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27th October 2011
No.337
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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.
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Editorial
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 By Michelle Manafy
Conference planning
Inevitable as the shortening days, conference season has returned again. I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling that, at this time of year, information industry events are as plentiful as falling leaves. As lovely as they may be, with them comes much work: for conference planners and speakers, of course. But also for those who exhibit and need to ensure that the expense is justified through customer interactions and new business as well as those intangibles - "branding" and "presence". And let us not forget the onus on attendees, who need to maximise their event ROI through session value and peer-assisted learning.
 While she focuses on collecting competitive intelligence at events (an important objective), Judith Binder's recent FUMSI article Tricks of the tradeshow eloquently expresses the need to plan in order to get the most out of conference participation.
Our planning for FreePint's participation in next month's Online Information 2011 (29 November to 1 December in London) is now intensifying. For many years, the event has provided a wonderful opportunity for us to reinforce our presence in the global information industry in the very city where FreePint launched. It is also a great time to meet with sponsors and business partners, as many are fellow exhibitors or attendees.
Yet, as FreePint's director of content, my primary objectives centre around our readers: to meet with you and get your feedback on our publications and other resources so that we can continue to develop them in ways consistent with your objectives; to uncover larger industry pain points and get a first-hand look at what the would-be problem solvers (the vendors) are planning for the coming year.
So allow me to ask that if you will be at Online Information next month - be you vendor with exciting news or customer with essential feedback - to let us know. We want to know about your priorities and objectives, and if you'd like to schedule a meeting with any of the FreePint staff at our stand (no. 292), of course we'd like to do that too!
To be honest, though, I'm just as interested to hear from you if you do not plan to attend, to learn why. It is becoming increasingly difficult to justify the value of conference travel and with an ever increasing number of webinars and exciting new virtual events such as Library 2.011 (a round-the-clock conference to be held online from 2-4 November), I wonder if, like booksellers and paperboys, real world events are in serious danger of being supplanted by digital alternatives.
We are finding that our FreePint Webinars are well attended and getting terrific feedback on the quality of content provided. And the themes for Library 2.011 include topics of great interest such as digital literacy, virtual learning, electronic collections and career planning. Certainly if professional education is your primary objective, then well-produced virtual events offer a highly cost effective alternative to live events.
However, as Binder wisely points out, learning from informed and informative presenters is only one among the many objectives for conference attendance. Can peer-based learning, interaction and serendipitous connections (both of people and ideas) happen in these virtual events?
That's yet another question we can tackle together, so please take a moment and share your thoughts now. We all have a lot to learn from (and about) conferences. Hope to see you sometime during this Autumn flurry of information industry events, perhaps when you visit the FreePint stand at Online Information, or maybe we'll find a way to connect virtually through a web-based event.
Best regards,
Michelle Manafy,
Director of Content
FreePint
FreePint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2011
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My Favourite Tipples
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 By Beth Bandy
My independent research and consulting practice involves exploring business, wealth, and philanthropy around the world. In order to do my work effectively, I need to stay on top of developments in international news. RSS helps in this regard, of course, and I skim dozens of feeds from global news outlets every day. When I want to explore a topic in more depth, however, I often turn to these resources.
- Monocle: The beefy print magazine - often weighing in at 200 pages or more - comes out once a month and covers global business, politics, and culture. Its companion website features a daily article under the "Monocolumn" heading and an always-engaging round-table podcast called Monocle Weekly.
- The Globalist: This website is updated daily with articles covering a wide range of international topics, from business and economics to history and technology. The editors also compile interesting lists of books for further exploration.
- Al Jazeera English: The English-language service of this Doha, Qatar-based media outlet provides as-it-happens news and documentary coverage of political events in the Middle East, Africa, and further afield. I watch Al Jazeera's news at least once a day and follow their frequent news alerts on Twitter.
- beyondbrics: One of the many special-topic blogs from the Financial Times, beyondbrics covers economic news from emerging markets from around the world. It is updated throughout the day and regularly provides links to interesting articles in other publications.
- Spiegel International: This English-language section of Der Spiegel's website provides coverage of German political and economic news, as well as reporting on other European Union countries. It also is a regular source of excellent, lengthy articles about the ongoing Euro crisis.
