Information Today articles from October 2008

Information Today archives from October 2008

ProQuest: adding dialog to the mix.
October 1, 2008... ProQuest, a part of the Cambridge Information Group (CIG), continues to take giant steps to enhance its business. According to officials at the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based company, these enhancements are designed to position the firm for worldwide...

The state of federal libraries.
October 1, 2008... Federal librarians are facing many challenges these days: budget cuts, the increasing cost of information resources, the cost and speed of digitization, bureaucracy issues, shrinking square footage, options for outsourcing, and integrating...

Library 2.0: the consumer as producer.
October 1, 2008... Libraries and information centers (ICs) that are looking for good examples of institutions using Web 2.0 technologies to involve their public in content creation should take a look at the recent work of museums and broadcasters. Take the...

Australian institutions among world's most cited.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Researchers keep tapping into the work of Australian universities, placing them among the world's top 50 most-cited research institutions from January 2003 to December 2007. Based on data derived from Thomson Reuters' Essential Science...

IGI Global to work with RSuite.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... IGI Global is using RSuite as its content management system to speed up its editorial process and integrate XML for re-purposing content. The service is expected to allow IGI to bring its publications to market, build derivative products, and...

Organizations team up for first open access day.(News Bytes)(Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition)(Students for Free Culture )(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Open access will be the order of the day on Oct. 14, when the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), the Public Library of Science, and Students for Free Culture unite to host the first international Open Access Day. On...

Ingram Publisher Services picks up distribution duties for two publishers.(News Bytes)(Mediane, GemmaMedia)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Ingram Publisher Services will take over distribution duties for Mediane and GemmaMedia. Mediane, an Italian publisher, specializes in photographic books on cinema, culture, and music; the Boston-based GemmaMedia publishes memoirs and...

TechSoup, Redemtech team up to recycle computers.(News Bytes)
October 1, 2008... TechSoup, a global technology nonprofit, and Redemtech, Inc., a provider of technology change management services, are expanding their Refurbished Computer Initiative as a way of "going green." The companies save computers from being discarded...

WebJunction rolls out new website.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... WebJunction unveiled its new website, which was developed in close collaboration with partners in 15 state libraries, including the Arizona State Library, Connecticut State Library, and Illinois State Library. The new site now features social...

New Nature Publishing Group journal tackles climate change.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Nature Publishing Group is attacking the issue of climate change with its new journal, titled Nature Climate Change. The publication is designed to combine scientific observation and models with an understanding of how humans affect climate...

'Just do it': the net newbie way.(Up Front)
October 1, 2008... The other day I was working on a NewsBreak for the ITI website (www.infotoday.com). The subject involved the challenge of keeping track of federal government activities and federal documentation of those activities, both of which are migrating...

News of interest to bibliophiles, searchers, and learners.(NewsBreak Update)
October 1, 2008... Those of us who love books couldn't help but notice the recent flurry of book-related developments. Amazon, the major online retailer of books and other products, has been busy pushing sales of ebooks and its Kindle ebook reader. It has also...

Association of Research Libraries paper examines NIH Public Access Policy.(News Bytes)(National Institutes of Health)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... To assist authors in making informed decisions about their usage rights, the Association of Research Libraries released "PubMed Central Deposit and Author Rights: Agreements Between 12 Publishers and the Authors Subject to the NIH Public Access...

Wolters Kluwer introduces training program, holds seminars in China.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Wolters Kluwer is helping Chinese residents become better salespeople with its new Chain of Success program. The comprehensive training and development program includes both classroom training and in-the-field coaching that walks participants...

EMpact takes on ACM marketing duties in five regions.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... EMpact Sales Division is helping ACM, Inc. get its journals into the hands of users in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, South America, and North Africa as part of a new agreement between the companies. Under the terms of the partnership,...

Project MUSE enlists Innodata Isogen for XML conversion.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Innodata Isogen, Inc. will help Project MUSE integrate XML by converting most of its journals to the format. The conversion is expected to be worth $600,000 in the first year and may generate between $150,000 and $200,000 each year depending on...

SAGE Earns KnowledgeWorks Certification.(News Bytes)(Sage Publications Inc.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... To keep bibliographic data for SAGE Publications' journals accurate and up-to-date in Serials Solutions' Knowledge Works database, the journal publisher has become a Serials Solutions Knowledge Works Certified content partner. The certification...

