Concluding the FreePint Topic Series "All About Usage"
Jinfo Blog

By Robin Neidorf

Abstract

We're in a situation where information usage possibilities and limitations are changing fast. For information managers the challenge is to stay ahead of the situation and to advise end-users on the new ways to use information and how to stay within the usage restrictions, whilst working with other departments such as IT on authentication and security, and with vendors to extend rights or embrace new tools and services. As the FreePint Topic Series "All About Usage" concludes, FreePint's director of research, Robin Neidorf, looks at key findings from the research, articles and reviews, and outlines next steps to ensure success.

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Technology developments continue to impact on the way we work with information... and to throw up new ways of working and fresh opportunities. 

The challenge: end-users, information managers and vendors all are grappling with the complexities of authentication, usage rights and previously unthought-of ways to reuse and repurpose information. 

Your users want to reuse information in new ways, as information managers you are increasingly required to advise on new technologies and educate on licensing implications, and meanwhile vendors are frantically working to keep pace with usage trends.

Usage Under the Spotlight

From July to September 2015, our Topic Series "All About Usage - From Content Sharing to Data Mining" reinforced the importance of dedicating time to information usage, through:

• Articles covering must-know information and introductions to key areas such as digital rights management and content management systems
  
  
• Guidance and original research into authentication, security and single sign-on
  
  
• Perspectives and advice on copyright and licensing issues
  
  
• Advice on the implications of text and data mining
  
  
• Reviews and Q&As with vendors of products and services including authentication and resource management solutions, bibliographic and reference management solutions and content management platforms. 

You can find out more and read our recommendations to help ensure you can use information as broadly as possible but in a controlled and secure way, that complies with licensing or copyright restrictions:

1. Explore all the content published in this Topic Series and "star" items in your MyFreePint account
   
   
2. If you're a FreePint Subscriber you can attend the Webinar "What We Learned..." on various dates in November and get an efficient overview (30 minutes) of the most important findings of this series, plus our recommendations on how to react, adapt and plan in the new information usage environment.

Also look out for the end-of-series FreePint Report, an indexed guide to what we published.

Next Steps

Ensure you're ahead of the curve on usage. Set a task in your calendar for the next 6 weeks to spend 30 minutes each week on some element of authentication, usage and copyright, whether strategic planning or hands-on implementation.

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