Beth Bandy helps charitable organizations connect with donors around the world through prospect research, writing, and training. She recently released China: A Guide for Prospect Researchers, the first volume in a series of country-specific manuals for fundraising researchers, and regularly writes about international wealth and philanthropy issues on her blog. On Twitter, she is @BethMBandy.
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.
Have a single tip to share? Post it to the FUMSI Forum.
View the guidelines at: <http://web.freepint.com/go/family/contribute>.
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The Need for Business News Never Changes...
...Where You Get It Often Does
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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:
- [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:
* Getting strategic with information governance
* Market research: Just ask!
* More players after the social CRM pot of gold
* Smart Jeans? It's just the Internet of Things
* New copyright tools for the digital age
Subscribe to the free VIP Wires Weekly to stay informed. Your comments on any posting are always welcome.
Read posting online »
- [FUMSI] Latest popular articles
The following are the most popular FUMSI articles published in the last 60 days:
* Some ways to use Storify - curate an archive, add context, tell a story
* Powering up with predictive search
* ProQuest Dialog for novice and experienced searchers
* Managing stakeholder relationships - the importance of cognitive behaviour
* In the thick of it: Why information professionals should be at the heart of government digital engagement activity
Free uses of FUMSI articles are supported by our sponsors.
Read posting online »
- [FreePint] Fresh air and information governance
Information is like air. We are utterly surrounded by it and rarely give it a second thought - with the notable exception of when the requisite quantity or quality is lacking. Of course an excess of a good thing can be bad, even in the case of oxygen and certainly in the case of information. Here again is another similarity in that information governance can be a lot like air management. Managing something as plentiful and amorphous as air or information makes herding cats seem like an organised undertaking by comparison...
Read posting online »
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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:
Connecting the Dots: A Semantic Web Primer
 By Candice Fong
FUMSI: Manage
The much talked-about semantic web appears to be getting ever closer and organisations like Google, Best Buy, TripIt and ZoomInfo are already using semantic technologies to connect with users or increase their online presence. Candice Fong provides a very useful introduction to the technologies and tools, and questions whether law may benefit from the semantic web.
WHAT'S INSIDE: 'The semantic web is where machines can automatically process the meaning of content along with the ability to make meaningful connections and links among information. It is not about machines being able to understand but being able to process information effectively. And there are a number of tools to help with this processing, among which are metadata, ontologies and logic. Law may be a good candidate to take advantage of semantic technology since there are already legal taxonomies and formalised rules, and translating them into structured data would not be a far stretch.'
Read, print, save or forward this article now »
The Guardian Teacher Network: The Teacher As Consumer
 By Katie Roden
FUMSI: Share
Providing exactly what the user needs, in the format and at the time that works best for them, should be the ultimate aim of any website or web app. In her article about the Guardian Teacher Network website, Katie Roden demonstrates how having a Twitter strategy can lead to engagement of users so that a website provides a tailored user experience and evolves as needs change.
WHAT'S INSIDE: 'The site has at its core an extensive bank of interactives, animations, online lesson packs and revision activities which contain over 70,000 pages of specially created content. A key driver in moving from a subscription-based to a free site was to consider teachers as individual consumers, rather than institution-based - short of time, keen to innovate and spending much of their home life working, planning and thinking for the benefit of their class. We developed our Twitter strategy to reflect what we wanted our site to be - friendly, supportive and personal.'
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
- Using and understanding Online influence and social captital - some general lessons and tips from the pharma sector
- Reinventing librarians Part 2
- Presenting better presentations - Running a conference "predux"
- Communications industry resources on a budget
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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First Street Research Group - Free Reports!
First Street contains a wealth of information on the people and organizations influencing policy. This vast database of information allows for endless investigations into the relationships in the political arena.
Access our latest reports online for free:
Sign up to receive these valuable reports emailed to you regularly »
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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: On the Horizon
VIP Magazine features VIP Horizon, a brief summary of important news in the information industry, interpreted to help information managers communicate upward regarding strategy, risk management and planning for change.
