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2nd April 2009
No.274
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Contents
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Editorial
By Sara Waddington
My Favourite Tipples
By Martin Bailey
FreePint Bar
FUMSI Features
- The Lean Intranet: from Intranet Zero to Intranet 2.0 and beyond
- Data Visualisation: Tools and Examples
VIP Features
- Blessing or Curse
- Adding Value?
- Recent postings to the LiveWire
Jinfo - Jobs and Events
Jobs in Information:
- Assistant Librarian
- Business Researcher - London + Berkshire
- Evidence Reviewer Research Design Service South East (Part-time)
- Knowledge Manager
- Enterprise Content Officer
- Information Specialist
Events in Information:
- Exploration Information Access: Enabling Better Decision Making
- The search universe: dont accept the limits of Google!
- CILIP's Umbrella 2009
- Your information service under review: Building a persuasive business case
- Perfect Information Conference 2009
- Content Architecture: Exploiting and Managing Diverse Resources
- SCIP Annual Conference
Highlights from ResourceShelf and DocuTicker
Gold and Forthcoming Articles
Contact Information
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About FreePint
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FreePint publishes newsletters, websites, magazines and resources for the information industry. The FreePint Family of publications publishes practical tips, product reviews, expert tips, research collections and hands-on tools to support information work of all kinds. The FreePint Bar provides a Q&A forum for getting your research questions answered and building a network of peers worldwide.
This twice-monthly free FreePint Newsletter serves as a guide to the latest content, including discussion at the Bar, tips articles, vacancies, professional development events, product reviews, editorial commentary and more. Subscribing is free and connects you with the information community around the world. Subscribe today.
The latest announcements, including publication contents, can always be found at the FreePint Feed. Subscribe to RSS for the FreePint Feed for fastest updates.
Please share FreePint with others by forwarding this newsletter.
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Editorial
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By Sara Waddington
 We are all being challenged to do business differently, whether it's to think differently about the tools we use or develop new ways to interact with users.
Some are being challenged to make the most significant changes of all finding a new role in a crowded, changing market. To support information professionals who are facing unplanned career gaps, FreePint recently announced a programme to provide free subscriptions to our premium publications (VIP and FUMSI) to professionals made redundant or out of work due to business closures. FreePint is also sponsoring two memberships in SLA - we pay your membership dues for a year. Applications for both programmes can be found online.
Back at the desktop and in the department meeting, info pros need to demonstrate their worth. In this issue of FreePint, you get two practical articles to help you communicate the difference between 'Information as Usual' and 'Information Professional.'
In this first part of a three-part series, 'The Lean Intranet: from Intranet Zero to Intranet 2.0 and beyond (Part One: Intranet Zero)', Patrick C. Walsh talks about the reasons for unfulfilled potential in intranet design and points the way forward to more effective intranet design. Intranets, he says, could be an incredible asset and a source of competitive advantage if a radically different approach, based on lean principles, is taken.
 This radical approach emphasises the over-riding need for constantly improving the quality of content and reducing waste whilst encouraging innovation and a holistic strategy for managing intranet issues - what Patrick terms the 'Lean Intranet'. Such an approach automatically promotes user interaction, understanding and consequent increased use of an intranet.
Data, however, does not need to be just text-based to promote user understanding and recognition. There is an ever growing stream of online and offline tools, projects, research and resources for visualising, interpreting and researching ultimately any type of data, for a vast range of uses. Matthew Solle explains the latest data visualisation developments in his Share article 'Data Visualisation: Tools and Examples'.
Use the interactive features of our articles to print, save or email to a colleague to share these ideas, and any others you find in the FUMSI article database with your senior staff, your IT department, your Chief Information Officer, your compliance officers, your direct-reports... help them understand that business-changing information doesn't emerge by accident.
How else can we support you in these times? Let us know. Please send your suggestions, ideas and requests to support@freepint.com, or use our online suggestion box.
Sara Waddington
Senior Managing Editor
FreePint
FreePint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2009
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My Favourite Tipples
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By Martin Bailey
Here are some useful web sites for software, information and assistance.
- World Press: this site offers a free news feed - an ideal way of adding dynamic content to your site so that visitors always see something new.
- Site Confidence offers site testing to monitor a website's technical performance from the outside, as users would experience it.
- Plaxo is a useful tool for keeping email and other contact information up-to-date. Free online/offline service integrates with Outlook Express.
