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• Editorial
  By Monique Cuvelier, Editor, FreePint
  
  
• My Favourite Tipples
  Leslie Homzie
  
  
• FreePint Bar
  In Association with Factiva
  a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
  
  
• Jinfo :: Jobs in Information
  
  • Records Manager
  • Library and Information Management Officer/Systems Librarian
  • Liaison Librarian
  • Researcher
  • Information Assistant
  • Research Manager
  • Head of Information Management
    
    
• Tips Article
  "Internet Librarian International: Impressions from a First-Time Attendee"
  By Jill Fenton
  
  
• Review
  "The New OPL Sourcebook: A Guide for Solo and Small Libraries"
  Written by Judith A. Siess
  Reviewed by Mandy Webster
  
  
• Feature Article
  "Election Cycles Primer: How and When People Come to Office"
  By Thomas E. Nisonger, Glen Stone, Anne Jordan, Jane Macoustra, Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars
  
  
• Events, Gold and Forthcoming Articles
  
  
• Contact Information
  
  

By Leslie Homzie

With the 2006 election season in high gear in the United States, these sites are helpful resources to finding polling and public opinion information. The top two have a US focus, and the bottom three are worldwide in viewpoint:

• PollingReport.com <http://www.pollingreport.com/> is an independent and non-partisan clearinghouse of recent polls from news services and pollsters.
  
  
• Rasmussen Reports <http://www.rasmussenreports.com/politics.htm> is produced by independent pollster Scott Rasmussen. This site was ranked the top public opinion site on the web during the 2004 presidential election. Also includes lifestyle, current events and business polling data.
  
  
• A recent poll on Zogby International <http://www.zogby.com/index.cfm> discovered that 'more Americans know Snow White's dwarfs than US Supreme Court Justices; Homer Simpson is better known than Homer's "Odyssey"; Harry Potter is better known than Tony Blair'.
  
  
• The Pew Global Attitudes Project <http://pewglobal.org/> from the Pew Research Center 'aims to gauge attitudes in every region toward globalisation, trade and an increasingly connected world'.
  
  
• World Public Opinion <http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/> is produced by the Program on International Policy Attitudes. Users can explore worldwide public opinion by region or by topic.
  
  

Leslie Homzie is the Senior Reference Librarian/Bibliographer for History and Political Science at Boston College <http://www.bc.edu/libraries/>. Previously she worked at Brandeis University and the University of Delaware.

Submit your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at <http://www.freepint.com/author/>.

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In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company

By Monique Cuvelier

<http://www.freepint.com/bar>

Growing and shrinking libraries are a main topic of conversation in the FreePint Bar these days, from building and depleting collections to employment levels in the Library and Information field. Hop over to the Bar now to be part of the community <http://www.freepint.com/bar/>.

• Birdwatchers may be a diverse group, but the group of birdwatchers who also depend on iPods for information may be less diverse. A filmmaker is looking for demographics on bird enthusiasts who would be interested in digital-media field guides. Lend your insight <http://www.freepint.com/go/b69939>.
  
  
• The British Library's trade literature collection is under new ownership, and the FreePinter now in charge has some questions <http://www.freepint.com/go/b74631>. If you collect in the same area and have thoughts you can share on how you manage and build your collection, join the discussion.
  
  
• Many libraries are doing the opposite of collecting, i.e., throwing away old books. What's the greenest way to bin books, while possibly helping others in need? Tell us <http://www.freepint.com/go/b70676>.
  
  
• The number of librarians employed in the UK is a fuzzy number. Some argue the field is growing. Others say while there may be more jobs, less qualified workers are being trained. Make your own informed decision by reading <http://www.freepint.com/go/b72275>. If you're looking for a new job, make your first stop Jinfo < http://www.Jinfo.com/>.
  
  
• Where does your wiki live, and what do you do to garden it? A Bar member is seeking information from others so she can govern her own wiki. Some have already shared their tools of choice and insight in kick-starting a wiki. Read more <http://www.freepint.com/go/b73583>, and then read a recent article on how to start and maintain a corporate wiki from the FreePint Newsletter <http://www.freepint.com/issues/270706.htm#tips>.
  
