Newsletter No. 175
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FreePint
"Helping 72,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.com/
ISSN 1460-7239 27th January 2005 No.175
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ALTERNATIVE NEWSLETTER FORMATS AVAILABLE AT:
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IN THIS ISSUE
-------------
EDITORIAL
By William Hann
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Robert Ashton
FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
JINFO :: JOBS IN INFORMATION
Part Time Cataloguer
Intranet Manager (6-9 month contract)
TIPS ARTICLE
"Professional Networking Online"
By Priscilla K. Shontz
BOOKSHELF
"The Web Library: building a world class
personal library with free web resources"
Reviewed by Anne Esler
FEATURE ARTICLE
"Business awards: a review of the UK market"
By Diana Nutting
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
CONTACT INFORMATION
ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/270105.htm>
FULLY FORMATTED VERSION
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/270105.pdf>
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** PLANNING YOUR NEXT CAREER MOVE? CILIP CAN HELP **
We support you from university right through to your next plum job.
How? By being one of the world's biggest membership organisations
for information professionals - helping people just like you.
But you'll have to hurry to claim your Prompt Payment membership
discount - offer closes Mar 1 (or Feb 14 for direct debits). So email
'FreePint' and your contact details to <findoutmore@cilip.org.uk>.
Or visit <http://www.cilip.org.uk/freepintoffer> for more information.
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*** VIP No.14 :: In-depth review of EBSCOhost ***
Joining the recent reviews of Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and Dialog,
this month's VIP provides an in-depth review of EBSCOhost.
VIP Eye also comments on the latest news announcements.
<http://www.vivaVIP.com/>
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*** ABOUT FREEPINT ***
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on finding quality and reliable business information on the Internet.
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EDITORIAL
By William Hann
In the last editorial I was talking about the importance of on-going
reinvention and regeneration -- of ourselves as individuals and the
organisations we work for.
Always ones to practice what we preach, we're today launching:
'Jinfo :: Jobs in information'
<http://www.jinfo.com/>
'Jinfo' is the rebirth of 'FreePint Jobs', and it feels right to
separate out this important part of the FreePint site -- to give it
its own identity.
The twice-monthly email bulletin, listing the latest vacancies and
career advice, has become the 'Jinfo Newsletter'. There is a brand new
newsletter archive too, so you can read past editions and subscribe
to receive it by email at: <http://www.jinfo.com/newsletter/>.
With recent articles such as "The Importance of a CV", "What Are You
Reading?" and "The Wonderful World of Information", the Jinfo
Newsletter always makes a good read. Although Jinfo primarily lists UK
information jobs, we'd love to hear from potential partners abroad.
Of course, we also have lots of career advice right here in the
FreePint Newsletter, and today is no exception. We're reminded below
about the importance of professional networking, and the various
forms it can take. It's so easy to forget about the importance of the
human network when we sit in front of a computer all day.
Achievement and development is also encouraged in today's second
article. Business awards are a great time for reflection and a pat on
the back, something we're not so good at here in the UK. At FreePint
we love being involved with the annual Online Information Industry
Awards; the best bit for me is contacting the winners of the award
and telling them they've won <http://www.freepint.com/press/>.
Whether you've already broken all your New Year resolutions, or didn't
make any this year, do at least acknowledge the importance of
regeneration and networking. Why not check out the career advice at
Jinfo or send an email to someone you haven't contacted in a while.
You could even forward this issue of FreePint to them.
William Hann
Managing Editor and Founder, FreePint
e: william.hann@freepint.com
t: 0870 141 7474
i: +44 870 141 7474
FreePint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2005
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Introducing MINT - a fresh approach to company information
from Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing
To register for a FREE trial visit <http://www.mintbusinessinfo.com>
Companies, news, industry research and directors in a single
easy to use information database for research,
sales, marketing and business development professionals.
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*** "Information Auditing: A guide for information managers" ***
ISBN: 1-904769-08-X
This in-depth report is published by FreePint and offers an
overview and practical insight into information auditing, drawing
on practical examples and recognised audit methods.
