Newsletter Archive

Newsletter No. 307


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FreePint 12th August 2010
No.307
 Contents

Editorial

My Favourite Tipples

FreePint Bar


FUMSI Features

  • Finding Expertise Inside the Organisation
  • How is SharePoint used in Libraries?

VIP Features

  • SLA 2010 in VIP
  • Recent postings to the LiveWire
  • Recent postings to the Wire

Jinfo - Jobs and Events

Jobs in Information:

  • Business Researcher
  • Head of Special Collections Services
  • Researcher - Maternity Cover

Events in Information:

  • Online Mobile Cloud Computing Forum
  • Mobile Cloud Computing Forum

Highlights from DocuTicker

  • Fiscal Policy and Sustainability in View of Crisis and Population Ageing...
  • How the Public and Private Sector Could Work Together to Thaw a Future Credit Freeze

Highlights from ResourceShelf

  • CHARM: Online Recorded Music Database from the UK

Gold

Contact Information



 About FreePint

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.

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 Editorial

By Robin Neidorf

Robin Neidorf

Bees in a hive are model knowledge managers. Worker specialisation is critical to a functioning hive. Equally essential is the ability of individual bees to share what they know selectively: Where is the food? What is the danger?

The perfectly collaborative hive is something organisations rarely achieve. In an ideal knowledge management (KM) environment, specialised workers have access to precisely the information they need, when they need it.

Sound like your organisation? Mine, neither. And FreePint has some pretty collaborative-minded bees in our hive.

Bees in a hive are model knowledge managersWe're all synthesising countless bits of information all the time. Tools like SharePoint, instant messaging and federated search (to name but a few) reduce the friction between workers and the information they need at any moment. In the FUMSI Report: Folio on Workflow Integration, our survey of information managers revealed that internal information (e.g., documentation, internal directories, etc.) is actually less well integrated into workflow than external information -- an important KM challenge. Additional FUMSI Reports, on Intranet Management and Knowledge Management, provide additional insight on keeping the joints between people and data they need well-oiled.

Two of the latest FUMSI articles, on finding experts and on library applications of SharePoint, will surely add new ideas.

Technological solutions make a difference in KM for any organisation -- FreePint would not run nearly as well without our extranet for remote workers and our beloved Skype. But two old fashioned approaches are essential:

Every time we welcome new staff to FreePint, I'm reminded how essential each person's knowledge is to our overall success. How well we share that knowledge and put it to the best possible use for our users underlies so much of our day-to-day efforts.

What are your suggestions for how we can support your knowledge management better? Share tips in the FUMSI Forum, send a note to our suggestion box, or make your knowledge truly visible by contributing an article on your own best practices.

Robin Neidorf
General Manager
FreePint


FreePint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2010

 My Favourite Tipples

Kate Simpson

Submit your list of up to five favourite tipples to support@freepint.com for publication with your byline and photo in the FreePint Newsletter. Have a single tip to share? Post it to the FUMSI Forum.

By Kate Simpson

  • 3 Geeks & a Law Blog
    These 3 US law geeks have come together to blog on a fairly regular basis (1 a day usually) covering the 3 essential areas for anyone involved in legal knowledge management, internet marketing and library sciences. They can each be followed on Twitter to ensure you don't miss the latest blog posting: @glambert, @lihsa, @gnawledge

  • Slaw.ca
    Slaw.ca is a cooperative Canadian blog on all things legal. There are regular contributors such as Connie Crosby (who blogs herself about all things collaborative and social: http://www.crosbygroup.ca/blog/), and Library Boy, who keeps us up to date with legal research news here: http://micheladrien.blogspot.com/, as well as guest columnists covering topics such as: Legal Publishing, Outsourcing, Substantive Law updates, and Legal Tech - so something for everyone then...

  • Above and Beyond KM
    Another essential website to keep visiting is V Mary Abraham's "Above & Beyond KM" that discusses knowledge management that goes above and beyond technology (happily in my view). She actively encourages comment from visitors to create that discussion which often makes it a quite colourful addition to your regular reading destinations. She also tweets brilliantly at @VMaryAbraham and regularly shares some of the most interesting articles on the Web (in my legally focused view). Bookmark it now.

  • Lawyer KM
    Patrick DiDomenico (another New Yorker) blogs about Knowledge Management & Social Media for lawyers and law firms. He is another key pointer and writer about anything that might possibly be construed as relating to Legal KM and Legal IT. So yes, he has topic categories of 'iPad' and 'Blackberry' and as well as the more usual 'E-Discovery' to keep us all entertained.