  

Monique Cuvelier is Editor of the FreePint Newsletter and helped to launch several publications. As a writer, her work has appeared in dozens of magazines, newspapers and websites internationally. Meet Monique at Online Information 2006 in London <http://www.online-information.co.uk>; she and the rest of the FreePint team will be at stand 122.

The FreePint Bar is where you can get free help with your tricky research questions <http://www.freepint.com/bar>

Help with study for information-related courses is available at the FreePint Student Bar <http://www.freepint.com/student>.

Subscribe to the twice-weekly email digests at <http://www.freepint.com/subs/>.

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<http://www.jinfo.com/>

The Jinfo service enables you to search and advertise information- related job vacancies.

The Jinfo Newsletter contains a list of the latest vacancies along with job-seeking advice. The latest article is entitled "E-CV Expertise". Read it online and subscribe free at <http://www.jinfo.com/newsletter/>.

Here is a selection of the latest featured entries in the Jinfo database:

United Kingdom

• Liaison Librarian
  Duties will include the promotion and delivery of the service, collection development and management of resources. Recruiter: TFPL Ltd. Country: United Kingdom <http://www.jinfo.com/go/j6054>
  
  
• Researcher
  Researcher with financial database expertise for niche Management Consultancy in Central London. 35 hour week. Exc. salary + Bonus. Recruiter: Glen Recruitment Country: United Kingdom <http://www.jinfo.com/go/j6067>
  
  
• Information Assistant
  Fantastic opportunity for anyone considering a career in librarianship and looking for practical experience. Recruiter: Instant Library Recruitment (Tribal Group Plc) Country: United Kingdom <http://www.jinfo.com/go/j6077>
  
  
• Research Manager
  City, policy or academic research skills and management experience? Exciting role at a charity. Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited Country: United Kingdom <http://www.jinfo.com/go/j6079>
  
  
• Head of Information Management
  Responsible for management of information and records as a vital business resource, ensuring that the information needs are met. Recruiter: Audit Commission Country: United Kingdom <http://www.jinfo.com/go/j6100>
  
  

Ireland

• Records Manager
  Experienced Records Manager required in Dublin. Recruiter: Eneclann Ltd Country: Ireland <http://www.jinfo.com/go/j6056>
  
  

Switzerland

• Library and Information Management Officer/Systems Librarian Provide information services and analyse information needs, and develop new information tools as required. Recruiter: International Labour Office Country: Switzerland <http://www.jinfo.com/go/j6022>
  
  

[The above jobs are paid listings]

NB: These are just a selection of information-related jobs in the current Jinfo Newsletter <http://www.jinfo.com/newsletter/> and 170+ listings in the Jinfo database <http://www.jinfo.com/>.

Jinfo -- the best place for information-related job vacancies.

• JOB SEARCHING?
  -- Free search and sign up to the Jinfo Newsletter
  
  
• RECRUITING?
  -- Complete the form and advertise a vacancy for just GBP195 <http://www.jinfo.com/recruit/> -- 10% discount for agencies -- 50% discount for registered charities

Find out more today at <http://www.jinfo.com/>

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Plain text | PDF | Contents

"Internet Librarian International: Impressions from a First-Time Attendee"

By Jill Fenton

Attending the Internet Librarian International 2006 conference this year was a new experience for me. Not only was I a first-time attendee to ILI, held in London from 16-17 October, but I was also rather sceptical about its audience and relevance. What exactly was an 'internet librarian'? What did the conference's themes 'Discovering New Resources' and 'Demystifying Web Technologies' actually mean?

Wide audience

As I listened to speakers and talked with delegates, I quickly realised that 'internet librarian', like many information job titles, described a variety of roles. Delegates from a large variety of countries were from public, academic and government libraries as well as more specialist research or sector libraries. All were there to further understand how their roles and libraries could and would evolve as collaboration, communication and community technology tools develop, for example Web 2.0, Library 2.0, RSS, blogs and wikis. As one delegate put it, you need to be as up-to-date as your younger staff.

