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FreePint Newsletter No.370
7th March 2013
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 As a busy professional, you know that a well-designed team can make you all exponentially more productive than you'd each be on your own. There's something transformative about shared responsibilities and complementary skills.
The Team level of the FreePint Subscription is designed to support that collaborative, complementary system.
Over the past 15 years, information centres have been redesigned and renamed, or even dismantled, to reflect changing priorities and approaches to managing information. At the same time, the substance of information work has been transformed: all knowledge workers need at least baseline information skills, and information professionals need a far more strategic view of and input into business goals and operations. The need for close collaboration between such areas as IS, IT, training, communications, strategy and compliance has never been greater.
The Team level of the FreePint Subscription enables full access to the entire database of our articles and reports for you and three more of your staff.
Even better, each of you can furthermore share every article and report with anyone else in the organisation, putting relevant and practical items in the hands of colleagues to support their learning, ability to collaborate, and overall understanding of critical information-related challenges and opportunities.
Consider how the articles and reports we've published in the past two weeks could raise the value of information in your organisation:
Information Skills
Intranets
Product Awareness
Information Strategy and Policy
These individual recent items are only the latest additions to the rich resources within FreePint. Each article and report links to related items, access to all of which are included in your subscription.
For only £1800 (around $2,700) - less than the cost of sending you and your three colleagues to a single professional development workshop - your entire organisation can benefit from the FreePint Subscription for a full year. Team access does far more than support information professionals; it raises your visibility and value, while supporting strategic planning and tactical projects to improve information flow, usage and ROI.
Review the benefits of a FreePint Subscription. Then complete your order online. Mention "FreePint Newsletter 370" in the "comments" box on the order form to receive 10% off your order submitted for any subscription level by 22 March 2013.
By Robin Neidorf
Director of Research, FreePint
robin.neidorf@freepint.com
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My Favourite Tipples
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 By Michelle Boule
My interests have grown to include many things in the last few years, but some of the things that have kept me going have not survived. The things I have included in my list are here because they have stood the test of time, they are flexible, the information contained within them is multifaceted, and, in some cases, entertaining. Engagement in the topic and information is crucial and all these tools help me stay informed, stay organised, and stay on my toes.
- Of all the things I read, Twitter is the one thing I read all day, every day. I primarily use TweetCaster on my phone which has some handy features that the online platform for Twitter does not. To get the most out of Twitter, find people you already know doing stuff you are interested in and follow them. Find other people you do not know yet, but who are doing interesting things, and follow them. Find companies or organisations doing interesting things, and follow them. Then, listen to the conversation. Do not be afraid to ask questions or participate. People share articles, ideas, and solutions contained within 140 characters. I love it and I may be addicted to it.
- If you are looking for headlines about technology, start-ups, or the people that make this industry run, TechCrunch is the place to go. I have found that reading TechCrunch on a semi-regular basis is an excellent way to scan for important titbits related to many different industries. Follow them on Twitter, see above, or subscribe to their RSS feed to get all their headlines.
- If you only listen to one technology podcast, This Week In Tech is the one you need on your list. You can subscribe to the audio or video of this show and take it with you in the car, on the train, or in your cubicle. Leo Laporte has been well known in the technology industry for years and this show never disappoints. Laporte is joined by a panel each week which discusses technology with a mix of wisdom, insight, and irreverent humour. They go beyond the headlines with in-depth discussions on current topics. I adore this show.
- All those articles, ideas, books, quotes, and posts pile up and become unruly, so I use Diigo to organise them. Diigo is a bookmarking service with a lot of extra features. You can save links to pictures, make notes on saved citations, organise things by tags, and share things directly to social media sites. For easy access and saving, Diigo has apps for Android and Apple devices and browser extensions. Diigo has a free version, which I use, or a paid version with even more features.
The number one thing keeping me engaged, up-to-date, and informed is my community. I am a strong believer in the wisdom of the crowd because the crowd has nurtured, inspired, and helped me do some truly amazing things. All of us have a myriad of things vying for our attention and collecting the wheat from the dross can be difficult when your time is limited. I have come to rely on a community of people to filter my information. The type and subject of the information will influence the kind of community I turn to for advice, ideas, and support. In an age where we can be connected to anyone at any time, do not underestimate the value of those connections because of their ease. When you surround yourself with a group of people who are innovative, fearless dreamers, you will not be content to be still.