  • The Orange Rag Blog
    And finally, from the other side of the Pond from where I am now, I still follow Charles Christian on Twitter @ChristianUncut so I can see when he's posted something on The Orange Rag Blog - an essential resource for anyone who uses, buys, sells, designs and has to integrate IT 'solutions' in the legal industry. He is my trusted resource to find out who's using what and why, as well as to pull apart some of the big vendors' press releases in his truly investigative journalistic-style.

Kate Simpson is the contributing editor for FUMSI: Manage and is a freelance information & knowledge architect based in Toronto, Canada. She's spent the last 10+ years turning a legal education into a passion for complex information spaces (law firms, publishing, government, etc). Through her company Tangledom, Kate tends toward the obsessive when exploring the different ways we can make information and knowledge easier to find, use, share and manage within our organisations.

Find out more at her website tangledom.com and keep up to date with her thoughts on twitter.com/k8simpson.


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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Company Watch

H-Score: Hindsight in Advance

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Financial Times

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"We've been delighted with the flexibility of the programme, which enables us to pay a single fee and have the FT content delivered through multiple channels." -- CIO of Clifford Chance

Download the case study on how law firm LG uses the FT to support its knowledge strategy.

 FreePint Bar

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:

Financial Times      ISI Emerging Markets

Latest posts at the FreePint Bar:

  • [RS] Resource of the Week: CHARM: Online Recorded Music Database from the UK
    CHARM (Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music), from Kings College (London, UK) offers a lot of material and, as is often the case, the best way to get to know it is by visiting the site. In our experience, many databases are available from only a specific location (example: a country). With CHARM, however, we were able to search, find, and listen to recordings online from this UK database in the U.S.A.
    Read posting online »

  • [VIP] Latest popular LiveWire posts
    The following are the most popular FUMSI articles over the last 30 days: * Web 2.0: just hype say researchers? * Pile it high and sell it cheap * Times online: some unofficial numbers * First release of ProQuest Dialog * How to manage the flight to quality? Free uses of FUMSI articles are supported by our sponsors.
    Read posting online »

  • [FreePint] SLA 2010 Special Report Published
    The FreePint SLA 2010 Special Report has been published. Request your free copy here: http://www.freepint.com/events/sla-2010/
    This is the fourth year we've published a report based on delegate comments at the event. As always, we thank our contributors for their insights, our sponsors for their support, and especially SLA for making the whole event possible. Have additional thoughts or feedback? Share them here.
    Read posting online »

  • [FreePint] Economic Impact Update + Mobile Research
    It's hard to believe that only 12 months ago, we started collecting data for the first Economic Impact report. We're now recruiting participation in FreePint Research: Economic Impact 2010. Take a few minutes to complete this anonymous survey now. When we launched the 2009 version of the survey, the economy was still shaky, at best. 448 respondents used that survey to tell us about changes in their staffing and budgets, and what tactics they were using to address shortfalls...
    Read posting online »

Visit the FreePint Bar »

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 FUMSI Features

FUMSIFUMSI 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:

Finding Expertise Inside the Organisation

Connie CrosbyBy Connie Crosby
FUMSI: Find

There are many reasons why we might be looking for someone who has knowledge of a particular subject in our organisation but, whatever the reason, it can prove more difficult to track this person down than you might imagine. If you are really lucky a staff expertise directory will provide a quick answer but, for those without this magic bullet, Connie Crosby provides a detailed plan of action for tracking down that expert.

WHAT'S INSIDE: 'According to Malcolm Gladwell, the magic number for true expertise is ten thousand hours of practice. If you are looking for a person with extensive knowledge about a subject to head up a multi-million dollar project, those ten thousand hours of practice are important. How, then, do we find expertise inside our organisations? Look for evidence of expertise first inside your organisation, either through the documents of the organisation or by finding someone who knows someone. If that does not work, then look outside your organisation to see what you can find about the people inside your organisation.'

Read, print, save or forward this article now »

How is SharePoint used in Libraries?

Lorette S.J. WeldonBy Lorette S.J. Weldon
FUMSI: Use

SharePoint offers librarians the ability to program without coding. In other words, to customise a site... provided they can find the time! Lorette Weldon outlines the possibilities for librarians and, using the results of a survey, looks at integrating SharePoint with library management systems.