Internet librarians are navigators who employ their traditional librarian skills and new social networking tools to guide users through the myriad of information available in today's open-access society. They are instigators of change and development. As Brian Kelly, a presenter from UK Web Focus who advises education communities, museums, libraries and the archives sector on best practices in use of the web, noted, the age of the internet librarian is a good time to be an information professional. Embracing and implementing Web 2.0 and social-networking tools within your organisation or community will highlight you as a leader of change. Libraries need to attract new users, not only retain current ones. Information professionals need to get the data to the users, not the users to the data.

Relevance of internet librarians

As well as discussing the principles of implementing Web 2.0, Library 2.0, wikis, blogs, podcasts, internet searching, digital libraries, folksonomies and training, the sessions also presented international case studies and project examples. One of these was The Copenhagen City Library's use of tagging and instant messaging, and another from The (NSW) College of Nursing's implementation of a clinical information system in Australia.

Several sessions were particularly inspiring, including a presentation from Marieke Guy, Interoperability Focus Officer at UKOLN at the University of Bath, on how to establish a public-sector wiki. Andrew Lewis, from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, demonstrated his inventive use of computer gaming technology to attract new users and encourage information literacy within the borough's libraries. Stephen Arnold, president of US-based Arnold IT, gave a highly enjoyable and insightful look at 'What's new with search'.

These talks demonstrated how we're moving away from a culture of e-learning to one of c-learning: communication, collaboration and community. Driving every session was the underlying message of change: experiment, share, take a risk and lead the way.

(Unofficial) Themes

With change comes challenges, which were frequently voiced at the event, in particular IT, management, communication and marketing. The vague aroma of Enthusiastic Pragmatism 2.0 followed most sessions:

• 'I'd love to introduce a wiki to my library but management can't see past the security risks'
  
  
• 'This social networking stuff is great but how do I ensure they're sharing the recommended documents and sources?'
  
  
• 'When is there time to learn, develop and train on all these tools?'
  
  
• 'You'd need several people to effectively monitor a wiki'
  
  
• 'We've only just implemented the last system'
  
  
• 'It's not the technology that's the problem; it's the communication and marketing'.
  
  

Although the attendees' concerns regarding these common issues were apparent, the same people clearly welcomed the opportunity to share ideas and hear examples of how others had overcome these problems. Some ideas on how to address change included tagging a 'social networking tool' onto your current system to experiment without reinventing the wheel (again), using instant messaging software between your team and a user group, running a live wiki during a class or training session, or developing a blog and just watching what happens. These ideas echoed the conferences mantra of experiment, collaborate and share.

Conclusions

Considering my initial doubts regarding the relevance of the conference, I found it to be a thought-provoking and surprisingly enjoyable event. The variety of speakers, currency of topics, enthusiastic and practical implementation ideas and general sense of drive was quite inspiring. Some delegates suggested that more non-US examples and speakers would have been welcome, but I appreciated the organisers' international effort. One delegate even commented that ILI was likely to take over as the key event for European librarians as it's so up-to-date and focused. Notably, perhaps due to the relatively small number of delegates compared to other conferences, the efforts to encourage networking within the group were also commendable.

Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and social-networking tools are clearly here to stay and, luckily, do not appear to require a great technical mind for implementation. Clearly we just need the courage to take the first risky step. I look forward to embracing this new technology for my own personal and professional development, and look forward to hearing how my fellow delegates of ILI 2006 have embraced and implemented their own ideas in 2007.

Jill Fenton is the founder of Fenton Research Ltd, a London-based research company providing high-quality, tailored research and advice to help clients achieve their business information and research goals. Jill has over 10 years of professional business research experience, working within professional services firms in research management and analyst positions. Jill is a member of the City Information Group, the Association of Independent Information Professionals and Special Libraries Association. She can be reached at <jill@fentonresearch.co.uk> or via her website <http://www.fentonresearch.co.uk/>.

