Information World Review articles from June 2005

Information World Review archives from June 2005

Government unleashes OPSI. Public sector information market set to explode under OPSI and IFTS regulation, writes Mark Chillingworth.(Office of Public Sector Information, Information Fair Trade Scheme )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... The Government has created a new department to give greater access to public sector information, in accordance with EU directives. The new Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI), incorporates such entities as Her Majesty's Stationery...

Elsevier seeks to build bridges.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Byline: Mark Chillingworth. New director of library relations at Elsevier, Tony McSean, has admitted it needs to improve relationships with information professionals, and is calling for a new era of co-operation. Relationships between...

Radical plan to modernise UN library.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Byline: Bobby Pickering in New York. The United Nations General Assembly has approved a strategic document from its Committee on Information that will enable a radical modernisation of the library services run by the organisation. The...

Editor's View.
June 14, 2005... Leadership that transforms It was great to meet up with Linda Stoddart at the UN HQ last month in Manhattan. The library is embarking on an ambitious programme to modernise and overhaul its services, transforming the way that its clientele...

Westlaw UK nabs ICLR law reports. Online legal publisher targets top UK law firms with online connection via Justis.(Incorporated Council of Law Reporting)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Byline: Eira Hayward. Online legal publisher Westlaw UK has signed a licence agreement with the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting (ICLR) and fellow online legal publisher Justis (formerly Context) to add the ICLR Weekly Law Reports and...

Aslib sustains mass defection to Aliss. Leading committee members break away from Assign in a bid for independence, writes Bobby Pickering.(Aslib's Social Sciences Information Group and Network, Association of Librarians and Information Professionals in the Social Sciences)
June 14, 2005... Leading members of the committee running Aslib's Social Sciences Information Group and Network (Assign) have deserted the group and resuscitated Aliss (the Association of Librarians and Information Professionals in the Social Sciences), one of...

Sentient to manage York Uni resources.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Librarians at York University are spearheading a major resource integration project, implementing Sentient's Discover online resource management system alongside Blackboard, the University's new virtual learning environment (VLE). The...

Ovid wins contract to deliver IBSS online service.(International Bibliography of the Social Sciences )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Byline: Tracey Caldwell. Ovid has clinched the contract to provide the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) online service to the UK HE/FE community. IBSS users will still be able to access it free, as a result of...

Wiley kicks off major backfile project.(John Wiley and Sons Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Byline: Tracey Caldwell. John Wiley & Sons is to put online all its journal back issues, dating to 1799. The backfile will contain 7.5 million pages and will be completed by 2007. The digitisation programme will build on backfile...

NewsGator link-up gives Factiva edge in RSS feeds. Factiva users can now link to feeds from track folders in news aggregation service.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Byline: Bobby Pickering. Factiva looks to have stolen a march on its competitors by announcing a link-up with RSS newsreader service, NewsGator, allowing users to link to their track folders in Factiva via RSS feeds. Factiva has been...

PubMed Central hits UK. British biomedical charities and funding bodies seek tenders for an open repository, writes Mark Chillingworth.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Six biomedical research funding bodies and charities, headed by the Wellcome Trust, have formed an alliance to create the UK's own PubMed Central, a British version of the US repository of openly available peer-reviewed scientific research. ...

FoI requests under control. In this issue, IWR publishes a special report on how public sector bodies have dealt with FoI requests. Here, we report on a study that suggests that most have coped well.(freedom of information)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... APR Smartlogik has released results of a survey showing that, in the first three months of the year, central government departments were receiving an average of 200 FoI enquiries a month, while local authorities averaged 48 requests. The...

STN set to launch its new analysis vista. STN AnaVist aims to provide insights into trends and patterns in scientific and patent information.(new analysis and visualisation (A&V) tool)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Users of the STN International online service for science and technology researchers are now being offered a new analysis and visualisation (A&V) tool, STN AnaVist. Developed by Chemical Abstracts Service in the US and Germany's FIZ...

Election boost for SOSIG blog news service.(Social Science Information Gateway Subject News)
June 14, 2005... Bristol University's social sciences blog, SOSIG Subject News, was a winner in last month's general election. The General Election channel of SOSIG Subject News was cited by the British Council, the British Election Study and several...

BuildOnline promises to transform document management.(Phil Crawford and David Bennett appointed)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... BuildOnline is promising a shake-up of the UK's document management (DM) market, after announcing two senior executive appointments - former Oracle MD Phil Crawford and former Documentum EMEA head David Bennett - to lead the onslaught. The...

Bangor University calls in Cilip to help library restructure.(Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... University Wales Bangor (UWB) has called on Cilip to help with the restructuring of its library service. In March, IWR reported that a major restructuring of the library would see subject librarians laid off in an effort by UWB to save [pounds...

Document management apps released as UK demand grows.(Immediacy )
June 14, 2005... Two new software applications have been added to the list of document management tools, as compliance-led demand grows. Immediacy has released Document Management System Version 1, an application that uses Web-based Distributed Authoring and...