WHAT'S INSIDE: 'To use SharePoint for collaborating, capturing and organising 'corporate' knowledge (activities, ideas and documents), librarians need to understand how to program SharePoint without coding ie how to become a 'customiser' The survey found out that SharePoint was usually bought by senior management and configured by the IT department. The problem with this implementation was that the web parts used were designed by the IT department from senior management's understanding of what SharePoint can do, without talking to the actual users (librarians and other staff). '

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

  • Shorter URLs and how to use them
  • Tweet Preservation
  • Apps for Researchers
  • Clustering search engines
  • The Big Three: Comparison of Bing, Yahoo and Google

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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Moreover Technologies

Well-Fed Is Well-Read:

Get a Free Trial of Moreover Newsdesk

Our "Feed of Feeds" gives you the most news content from the Web.

Powerful filtering tools hone in on what your audience wants and needs.

Add your custom touches, and your newsletter keeps your team on track and in the know.

Learn more and request your free 2-week trial »

Contribute to FreePint Research Now

Economic Impact Research, Year 2
Contribute to FreePint Research Now

Contribute to FreePint Research Now »

FreePint is updating our research on budgets, staff and approaches to information management. Participate in our anonymous survey and learn:

  • If budgets are stablising yet
  • What tactics information managers use to cope with change
  • What to expect for 2011

All contributors receive a free copy of the full report.

Comment on last year's edition:
'This is a superb report from which information professionals can apply opportunities and findings.'
-- Gilberto Morales, MLS, Information Resource Specialist, Baker Hughes'


Contribute now »

 VIP Features

VIP 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 issue 80SLA 2010 - A VIP Editorial

By Perrin Kerravala

Perrin Kerravala is VIP's guest editor for July. Perrin is a Librarian at Export Development Canada (EDC), where she manages the firm's market data and fixed income portfolio management information resources.

July's issue of VIP comes out on the heels of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) annual conference in New Orleans. For me, attending conferences like SLA is about meeting friends and associates old and new, taking in the local sites and flavours, and above all, recharging my professional batteries through learning. SLA in the Big Easy did not disappoint: I caught up with many of my vendors, made new contacts at several networking receptions and, for the first time, tried frog legs, fried gator and Sazaracs. But most of all, I came away with a re-energised enthusiasm for my profession and its potential, which can easily be forgotten when you're buried under the busyness of the day-to-day.

This year's SLA had a few key differences from the past: this was the first time that SLA offered a Virtual Conference Component, where remote attendees could listen to presentations and join in the subsequent conversation. It was exciting to see questions and comments from all corners coming in over the web and via teleconference. Next, SLA supported some serious volunteering this year. Through the Beacon of Hope Resource Centre, several groups conducted service projects to repair Katrina-induced damage and restore neighbourhoods in New Orleans. SLA's 3,400 attendees also held a book drive to support Haiti Reads, a library fundraising project for Port-au-Prince. The conference programme also featured activities to spur NOLA's significant tourism industry, including tours, historical talks, and a spotlight on reconstruction efforts. VIP readers should check out this month's Tap The Wire column for more bits and bites from SLA. Info pros that missed the conference can get an on-the-ground sense of events by requesting a free copy of FreePint's upcoming SLA 2010 Special Report. Request your copy at http://www.freepint.com/events/sla-2010/.

Mobility was a huge buzzword at SLA this year, as evidenced by the numerous mobile applications demonstrated by vendors like FT and EBSCO (and also by the large number of iPads spotted on the trade show floor). FreePint will also be taking a close look at mobile content through a series of upcoming research projects. These surveys and interviews are intended to scope out how much and how quickly mobile content may be making its way into the enterprise. Readers are welcome to raise their virtual hand to participate; contact Robin Neidorf (robin.neidorf@freepint.com) for more information.

Readers looking for a little post-conference inspiration will be interested in the feature articles in July's VIP. The first is an in-depth review of Bureau van Dijk's (BvD) mergers and acquisitions database, Zephyr. The review includes screenshots of BvD's highly anticipated revamped interface, launched in June. This is an exciting development for BvD clients, who will soon see a similar look and feel in their suite of company products. The second feature article, written by yours truly, reviews the productivity-enhancing application, Alacra Compliance (Interactive). Alacra Compliance is an innovative tool that can help firms streamline their compliance-related research and reporting processes, thus helping mitigate their customer and reputation risk. Readers can also soothe their after-conference blues by reading up on the latest changes in content aggregation in Anne Jordan's new column, SourceWire. Enjoy!

Purchase VIP Magazine No. 80 from the FreePint Shop, 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.

VIP Wires Weekly is generously sponsored by Company Watch.