- ivisit is free video conference software that allows several users to see and hear each other simultaneously.
- Teneric is a very useful business and marketing plan site. It also plays host to an excellent forum where you can ask business and marketing-related questions.
Martin Bailey has a passion for marketing and helping SMEs to develop, and a wide interest in the potential of using computers to achieve these ends. He has published a book 'Marketing Your Business' and is a successful consultant and advisor to many organisations.
Would you like to add your Favourite Tipples suggestions for the FreePint Newsletter or write an article for FUMSI (Find, Use, Manage or Share Information?).
If so, please contact Sara Waddington at sara.waddington@freepint.com with your ideas or visit <http://web.freepint.com/go/family/contribute>.
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 Develop Your Strengths with Quantum2
For a wide array of hands-on training and resource materials, turn to Quantum2, an innovative skills development programme provided *free* by Dialog. The programme helps information professionals:
- Expand your services through strategic and business competencies
- Improve flow of information in your organisation
- Gain visibility and build value for your work
Discover best practices, *plus* the know-how to implement them.
Free monthly newsletter and further information at:
http://quantum.dialog.com/
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FreePint Bar
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By Sara Waddington
Guidelines for IT usage Ts and Cs, desktop access to full text standards, market sector turnover values and trade journals are hot topics on the Bar at the moment. See a round-up of recent conversations below and click through to join the discussion. Post your research dilemmas to the FreePint Bar »
The FreePint Bar is generously sponsored by Mark Logic.
FreePint Bar
- One 'Pinter requests help with guidelines for IT usage terms and conditions (from an intranet focus) plus fair usage policy documents. He would appreciate some guidance, examples and updates on best practice.
- One Bar member is looking for online standard subscription services that allow institutional desktop access to full text standards. She is most interested in BSI and ISO standards and is aware of BSOL and IHS Standards and Specs services but is wondering if there are other vendors out there. Does anyone have any suggestions?
- Another 'Pinter has requested recommendations on a source or sources that collect and publish the turnover value of UK sectors such as Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology etc. on an annual basis. He needs a free or subscription reliable/credible source.
- Can you offer a Barista your recommendations on trade journals covering Leasing and/or Hire Purchase?
- The most recent issue of DocuTicker's GreyGuide, with helpful information on how and where to conduct research in reports published by government agencies, think tanks, research institutes, NGOs and other public interest groups is now available.
Visit the FreePint Bar »
FreePint Feed
The FreePint Feed keeps you up to date on what's new across all the sites in the FreePint Family.
Visit the FreePint Feed »
Sara Waddington is Senior Managing Editor of FreePint. She can be contacted at sara.waddington@freepint.com
The FreePint Bar is where you can get free help with your tricky research questions.
Subscribe to the free FreePint Digest to receive a weekly update of the latest Bar discussion, plus FreePint Feed announcements.
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The latest VIP magazine reviews e-mail news monitoring from the BBC and NexisDirect.
Plus the latest commentary from the LiveWire, two expert views on Microsoft's SharePoint and more
Learn more and purchase Issue No. 64 now: http://web.vivavip.com/go/vip/
Or start your trial subscription for only GBP 80 for 3 months: http://www.vivavip.com/sample.html
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The Market for Info Skills has Changed...
So has Jinfo.
Check out expanded offering - professional development events as well as vacancies: http://www.jinfo.com/
How can we enhance Jinfo further? Help us with your suggestions by completing our brief survey: http://digbig.com/4yknr
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FUMSI Features
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 FUMSI publishes articles, tools, and a monthly magazine, to give you practical help with information skills.
Visit http://www.fumsi.com/
However you Find, Use, Manage or Share Information, you'll find something in FUMSI to help.
Become a fan of FUMSI on Facebook »
We add new articles to the FUMSI database in each practice area every month, which are free to read, browse, email, print or save. Here are the most recent additions:
The Lean Intranet: from Intranet Zero to Intranet 2.0 and beyond (Part One: Intranet Zero)
FUMSI: Manage
Intranets abound, but are they really fulfilling their promise? Patrick C. Walsh believes that intranets are a vastly under-utilised resource, so much so that this era could be termed 'Intranet Zero'. In this first part of a three-part series, Walsh talks about the reasons for unfulfilled potential in intranet design and points the way forward to more effective intranet design.