Related FreePint links:

• Ulla de Stricker, de Stricker Associates and Barbie Keiser, BEK Inc. "Auditing Your Intranet and Communications Functions" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/051006.htm#tips>
  
  

Related links:

• You can listen to some presentations and read more about the presenters at Internet Librarian International 2006 <http://www.internet-librarian.com>:
  
  
• Brian Kelly, UK Web Focus, UKOLN "Web 2.0 and Library 2.0: Addressing Institutional Barriers" <http://digbig.com/4nrdn> "Reflections On Personal Experiences In Using Wikis" < http://digbig.com/4nrdq>
  
  
• Marieke Guy, Interoperability Focus, UKOLN "Wikis and Social Software" <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/interop-focus/events/ili-2006/>
  
  
• Andrew Lewis, e-Services Officer, The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead "Real-World Information Delivery" <http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/onlinelibrary.htm>
  
  

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Plain text | PDF | Contents

"The New OPL Sourcebook: A Guide for Solo and Small Libraries"

Written by Judith A. Siess
Reviewed by Mandy Webster

"The New OPL Sourcebook: A Guide for Solo and Small Libraries" is written in an easy, readable style, making it enjoyable to read through the first part in sequence. It is the only book I know of available for One-Person Libraries (OPLs) or solo librarians. Evidently. based on author Judith Siess's experience, it offers a range of practical advice about the difficulties faced by solos.

Solos face some difficult and quite unique problems, which the first half of the book addresses, as well as offering some advice on attacking those problems. Solos can be particularly vulnerable to organisational cuts, for example, and the book features a continual thread on the importance of marketing the information service or library. The book could have been even stronger with case studies and examples of promotional materials.

Fewer anomalies also would have been helpful. At the start is an explanation of what OPLs are and the sectors they are likely to work in, but oddly the largest section of the book covers prison libraries. The section on networking resources for UK solos surprisingly does not include BIALL (British and Irish Association of Law Librarians), although it does include ICLG (Industrial and Commercial Libraries Group) and ASLIB (Association for Information Management). One of the most interesting sections is a 'week in the life' of an OPL.

Siess does provide current, sensible advice, covering time management, budgeting and financial management, although the latter, at only seven pages, feels light. This can be one of the most difficult areas solos face and is not often taught at university. The Sourcebook also contains a comprehensive bibliography and cited resources list, but would have benefited from recommended further reading at the end of each chapter.

The author does provide the means for further research. Part two, taking slightly over half of the book, is devoted to annotated lists of Internet sites listed by topic. The list does contain a few gems, but the publisher missed an opportunity to convert this list to a free website that accompanies the book.

The US bias of the book is more evident in this section than the first part. The entries are an eclectic mixture, ranging from News Resources (minus the BBC) and Law Librarian Resources (without BIALL but with lawyer jokes) and a long section for prison libraries.

The greatest strength of this book is its practicality. It offers anyone new to solo work a good overview of the types of work they will be expected to cover and easily adaptable tips often in bullet points. The author demonstrates a great deal of experience, particularly in the chapters covering time management and communication, and the value of outsourcing some tasks where time is precious.

On the whole, this is a practical book for isolated solos and offers some valuable advice and experience. With a few additions it could move from being simply good to being positively excellent.

Mandy Webster is Library & Information Services Manager at Browne Jacobson and co-author of "BIALL Handbook of Legal Information Management and Knowledge Management: Social, cultural and theoretical perspectives" along with many articles and reviews.

Related FreePint links:

• "The New OPL Sourcebook: A Guide for Solo and Small Libraries" ISBN 1573872415, published by Information Today Inc.
  
  
• Find out more about this book online at the FreePint Bookshelf <http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/opl.htm>
  
  
• "Knowledge Management: An Integrative Approach", Reviewed by Mandy Webster <http://www.freepint.com/issues/160306.htm#bookshelf>
  
  
• Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the FreePint Bookshelf at <http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/>
  
  

• SLA Solo Division <http://units.sla.org/division/dsol/index.html>
  
  
• One Person Library Newsletter <http://www.ibi-opl.com/newsletter/index.html>
  
  
• Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk <http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573872415/freepint0C>
  
  
• or Amazon.com < http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573872415/freepint00>
  
  
• To propose an information-related book for review, send details to <editor@freepint.com>.
  
