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27th May 2010
No.302
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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.
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 FreePint Bar provides the latest announcements, including publication contents. Subscribe to an RSS feed for the FreePint Bar for the fastest updates.
Please share FreePint with others by forwarding this newsletter.
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Editorial
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By Robin Neidorf
 From the smallest community to the biggest city, we're all connected in ways that were barely comprehensible a generation ago. This month's guest editor for VIP, Stewart Bain, is a community librarian at the Orkney Library & Archive, one of the most remote communities of the United Kingdom, and yet the library's blog, Twitter feed and other communications enjoy readership around the world. Stewart particularly enjoyed this month's comparative review of social networking powerhouses LinkedIn, ZoomInfo and Jigsaw, already provided to VIP subscribers and available for purchase in the FreePint Shop.
 Connectedness creates opportunities and opens up possibilities. FreePint itself connects contributors, readers, editors, customers and sponsors and is delightfully possible through creative use of collaborative tools like Skype, Google Calendar, GoToMeeting, LinkedIn... and those are just the ones I can list without thinking hard. With little effort, even relatively small companies are global.
Of course, global business means needing to be able to cope with the regulations and laws of many different jurisdictions. Information professionals are a critical resource for organisations in managing a range of resources to help them maintain regulatory compliance. That's one of the reasons survey respondents told us that, unlike in other sectors, spending on products and staff to help maintain compliance is stable and even inching upwards. Request your free copy of the FreePint Report: Regulatory Compliance Resources to learn more about respondents' opinions about the products they use and what additional resources they wish they had.
Beyond regulation, government agencies are present in the business world in a variety of ways. FUMSI contributor Susan Connelly Murphy provides a handy round-up of government programmes and policies that support the electrification of automobiles. Although her topic is specific, her tips and resources have broader applications.
Another FUMSI contributor, Jonaki Sarkar, shares a different side of government: government as publisher. Agencies publish an enormous volume of resources, and Jonaki's clear, no-nonsense tips focus on clarity of communication, audience-focus and plain language (sometimes several languages) -- all useful for any publisher.
Communication across distances is a beautiful thing, especially when it's clear, focused and even has a bit of fun to it. But communication face to face is also a joy. I'm personally looking forward to seeing colleagues, contributors and customers during SLA's annual conference in New Orleans in June. Will you be there? Register your interest to find out about FreePint activities, and be sure to stop by our table (no.7) to say hello. Can't make it? You can still register to stay in touch and receive a copy of the FreePint SLA 2010 Special Report.
See you in New Orleans--
Robin Neidorf
General Manager
FreePint
FreePint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2010
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My Favourite Tipples
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FUMSI's contributing editors share Tipples regularly in the FUMSI Forum. Rely on their picks for great web-based resources to support all forms of information work. Share your own Tipples by posting to the Forum, and while there participate in community Q&A on how you Find, Use, Manage and Share Information every day.
- Does IT make you happier?
'...In May 2010, 'The information dividend: can IT make you happier'? report was published....'
- Poverty research - IssueLab
'For researching the area of poverty try IssueLab (http://www.issuelab.org), an open access archive of free, non-profit produced research on more than 30 issue areas....'
- BBC Moderation, The Law and 'Censorship'
'If you or your company publishes any sort of user generated content on your website, then you need to know where you stand on the law around defamation and libel....'
- Practical Law Company
'...The key resource that is most relied upon for up-to date information on all the different fields of law, from construction and environmental to banking and insurance, is the Practical Law Company, more commonly referred to as PLC.'
- Digital Britain
'In 2009 the UK government announced the publication of the Digital Britain report - 'the strategic vision for a successful socially inclusive and business digital economy'....'
FUMSI's contributing editors include Marcy Phelps (Find), Joanna Ptolomey (Use), Kate Simpson (Manage) and Martin Belam (Share).
You can receive Tipples via Twitter at: <http://www.twitter.com/myfavtipples>.
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 submit them to support@freepint.com.
View the guidelines at: <http://web.freepint.com/go/family/contribute>.
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FreePint Bar
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The FreePint Bar is where we publish information about the latest content from across the FreePint Family of resources.
The FreePint Bar is sponsored by:
Latest posts at the FreePint Bar:
- [FUMSI] Latest popular articles
The following are the most popular FUMSI articles over the last 30 days:
* Next generation catalogues, discovery interfaces and their role in helping meet changing user needs
* Enterprise Content Management: Another Role for Info Pros
* Presentation Tools: Beyond Powerpoint
* The Greening of a Business: Beyond the Bottom Line
* An InfoRant on the State of Information Management Today
Free uses of FUMSI articles are supported by our sponsors.
Read posting online »
- [RS] Resource of the Week: Legal Research: New PACER Web Site Now Online, A Completely New Look
Here's one to share with the others you know who use PACER.