BvD's Oriana sails into view.(Bureau van Dijk)(database of information on companies)
June 14, 2005... Byline: Bobby Pickering. Bureau van Dijk (BvD) is to launch a database in June of information on companies operating in the Asia-Pacific region. The product will be called Oriana - a name that a company statement described as...

OUP opens up author choice. 'Author pays' business model adopted for trial period, writes Mark Chillingworth.(Oxford University Press)
June 14, 2005... Oxford Journals, the journal publishing arm of Oxford University Press (OUP), is embracing open access publishing with the launch of Oxford Open, an "author pays" publishing model for 21 of its journals. From July, authors will be given...

Market Watch - Take a faceted view.(faceted navigation )
June 14, 2005... Faceted navigation - a dynamic combination of search and browse - was a hot topic at last month's Enterprise Search Summit in New York. Several speakers praised online retailer Wine.com's effective use of the technique, noting that, at present,...

Google gets OpenURL links. Academics force Google Scholar to adopt Link Resolvers, reports Mark Chillingworth.
June 14, 2005... Google has adopted OpenURL technology for its Google Scholar initiative, after academic information professionals expressed fears that students using the search engine will be unable to discover the resources available from their institutes....

NewsGator snaps up FeedDemon. RSS firm gains access to popular Windows-based desktop aggregator. Robert Jaques reports.(NewsGator Technologies)
June 14, 2005... NewsGator Technologies has acquired Bradbury Software in a move that gives the RSS software platform firm access to the popular Windows-based FeedDemon desktop aggregator, and the TopStyle CSS/xHTML editor for Windows. NewsGator said the...

BL builds direct link to document supply side. British Library Direct is a new online platform offering users a fresh interface for its document supply service, as well as extended search facilities, which aim to make its collections more easily accessible. Mark Chillingworth went to the St Pancras HQ to suss out its strategy.
June 14, 2005... British Library Direct may appear to be just a search engine, but the web interface to its Document Supply Service (DSS) is also the first shoots of a major new platform. Following the full launch of British Library Direct during this...

Analysis - T&F Informa plots the way forward. A year after its merger, T&F Informa is tipped to chase further growth through acquisition. Tom Holman looks at future directions.(Taylor and Francis Group PLC)(Informa Group PLC)
June 14, 2005... T&F Informa is never far from the City rumour mill linking it to acquisitions, but speculation has gathered new momentum in recent weeks. Almost a year after it was created from the merger of academic and STM publisher Taylor & Francis...

Opinion - Categorisers are second guessing future trends. With more and more users tagging information with their own terms, creating a taxonomic structure to keep up with change is impossible, argues David Tebbutt.
June 14, 2005... Clay Shirky, adjunct professor at New York University and internet expert, notes that categorisers need to be both mind readers and fortune tellers. What a great description of the difficulties they face. The pesky world keeps changing,...

Opinion - Nominees wanted for top professional gong. Bobby Pickering talks you through the nomination process that could see someone you admire being rewarded at this year's glittering awards ceremony.
June 14, 2005... The nomination process for this year's Information Professional of the Year award has now officially begun. The award is sponsored by Information World Review and presented at the annual International Information Industry Awards, held on...

Profile - Making her mark. Cilip's new president, Debby Shorley, looks set to be a strong leader who will front the organisation in an eye-catching way. Jane Dudman went to meet her.(Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals)
June 14, 2005... Debby Shorley, the new president of the Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals (Cilip), is accustomed to speaking her mind. Not everyone likes this. Shorley's inaugural address as Cilip president in April 2005, for...

E-learning - Learning lessons. Companies are driving e-learning systems to the desktops of workers, while e-learning systems for students are increasingly integrated into educational environments. Tracey Caldwell investigates the role information professionals can take in this evolving field.
June 14, 2005... E-learning is becoming part of the role of library and information professionals in every sphere. Academic library staff are contributing resources and supporting student learning. In the public sector and within corporates, information...

Sector update - Humanities, Business and Management publishers. As student interest in studying science subjects wanes, humanities and business studies are growing in popularity at universities across the country. The major publishers provide a wide range of printed and online resources, with significant backfile and digitisation projects gathering pace. Rachael Singh compiled this product listing of leading vendors.
June 14, 2005... Emerald Group Publishing www.emeraldinsight.com Overview: Emerald is a publisher of academic and professional literature in the fields of management, library and information services and a source of online management information....

Resources - Who's who in the Who's Who stakes?. The venerable Who's Who is available online from both KnowUK and Xreferplus. IWR pits them against each other in a head-to-head test to find out which of the two interfaces offers the best access to this indispensable resource. Mark Chillingworth adjudicates.
June 14, 2005... It has been considered as the ultimate accolade - an entry in Who's Who. But the venerable A&C Black title serves as an indispensable resource for information professionals and researchers. Who's Who 2005 and Who Was Who 1897-2004 have been...