  

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Plain text | PDF | Contents

"Election Cycles Primer: How and When People Come to Office"

By Thomas E. Nisonger, Glen Stone, Anne Jordan, Jane Macoustra, Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars

Ink-smudged fingers and hanging chads may be local icons of election time, but their outcomes can reverberate around the world. November marks mid-term election time in the United States, and although the elections are local, the outcomes make a marked difference in domestic and foreign policy.

But just what is a mid-term election? And how often are they held? Do other countries have mid-terms? FreePint wondered about election cycles around the globe, so we pinpointed five spots on the map and asked experts to demystify the local elections. The primer below will serve as a launching point for more involved research on the United States, Canada, Russia, China and Iran.

United States

Elections in the United States are held at the national, state and local level. At the federal (national) level, the election of the president and vice president takes place every fourth year (in years divisible by 4: 2000, 2004, 2008, etc.). Winning a presidential election is based on receiving a majority in the Electoral College rather than the popular vote.

Elections to Congress, the national legislative body, are held in each even-numbered year (2000, 2002, 2004, etc.) with all 435 members of the House of Representatives, who serve 2-year terms, and approximately one-third of the 100 Senators, who serve 6-year terms, elected. The President is constitutionally limited to two terms, but there are no term limits for members of the House and Senate.

State-level elections are typically, but not always, held in even- numbered, non-presidential election years (1998, 2002, 2006) to elect the governor and other state officers, such as lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer and secretary of state, as well as the state legislature.

Local elections are held in municipalities, counties, townships and special districts to select a wide variety of positions, including mayors, city council members, county commissioners, county councilmen, township trustees, school board members, sheriffs, prosecutors, police chiefs and, in some cases, judges. Policies regarding length of term, term limits and the election cycle for state and local offices vary among the 50 states. General elections, described above, are typically preceded by primary elections to select the party candidates.

Learn more:

• David Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections <http://www.uselectionatlas.org/>
  
  
• Office of the Federal Register's U.S. Electoral College <http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/>
  
  
• Key Races in the Mid-Term Elections from washingtonpost.com <http://projects.washingtonpost.com/elections/keyraces/map/>
  
  

[Thomas E. Nisonger is a Professor at the School of Library and Information Science at Indiana University. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.]

Canada

Canada has three levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal, each with its own election cycles. There are no limits to the number of terms a politician may serve.

At the federal level, Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected for a term of up to five years, although elections are traditionally held every four years and may be called by the governing party at any time. In Canada's parliamentary democracy system, the political party with the most MPs forms the government and the party's leader becomes the Prime Minister or head of the government; the head of state is the sovereign of Britain, represented in Canada for ceremonial purposes by a Governor General.

Election cycles at the provincial and municipal levels vary between three and five years. Provincial governments are, like their federal counterpart, limited by custom to 4-year terms but may call an election at any time before their mandates expire. In most cases, municipal election dates are fixed and municipal governance structures are not based on the parliamentary model.

It is worth noting that Ontario, the largest and most populous of the Canadian provinces, has recently moved to set election dates every four years for both levels of government in the province.

Learn more:

• Canada Votes from CBC <http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/>
  
  
• By-Elections 2006 <http://www.elections.ca/>
  
  
• "Canada Conservatives win election" from BBC <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4641954.stm>
  
  

[Glen Stone is Public Affairs Manager for the Toronto Board of Trade, Canada's largest chamber of commerce, and a former senior communications adviser to the Premier and Government of Ontario.]

The Russian Federation (Russia)

Russia is a federation of 89 jurisdictions. It has only existed as a country since 1991 and like many parts of its political processes, the electoral system is still evolving.

The president is head of state and elected in March every four years. Vladimir Putin currently holds the position, having won a second term in March 2004. A maximum of two terms can be served, so he will not run in the March 2008 elections.

The Russian legislature is bicameral, with the State Duma and the Federal Council its upper and lower houses. The 450 members of the Duma are elected every four years, usually in December. The next election day is 2 December 2007. The 178 members of the Federal Council are not directly elected. Each of the 89 jurisdictions puts forward two members -- one selected by the legislature, the other by the governor. Terms of office are determined according to the regions they represent.

