Information Today articles from November 2004

Information Today archives from November 2004

Sold-out InfoCommerce 2004.(Report From The Field)
November 1, 2004... The sold-out InfoCommerce 2004 conference held in Philadelphia Sept. 26-28 attracted a diverse group of attendees seeking new ways to satisfy their customers ("the new power user") and to monetize their content with a wide variety of business...

No gain without pain.(Poynder on Point)
November 1, 2004... As we saw last month, the open access (OA) movement has become a major force in scholarly publishing, and in the wake of recent recommendations from British and U.S. political committees seems poised to change the entire landscape of STM...

The fall 2004 ASIDIC meeting.(Association of Information and Dissemination Centers)
November 1, 2004... The fall 2004 meeting of the Association of Information and Dissemination Centers (ASIDIC) convened in Phoenix recently to examine the issues surrounding open access (OA) publishing. Many questions were raised and many strong views expressed,...

SLA Partnership awarded grant.(News Bytes)(Special Libraries Association)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded a $994,369 grant to a partnership led by the University of North Carolina that includes the Special Libraries Association (SLA), Syracuse University, the Association of Research...

Dialog enters content agreement, expands Dialog Choice.(News Bytes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Dialog announced that it will supply content to Elsag Solutions AG. The company also announced the expansion of Dialog Choice. Content Agreement Dialog announced that it has entered into a strategic relationship with Elsag Solutions...

The new face of leverage.(Up Front with Barbara Quint)
November 1, 2004... Times have changed, in case you hadn't heard. In the past, the major leverage that content providers had over information professionals lay in their ability to turn data off. Buy from us or go without! Pay our prices or heads will roll! Now...

Developments in search, digital archives, and more.(News Break Update)
November 1, 2004... Maybe it's the cooler weather, the fourth quarter rush to impress investors, or the busy fall conference season (October saw WebSearch University, Internet Librarian International, and KMWorld; Internet Librarian is just around the corner,...

FIZ Karlsruhe, Max Planck Society in strategic partnership.(News Bytes)(Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... FIZ Karlsruhe and the Max Planck Society (MPS) have been awarded 6.1 [euro] million to develop a new platform for Web-based, collaborative scientific work. The funding comes from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, under the...

A spam solution?(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I liked Dick Kaser's observations about the ineffectiveness of the Can Spam Act in your "Green Eggs and Spam" piece [May 2004]. The legal approach won't cut it by itself. Why not reroute SMTP e-mail traffic across the popular real-time...

Infotoons.
November 1, 2004... UHH--CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --HOW 'BOUT NOW? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THIS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY IS BOGUS! I WANT MY MONEY BACK. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Oh, what a wireless world.
November 1, 2004... My grandfather took me up in his attic once to show me the gas lines running to the chandeliers. At the time the house was built, it seems they weren't so confident with this newfangled thing called electricity. So, they wired the fixtures for...

Are dissertations next?(Focus on Publishing)(Australian Digital Theses program)
November 1, 2004... It seems that every month we witness a new wrinkle in the unfolding saga of where scholarly communication is heading. In September it was announced that Australia's federal government was going to fund an online directory to all of the research...

On the net, off the net.(Internet Waves)
November 1, 2004... The customer wanted a map--not an unreasonable request in virtually any library. We don't have a huge collection of maps in our library, just an odd assortment of atlases, street maps of the local counties, and a box of maps of uncertain...

A summer of copyright disputes.(Legal Issues)(Column)
November 1, 2004... When I started this column, my biggest concern was whether I would find new legal issues to write about every month. So far, that has not proved a problem. I keep an ongoing file of articles, wire service reports, press releases, court cases,...

IHS acquires USA information systems.(News Bytes)
November 1, 2004... Information Handling Services, Inc. (IHS) announced that it has acquired USA Information Systems, Inc. (USAInfo). Under the agreement, the former USA-Info operations will continue in Virginia Beach, Va., and will become part of the IHS...

