology, and proposing options for the KU Libraries. Task force members met with vendors, interviewed collection development librarians at other institutions, provided trials to selected e-book services, and listened to feedback from colleagues. This session will address the variety of models available, the technology issues related to them, the implications for technical services, and what models KU chose to support. Recommendations for improvements to e-book models will also be discussed. http://hdl.handle.net/1808/4449 Title: Weeding the Reference Collection: Adapting Current Spaces to Address User Expectations<br/><br/>Authors: Devlin, Frances A.; Graves, Kathryn<br/><br/>Abstract: An extensive review of the print Watson Library Reference Collection at the University of Kansas Libraries was conducted over the 2008 spring and fall semesters. As part of a major renovation of the library’s main floor, the administration mandated a 50% reduction to this collection in order to increase public user and collaborative spaces. The planning process, the criteria used for weeding, the implementation of this project, and its outcomes are described in this poster session. Consideration was also given to changes in technologies and formats, and the expectations of today’s library users.<br/><br/>Description: Poster presentation at KLA/MPLA Joint Conference 2009, Wichita, KS, April 2, 2009