In 2005 the election laws were modified. One of the changes was the introduction of two fixed voting days for local and regional elections -- the second Sundays in March and October. These 'Super Sundays' arewhen city mayors, town councils and regional parliaments are elected.

Learn more:

• Library of Congress's Russia country profile <http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Russia.pdf>
  
  
• Russia Votes <http://www.russiavotes.org/>
  
  
• CIA World Factbook: Russia
  
  

[Anne Jordan <anne.jordan@virgin.net> is a freelance business information professional, researcher and writer, mainly within financial services and management consultancy. She holds a degree in both German and Russian.]

The People's Republic of China

China aims to strike a balance between socialism and communism. Its political system is governed by 66.4-million-member Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Political processes are guided by two constitutions -- one from the CCP and one from the state. Representatives from both are elected by lower bodies, which elect their administrative arms.

The National Peoples Congress (NPC) elects a president and vice president for 5-year terms with a limit of two consecutive terms. Jiang Zemin, the former party, state and military leader of the country, officially ceded power to Hu Jintao in 2004. Hu is now chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission, general secretary of the CCP and president of China, although Jiang and his supporters are still involved in party and state policymaking.

Elections for deputies to the NPC are held within villages and provinces and the Special Administrative Regions (SARs), which include Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The SARs are governed under different laws. Elections are normally are held at least two months before the end of the current NPC, and deputies serve 5-year terms.

China's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have held elections since 2003, but on no regular schedule. Voters aged 18 and over may register, but they may be challenged for qualification by locals. In most provinces, the use of a polling booth is mandatory, however some provinces use a mass-voting system.

No parties other than the CCP and the eight members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference were allowed at the last elections, which took place from October 2002 to March 2003.

Learn more:

• Library of Congress's Legal Guide to China <http://www.loc.gov/law/guide/china.html>
  
  
• Elections in the People's Republic of China from Wikipedia <http://digbig.com/4nrdy>
  
  
• China Elections and Governance <http://www.chinaelections.org/en/>
  
  

[Jane Macoustra, Tai-Pan Research, is a freelance researcher who worked in Hong Kong for over 2 years. She has 26 years' experience in the fields of oil and gas; law and compliance; and investment banking and finance. Jane is the current president of the SLA Asian Chapter.]

Iran

The December 1979 constitution and its 1989 amendment define the political, economic and social order of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The government system does not claim to be secular and power is spread between branch divisions. The Iranian governmental system includes a supreme leader, an executive branch, a legislative branch, a judicial branch, an assembly of experts and diverse political groups, which are elected at a national level. City and Village Council elections are held every four years.

The Assembly of Experts is comprised of 86 clerics elected by adult suffrage for eight-year terms. The Legislative Council of Guardians deciphers the eligibility of these candidates.

The supreme leader of Iran, elected by the assembly of experts, is responsible for the delineation and supervision of general policies. He is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, military intelligence and has sole power to declare war. The president has the highest authority after the supreme leader and is elected for a four-year term by the people. The president is elected by a universal-suffrage electoral system in which citizens are eligible to vote at the age of 15.

The Council of Guardians comprises 12 jurists, including six appointed by the supreme leader, and interprets the constitution. The Majles, or parliament, is comprised of 290 members elected for four year terms. This body drafts legislation, ratifies international treaties and approves the national budget.

Almost six years ago, Iran's sixth general election produced a situation new to the Islamic Republic's then 21-year history. For the first time it had a legislature and president committed to reforms and the creation of a civil society. The Iranian presidential election of 2005 was the ninth presidential election in Iranian history and took place in two rounds. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is believed to have won the second round because of his populist views with regard to improving the social condition of the poor.

The president has generally feeble support among the clergy system in the Islamic Republic. The Assembly of Experts election on 15 December 2006 is significant because it could shift the balance of power between the faction of conservatives led by former President Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani and the radical faction represented by Ayatollah Yazdi.