"Well written and concise ... It's up to date,
easy to digest and nicely structured."
Find out more at:
<http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/>
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Robert Ashton
* BBC News <http://news.bbc.co.uk> - thousands of pages, continually
updated. Authoritative without being dull. Interesting without
being lightweight. The alternative global homepage, which gives you
a world perspective if you're not UK based, is also a nice touch.
* Google <http://www.google.co.uk> - Google reinvented the search
engine, stripping it down to its bare essentials. And it works
fantastically well. An excellent example of how simpler is often
better.
* FT.com <http://www.ft.com> - a whole world of business information,
much of it still free.
* Avant Go <http://www.avantgo.com> - I'm a bit of a technojunkie. So
AvantGo's news service for electronic organisers suits me down to
the ground. It allows you to put content from some of the best news
sites in your back pocket (including FT.com and BBC News). Very
clever. Free too.
* BBC Radio 4 Listen Again
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/progs/listenagain.shtml> - I was
always missing programmes on Radio 4, either because I forgot they
were on or because they were broadcast during the day. Then I
discovered this site, which lets you listen to them whenever you
like. It even links into individual programme websites. Technology
at its best.
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Robert Ashton <info@writing-skills.com> is Managing Director of
business writing specialists Emphasis <http://www.writing-skills.com>.
Submit your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at
<http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>.
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*** SLA Europe Information Professional Award ***
Each year Factiva sponsors SLA Europe Information Professional Award
(SLA EIP). Nominate yourself or a colleague and win this prestigious
award and an all expenses paid trip to the conference in Toronto.
Entries by 28th February 2005.
For more details about the EIP award visit:
<http://www.sla-europe.org/>
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*** Jinfo :: Jobs in information ***
<http://www.jinfo.com/>
Jinfo is a database of 100 information-related job vacancies.
The Jinfo Newsletter is published twice-monthly and lists
the latest jobs and gives career advice and tips.
Search the database and subscribe to the newsletter at:
<http://www.jinfo.com/>
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FREEPINT BAR
<http://www.freepint.com/bar>
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
FreePint tries to cover all things 'information', and the last couple
of weeks at the Bar have seen a wide variety of requests and concerns
aired.
Can you help with resources that outline minimum standards for secure
storage of archived documents? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b31182>. Is
there a list of European-based information brokers?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b31185>. Can you give advice on whether UK
legislation is exempt from copyright?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b31190>. When communicating with industry
partners, how do you mark documents which contain material that is
potentially exempt from freedom of information legislation?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b31147>.
The news of Aslib folding and being reborn has been discussed heavily
at the Bar <http://www.freepint.com/go/b31040> and in other
information publications and lists.
There are regularly requests at the Bar for tools to help reformat and
repurpose retrieved information <http://www.freepint.com/go/b30914>,
and it's something we'll be looking at in more depth in a future
edition of VIP <http://www.vivavip.com>.
This month's VIP has been published, and contains a review of
EBSCOhost and a feature about directory publishing
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b31193>. The VIP Wire (information
industry press release database) is proving extremely popular, with
its free weekly Wire Digest <http://web.vivavip.com/forum/Wire/>.
We've added a DigBig box to the posting form at the Bar, to make it
quick and easy to shorten Web addresses when you're making a posting
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b31143>.
Can you help someone trying to compile a list of aggregators and
indexers (secondary publishers)? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b31077>.
Would you like to take part in some DTI research into why women are
leaving the IT industry? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b31139>. Is there
a comprehensive global list of consumer products, preferably
indicating the most visible ones? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b31157>.
The thread about running backups for a small office has seen some
interesting replies, from software solutions to online services
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b31023>. Any experience of putting barcode
stickers on CDs/DVDs? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b31151>.
Finally, there's been an interesting ephemeral thread on the possible
mis-attribution of a quotation to Darwin
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b31128>.
If you'd like to receive a twice-weekly summary of the latest postings
to the Bar, in plain text or HTML format, visit
<http://www.freepint.com/subs/>.