Michelle Boule is a geek librarian who loves unconferences so much she wrote a book called Mob Rule Learning: Camps, Unconferences, and Trashing the Talking Head. She can be found online at A Wandering Eyre and on Twitter as @wanderingeyre.
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Go, Team!
The FreePint Subscription is not just to keep you informed about developments and trends in information practice, content and strategy.
It is also the most cost-effective way to keep your TEAM:
- Visible in the organisation
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Learn more about Team benefits, uses and costs, then complete a subscription enquiry ».
**10% off new orders until 22nd March 2013**
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FreePint Features
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 FreePint Features offers the latest commentary on trends, issues and opportunities in the information world, as well as examples of how organisations use FreePint resources to raise the value of information.
Selection of the latest FreePint Features articles:
- Developments in CI Provision: How Should Information Professionals Adapt?
By Andrew Grave on Tuesday, 5th March 2013
Andrew Grave reviews the recent FreePint articles on the theme of competitive intelligence. He notes the move towards business intelligence tools, the failure of InfoArmy, suggests how information professionals should respond and identifies a common trap they should avoid.
- FreePint Guidance to Instruction at a Distance
By Robin Neidorf on Wednesday, 27th February 2013
A recent FreePint Webinar provided instructors and those who support instructors with initial insights into what helps an instructor move from classroom to e-classroom. Watch the video, and request your free copy of the presentation.
- Product Report: CODiE Finalists: Best Legal Information Product
By Robin Neidorf on Monday, 25th February 2013
The CODiE Award for Best Legal Information Product saw four very different legal products gain finalist status, each demonstrating particular strengths for discrete areas of information work. FreePint reviewers put each of the finalists to the test: IA Watch, Lexis Advance, Web Preserver and Workshare. There's only one winner but all offer significant benefits to legal information professionals.
- Access. Good? Bad? Double-edged sword?
By Jan Knight on Friday, 22nd February 2013
The world of media and content is changing fast and Jan Knight examines FreePint's recent articles on the topic and the impact that developments such as user-generated content, crowdsourcing and open access are having on information professionals and journalists.
- FreePint's Perspectives on Big Ideas
By Robin Neidorf on Thursday, 21st February 2013
The fast-moving pace of development in the regulations and technology arena creates new opportunities for information professionals in many fields, from compliance and "big data", to research and social media. FreePint's Content and Compliance report explores some of the regulations faced and tools to tackle these. And we announce our upcoming webinar on big data and welcome your input for topics and speakers.
- Motivate and Move Your Audience through Multimedia
By Pila Martinez on Wednesday, 20th February 2013
Multimedia elements not only can make your communications more visually appealing, but they can also convey information in ways your words never could. Pila Martinez explains how the key is to match the multimedia with the content and provides some useful tips to help make your communications more compelling.
- ... More ...
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Nothing Fits Quite Like A NewsEdge Solution!
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You Know You're Curious
Have you clicked a FreePint article title, only to learn "you don't have access"? Find out what you're missing.
Complete our form How can FreePint Help? and put the note, "I want a peek!" in the comments box. Approved requests will get full access to our entire database of articles and reports for two business days.
If you've been curious, take advantage of this limited-time offer for a sneak peek at the full value of a FreePint Subscription.
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FreePint Subscription
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 Articles and reports included in a FreePint Subscription provide customer organisations with practical insight to support information practice, content purchasing and usage, and strategic planning.
Subscribers can click any link to login and view the full item. If you have not yet purchased a FreePint Subscription, learn more about the benefits now.
Selection of FreePint Subscription articles and reports:
- Competitive Intelligence: You Can "Race with the Machine"
By Andrew Grave on Wednesday, 6th March 2013
Following his review of the last six months' developments in competitive intelligence, Andrew Grave highlights how the trends he observed in research automation are being tackled by futurists. He describes how his forthcoming articles will assist information professionals in developing their skills for this environment.
- Google Claims Victory in German Copyright Battle. But Has It Lost the War?
By Penny Crossland on Wednesday, 6th March 2013
Google has been battling it out on the copyright front with European publishers in the last few months. However, while the search engine has been claiming victory of sorts on all fronts, not everybody agrees that Google is gaining the upper hand. Penny Crossland examines exactly what constitutes "victory".
- Source Update March 2013: What's Happening with Nexis?
By Anne Jordan on Tuesday, 5th March 2013
This month's additions and takedowns in Nexis, researched and compiled by Anne Jordan.