Learn more:

• Iranian presidential election, 2005, from Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_presidential_election,_2005>
  
  
• "The Cheat Sheet: The Iranian Election" <http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=2864>
  
  
• "Guide to Researching Iran And Its 2000 Elections" <http://meria.idc.ac.il/research-g/iran-elections.html>
  
  

[Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars has spent her professional career working in the diverse arena of human services and is the author of the upcoming book "America & Iraq: Seduced by Fear".]

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Australia and Territories:

• "Business Intelligence Sustaining a competitive edge through effective data analysis" 22 - 23 November < http://www.freepint.com/go/e740>
  
  
• "Demonstrating the value of knowledge management" 22 - 24 November <http://www.freepint.com/go/e771>
  
  
• "Strategic Intranet Management for the Public Sector Conference" 27 - 29 November <http://www.freepint.com/go/e776>
  
  
• "Business Intelligence Masterclass" 30 November - 1 December < http://www.freepint.com/go/e772>
  
  

Germany:

• "3rd Annual German CI Conference" 15 - 16 November < http://www.freepint.com/go/e709>
  
  
• "Online Educa Berlin 2006" 29 November - 1 December < http://www.freepint.com/go/e758>
  
  

United Kingdom:

• "AUKML/ICLG Open Day" 13 November < http://www.freepint.com/go/e762>
  
  
• "The Future of the Information Profession" 17 November < http://www.freepint.com/go/e744>
  
  
• "New approaches to learning - with and without the e" 19 November <http://www.freepint.com/go/e665>
  
  
• "Business Insights: key management skills for information professionals" 24 - 25 November < http://www.freepint.com/go/e745>
  
  
• "One step beyond: national student conference" 25 November < http://www.freepint.com/go/e769>
  
  
• "Online Information" 28 - 30 November < http://www.freepint.com/go/e749>
  
  
• "SLA Europe's Annual Breakfast at Online Information 2006" 29 November <http://www.freepint.com/go/e775>
  
  
• "Information Governance Update 2006" 28 November - 7 December < http://www.freepint.com/go/e766>
  
  

NB: These are just a selection of information-related event listings in the FreePint Events database <http://www.freepint.com/events/>.

*** Submit your event for free promotion ***
New upgrade option for enhanced listing coverage

<http://www.freepint.com/events/>

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A look back at what FreePint covered at this time in previous years:

• FreePint No.194 10th November 2005. "VoIP: Threat or Opportunity to the Market Research Industry?" and "Interview with Steve Borley, winner of the SLA Europe Information Professional Award" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/101105.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No.171 11th November 2004. "How to Improve your Business Writing" and "Information Auditing: Key Concepts and How To Get Started" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/111104.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No.148 6th November 2003. "Records Management, the Aunt Sally of your business!" and "Getting UK Immigration Information and Advice" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/061103.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No.125, 14th November 2002. "Teaching In China" and "FreePint talks to Jakob Nielsen" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/141102.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No.99, 1st November 2001. "Web Sources for Climate Change and Emissions Trading" and "Marketing Library and Information Services" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/011101.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No.74, 2nd November 2000. "Web Sources for Central and Eastern Europe" and "Portals for business information on the Internet" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/021100.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No.49, 4th November 1999. "Key UK Library and Information Science Information Resources" and "Affiliate and Associate Programs" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/041199.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No.26, 12th November 1998. "Web Site Promotion Ideas" and "CD-ROMs and the Web" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/121198.htm>
  
  

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FREEPINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
[Provisional]

• Matapihi, National Digital Forum
  
  
• Finding People in the Digital Age
  
  
• How to Create White Papers That Persuade
  
  
• Impressions of Online Information 2006
  
  
• Value Networks
  
  
• Linking Real-World Local Communities With Online Communities
  
  
• Interview with Harvard Business Review Editor
  
  
• Presidential libraries
  
  
• IT-IS Mergers
  
  

If you have a suggestion for an article topic, or would like to write for FreePint, then please contact FreePint's Editor Monique Cuvelier, <monique.cuvelier@freepint.com> or read the notes for authors at <http://www.onopoly.com/author/>

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