We're going to provide a more in-depth look after all of us have some time to "look and use" the new site but from the moment the page appears on your screen you'll notice that it looks very different and, in our opinion, much better. Here's a cached version of the page before the change.
Read posting online »
- [VIP] Latest popular LiveWire posts
There's a lot of valuable comment at the VIP LiveWire. The following are the most popular posts from our contributing editors over the last 30 days:
* Health care 'socially' vibrant yet wary
* Paywalls galore, but will they succeed?
* Russian information services come of age
* Salesforce.com acquires Jigsaw
* UK online consumers expect more for free
Subscribe to the free VIP Wires Weekly to stay informed. Your comments on any posting are always welcome.
Read posting online »
- [FreePint] Relieving the Pressure
Should your desk have a sign reading, 'Warning: Contents under pressure'? If so, you're not alone - most
information practitioners today are under a lot of competing pressures:
* Do more with less (budget, staff, resources)
* Deliver value-added results
* Extract all the juice out of paid-for resources
* Find and maximise use of non-paid resources
* Stay on top of ever-changing requirements.
It's enough to make any pressure-cooker blow.
Stress is sometimes more manageable, though, when you have context. Recent and upcoming FreePint Research reports can help you put your own experiences into the broader context of what other professionals are experiencing and open up possibilities for resolving the challenges.
Streamlining processes can help you do more with less. Products that fit into your workflow can make a big difference in your efficiency and productivity. Participate in the current FreePint Survey on Workflow -- the resulting report will be published later this month.
Read posting online »
Visit the FreePint Bar »
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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 »
Follow FUMSI on Twitter »
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:
Government Policies in Support of Electrification of Automobiles
 By Susan Connelly Murphy
FUMSI: Find
Electrification of automobiles is a hot topic on the green agenda and, inevitably, there is a vast amount of government policy on the subject. Susan Connelly Murphy shows us how and where to search so that we can pin down both international and individual country policy.
WHAT'S INSIDE: 'Government policy on electrification of automobiles falls into four major categories: tax incentives; grants; public investment; and research and development projects. A review of representative countries in each of the major regions will find some countries with well-defined and co-ordinated policies containing clear goals with financial support, and other countries with only general statements of intent. A place to begin research into this area is with the international agencies that track climate change legislation. News and journal articles are also good information sources to follow policies under consideration and recently enacted.'
Read, print, save or forward this article now »
Writing for the public domain
 By Jonaki Sarkar
FUMSI: Share
Writing for the general public is not a simple task. Apart from writing in plain English (not straightforward in itself), there are fonts, formatting, alternative formats and languages, accurate data and, most important of all, the audience you are writing for, to consider. In this article, Jonaki Sarkar steers us through the do's and don'ts of writing for the public domain.
WHAT'S INSIDE: 'All the information produced for the public (both online and in print) should be accurate, free of jargon, easy to read and presented in a clear way. As well as this, the information needs to look good, so design plays an important part. If it doesn't look good, no one will pick it up...and what's the point of producing information that no one is going to read?'
Read, print, save or forward this article now »
FUMSI Forum
The latest recommendations and tips from our editors, contributors and community:
Visit the FUMSI Forum »
FUMSI - Forthcoming Topics
- Repurposing work product
- Semantic library catalogues
- iPhone apps for researchers
- SharePoint for information and knowledge management
- Social media expertise, revisited
If you have a suggestion for an article topic, or would like to write, then please contact <support@freepint.com> or read the notes for authors at
<http://web.freepint.com/go/family/contribute/>.
Browse all FUMSI articles »
Subscribe to the free FUMSI Focus to receive a weekly update of the latest FUMSI Forum discussion.
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Regulatory Compliance Is Not Optional
Find out which tools info pros use to maintain it
The FreePint Report: Regulatory Compliance Resources provides insight into a growing field:
- Budgets and staffing
- Regulations of greatest interest
- Needs and requirements of info pros
Request your free copy »
This project was generously sponsored by Bureau van Dijk, LexisNexis, Morningstar and Perfect Information.
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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 »
 The Business of Socialising: A VIP Editorial
By Stewart Bain Stewart Bain is VIP's guest editor for May. He is responsible for Reader Development at Orkney Library
& Archive and wrote about his experiences with social media for FUMSI
Living in what is considered to be one of the more remote areas of the UK I can fully appreciate the benefits that the internet has brought in terms of information sharing and connecting people throughout the world at the click of a button. In the not-so-distant past, residing in certain geographical areas would have meant exclusion from various employment or business opportunities; now it is possible to live and work almost anywhere.
This issue of VIP includes reviews of some of the online tools that help people in all locations to make contacts, share details and find employment. You will discover the positives and negatives of the business networking site LinkedIn, the online business directory Jigsaw, and the business search engine ZoomInfo. These companies all emerged in the last decade, and have grown and expanded at an incredible rate, with LinkedIn now having over 65 million members.