Elsevier expands Rightslink use to article reprints.(News Bytes)(Reed Elsevier N.V.)(Copyright Clearance Center )(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Elsevier teamed up with Copyright Clearance Center to increase its use of the Rightslink online ecommerce service. Rightslink, which was originally adopted by Elsevier in 2007, was previously used to automate copyright permissions. Now, users...

WikiAnswers replies to 4 million questions.(News Bytes)
October 1, 2008... WikiAnswers hit the 4 million question mark in August when a user submitted the query: "Are there any new sports in the 2008 Beijing Olympics?" The question was answered and filed in the site's Beijing Olympics category. Source: Answers...

FortiusOne gains clients from Mapufacture acquisition.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... FortiusOne is beefing up its client portfolio with the acquisition of Mapufacture, Inc., a provider of geospatial applications and open source tools. FortiusOne will add government and commercial enterprise customers in the deal, including the...

Safari Books Online signs deal for more video.(News Bytes)(Splash Media LP)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Safari Books Online's on-demand digital library will receive an infusion of video, thanks to a new partnership with Splash Media, LP. With the partnership, Safari's online video collection now includes Splash's The Success Training Network...

Ocean County Library to help soldiers stay in touch.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Ocean County (N.J.) Library is asking members to donate old mobile devices for a good cause. The library, as part of the national Cell Phones for Soldiers program, is handing out postage-paid envelopes to patrons at 17 of its branches that...

NewsBank now accessible through EBSCOhost.(News Bytes)(EBSCOhost and NewsBank to team up)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... EBSCOhost and NewsBank are teaming up to make searching easier for subscribers to both services. With the partnership, mutual subscribers may now access NewsBank results from the EBSCOhost interface after launching a search query. The NewsBank...

The British Library unveils 2007-2008 Annual Report.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The British Library's "Annual Report and Accounts 2007/08" is now available at www.bl.uk/knowledge. In the report, the library details its successes over the past year, including receiving about 200,000 visitors to its Sacred: Discover What We...

LibraryThing offers applicants 1 million free book covers.(News Bytes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Social network book cataloging site LibraryThing is giving away 1 million book cover images that libraries can use to enhance their OPACs. The covers, which have been uploaded by users, can be downloaded after interested libraries fill out a...

In Memoriam: Gary R. Houk.(News Bytes)(Obituary)
October 1, 2008... Gary R. Houk, vice president of OCLC corporate information technology and business integration, died Aug. 18 of cancer at the age of 56. Mr. Houk joined OCLC in 1974 as a programmer/analyst and spent the first 18 years in product...

Letter from the editor.(Editorial)
October 1, 2008... This year, the information industry has been a lively platform for M&As. Some companies have opened their doors to expansion; others have closed theirs for good. In these changing economic times, the timing is right to take a closer look at...

Willing the way.
October 1, 2008... I have owned my laptop for 4 years now, and when Norton does its weekly virus scan, it counts the number of files on the machine. I'm now approaching 1 million. Though not all those files are documents, it goes without saying that I'm...

Infotoons.(Cartoon)
October 1, 2008... HEY, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT OUR TRAINING PROGRAM FOR A-SPACE YET! NOPS, WHAT'S A-SPACE? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ITS KIND OF HYSPACE FOR SPIES, TOP SECRET STUFF. WAIT, WE'RE GOING TO HELP TRAIN G-MEN? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

The new encyclopedia brigade.(Focus on Publishing)
October 1, 2008... When the web was new, it was clear that many people seemed to have a graphic designer lurking deep inside just dying to get out. And some discovered that self-expression through HTML was a chance at achieving 15 minutes of fame. That soon...

True confessions.(Internet Waves)(Viewpoint essay)
October 1, 2008... It's confession time. Up until a couple of months ago, I had not set foot in a public library in more than 5 years. However, this is not quite as dramatic as it sounds. The actual moral truth is that I worked in nonpublic libraries that had...

The financial aid 'stick' against illegal downloading.(Legal Issues)
October 1, 2008... Traffic has been terrible on my commute since the more than 28,000 students have returned to the University of Pittsburgh campus. The same story is certainly true at thousands of other colleges and universities. Students have settled into a...

Wait a minute ...(Library Stuff Revisited)
October 1, 2008... When it comes to playing with new technology tools, especially those that are browser- or web-based, I'm usually first in line and eagerly waiting for my chance to download the newest application. For example, I tried Google's new browser today...

Oregon: a clash between copyright and open access.(Intellectual Property)
October 1, 2008... There's a notion that "Government information is not protected by copyright." Of the many copyright myths that have gained traction, that one notion is among the most enduring. Earlier this year, the state of Oregon challenged this...

