sept07ff.indd


G a r y  P a t t i l l o  

Gary Pattillo is reference librarian at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, e-mail: pattillo@email. 
unc.edu 

Projections of education statistics 
There are currently about 17.9 million people enrolled in degree­granting post­
secondary institutions. This number is projected to rise to about 19.8 million in 
2015. About 50,500 people will receive doctoral degrees this year, projected to 
rise to 58,500 in 2015. Women are expected to overtake men in the number of 
doctoral degrees conferred by 2013. 
W. J. Hussar and T. M. Bailey, “Projections of Education Statistics to 2015 (NCES 2006-084),” U.S. Department of 
Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Offi ce, nces.ed.gov 
/pubSearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006084. August 1, 2007 

Infomania 
According to a new report, “on average, knowledge workers can expect three 
minutes of uninterrupted work on any task before being interrupted. Sources 
of interruption include e­mail, instant messages, phone calls, text messages, 
co­workers, and other distractions. The result is that people average 11 min­
utes on any one project before switching to another project altogether. This 
extreme fragmentation of work results in a severe cumulative time loss, with 
some estimates as high as 25 percent of the work day. In addition, the inability 
to concentrate on an intellectual activity requiring more than a few minutes has 
a debilitating effect on employees’ ability to achieve optimal results.” 
Nathan Zeldes, David Sward, and Sigal Louchheim, “Infomania: Why we can’t afford to ignore it any longer,” vol. 12, no. 
8, August 6, 2007, www.fi rstmonday.org/issues/issue12_8/zeldes/index.html. August 10, 2007 

Education in the G-8 countries 
In 2004, all or almost all 3­ and 4­year­old children were enrolled in preprimary 
or primary education in France and Italy. In the other G­8 countries, at least 
three quarters of 3­ and 4­year­olds were enrolled in preprimary or primary 
education, with the exception of the United States, with 53 percent. In 2004, 
the Russian Federation had the largest percentage of adults ages 25 to 64 who 
had completed higher education (55 percent), followed by Canada (45 percent); 
Italy had the smallest percentage (11 percent). In the United States, 39 percent 
of adults ages 25 to 64 had completed higher education. Among 25­ to 34­year­
olds, 36 percent of U.S. males and 42 percent of U.S. females had completed 
higher education. 
D. C. Miller, A. Sen, and L. B. Malley, “Comparative Indicators of Education in the United States and Other G-8 Countries: 2006 
(NCES 2007-006),” National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 
Washington, D.C., nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/2007006.pdf. August 14, 2007 

Big schools 
The fi ve nonprofit institutions with the largest number of degree­seeking un­
dergraduates are Miami Dade College with 45,048; University of Central Florida 
with 39,298; Arizona State with 38,984; Ohio State with 37, 088; and Texas A&M 
University with 36, 473 undergraduate students. 
“Big,” New York Times Education Life, July 29, 2007, www.nytimes.com/pages/education/edlife/index.html. August 
14, 2007 

C&RL News September 2007  552