William Hann <william.hann@freepint.com>
Founder and Managing Editor, FreePint
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The FreePint Bar is where you can get free help with your tricky
research questions <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
Help with study for information-related courses is available at the
FreePint Student Bar <http://www.freepint.com/student>.
Twice-weekly email digests of the latest postings can be requested
at <http://www.freepint.com/subs/>.
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*** VIP reviews EBSCO's business products ***
EBSCO's business databases for corporate, government and academic
institutions are reviewed in the current issue of VIP, together with a
preview of EBSCO's new interface, not yet released. Plus, a look
at why ELC believes that directory publishing isn't dead.
<http://www.vivaVIP.com/>
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*** Do you publish email newsletters? ***
Tired of handling subscriptions and bounces?
Want detailed reports on successes/failures?
Find out more about the Willco Lists Module.
It takes all the drudgery out of publishing:
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Jinfo :: Jobs in information
<http://www.jinfo.com/>
Jinfo is a database of information-related job vacancies.
The Jinfo Newsletter is published free every two weeks, and contains
a list of the latest vacancies along with job seeking advice. The
latest editorial is entitled "The Importance of a CV".
To read the latest Jinfo Newsletter and subscribe to receive it
twice-monthly, visit <http://www.jinfo.com/newsletter/>.
Here are some of the latest featured jobs:
Part Time Cataloguer
Surprising number of Part-Time jobs avail, in Essex, Birmingham,
Berkshire - this is one of them, see our web site for the others.
Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3595>
Intranet Manager (6-9 month contract)
Maternity Leave position for qualified Intranet Content Manager
with at least 3 years experience and basic HTML skills.
Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3795>
NB: There are 49 other jobs in the current edition of the Jinfo
Newsletter <http://www.jinfo.com/newsletter/> and over 100 in the
Jinfo database.
[The above jobs are paid listings]
Jinfo -- the best place for information-related job vacancies.
* JOB SEARCHING -- Free search and sign up to the Jinfo Newsletter.
* RECRUITING -- Complete the form and advertise a vacancy for
only GBP195 <http://www.jinfo.com/recruit/>.
50% discount for registered charities. 10% discount for agencies.
Find out more today at <http://www.jinfo.com/>
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--- GLEN RECRUITMENT ---
Glen Recruitment is a leading independent Employment Consultancy
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exceptional and includes prestigious organisations of all sizes.
For more details call 020 7745 7245 email <info@glenrecruitment.co.uk>
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*** How do you get maximum exposure to the FreePint network? ***
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across the range of sites in the FreePint network:
FreePint | VIP | Jinfo | ResourceShelf | DigBig
Download ratecards and presentations, and subscribe
to the Onopoly Update for the latest offers:
<http://www.Onopoly.com/>
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TIPS ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/270105.htm#tips>
"Professional Networking Online"
By Priscilla K. Shontz
We've all heard the phrase "It's who you know". A recent Wired
magazine article <http://digbig.com/4cncb> expanded this statement to
say "It's not so much who you know, but who you vaguely know". In
other words, most jobs and career opportunities come through people
you don't know well - people you've met through networking.
Networking helps your career in many ways. In addition to exchanging
information that might help you on your job, you can find mentors,
learn of job opportunities, find project partners, get new ideas and
broaden your perspectives. The online environment allows you to
communicate more easily, quickly and widely - even internationally.
Online communication helps prevent feelings of isolation, particularly
for those who work alone or live in rural areas. So how can you
network more effectively online?
Your Online Presence
--------------------
Do you have an online presence? Search for your name on an Internet
search engine such as Google <http://www.google.com/>. You might be
surprised at what you find! Committee minutes, discussion lists, and
newsletters are often archived; you might find old messages, news or
other information about yourself online. Consider what a potential
employer, colleague or client might find if he or she were to search
for your name. Are you pleased with what you've found? How can you use
email, discussion lists, or web publications to expand your network
and improve your online presence?
Email
-----
* Sound as if you mean business - Use a professional-sounding email
address. A free or personal email account is fine, but professional
contacts may not be impressed with a cutesy email name like
PartyGrrrl247. Consider getting your own domain name; this creates
an email address that is easy for others to remember, and provides
continuity should you change jobs.