VIP Magazine: 94 features the following in VIP Horizon:
United States-based providers of cloud services may find it difficult to avoid compromising the privacy of their European customers should the US authorities pressure them to reveal information for security purposes under the Patriot Act. Documents relating to Microsoft's Office 365 cloud-based service makes clear that there are circumstances in which it may have no option but to hand the requested data over.
Since then a German economic publication has exposed an admission from Google that it too would have to comply if required. As an American company, even storing its data on European servers would be no defence.
http://www.vivavip.com/go/e32343
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Uncertainty over European privacy law continues, with the Commission now contemplating Do Not Track regulation, even though most member states have yet to implement existing law requiring opt-in to cookie use. Meanwhile European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx has warned the Commission to avoid the risk of any ambiguity in its position.
So it's hardly surprising to find the analyst Gartner predicting that half of organisations will have revised their privacy policies by the end of 2012. But Gartner also warns that legal requirements are a bad guideline for policy as they trail technical innovation and cultural change by several years.
http://www.vivavip.com/go/e32337
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Recent surveys show consumer enthusiasm for social media diminishing, with low satisfaction and "social media fatigue" among early adopters. However the findings are not clear cut and businesses that increasingly rely on social media for marketing activity need to be prepared for the change.
Less than a third of online use is now in English, with Chinese the second most prominent language and a colossal increase in the use of Arabic. Since almost three quarters of global consumers are more likely to buy if the information is available in their own language, the need for translation skills is becoming urgent.
http://www.vivavip.com/go/e32346
The full article can be found in VIP No. 94. Purchase VIP No. 94 in the FreePint Shop or subscribe today »
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...
- Conferences are social?
I was at a day conference recently when I was asked to turn off my smartphone. I gasped - the event was on participation using online technology!
On the LiveWire many of my colleagues report from conferences on a regular basis. This type of event is seeing many changes in terms of the traditional approach that it has held for many years.
Read posting online »
- Who is influencing the social web?
Social media metrics is one of those topics we get asked to write and comment on all the time on the LiveWire, and Tim Buckley Owen has commented very recently. In FUMSI we have commissioned specifically with this in mind. Being social is not about the numbers of followers, it is about what is being said and by whom - your measure of influence...
Read posting online »
- Social media - hand-holders wanted
Bosses and new recruits seem to be of one mind when it comes to social media according to one recent survey, while another highlights some of the qualities these newcomers will need. There's going to be no shortage of touted solutions for them to assess - or advice either...
Read posting online »
- Don't pulp your paper just yet
As more and more people start using tablets and eReaders instead of flicking through pages of print, it's not surprising to find the paper industry predicting that consumption of its products is about to fall off a cliff. But a recent academic study suggests that, if you want people to remember what they've read, we shouldn't be too quick to ditch paper...
Read posting online »
- Social media - no knee-jerks needed
We probably shouldn't be too surprised that the number of online defamation cases seems to have rocketed thanks to social networking. But simply blocking its use at work looks like throwing the baby out with the bathwater - even if some employees might think it's a good idea. According to recent research from legal publisher Sweet & Maxwell, the number of court cases in England and Wales alleging defamation on the internet has doubled over the past year. It points to the growth of social media as the cause, with Korieh Duodu, co-author of Sweet's Defamation Law, Procedure and Practice suggesting that this could present a "huge problem" for businesses and individuals trying to protect their reputation...
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 »
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...
- J. J. Keller To Sponsor Special Libraries Association's 2012 Rising Star Award
This annual award honors newer SLA members who show exceptional promise of leadership and contribution to SLA and their profession. Only members who have one to five years of experience as information professionals are eligible...
Read Press Release online »
- National Drug Information for UK and Italy
Thomson Reuters, a global provider of information for healthcare professionals, today announced that drug information for clinicians in the UK and Italy is now available in its Micromedex® clinical reference solution.
The comprehensive content of Micromedex 2.0 is now coupled with the UK's Electronic Medicines Compendium Summary of Product Characteristics (SPCs) and Dialogo sui Farmaci's AIFA-approved Italian drug file. Customers can search on commercial or generic drug names to access this new information.