Northern Light: searching for more productive solutions.(INTERVIEW With David Seuss)(Interview)
October 1, 2008... David Seuss, CEO of the search company Northern Light (NL), spent time discussing the evolution of the company's products and his views on the search industry, uses for controlled vocabularies, and the future of search. Here are edited...

Allen Press workshop tackles eco-friendly publishing.
October 1, 2008... Allen Press pointed its green thumb toward publishers during its Publish Responsibly: Practical Solutions for Environmentally Conscious Organizations workshop, encouraging eco-friendly paper, alternative energy, and paperless workflows. ...

Software as a service: six things to consider.(Insider's Perspective)
October 1, 2008... [This column lets experts in the information technology industry discuss the challenges and trends in their special niche in the marketplace.--Ed.] Software as a service (SaaS) can be the ideal solution for some firms. But before...

Clickability empowers clients to build successful sites.(IT SPOTLIGHT)(Clickability Inc.)
October 1, 2008... Here's another high-tech company with an innovative service that allows users to easily manage web content from creation and management to publishing and delivery. FOUNDER Clickability, Inc. was founded in 1999 in San Francisco by four...

Retrospective: 25 years ago in Information Today.
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Do you remember the 1980s? Well, if you don't, you'll undoubtedly find the following gems in the July/August 1984 issue of Information Today very entertaining. And if you do, you realize just how far we've come in 25...

Building bubbles and indexing images.(http://bubbleshq.com)(http://tineye.com)(Website overview)
October 1, 2008... As time goes by, web developers are accomplishing ever-more impressive innovations. These days, the web can deliver experiences that once required costly software, such as Google Documents and Adobe Photoshop Express. Web crawling search engine...

Lightning Source, Inc.(People Line & the Executive Profile)(Lightning Source Inc. to promote Dave Piper)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lightning Source, Inc. announced the promotion of Dave Piper to managing director of its newly enlarged U.K. operation. In this position, he will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company in...

OCLC and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) named the librarians chosen to participate in the Jay Jordan IFLA/OCLC Early Career Development Fellowship Program for 2009.(People Line & the Executive Profile)
October 1, 2008... OCLC and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) named the librarians chosen to participate in the Jay Jordan IFLA/OCLC Early Career Development Fellowship Program for 2009. The IFLA/OCLC Fellows are as...

Equinox Software, Inc.(People Line & the Executive Profile)(Equinox Software Inc. to appoint Shawn Boyette as data migration specialist)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Equinox Software, Inc. announced the appointment of Shawn Boyette as data migration specialist. In this position, he will assist the development team with data preparation and migration at product install sites. Most recently, Boyette...

Protiviti, Inc.(People Line & the Executive Profile)(Protiviti Inc. to appoint Paul Shultz as managing director)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Protiviti, Inc. announced that Paul Shultz has joined the company as managing director in its Enterprise Application Solutions practice. In this role, he will co-lead the global practice, focusing on the...

TBI Communications, Ltd.(People Line & the Executive Profile)(TBI Communications Ltd. to appoint Charlie Rapple )(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TBI Communications, Ltd. announced the appointment of Charlie Rapple to the newly created position of head of marketing development. In this role, Rapple will lead the expansion and development of the company's...

Suzanne BeDell, General Manager, Dialog.(People Line & the Executive Profile)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As ProQuest and Dialog settle in together after the acquisition, changes in senior management were designed and implemented to ease the transition. Among those changes is Suzanne BeDell's transfer from senior vice...

Digitization plans hit rough waters.(International REPORT)
October 1, 2008... After years of reporting on massive digitization projects supported by government funding and giants of the commercial world, I'm covering some projects that aren't doing well or have even closed down. My research for this report takes a tour...

Happy birthday, Google.(News Makers)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Last month, Google celebrated a major milestone: It's now 10 years old. The search engine turned mega-enterprise operates with a reported staff of almost 20,000 employees and a $150 billion market value. What started out as a research project...

Reading, writing, and ebooks ...(News Makers)
October 1, 2008... One university is giving ebooks the old college try this year. Pennsylvania State University Libraries is teaming up with the university English department on a pilot project using Sony Reader Digital Book. Sony donated 100 of the portable...

ShelfTalk: from cover to cover.(News Makers)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ever nodded off during a PowerPoint presentation? OK, worse yet, maybe it was even your own? Next time, reach for a copy of slide:ology, The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations from Safari Books Online to...