* Introduce yourself - Don't be afraid to email people you haven't
met. Perhaps you have just read an article, attended a presentation
or read an interesting post on a discussion list. Tell the author or
speaker that you enjoyed the presentation, message or article. Use
your network to expand your network; ask contacts to recommend
others who might help with specific questions or projects. Sometimes
contacts such as these can lead to joint projects (such as
co-authoring an article) or other opportunities. You could also use
email to set up face-to-face meetings.
* Be clear - After drafting your email, reread it carefully to make
sure it sounds coherent, professional and accurate.
* Volunteer - Some professional associations offer the opportunity to
serve as a "virtual" committee member if you can't attend
conferences. Join professional associations, volunteer for committee
assignments, participate actively in your committee by email, and
volunteer for leadership positions. You may work online with people
who can later provide job references or offer other opportunities.
* Nurture your relationships - Stay connected with your contacts.
Perhaps you can't attend conferences regularly or you have contacts
in faraway places; email those people periodically to ask how they
are doing and to let them know what you're up to. For example, let
your contacts know if you change jobs. Staying in touch helps others
remember you when they hear of opportunities that might interest
you.
Discussion Lists
----------------
* Subscribe - Find appropriate discussion lists through friends and
colleagues, publications, professional associations and websites
such as Library-Oriented Lists and Electronic Serials
<http://liblists.wrlc.org/>, Library and Archives Canada
<http://www.collectionscanada.ca/6/20/index-e.html> or Australian
Library and Information Association <http://www.alia.org.au/e-lists/>.
* Prevent email overload - Manage your discussion list email so that
it doesn't take over your inbox. Set up email filters for each
discussion list so that mail will be filed in a folder instead of
your inbox. Most lists give you an option to receive mail in digest
form so that you can receive multiple posts in one email message.
* Listen before you speak - Lurk for a while before you begin posting
on a list. Learn what topics are discussed, what the tone of the
list is, and who the active posters are before you say too much.
* Be an active participant - Posting relevant and thoughtful messages
can help you establish name recognition and credibility in your
field. It can also lead to new opportunities. For example, I often
find topics and authors for LIScareer <http://www.liscareer.com/>
articles through discussion lists.
Web Publications
----------------
* Consider your goals - When publishing something online, decide first
what you want to achieve. Do you want to provide potential employers
with an online version of your resume to prove that you have web
editing skills? Do you want to offer a service? Do you want to try
to make money? Do you want to share personal opinions? Your purpose
may determine the type of web publication you create.
* Select your venue - You can establish an online presence through
various types of publications such as websites, weblogs, electronic
journals, online portfolios and online resumes. Many librarians have
created sites to help fellow librarians or Internet users; two
examples are the Librarians' Index to the Internet <http://lii.org/>
and Lisjobs.com <http://www.lisjobs.com/>. Some librarians share
news and opinions in blogs such as librarian.net
<http://librarian.net/> or Library Stuff
<http://www.librarystuff.net/>. The LIScareer article "Online
Portfolios, or 'WOW! Look at Everything I've Done!'"
<http://liscareer.com/moody_onlineportfolios.htm> offers advice for
marketing your skills using an online portfolio. Also consider
contributing to an existing web resource; for instance, write an
article for FreePint <http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>!
* Make it accessible - Check your web resource in various Internet
browsers to be sure it looks the way you intended. The Website
Accessibility Initiative <http://www.w3.org/WAI/> provides helpful
design guidelines.
General Do's and Don'ts
-----------------------
* Be professional - Consider everything you say to be public. Of
course we all have the right to speak our mind, and discussion lists
often offer a forum to vent or share problems with others who may
sympathize. Use common sense, though, when posting to a discussion
list or emailing someone. Think carefully before criticizing your
boss or workplace, for example. Remember that email is easily
forwarded and discussion lists are often archived online. You never
know who is reading the list. It's quite likely that your boss or
colleagues read the same list, or that someone who reads the list
may know someone at your organization. Don't say anything you
wouldn't want broadcast publicly.