Read Press Release online »
- Copyright Clearance Center Partners with ACC
Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), a not-for-profit organization and leading provider of licensing solutions, is partnering with the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), the world's largest organization serving the professional and business interests of attorneys who practice in the legal departments of corporations, associations and other private-sector organizations around the globe.
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
- Factiva
- LexisNexis
- StrategyEye
- Highline Financial
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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Introducing MyShop at FreePint
 Ever wonder whether you have access to content from the FreePint Family of Publications?
Unsure if your subscription includes one of our publications or reports?
We want you to know ... and now you will.
Log in to your FreePint account via our new MyShop to quickly and easily see what you have access to.
Log in now:
http://web.freepint.com/go/shop/myshop/
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Online Information Exhibition
29 November - 1 December 2011, National Hall, Olympia, London
See more than 150 vendors covering: Content Resources; ePublishing;
Library Management; Content Management; Social Media and Search Solutions PLUS - a comprehensive seminar programme including the Global Business Information Forum and Library Management Theatre.
Register 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:
- Knowledge Manager
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Knowledge Manager to join a global organisation...
Recruiter: TFPL
Country: United Kingdom
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Vendor & Information Manager
Information Manager in newly created job in Central London to assess research databases, manage vendors and deal with flow of information.
Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
Country: United Kingdom
- Information Specialist - Business Intelligence
Business Researcher needed in Bristol. Is that you? Our client is looking for an Information Specialist to deliver company profiles, market overviewsBusiness Researcher needed in Bristol. Is that you ? Our client is looking for an Information Specialist to deliver company profiles...
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:
- KMWorld 2011
Learn practical, hands-on techniques from leading edge speakers. A must-attend event!
Date: 1-3 Nov 2011
Country: United States
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Library 2.0
Two-day online conference with round-the-clock sessions on rethinking the future of libraries
Organiser: San Jose State University
Date: 2-4 Nov 2011
Country: Online/webinar
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eBooks Executive Briefing
Gain current insight, ask questions and share views with colleagues and speakers from the library and publishing community.
Organiser: CILIP Events
Date: 24th Nov 2011
Country: United Kingdom
- Thirteenth International on Grey Literature (GL13)
Organiser: TextRelease
Date: 5-6 Dec 2011
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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Highlights from ResourceShelf
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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. 312, 21st October 2010 "For Digital Asset Management, Search is Not Enough" and "Creating Information Communities with Twitter: Notes for Publishers and Content Providers"
- FreePint No. 288, 22nd October 2009 "Social Media Strategy: how I became an expert in 3 days" and "Image Findability: Improving through Tags"
- FreePint No. 263, 23rd October 2008 "Introduction to Federated Search" and "Corporate Blogging: How To Be Open"
- FreePint No. 240, 25th October 2007 "Journal Lifecycle: Keeping Track of Periodicals" and "FUMSI Report Excerpt: Preparing and planning an audit"
- FreePint No. 216, 19th October 2006 "Outsourcing Research Information: An Introduction" and "IT Compliance Conference: Interesting Landscape on the Other Side of the Information Fence"
- FreePint No. 193, 27th October 2005 "Shifting Platforms - CD to online publishing" and "Measuring Public Relations"
- FreePint No. 170, 28th October 2004 "European Industrial Relations Sources" and "How European companies can turn the challenge of environmental regulation into profit"
- FreePint No. 147, 16th October 2003 "Insurance: a review of websites" and "Out of sight but not out of mind: virtual meetings"
- FreePint No. 123, 17th October 2002 "Is your site slow, medium or fast, and does it really matter? Essential Sources for Web Performance Analysis and Improvement" and "Taking the Plunge into the Entrepreneurial World of the Independent Information Professional"
- FreePint No. 98, 18th October 2001 "WAP Sites and the Mobile Internet" and "Working in Information in the UK Voluntary Sector"
- FreePint No. 73, 19th October 2000 "Geology On The Web" and "European Document Delivery Suppliers and Resources On The World Wide Web"
- FreePint No. 48, 21st October 1999 "Notes on the Net: A trawl around the Music Sites" and "Unblocking the Web: digital technology and the telephone line"
- FreePint No. 25, 29th October 1998 "Delivered to your Desktop" and "Making it part of your life".
FreePint Newsletter Archive »
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Contact Information
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