Company Watch

Most Read Postings on the LiveWire Recently...

  • Social media use in European Libraries
    On 8th August, as part of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) marketing satellite event in Stockholm, EBSCO unveiled the results of its survey of 1200 participants on the use of social media in libraries in Europe...
    Read posting online »

  • Re: LexisNexis links with Microsoft
    LexisNexis has announced that Lexis for Microsoft office is now 'broadly available' - either through a standard downloadable installation or through a custom installation and deployment that includes integration of an enterprise document management system or SharePoint site...
    Read posting online »

  • 'Let's discuss' 'between us', or is it 'too late'?
    Market research customers are forcing their suppliers to embrace social media and offer tools for analysis, says the latest Outsell survey. Too right - and as LinkedIn announces its latest acquisition, the implications for social media in the workplace continue to stack up...
    Read posting online »

  • SCIP becomes more strategic
    A year after signing its merger agreement with the Frost & Sullivan Institute (see Diana Nutting's posting at http://www.vivavip.com/go/e20095), SCIP (http://www.scip.org) has agreed to a name change...
    Read posting online »

  • Cisco reports lag in social media policies
    ocial media tools are all about connecting and building relationships, but a recent study released by Cisco shows that there is still a lot of nervousness around letting employees engage with sites like Facebook and Twitter on company time...
    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. 80 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...

  • Bibliotheca RFID Library Systems wins prestigious...
    Europe's leading RFID supplier to the library market, Bibliotheca RFID Library Systems, is celebrating an award for innovation from IBM. The accolade recognises Bibliotheca's outstanding business achievements in the field of self-service solutions.
    Read Press Release online »

  • Reprints Desk Commits to Help Establish Libraries
    Santa Monica, Calif., 9 August 2010: Reprints Desk, Inc. today announced the launch of the company's first social responsibility programme in which Reprints Desk will contribute a portion of every transaction - single article document delivery for research and bulk copies of scientific journal articles ('reprints') for medical marketing and sales...
    Read Press Release online »

  • Emerald celebrates 20 years of Internet Research
    Boston, MA, August 2010 - Emerald Group Publishing Inc. exhibits new books and journals celebrating management Guru Peter Drucker and seminal articles from Internet visionaries at the 2010 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada, 7-9 August. Visitors are invited to the Emerald Stand #201, in Room 220, Hall C of the Palais des Congres of Montreal to discover more...
    Read Press Release online »

VIP Wire »

VIP - Subscribe and Back Issues

Start a trial subscription today for only £84 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

  • EIU Country Risk
  • TheMarkets.com
  • Eureka
  • CEIC: Brazil
  • NewsEdge

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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FUMSI's Essential Collection on Finding Information

50% Discount: FUMSI's Essential Collection on Finding Information

Get four popular FUMSI reports to help you and your colleagues, students, or staff Find Information:

  • Folio on Research Essentials
  • Folio on Alternative Search Engines
  • Folio on Offline Research Techniques
  • Folio on Competitive Intelligence

Normally £39 each; now get all four for only £78.

Learn more and order »

FreePint Report: PIC 2010

Perfect Information Conference 2010
Request your free copy of FreePint's special report

Request your free copy now »

  • On-the-ground insight from delegates
  • Editorial framework pulling together themes
  • Insight from thought-leaders in the information industry

"...making mental space to stand back and look at the bigger picture isn't a luxury. It's an absolute necessity."

Request your free copy now »

 Jinfo - Jobs and Events in Information

JinfoJinfo 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:

  • Business Researcher
    Business Researcher to work in financial sector and be trained up to use online databases. Excellent opportunity for bright business-minded person with potential.
    Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
    Country: United Kingdom

  • Head of Special Collections Services
    2 year contract with prestigious London university to deliver strong leadership and management in the promotion of the special collections service. £38,849-£45,974
    Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limite
    Country: United Kingdom

  • Researcher - Maternity Cover
    A leading financial services advisory business is looking to hire a Researcher to cover Maternity lea...
    Recruiter: TFPL Intelligent Resources
    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 £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

DocuTicker
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

ResourceShelfEvery 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 - CHARM: Online Recorded Music Database from the UK

CHARM (Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music), from Kings College (London, UK) offers a lot of material and, as is often the case, the best way to get to know it is by visiting the site. In our experience, many databases are available from only a specific location (example: a country). With CHARM, however, we were able to search, find, and listen to recordings online from this UK database in the U.S.A.

View entire posting, including live links »

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 Gold

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

FreePint Newsletter Archive »

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 Contact Information

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