* It's not only what you say, it's how you say it - Since email
messages lack nonverbal cues, reread your message before sending it
to be sure it sounds professional and courteous. Be especially
cautious about sending angry emails. Sites such as 'The Net: User
Guidelines and Netiquette' <http://www.fau.edu/netiquette/net/>
offer basic online communication guidelines.
* Don't clutter other people's email boxes - Don't forward junk email
such as jokes or possible hoaxes. You can check out suspicious
messages at sites such as Hoaxbusters
<http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/>. Don't use a discussion list for
class assignments (unless that's the purpose of the list); explain
what you have already done when asking others for help, so that you
don't appear to be asking others to do your work for you. Don't
chime in unnecessarily (as in "I agree!"). Sometimes it's more
appropriate to respond to an individual than a list. When replying,
check your To:, Cc: and Bcc: fields to make sure you're sending only
to the intended recipients.
* Keep it simple - Use easy-to-read fonts and colours in your email
messages. Include a simple, professional signature file. Design
websites that are logical to navigate and include a contact method.
* Be safe - Be careful how much personal information you share online.
Some experts recommend setting up a separate email address for
networking and eliminating personal information connected with that
account. When posting online resumes or portfolios, remove personal
information such as your home address or phone number.
* Think of others - Demonstrate your willingness to help others
succeed. If you see something that might interest one of your
contacts, pass it on. Connect people to help them expand their
networks. You may soon become known as "someone who knows people".
Be courteous; say thank you. Others will appreciate your
thoughtfulness and may return the favour someday.
To Infinity and Beyond
----------------------
You can expand your network almost infinitely by taking advantage of
online resources such as email, discussion lists and web publications.
Through online networking you can meet people, market your skills,
find jobs, collaborate on projects, contribute to your profession,
gain fresh perspectives and make friends. Conducting your online
interactions professionally will help you build a strong online
presence that may lead to new relationships and opportunities.
Additional Resources
--------------------
* Belilos, Claire. "Networking on the Net: Professionalism, Ethics and
Courtesy on the Net." Easytraining.com
<http://www.easytraining.com/networking.htm>.
* Gordon, Rachel Singer and Sarah L. Nesbeitt. "Market Yourself
Online." Marketing Library Services 15:7 (Oct/Nov 2001)
<http://www.infotoday.com/mls/oct01/gordon&nesbeitt.htm>.
* Murray, Richard A. "Virtual Discussions: Establishing a Positive
Online Presence for Yourself." Informed Librarian Online, June 2004
<http://www.informedlibrarian.com/>.
* Rossheim, John. "How to Network Online - Safely." Monster.com
<http://discussion.monster.com/articles/safe/>.
* Sinclair, Kate. "Click to Connect! Successful Online Communication."
The Librarian's Career Guidebook. Ed. Priscilla K. Shontz. Lanham,
MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004. 438-446. Excerpt at
<http://liscareer.com/lcg_online.htm>.
* Zucker, Rebecca. "Staying Networked." Wetfeet.com
<http://www.wetfeet.com/asp/article.asp?aid=514&atype=Networking>.
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Priscilla K. Shontz is editor of The Librarian's Career Guidebook
<http://www.liscareer.com/bookstore.htm> and author of 'Jump Start Your
Career in Library and Information Science'. She is editor and
webmaster of LIScareer <http://www.liscareer.com/>, a career website
for library and information professionals. You can find her resume and
contact information at <http://www.liscareer.com/shontzresume.htm>.
Because she currently works at home, online networking is a vital and
very beneficial part of her life.
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Related FreePint links:
* 'Employment/Recruitment/HR' articles in the FreePint Portal
<http://www.freepint.com/go/p43>
* Post a message to the author, Priscilla Shontz, or suggest further
resources at the FreePint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/270105.htm#tips>
* Access the entire archive of FreePint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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"The job I'm in means I have very limited word space
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FREEPINT BOOKSHELF
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
"The Web Library: building a world class
personal library with free web resources"
By Nicholas G. Tomaiuolo
Reviewed by Anne Esler
Nicholas Tomaiuolo's book, The Web Library: Building a World Class
Personal Library with Free Web Resources, is a treasure trove of high-
quality websites for research and reference, offered up with a charming
puckish sense of humour. If you've ever felt frustrated and
overwhelmed at finding high-quality web information then this is the
book for you. Mr. Tomaiuolo's book is organized into nine chapters
that discuss free or low-cost resources which are similar to those
offered by physical libraries. Bookmarking these websites gives the
librarian a tremendous "web library" at the click of a mouse.