ProQuest, Ediciones Mayo Group in distribution agreement.(News Bytes)(ProQuest Information and Learning Co.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... ProQuest Information and Learning announced a new agreement with the Ediciones Mayo Group for worldwide electronic distribution of five Spanish-language medical journals: Acta Pediatrica Espanola, El Farmaceutico Hospitales, Folia Clinica en...

Baker & Taylor acquires J.A. Majors Co.(News Bytes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Baker & Taylor announced its acquisition of J.A. Majors Co., a private distributor of medical and scientific books. Jam Majors, president of J.A. Majors, explained: "Baker & Taylor will bring resources and enhanced services to Majors'...

R.R. Bowker acquires Syndetic Solutions.(News Bytes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... R.R. Bowker announced the acquisition of Syndetic Solutions, provider of enriched content for a library's online catalog. Under the agreement, Syndetic Solutions co-founder Allan Graham and his team will join Bowker. The company will maintain...

JSTOR receives Ford Foundation grant.(News Bytes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Ford Foundation, 24 institutions in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal will gain access to JSTOR's Arts & Sciences I and II journal collections. The collections comprise 239 journals--nearly 9 million pages of...

National Library of Australia chooses OCLC PICA.(News Bytes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The National Library of Australia has selected the OCLC PICA Central Library System to support the Australian National Bibliographic Database and Kinetica, the Internet-based service for Australian libraries and their users. The OCLC PICA...

Thomson Corp. delivers patent info, adds content.(News Bytes)
November 1, 2004... The Thomson Corp. announced that it has met its goal of delivering value-added records for all patents from key patenting authorities to Derwent World Patents Index (DWPI) within an average of 30 days. The company also announced the addition of...

Aries Systems Corp. becomes CrossRef agent.(News Bytes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Aries Systems Corp. announced that it has become an authorized CrossRef agent. According to the release, CrossRef participation by Aries signals the company's commitment to enhancing its offering with DOI (digital object identifier)...

Donnelley Leverages OneSource acquisition.(Interview with Raymond Butkus)
November 1, 2004... The Donnelley Group of infoUSA comprises nine companies offering consumer and business information solutions for online and offline promotions, acquisition and retention marketing, and sales. Companies include Donnelley Marketing, Yesmail,...

News from India and New Zealand.(International Report)
November 1, 2004... Digital Libraries in India The president of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, officially launched the portal of the Digital Library of India in a speech on Sept. 8. Initially, the portal held about 27,000 books in digitized form; however, in a...

Conference calendar.(Information industry)(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... November 3-4: New York (Crowne Plaza Times Square). BrainStorm's Enterprise Content Management Conference features sessions designed to help you maximize the value of your IT investment, gain valuable insight to best practices in...

Vivisimo launches Clusty.com.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Vivisimo unveiled Clusty.com, a full-service search site powered completely by clustering technology. Instead of presenting long lists of results, Clusty groups search results into folder topics, giving users a quick overview of the main themes...

ProQuest adds features to PCI, expands full-text coverage of The New York Times.(Product News & Reviews)(Periodicals Contents Index )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... ProQuest Information and Learning added new features to Periodicals Contents Index (PCI). The company also announced that 4 additional years of The New York Times are now available through ProQuest online information system. PCI ...

HighBeam revives online Classic.(Database Review)
November 1, 2004... Nearly 10 years ago, I reviewed a new and wonderfully innovative online service. It had, for the time, a remarkable set of features: relevance searching, full text from several publication types, image databases, and a graphical interface. And...

Swets launches SwetsWise Linker.(Product News & Reviews)(Swets Information Services )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Swets Information Services announced that it has launched SwetsWise Linker as part of its e-journals management drive. SwetsWise Linker is an OpenURL link resolver that provides users with a cohesive search environment for more than 9,000...

The Wall Street Journal Online, ConsumerReports.org forge agreement.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Wall Street Journal Online (WSJ.com) and ConsumerReports.org announced an agreement to integrate selected, consumer-focused content into each other's subscription sites. ConsumerReports.org's Ratings and Recommendations will now be...