WHAT'S INSIDE: 'Every time you have a conversation with a different colleague, just ask them if they ever use the intranet. If they answer 'yes', ask what they mainly use it for. From my own experience, I'll guarantee that the majority of answers you get will be along the lines of 'Just time sheets and holidays and things like that'. So, what about all of that other 'stuff' in the intranet?'
Read, print, save or forward this article now »
Data Visualisation: Tools and Examples
FUMSI: Share
With the volume of information piling up inside organizations, information professionals are turning to information discovery tools to help them find information that might otherwise get buried. Visualisation tools are one such approach and, as Matthew Solle writes, the tools in this space are becoming increasingly innovative.
WHAT'S INSIDE: 'Obviously the possibilities are endless and users are already doing things like wiring up things like their fridges to the web and mixing the data with other data like pollution levels. Request a beta login from them if you are interested.'
Read, print, save or forward this article now »
Also recently added to the FUMSI database:
Browse all FUMSI articles »
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VIP Features
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VIP publishes in-depth, unbiased reviews of business information products. If you purchase or use premium information resources, make VIP part of your professional reading every month »
 VIP Magazine No.64
- Blessing or Curse: Alan Pelz-Sharpe finds Microsoft's SharePoint a potentially powerful toolset that needs to be handled with care.
- Adding Value?: VIP responds to the latest Business Information Review survey,
which suggests that combining analysis with discovery could be the effective information professional's unique selling proposition.
- Under Scrutiny: The BBC Monitoring Email Service and LexisNexis's new quick-and-simple NexisDirect service assessed by VIP's reviewers Jonathan Gordon-Till and Joanna Ptolomey.
- Goodbye Gutenberg?: As the US continues a slow fade to a newspaper-less nation, Amazon's new ebook reader Kindle 2 is being hailed as the iPod moment for electronic books.
VIP Magazine No.64 »
In the next VIP: VIP reviews news services
Purchase VIP Issue No. 64 from the VIP website, or start your subscription now.
VIP LiveWire
VIP contributing editors comment daily on what's happening in the industry.
Visit the LiveWire for their insights, and subscribe to the free VIP Wires Weekly for regular alerts.
Recent posts:
- Only time will tell whether the current intense interest in Twitter engenders a whole new ecostructure of nesting native species or merely a springtime migration of exotic visitors that flee when the days start to darken.......
Direct link to posting: http://www.vivavip.com/go/e17338
- 'Exaggerated faith in rational and self-correcting markets' underpinned the current global financial crisis, which was brought about partly by 'financial innovation of little social value', according to the Turner Review of global banking regulation........
Direct link to posting: http://www.vivavip.com/go/e17065
- Due diligence research is one area of growing opportunity for beleaguered information professionals. And, with the capability for investigating individuals growing all the time........
Direct link to posting: http://www.vivavip.com/go/e16932
VIP
LiveWire »
VIP Wire
Information-related product and news announcements. Post your
releases and receive news FREE.
VIP Wire »
VIP - Subscribe
and Back Issues
Request a sample issue of VIP, or start a trial subscription today for only GBP 80 for three months. Visit http://www.vivavip.com/sample.html to request a sample or start your trial. Purchase back-issues of VIP from the VIP Archive.
VIP Archive »
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Apply for FreePint's SLA Membership Award
Up to 2 free memberships in SLA, in partnership with the European chapter of SLA.
Read about the award and submit your application - deadline is 30 April 2009:
http://web.freepint.com/go/how/award/
Don't forget to RSVP for the SLA Annual Conference: Learn where to meet FreePint editors, and get your copy of the FreePint SLA Special Report upon publication in July!
Learn more about SLA and the annual conference on the SLA Website.
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Find Your Focus
Subscribe to FUMSI Focus for Free!
Monthly update with favourite web resources from our FUMSI Contributing Editors
Plus highlights from FUMSI offerings
Learn more and subscribe »
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Jinfo - Jobs and Events in Information
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 Jinfo is the central location for supporting your information career. The Jinfo Jobs database lists vacancies, and the Jinfo Events database lists workshops, conferences, training, webinars and other professional development opportunities.
Start a free subscription to receive the weekly Jinfo Update, with a complete list of the latest vacancies and events, or search the databases at any time (free).
Jinfo Jobs in the FreePint Newsletter are supported through our partnership with Quantum2, an innovative skills development programme offered by Dialog. Learn more at <http://quantum.dialog.com/>.