Each chapter covers topics ranging from finding full-text articles,
reference sources, digital reference and e-texts. Each chapter also
has an in-depth interview with an information expert behind some of
the best online reference sources. I found the interviews offer
insight into how some of the most popular web resources were developed
and plans for future growth. The interviews also provide some powerful
food for thought for the future of online reference resources.
Endnotes at the end of each chapter are extensive and underscore the
detail of Mr. Tomaiuolo's work.
In the chapter entitled " Ready or Not: Reference on the Web", the
author notes an interesting economic comparison highlighting the
savings of website reference to subscription or one-time purchase of
print material. While savings from, for example, using Bartleby.com
would equal USD1000 in free versus fee resources, the real savings
come from constant updating of material, which is noted as
"priceless".
The book has a link to an updated website which lists the hyperlinked
websites from the book plus new resources which are clearly marked
with a yellow "sticker". The web resources are divided in the same
organization as the chapters the book.
Mr. Tomaiuolo's humour is delightful. Chapter 7 entitled "Pixels at an
Exhibition" discussing online exhibits from museums to the Library of
Congress brought a chuckle as it is a clever play on Mussorgsky's
wonderful musical piece, "Pictures at an Exhibition" describing
paintings in an exhibit. The author's humour is sprinkled throughout
the book.
Nicholas Tomaiuolo's The Web Library is a solid addition to academic,
public or corporate library reference desks. No librarian should be
without a copy of this book on his or her desktop with the
accompanying link to the companion website on his or her virtual
desktop.
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Anne Esler is an Assistant Professor and Information Services
Librarian at Newman Library at Baruch College (CUNY) in New York City.
She specializes in business information reference and research. She
has a Masters of Library Science and a Masters of Business
Administration.
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Related FreePint links:
* Find out more about this book online at the FreePint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/weblibrary.htm>
* Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk
<http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0910965676/freepint0c>
or Amazon.com
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0910965676/freepint00>
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* Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the FreePint
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FEATURE ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/270105.htm#feature>
"Business awards: a review of the UK market"
By Diana Nutting
It's a black tie occasion at a glitzy hotel, and perhaps the chance to
shake hands with a celebrity. Business awards ceremonies are becoming
ever more popular. Winning one of the more prestigious awards can
confer status and credibility, and just doing the entry gives a
company the chance to look inwardly at its operations with a rigour
that might otherwise be lacking. The chance to network at awards
dinners is a key reason for being there and many companies choose such
occasions as corporate hospitality opportunities. For the business
community as a whole, awards can be an inspiration from the example of
the winners.
Finding the right competition to enter can be daunting, as there are
more and more to choose from. This article summarises some of the UK
business awards available that are competitive and demand a written
entry from the participants. Not all awards have a track record or
longevity. Look for some stability and industry credibility for any
awards that interest you. Think about who you need to communicate with
about your achievement, and choose your competition according to which
sort of publicity it will achieve. You will want the right audience to
get the message that your work has been called "the best".
International Awards
--------------------
Ernst & Young runs its annual Entrepreneur Of The Year award
<http://digbig.com/4cnby> in 35 countries to find the most successful
and innovative entrepreneurial business leaders around the world. The
next awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in May 2005 in Monte
Carlo. Competitors must be owner-managers who are primarily
responsible for the recent performance of a privately held business
that is at least two years old, or founders of a quoted company that
is at least two years old who are active in senior management.