Xrefer launches Specialist Reference Service.(Product News & Reviews)(Xrefer.com Ltd.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... xrefer announced that it has launched a new service, xreferplus Specialist Reference, xreferplus Specialist Reference delivers in-depth, subject-specific expertise from reference works by such publishers as Blackwell, MIT Press, and Berkshire...

Thomson Gale introduces new database platform, incorporates OpenURL connectivity into Resource Centers.(Product News & Reviews)(Thomson Corp. Thomson Gale)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Thomson Gale announced the introduction of a single platform for its online databases. The company also has incorporated OpenURL connectivity into several of its Resource Centers. Single Platform Thomson Gale announced the introduction...

ISI Emerging Markets launches feed from Financial Times.(Product News & Reviews)(Internet Securities Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Internet Securities, Inc. (ISI) Emerging Markets and Financial Times announced a global agreement to distribute information from FT.com and the Financial Times newspaper on ISI's products, including its flagship Emerging Markets Information...

Ovid to offer Martindale Drug Reference text on Books@Ovid.(Product News & Reviews)(Ovid Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Ovid Technologies announced that Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference will be accessible on the newly enhanced Books@Ovid platform beginning January 2005. Martindale is an evidence-based resource that covers the properties, actions, and uses...

Dialog launches Dialog Live News, offers streaming live news on Dialog NewsEdge.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Dialog announced the launch of Dialog Live News. The company also announced that streaming live news will be available to subscribers of Dialog NewsEdge. Dialog Live News Dialog Live News is a personalized news-monitoring service that...

Blackwell's enhances Collaborative Collection Development.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Blackwell's Book Services announced an enhancement to its Collaborative Collection Development service to accommodate library groups in creating more diverse collections and sharing subject expertise. Blackwell's can link librarians with...

EBSCO offers A-to-Z with MARC updates.(Product News & Reviews)(EBSCO Information Services)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... EBSCO announced the launch of A-to-Z with MARC Updates. This service provides a customizable file in MARC 21 format representing the library's e-resource holdings, title URLs, and online coverage information. It supplies bibliographic records...

EDGAR Online to utilize new XBRL Taxonomies in product enhancements.(Product News & Reviews)
November 1, 2004... EDGAR Online, Inc. announced its plans to provide complete company financials in eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) via EDGAR Online Pro and its other product offerings. Currently, customers of EDGAR Online can access summary data in...

Wilson's Bibliographic Index gets new name.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Bibliographic Index has become Bibliographic Index Plus. It features indexing of more than 350,000 bibliographies across a broad range of disciplines, plus nearly 100,000 full-text bibliographies. Bibliographic Index Plus provides access to...

Eliyon Awarded patent for automatic classification of Web site type.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Eliyon Technologies announced that it was awarded U.S. patent no. 6,778,986 for a computer process that reads the content of a Web site and performs a series of tests and evaluations to determine what "type" of site has been read. The newly...

The Global Net: Part II: the Internet is certainly bringing the world to our fingertips, but to what extent do all those whom it unites really understand one another?(Link-up@home: your personal guide to the Web)
November 1, 2004... This is Part II of a two-part series on international resources on the Net. Part I covered Internet demographic trends and resources that help you participate in the increasingly global Internet. Part II explores intercultural dialogue and...

What can go wrong: CyberSports.(Link-up@home: your personal guide to the Web)
November 1, 2004... Long before Pete Rose was even a glimmer in some bookie's eye, baseball had its share of gambling scandals. Players famous (Ty Cobb), nearly famous (Ross Youngs), and merely infamous (Hal Chase) were at one time or another mentioned in...

Through the blogosphere.(Link-up@home: your personal guide to the Web)
November 1, 2004... "Is blogging merely a form of exhibitionism or a compelling new form of journalism?" asked Wallys W. Conhaim in the May/ June 2002 edition of Link-Up (http://www.infotoday.com/lu/ may02/conhaim.htm). "There is evidence to conclude that it is...

The American Theological Library Association.(People Line)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The American Theological Library Association (ATLA) has announced the appointment of Margot J. Lyon as its director of business development. Most recently, Lyon was director of business development and marketing at Probe Group, LLC, where...