Resources - Blink - and miss the point?. Should we trust our instincts more when assessing data, making decisions based on the blink of an eye? Bobby Pickering reviews Malcolm Gladwell's latest tome.(Book Review)
June 14, 2005... You're in a bookshop or library looking for a good read. You pick up a book and have minutes to make a judgement. In these circumstances Blink has a lot going for it. Author Malcolm Gladwell, with his shock of frizzy hair, looks slightly...

Resources - EEVL search is top addition. A subject-specific search engine that connects engineering, maths and computer science researchers to free online content. Mark Chillingworth gives it a whirl.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... The online engineering, mathematics and computing resource, EEVL, recently launched a brace of new search engines, which direct academic users to free e-journal content on the three subjects. EEVL is part of the Resource Discovery Network...

Resources - Briefing - Thomson Gale collects together Borges' Babel library.(Jorge Luis Borges: A Digital Database)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Spanish author Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) predicted a never-ending library that contained all knowledge in a hexagonal labyrinth in his book Library of Babel. Now the internet is seen as an example of Borges' Library of Babel and is home to...

Resources - Briefing - Designer drug update from John Wiley & Sons.(Mass Spectra of Designer Drugs CD-ROM database)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Scientific, technical and medical (STM) publisher John Wiley & Sons has updated its Mass Spectra of Designer Drugs CD-ROM database. The 2005 edition is the first update since 2003 and has been overseen by University of Kiel toxicology expert...

Resources - Briefing - Sweet & Maxwell releases updated White Book.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Civil court procedures bible, The White Book, has been updated for 2005 by legal publishers Sweet & Maxwell. The latest issue is a major overhaul, with new content on legal aid and discrimination and new electronic services providing users with...

Resources - Briefing - CUP your ears to hear how Shakespeare was performed.(Cambridge University Press)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Cambridge University Press (CUP) has released a unique academic book that studies how William Shakespeare's plays would have been pronounced and would have sounded when they were originally performed. The title analyses the nature of modern...

Resources - Briefing - Ebsco gets a fresh injection of STM publishing.(scientific, technical and medical)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Subscriptions agent Ebsco has signed agreements with 16 more major North American scientific, technical and medical (STM) societies and publishers. Article-level access to titles from the Company of Biologists, National Academy of Science, Pro...

Resources - Briefing - Xrefer delivers a lot more Human-Computer Interaction.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is the latest encyclopaedia to be added to the list of titles available electronically from reference specialists, xrefer. Published in the US by Berkshire Publishing Group, HCI provides users with articles,...

Resources - Digging deeply into GeoScience. Geology and geoscience institutions have combined to provide a single portal of content. Mark Chillingworth delves into GSW to unearth its search abilities.(GeoScienceWorld)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... GeoScienceWorld is a re-launched portal that provides users with search and access to major geoscience journal articles, maps and images. GeoscienceWorld.org is a portal from the not-for-profit organisation set up by seven leading...

Resources - White way to content management. Intranet expert Martin White has corralled his knowledge into a single guidebook. Jonathan Gordon-Till took a closer look at a title that takes a user perspective.(The Content Management Handbook)(Book Review)
June 14, 2005... The all-round approach of The Content Management Handbook makes it an ideal guide to selecting, implementing and managing a content management system (CMS). It is very much a book aimed at information professionals who have the right...

Resources - Training.(information management)(Calendar)
June 14, 2005... Information Skills: Is Google Enough? 23 June 2005, Newcastle Netskills, a part of Newcastle University, is the latest training organisation to tackle Google usage, with a day-long course. Attendees will learn how to improve their...

Diary.(information industry)(Calendar)
June 14, 2005... Defining the Digital Roadmap 21 June 2005, London The UK e-Information Group (UKeIG) is taking members and non-members on a journey into the future of electronic information. The one-day event will look at the emerging technologies...

Backchat - 'War on Terror' hits US library.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Backchat salutes the resolve of librarian Joan Airoldi, a director of the library district in Whatcom County, Washington state. According to a report written by her in USA Today, an FBI agent stopped by at a branch of the library in the summer...

Backchat - Google braced for defections after top man departs?(Charlie Ayres - chef)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2005... Things are looking pretty bleak at Google's HQ in Mountain View, just south of San Francisco, after staff heard the news that their highly-rated chef - Charlie Ayres, said by some to be the third most influential man in the company - prepares...

Backchat - Endgame The quiz for the most INFORMED information professionals!.
June 14, 2005... And finally... a simple little quiz put together by the finest minds at IWR. Assemble your answers into an email, send it to endgame@iwr.co.uk along with your name, job title, the organisation you work for, and phone number. The first correct...

Backchat - Flashback. June 2000: We delve into our archives to find out who and what were making the headlines in our pages five years ago, at the height of the dotcom bubble.
June 14, 2005... Ex-FT BIP duo rise to the top at LexisNexis Europe Our lead story reported on changes at the top of LexisNexis Europe. Former European sales and marketing director, Daisy Veerasingham, was the new boss, replacing Chris Jones, who had moved...