Insights into books, information retrieval, and more.(Conference Circuit)
October 1, 2008... The fall conference season is now in full swing, and it covers an assortment of topics of current interest. For starters, here's a look at Information Today, Inc.'s own conferences: * Internet Librarian International (ILI;...

IFLA celebrates libraries without borders.(REPORT FROM THE FIELD)
October 1, 2008... Take a walled city celebrating its 400th anniversary where the dominant language is French; add 4,000 librarians from 120 countries, and you have IFLA's 74th annual World Library and Information Congress and Exhibition. The venue? Quebec City....

Conferences around the world.(Calendar)
October 1, 2008... For information on ITI's conferences, turn to page 30. October 1-3: Berlin (Kempinski Hotel Bristol). Connecting With the Future will be the theme of the European Business Information Conference (EBIC 2008). Speakers and facilitators...

Campaign '08: the power of the post.
October 1, 2008... When the American political system weathered the 2004 presidential election, it became clear very early that the internet had changed the way candidates ran campaigns and journalists covered the events. Without the internet, the terms "Dean...

My time with DataStar.(Column)
October 1, 2008... In August 1987, I had just given up my medical studies at the University of Berne after I failed an exam. I noticed a job advertisement in the local newspaper. I liked the terms of the ad: consultant, international environment, the science...

Credo Reference debuts enhanced interface.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Credo Reference updated and enhanced its interface with a platform that now features elements developed in collaboration with librarians worldwide. The new interface can now address different types of reference questions. [ILLUSTRATION...

OverDrive adds digital titles from Penguin Group.(Product News & Reviews)(contracts)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Digital book distributor OverDrive, Inc. welcomed hundreds of Penguin Group titles to its online collection of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and video. The distributor's network of library partners will now have access to titles by authors such as...

RealClearPolitics: Web's best political content.(Database Review)
October 1, 2008... The 2008 U.S. elections stand to be a watershed. There's so much at stake: the economic future of the U.S., threats from countries all over the world, the challenge of the environment, economic class warfare, and more. It could launch great,...

FindWhere: upgrades make tracking easier.(Product News & Reviews)
October 1, 2008... Ask Jaap Groot to find something, and chances are, he can. As the founder and CEO of FindWhere, Groot and his team have tracking systems that can find anything, anywhere, and most of all, they keep people connected. The company's list of...

LexisNexis, interwoven create one-stop shop for law firm attorneys.(Product News & Reviews)(contracts)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Law firm attorneys will soon have one place to go for internal work product and content from LexisNexis, as part of a new agreement between the company and Interwoven, Inc. Under the agreement, the Lexis Search Advantage search enrichment...

Thomson Reuters updates reference manager, brings EndNote X2 to OS X.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Several new features will be included as a new upgrade to Thomson Reuters' Reference Manager for Windows bibliographic software. Now, users will have access to expanded file management, Cite While You Write integration with Microsoft Word 2007,...

Swets launches SwetsWise eSource Manager, gives users a voice with SwetsWise Community.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... SwetsWise eSource Manager successfully completed beta testing and is now open for business, as part of the Swets portfolio of products and services. The solution is designed to meet the complex licensing and subscriptions management needs for...

Professional Engineering Publishing targets conference research dissemination.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Professional Engineering Publishing is setting its sights on conference organizers with its new online publishing service, Engineering Conferences Online (ECO). Organizers can use the service to disseminate engineering research that would...

SirsiDynix unveils online card catalog solution.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... SirsiDynix is addressing the speed, ease, and flexibility concerns librarians have about online library card catalogs with its new SirsiDynix Symphony e-Library solution. The solution features the look and feel of SirsiDynix Enterprise, uses...

QuestaWeb's TradeMaster products to work with Microsoft Dynamics.(Product News & Reviews)
October 1, 2008... QuestaWeb, Inc. is weaving Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 functionality into its TradeMaster product line. The integration supports configurable workflows to the transaction-type level and also automates workflow control and warnings about...

Yahoo!'s Fire Eagle brings user location online.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Yahoo!, Inc. is helping users share their locations online with its new open platform called Fire Eagle. The platform, which can be accessed via the web, mobile devices, and desktop applications, gives users a place to store and manage...

Dow Jones adds records and more to two databases.(Product News & Reviews)(Dow Jones & Company Inc.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Dow Jones & Co. is expanding its SalesWorks and Company & Executives products with several additions. The databases will receive an influx of 3 million new records from companies outside of the U.S., bringing the total to more than 15 million....