I must admit my previous knowledge of these services only went as far as having heard their names; after reading the reviews I was inspired to take a closer look at what they have to offer; I now have a much greater understanding of their value as mechanisms for networking and information sharing.
Also explored in this issue is BiomedExperts.com, which our review describes as the product you need if you wish to 'find out about trends, people, investment, products and collaboration in biomedical sciences'. The site allows users to search for experts in the biomedical field, our reviewer gives a detailed description of just how easy, or not, the service is to use. Working in a public library I couldn't help but raise a smile in recognition at the problems thrown up when searching by author name.
It was interesting to read in Tap the Wire about the high percentage of Fortune Global 100 companies using social media, and the statistics for the preferred platforms in different world regions. Nancy Davis Kho mentions that just about all companies should 'want to reach clients in local markets using social media'. At Orkney Library & Archive we are about to celebrate our first year as twitter users, and in that time we have found it an invaluable tool for informing and interacting with our service users.
Serving a population spread over twenty islands, social media enables us to engage with our users in ways never before possible and helps get our message out into the heart of our communities; these platforms are used by everyday people of all ages, people who may not have been aware of what we can do for them. Similar to the role of the companies reviewed in this issue, we have also found social media a great means of making business contacts, including information professionals, authors and publishers. It's also how I came to be writing this introduction to another excellent issue of VIP; I hope you enjoy it.
Purchase the individual reports associated with
the current VIP by clicking the links above, or purchase Issue No.
78 to receive both and save money over the individual cost.
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.
VIP Wires Weekly is generously sponsored by Financial Times.
Most Read Postings on the LiveWire Recently...
- Sixty million executives can't be wrong
It sometimes seems as if LinkedIn can do no wrong. But it's just received a small setback that, once again, raises questions about how best to harness the power of social networking for business...
Read posting online »
- Aslib to shine again with Emerald?
Turmoil continues to beset the information industry's professional bodies as Aslib becomes the latest to face major upheaval. But unlike some of its erstwhile competitors, Aslib is a survivor, having been taken under the wing of management research publisher Emerald...
Read posting online »
- Burson Marsteller 2010 Social Media report
Communications firm Burson-Marsteller released a report in February 2010 on the uptake of social media platforms by Fortune Global 100 companies, as part of their new Evidence Based Communications research series.
Read posting online »
- Copyright - it's all about behaviour
'Any contract can be breached and any technological fix can be overcome by someone really determined... The only framework that truly matters is behavioural.' It's an uncompromising start to FreePint's much awaited survey on Copyright Policies and Practices...
Read posting online »
Always feel free to comment on any item on the LiveWire, and if you do not yet have a free subscription to the VIP Wires Weekly, you can sign up now »
Purchase VIP Magazine No. 77 from the FreePint Shop, or start your subscription now »
VIP LiveWire »
VIP Wire
Information-related product and news announcements. Post your releases and subscribe to the free VIP Wires Weekly for regular alerts.
Recent VIP Wire announcements...
- Credo Reference adds Grey House Publishing titles
Oxford and Boston, 25th May 2010 - Credo Reference, the award-winning online reference library, has signed an agreement to incorporate six Grey House Publishing titles into the Credo General Reference collection. These are the first titles from Grey House Publishing to be added to Credo.
Read Press Release online »
- Perfect Information Launches ECM Insight to Give 100% Visibility of ECM Market Practice
London, 19th May, 2010 - Perfect Information, a global provider of financial information, today announced the launch of ECM Insight. ECM Insight contains key information extracted from London's four equity stock markets' (Main Market, Alternative Investment Market, PLUS Market and Professional Securities Market) primary and secondary ECM offerings.
Read Press Release online »
- Winner of the SLA Europe Information Professional Award 2010
An inspiring and innovative educator has won this year's SLA Europe Information Professional Award (SLA Europe IP 2010).
Dr Geoff Walton (BA (Hons), MA, PhD PgCHPE, FHEA, MCLIP) is currently Academic Skills Tutor Librarian and Research-informed Teaching Project Co-ordinator at Staffordshire University in Stoke-in-Trent, England. In this joint role he is involved in identifying synergies between research, teaching, learning, and information literacy.
Read Press Release online »
VIP Wire »
VIP - Subscribe and Back Issues
Start a trial subscription today for only £80 for three months. Visit http://web.freepint.com/go/shop/vip/volume/trial/ to start your trial. You can also purchase back-issues of VIP from the FreePint Shop.
VIP Archive »
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 - Forthcoming Topics
- Westlaw UK and Lexis Library (comparative review)
- Debtwire from Mergermarket
- Zephyr from BvD
- Alacra Compliance
If you have a suggestion for an article topic, or would like to write, then please contact <support@freepint.com> or read the notes for authors at
<http://web.freepint.com/go/family/contribute/>.