NewsGator Technologies.(People Line)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... NewsGator Technologies announced that J. B. Holston has joined the company as its president and CEO. He will also serve on the board of directors. Prior to this, Holston was president of Ziff Davis International, where he managed its...

TFPL, Ltd.(People Line)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... TFPL, Ltd. has announced the addition of several new staff members. Juliet Humphries has joined the company as an associate adviser developing services in the legal market. Prior to this, she was a knowledge director at Linklaters. Peter...

IHS Group.(People Line)(Information Handling Services Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... IHS Group announced the appointment of Charles Picasso as its new president and CEO. He was also elected to the company's board of directors. Most recently, Picasso was president and COO of IHS Engineering; prior to that, he was executive...

Syracuse University.(People Line)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Syracuse University announced that it has named Paul B. Gandel as CIO and vice president for information technology. In this role, he will be responsible for campuswide information systems and managing tactical and strategic IT responses to...

Project MUSE.(People Line)(Multi User System Environment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Project MUSE has announced three new additions. Sherry L. Massoni is an online production specialist and will be responsible for converting files and preparing online editions of scholarly journals. Before this, she was a consultant for the...

Debra Curtis, managing director of Snapshots International.(Executive Profile)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... There may appear to be little connection between managing an ecological farm in the rainforest and being chief executive of Snapshots International, Ltd., the market research publisher. While it may not be the most recognized career path to the...

Is it all free on the Internet?(Book Review)
November 1, 2004... The Web Library: Building a World Class Personal Library with Free Web Resources by Nicholas G. Tomaiuolo Information Today, Inc., 2004, ISBN: 0-910965-67-6 408 pages $29.95 I have spent years telling people that they can't get all the...

Transitions.(In Other Words)
November 1, 2004... Change is in the air, along with falling leaves and autumn allergens. No matter what results the presidential election brings--and, hopefully, by the time you're reading this we'll know if new residents are moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in...

The Skeptical Business Searcher: the Information Advisor's Guide to Evaluating Web Data, Sites, and Sources.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2004... The Skeptical Business Searcher: The Information Advisor's Guide to Evaluating Web Data, Sites, and Sources By Robert Berkman Foreword by Reva Basch This is the experts' guide to finding dependable, high-quality company and industry data...

The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: a Guide for the Serious Searcher.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2004... The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher By Randolph Hock Foreword by Gary Price The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook is the essential guide for anyone who uses the Internet for research: librarians,...

Choosing and Using a News Alert Service.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2004... Choosing and Using a News Alert Service By Robert Berkman There are dozens of competing firms that offer an e-mail-based news alert service. But how to know which one is best? This comprehensive new guide explains how these tools work and...

The Accidental Library Manager.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2004... The Accidental Library Manager By Rachel Singer Gordon Most librarians enter the field intending to focus on a particular specialty, but eventually need to take on certain supervisory or managerial responsibilities in order to move forward....

Best Technology Practices in Higher Education.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2004... Best Technology Practices in Higher Education Edited by Les Lloyd A handful of progressive teachers and administrators are integrating technology in new and creative ways at their colleges and universities, raising the bar for all schools....

Super Searchers on Competitive Intelligence: the Online and Offline Secrets of Top CI Researchers.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2004... Super Searchers on Competitive Intelligence: The Online and Offline Secrets of Top CI Researchers By Margaret Metcalf Carr; Edited by Reva Basch; Foreword by Jan Herring Companies operating in today's unpredictable roller-coaster economy...

The Web Library: Building a World Class Personal Library with Free Web Resources.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2004... The Web Library: Building a World Class Personal Library with Free Web Resources Nicholas G. Tomaiuolo Edited by Barbara Quint With this remarkable, eye-opening book and its companion Web site, Nicholas G. Tomaiuolo shows how anyone can...

Assessing Competitive Intelligence Software: a Guide to Evaluating CI Technology.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2004... Assessing Competitive Intelligence Software: A Guide to Evaluating CI Technology By France Bouthillier and Kathleen Shearer Foreword by Chun Wei Choo As commercial software products for competitive intelligence (CI) emerge and gain...