The Fast 50 <http://www.fast50.co.uk> is sponsored by Deloittes, and
is designed to identify the trends that are shaping the technology,
media and telecommunications sectors. The awards cover nine countries,
through a series of regional competitions, and are now in their
seventh year in the UK. The ranking features the 50 private and
publicly-held companies in the sector that have demonstrated
innovative strategies, sound management practices and marketplace
vision measured over five years.
National Awards
---------------
The Queens Awards for Enterprise
<http://www.queensawards.org.uk/business/business.html> are probably
the most prestigious of all the awards for UK companies, offering
worldwide recognition and extensive press coverage. The Awards are
presented in three categories: International Trade; Innovation and
Sustainable Development.
Another very well known national business awards competition is the
National Business Awards <http://www.nationalbusinessawards.com>.
There are 24 categories, with a series of regional competitions
culminating in the national awards. The National Business Awards
attempts to assess both micro-businesses and PLCs on a level playing
field.
Business in the Community Awards for Excellence
<http://www.bitc.org.uk/awards> recognise companies for integrating
responsible business practice into their mainstream operations
resulting in a positive impact in the workplace, the marketplace, the
environment or the community.
The National Training Awards <http://www.nationaltrainingawards.com/>
showcase businesses, organisations and individuals who have achieved
lasting excellence and success through training and learning.
For smaller companies the Growing Business Awards
<http://www.growingbusinessawards.co.uk/> strive to recognise
entrepreneurial talent, and the Parcelforce Worldwide Small Business
Awards <http://digbig.com/4cmbj>, now in its 12th year, claims to be
the largest of its kind in the UK. Its purpose is to recognise and
promote the cause of 'excellence' within the small business community
through creating awareness, helping SMEs to compete within an ever
changing and demanding market.
Many awards demand that entrants demonstrate a track record of several
years, but the Start Up Awards
<http://www.startups.co.uk/YVZdPJhoS63Ijg.html> celebrate the best in
new businesses and entrepreneurial activity.
Regional Awards
---------------
There are many regional and local business awards initiatives. For
this article I have concentrated on London because that is where I am
based. My own organisation sponsors one of the categories in the
London Business Awards, <http://www.londonbusinessawards.co.uk/>
organised by the London Chamber of Commerce, and these sorts of awards
are mirrored in towns across the country.
The East London & Essex Business Awards <http://digbig.com/4cnbx>
are particularly close to my heart because they grew from the East
London Blue Ribbon Awards for which I was responsible for two years.
Awards for Business Functions
-----------------------------
Awards for particular business functions are often categories of more
general awards, but there are some that are very specific.
I have highlighted marketing as the large number of awards available
for different aspects of marketing almost merit an article to
themselves. They include awards for:
Marketing communications Communicators in Business Awards
<http://www.cib.uk.com/cibawards2005.shtml>, Interactive Marketing and
Advertising Awards <http://www.nma.co.uk/imaawards04>, Campaign Media
Awards <http://digbig.com/4cncj>,
Campaign Direct Awards <http://digbig.com/4cmbk>, Campaign Press
Advertising Awards <http://digbig.com/4cnbw>.
The Interactive Marketing and Advertising Awards
<http://www.nma.co.uk/imaawards04/> is a new award
to mark what is currently the fastest growing advertising medium
Revolution Awards <http://www.revolutionawards.com> reward the best in
digital marketing and business. MCCA Awards (Marketing Communications
Consultants Association) <http://www.mcca.org.uk> Market research
Research Excellence and Effectiveness Awards
<http://www.mrs.org.uk/awards/2004/index.htm>.
Overall marketing effectiveness
-------------------------------
The Marketing Week Effectiveness Awards
<http://www.mad.co.uk/publications/mw/#> are designed to correct the
corporate perception of marketing as a cost rather than an investment,
and aim to demonstrate that long-term investment in brands, products
and services can result in enhanced profits and shareholder value,
Events
------
The Corporate Event Association Awards
<http://www.cha-online.co.uk>. ITMA (Incentive Travel and Meetings
Association) Awards <http://digbig.com/4cnca>.