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Register your interest, and we'll keep you informed about when and how you can meet our editors and staff.
- Share your ideas for product reviews and features
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You can also request your copy of the the FreePint SLA 2010 Special Report, to be published early July. You'll hear directly from attendees on sessions, speakers, trends networking and more.
Register now »
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Have questions on how to FUMSI?
Visit the FUMSI Forum »
- Share a tip
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It's free »
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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:
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Research Professional
A Research professional looking to develop their career in an established firm is required to undertake...
Recruiter: TFPL Intelligent Resources
Country: United Kingdom
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Researcher
Recruiter: BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY
Country: United Kingdom
- Junior Research Analyst- Media
Consultancy wants excellent communicator with commercial acumen to support media client service team & assist in knowledge development. London - £good
Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited
Country: United Kingdom
- Senior Researcher - Wealth Management
Wealth Management Sector Sopecialist to provide in-depth research and thought leadership support in Central London.
Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
Country: United Kingdom
Browse all Jinfo Jobs »
Jinfo Events:
Here is a selection of the latest featured events in the Jinfo database:
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Viral marketing for promoting the LIS
'Viral', 'buzz' and 'word of mouth' marketing are currently recognised as some of the most effective marketing techniques available.
Organiser: CILIP
Date: 10 June 2010
Country: United Kingdom
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SLA's Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO 2010
SLA's 2010 leading-edge conference for information professionals from around the globe for networking and learning opportunities!
Organiser: SLA
Date: 13-16 Jun 2010
Country: United States
Browse all Jinfo Events »
Jinfo - the best place for information-related job vacancies and professional development opportunities.
- RECRUITING?
- Advertise a vacancy for just £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 DocuTicker
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DocuTicker publishes citations of full-text, free reports available on the web. Visit daily for new postings, or subscribe to the weekly DocuTicker Newsletter.
Recent postings:
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Highlights from ResourceShelf
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 Every week, the editors of ResourceShelf explore a Resource of the Week. Get them for free every week via email by subscribing to the ResourceShelf Newsletter.
Become a fan of ResourceShelf and DocuTicker on Facebook.
Recently published:
Resource of the Week - Legal Research: New PACER Web Site Now Online, A Completely New Look
Here's one to share with the others you know who use PACER.
We're going to provide a more in-depth look after all of us have some time to "look and use" the new site but from the moment the page appears on your screen you'll notice that it looks very different and, in our opinion, much better. Here's a cached version of the page before the change.
Here are a few of the things you'll notice as soon as the page loads.
1. Use of color
2. At the top of the page
Near the of the page (below the maroon line), seven drop down menus including links to the Registration Page (Three types are available). "Find a Case" locator, "E-File," Quick Links (FAQ, account management, individual links to court PACER sites, etc.)...
View entire posting, including live links »
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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. 278, 28th May 2009 "Find and Share information on the Internet" and "The Lean Intranet: from Intranet Zero to Intranet 2.0 and beyond. (Part Two: Intranet 1.0)"
- FreePint No. 253, 22nd May 2008 "The Greening of a Business: Looking Beyond the "Bottom Line" to Become a Better Corporate Citizen" and "If Members Won't Come: The Royal Society of Chemistry Builds a Virtual Library"
- FreePint No. 230, 24th May 2007 "Mentors and Mentees: Structuring a Professional Relationship" and "Development 2.0: A New Paradigm for the Non-Profit Sector?"
- FreePint No. 206, 18th May 2006 "Beyond the library walls - establishing an information literacy programme for a dispersed user group" and "How the financial world goes round - a primer on financial information resources"
- FreePint No. 183, 26th May 2005 "Bullying at Work" and "Specialist Tribunals - Your Guide to Informal Justice"
- FreePint No. 160, 27th May 2004 "Online Information Online - behind the scenes of a virtual event" and "The Semantic Web is Your Friend"
- FreePint No. 137, 15th May 2003 "Net the Ancestors: the Internet and Family History" and "Business Continuity and Recovery - An Asian Perspective"
- FreePint No. 113, 30th May 2002 "Trade Unions on the Net" and "The Future of Mobile Telephony"
- FreePint No. 88, 24th May 2001 "Waste on the WWW" and "Images on the Web"
- FreePint No. 63, 25th May 2000 "Maximising Press and PR Exposure via the Internet" and "XML : Perception to Practice"
- FreePint No. 39, 27th May 1999 "Lingo on-line - Languages resources on the World Wide Web" and "Central and Eastern European Web Sources"
- FreePint No. 15, 28th May 1998 "Web Slavery - Automating Information Retrieval" and "Food Industry Information on the Web"
FreePint Newsletter Archive »
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Contact Information
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