Thomson Reuters adds module to Prous Science Integrity, offers upgrades, services.(Product News & Reviews)
October 1, 2008... Users of Thomson Reuters' Prous Science Integrity platform now have a new addition to their research toolbox. The company's Prous Science Integrity Predictive Pharmacology Module details up to three potential mechanisms of action for almost...

docmetrics update makes fully branded PDFs possible.(Product News & Reviews)
October 1, 2008... docmetrics users will now be able to add fully branded dynamic forms to their white papers and other PDF-based marketing materials, thanks to a new version of the company's web-based lead capture and PDF analytics technology. The new release...

RefWorks releases enhancements for academics and researchers.(Product News & Reviews)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... RefWorks announced the release of enhancements to its web-based research management, writing, and collaboration service for the academic and research communities. The Author Linking feature opens doors to research and collaboration as it...

These social sites put users in a groove: but the site lets you browse, search, buy, and listen to 30-second or full-length previews of songs in many genres (jazz, reggae, hip-hop, Latin, punk, and world music, for example).(Link-Up@Home: Your Personal Guide to the Web)
October 1, 2008... A growing number of websites are mixing music with social networking. Here's an overview of a few sites that can help you find new tunes you like, talk about them with your friends, and make new musical friends around the globe. Scrobble...

[Cartoon].(Cartoon)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I'm not napping. I have all my passwords and PIN numbers tattooed inside my eyelids!"

WordWeb opens new doors in word processing.(Link-Up@Home: Your Personal Guide to the Web)
October 1, 2008... Since their advent, personal computers have always helped you look good when you write, no matter what you write, from school papers to company reports. If you like communicating with the written word, you probably also like trying out new...

A peek into the back room.(Cover Notes)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Fundamentals of Technical Services Management by Sheila S. Intner with Peggy Johnson Chicago: ALA, 2008 ISBN: 978-0-8389-0953-9 158 pages; $42, softcover Depending on what you do for a living and what kind of information...

Greener Pastures.(In Other Words)
October 1, 2008... As I write this, the spotlight just shifted from the world's top athletes competing in the 29th Olympics in Beijing (where the big questions were if the U.S. team of NBA superstars could capture the gold and whether American swimming phenom...

Designing the Digital Experience: How to Use Experience Design Tools and Techniques to Build Websites Customers Love.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Designing the Digital Experience: How to Use Experience Design Tools and Techniques to Build Websites Customers Love By David Lee King Foreword by David Armano [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As website design and functionality take a...

CRM in Real Time: Empowering Customer Relationships.(Customer relationship management)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... CRM in Real Time: Empowering Customer Relationships By Barton J. Goldenberg [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This comprehensive guide to customer relationship management (CRM) draws on Barton Goldenberg's years of experience guiding firms to...

Knowledge Management in Practice: Connections and Context.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Knowledge Management in Practice: Connections and Context Edited by T. Kanti Srikantaiah and Michael E. D. Koenig [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Where Knowledge Management for the Information Professional (2000) offered information...

Virtual Worlds, Real Libraries: Librarians and Educators in Second Life and Other Multi-User Virtual Environments.(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Virtual Worlds, Real Libraries: Librarians and Educators in Second Life and Other Multi-User Virtual Environments Edited by Lori Bell and Rhonda B. Trueman Foreword by Stephen Abram [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This fascinating book is...

What's the Alternative? Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... What's the Alternative? Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros By Rachel Singer Gordon Foreword by Kim Dority [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the global information economy grows, librarians who are able to retool and transfer...

Excellence Every Day: Make the Daily Choice--Inspire Your Employees and Amaze Your Customers.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Excellence Every Day: Make the Daily Choice--Inspire Your Employees and Amaze Your Customers By Lior Arussy [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If mediocre performance or results are acceptable at any level within your organization, this may...

Business Cases for Info Pros: Here's Why, Here's How.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Business Cases for Info Pros: Here's Why, Here's How By Ulla de Stricker [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] An inherent challenge for information professionals involves often difficult-to-quantify contributions of their initiatives to an...

Intranets for Info Pros.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Intranets for Info Pros Edited by Mary Lee Kennedy and Jane Dysart Foreword by Tom Davenport [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The intranet is among the primary landscapes in which information-based work occurs, yet many info pros continue...

Computerization Movements and Technology Diffusion: From Mainframes to Ubiquitous Computing.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2008... Computerization Movements and Technology Diffusion: From Mainframes to Ubiquitous Computing Edited by Margaret S. Elliott and Kenneth L. Kraemer [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Foreword by Suzanne Iacono "Computerization movement" (CM), as...