Sponsorship
-----------
Hollis Sponsorship Awards
<http://www.hollis-pr.com/publications/sponsawards.htm>
In some cases, for example the Magazine Design Awards,
<http://www.quantumbusinessmedia.com/magazinedesignawards.html>, the
awards were specifically launched to raise and highlight a sector at a
time of falling sales.
In a different field, there are a growing number of awards in IT,
mirroring the importance of the IT function in business. The British
Computer Society IT professional awards
<http://www.bcs.org/awards/professional> mark the contribution made by
the IT profession to economic prosperity, business efficiency and
public services. The ecommerce awards
<http://www.ecommerce-awards.co.uk/> are run by the Department of
Trade and Industry, and by InterForum, a not for profit membership
organisation that helps British businesses to trade electronically.
These awards have been designed to recognise and reward those
organisations with less than 250 employees that have demonstrated
excellence through the use of the Internet and other information &
communications technologies. The International Visual Communication
Association Biz-Net Awards <http://www.ivca.org/IVCA+Biz%2DNets> were
established to promote excellence in the effective use of digital
business content over the latest delivery platforms.
Business aspects of a subject can often be found as categories in more
technical awards. For example in the field of information there are
the annual information industry awards, which include a category for
the best information team in a business environment
<http://www.online-information.co.uk/ol04/awards.html>.
And of course while discussing the international Information Industry
awards we must include the FreePint Award for Best Customer Service
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/161204.txt>.
Industrial Sectors
------------------
Most industrial sectors have awards which help to publicise the entire
sector. Rather than produce a long but incomplete list of industrial
sectors which have awards, here is a sample of those in the food and
drink industry.
Now in their 25th year, the Quality Food and Drink Awards
<http://digbig.com/4cmbp> recognise excellence in the quality of food
and drink products sold in the grocery retail sector, while the Fresh
awards <http://digbig.com/4cmbq> highlight excellence across the fresh
produce supply chain. Food From Britain Export Awards
<http://www.foodfrombritain.com/awards/> celebrate the significant
achievements of British food and drink exporters.
Awards for Individuals
----------------------
A new award sponsored by Management Today, the Rising Star Awards
<http://digbig.com/4cmbr> aims to identify six dynamic high-flyers who
stand out from their peers and show exceptional potential for senior
management. At the opposite end of the spectrum the Trading Places
awards (a government backed initiative) aims to highlight unemployed
people who have overcome numerous barriers to transform their lives by
setting up their own business.
The Shell LiveWire Business Start Up Awards <http://digbig.com/4cmbs>
are specifically designed for young people who have recently started
businesses. Entrants must be between 16 and 30 and have been in
business for between three and eighteen months. Shell also sponsor the
Shell Technology Enterprise Awards (STEP) <http://www.step.org.uk> a
UK wide programme offering undergraduates technical project-based work
within small to medium sized enterprises, with regional and national
awards on offer.
The NatWest Everywoman Awards <http://www.everywoman.co.uk/awards/>
reward business women who have achieved significant success, but also
women who have overcome adversities such as financial constraints,
social disadvantages or skills gaps.
Awards for Awards organisers
----------------------------
There are even awards for awards organisers The Events Services
Association <http://www.tesa.org.uk/News.asp?id=64> includes the Event
Organiser of the Year Award.
There is no definitive list of all the awards available to enter, and
finding out about suitable awards depends almost entirely on the PR
activities of the awards organisers. The Year Ahead
<http://www.yearahead.co.uk/ >includes some of the major ones. The
Chartered Institute of Marketing used to produce a calendar of
marketing and industry awards, but this seems to have been
discontinued. This article arose from my own need to find a
definitive list, and has attempted to highlight the wide range of
awards available to enter and show directions in which a search can
go.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Diana Nutting is Information Liaison Manager at Business Link for
London, responsible for business intelligence and customer research.
She specialises in company and market information. Diana started her
career as an academic librarian, before moving into market
intelligence at, among others, Unilever and Parcelforce, where she
started the first market intelligence function. For six years, before
joining Business Link For London in July 2003, she ran her own market
intelligence consultancy. She has run a regional business awards
competition and recently entered and won an information based award.
She is writing in a personal capacity.
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