Jinfo Jobs:
Here is a selection of the latest featured vacancies in the Jinfo database:
- Assistant Librarian
This is an excellent opportunity for an Assistant Librarian to join a Leeds based central government department
Recruiter: Weekes Gray Recruitment
Country: United Kingdom
- Business Researcher - London + Berkshire
Berkshire/London. Experienced and confident Business Researcher required to provide support to clients for niche Consultancy.
Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
Country: United Kingdom
- Evidence Reviewer Research Design Service South East (Part-time)
Work with researchers bidding funding on finding basic guidelines literature search. Provide training and collaborate with other Library and Knowledge Services.
Recruiter: The Postgraduate Deanery for Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Country: United Kingdom
- Knowledge Manager
A professional association is looking for a temporary knowledge manager from as soon as possible for...
Recruiter: TFPL
Country: United Kingdom
- Enterprise Content Officer
To support the development and administration of the MDUSL Enterprise Content Management system.
Recruiter: MDU Services Ltd
Country: United Kingdom
- Information Specialist
Background in science or engineering area? Qualified librarian or working towards qualification? 9-12 months FTC in Swindon.
Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited
Country: United Kingdom
Browse all Jinfo
Jobs »
Jinfo Events:
Here is a selection of the latest featured events in the Jinfo database:
Browse all Jinfo
Events »
Jinfo - the best place for information-related job vacancies and professional development opportunities.
- RECRUITING?
- Advertise a vacancy for just GBP 195
- 10% discount for agencies
- 50% discount for registered charities
- RUNNING AN EVENT?
List it on Jinfo to reach a targeted audience seeking professional development opportunities
- Get started at <http://web.jinfo.com/events/load/>
- Partner events listed for free; enquire at <support@jinfo.com>.
Find out more today at <http://www.jinfo.com/>
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| Highlights from ResourceShelf and DocuTicker
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Gold
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A look back at what the FreePint Newsletter covered at this time in previous years:
- FreePint No. 249, 27th March 2008. "RSS Feeds: Managing the Mechanism" and "Life Beyond Google: Some of the Best of the Rest"
- FreePint No. 227, 5th April 2007. "Distance Learning, ifs KnowledgeBank and Usability" and "EThOS: A New Start for Doctoral Theses in the UK"
- FreePint No. 203, 30th March 2006. "Can I have a little service here?: Being a great customer and getting what you need from vendors" and "Low-Profile Regs You Don't Want to Miss: The Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005"
- FreePint No. 180, 7th April 2005. "Quality assuring health information resources" and "Trends in business information, provision and use"
- FreePint No. 157, 1st April 2004. "Intrusion on privacy by electronic surveillance and personal data gathering" and "Skills for Career Success"
- FreePint No. 134, 3rd April 2003. "Genetically Modified Foods: Official Information Sources" and "Information Systems - Never Just Technology"
- FreePint No. 109, 4th April 2002. "The War Against SPAM" and "Finding Chemical Information on the Web - the User's Viewpoint"
- FreePint No. 84, 29th March 2001. "In the Footsteps of Miss Marple - Female Detective Fiction Online" and "Quest for Liberty: History of the United States of America"
- FreePint No. 59, 30th March 2000. "Virtual Visits: Links to museums and the like on the WWW" and "Internet Development in the Middle East"
- FreePint No. 35, 1st April 1999. "UK Immigration Sources on the Web" and "The Internet for Competitive Intelligence"
- FreePint No. 11, 2nd April 1998. "The International Marketing Power of Domain Names" and "Job Hunting on the Net"
FreePint Newsletter Archive »
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| Forthcoming Articles - Provisional
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Contact Information
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Address:
Free Pint Limited
4-6 Station Approach Ashford, Middlesex TW15 2QN, United Kingdom
Telephone:
UK: 0870 141 7474 Int: +44 870 141 7474
Directions and maps: <http://www.freepint.com/contact.htm>
Contributors to this issue:
Sara Waddington (Senior Managing Editor, FreePint), Martin Bailey, Patrick C. Walsh, Matthew Solle, Nancy Davis Kho (Copyeditor), Robin Neidorf (General Manager), William Hann (Publisher), Douglas Brown (Proofreader).
Advertisers/Sponsors:
Quantum2 from Dialog, Mark Logic, The Postgraduate Deanery for Kent, Surrey and Sussex, MDU Services Ltd, Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited, Glen Recruitment, TFPL, Weekes Gray Recruitment.
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