- Keeping Your Collaborative Project on the Right Track
By James Mullan on Tuesday, 5th March 2013
We all know how hard it is to push a rock up a hill, well implementing and managing collaborative projects can be just as challenging. Whilst technology has significantly improved the way we work, simply throwing a new collaborative tool at someone and expecting them to use it simply isn't going to work. This can be frustrating and exhausting for individuals managing this process, so how can managers keep these projects on track and avoid becoming exhausted?
- Competitive Intelligence: What's in Store?
By Andrew Grave on Tuesday, 5th March 2013
Andrew Grave previews the four articles he has commissioned on competitive intelligence and his reasons for focusing on these areas.
 FreePint Report: Competitive Intelligence
Published on Tuesday, 5th March 2013
Andrew Grave reviews the recent FreePint articles on the theme of competitive intelligence. He notes the move towards business intelligence tools, the failure of InfoArmy, suggests how information professionals should respond and identifies a common trap they should avoid.
- Source Update March 2013: What's Happening with Factiva?
By Anne Jordan on Monday, 4th March 2013
This month's additions and takedowns in Factiva, researched and compiled by Anne Jordan.
- Source Update March 2013: What's Happening with Eureka.cc and Europresse.com?
By Anne Jordan on Monday, 4th March 2013
This month's additions and takedowns in Eureka.cc and Europresse.com, researched and compiled by Anne Jordan. Europresse.com is the European version of the Eureka.cc solution.
- UK Legal Market Research: Librarian Reactions to Latest Acquisition
By Robin Neidorf on Thursday, 28th February 2013
In the wake of Thomson Reuters' decision to purchase Practical Law Company, Robin Neidorf researches the reactions of legal librarians from the top 200 UK law firms. Following on from FreePint's 2011 research into information products and priorities in these firms, she questions over 50 librarians and queries their responses to the contraction of their key information suppliers by one third.
- Tough but Achievable? Reskilling for Data Analysis
By Tim Buckley Owen on Wednesday, 27th February 2013
Gartner suggests that companies worldwide are likely to continue spending on business intelligence. However, as recent reports indicate, the skills to analyse big data are in short supply. Info pros could satisfy the demand for data analysis skills but they face a formidable reskilling challenge - as the recent fate of InfoArmy demonstrates.
 FreePint Report: Information Services Management Monthly Update (February 2013)
Published on Tuesday, 26th February 2013
This monthly update collects the current content relevant to those responsible for information service management, information strategy and content procurement in a convenient PDF package for download and offline reading.
- Social Media Tools will NEVER Replace Email!
By James Mullan on Tuesday, 26th February 2013
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Yammer have changed the way we communicate and collaborate with our colleagues and friends. But within an organisation it's unlikely that these social media platforms will ever collectively replace email. The question is, "Why?"
 FreePint Report: CODiE Finalists - Best Legal Information Product
Published on Monday, 25th February 2013
The CODiE Award for Best Legal Information Product saw four very different legal products gain finalist status, each demonstrating particular strengths for discrete areas of information work. FreePint reviewers put each of the finalists to the test: IA Watch, Lexis Advance, Web Preserver and Workshare. There's only one winner but all offer significant benefits to legal information professionals.
- Tips for Taming Unwieldy Intranets
By James Mullan on Friday, 22nd February 2013
It used to be the case that intranets were the poor relation to external websites. Now organisations are spending much more on intranets as they become business critical, leading to increasing reliance on intranet managers. But, asks James Mullan, what has changed in recent years and what lessons can we learn from these developments?
 FreePint Report: Research - Part 2 (Information Content)
Published on Friday, 22nd February 2013
Twice a year, FreePint publishes a compendium of articles supporting different areas of information work. This report collects six months' worth of articles tagged with the category of research. Our guest editor Jan Knight looks at the spectrum of research topics, with a particular eye to emerging information sources.
- Privacy - it's Complicated
By Tim Buckley Owen on Thursday, 21st February 2013
Growing popular support for a "do-not-track" option could seriously threaten internet-based eCommerce, Ovum warns - adding to other comment which raises doubts about both the effectiveness and the intrusiveness of social media and sentiment analytics. Yet official signals about privacy action remain confused at present, with the European Union under pressure from several quarters about its developing data protection regime and Britain's Information Commissioner's Office apparently watering down its own policy on cookies.
- Mini Review: Axceler ControlPoint
By Evan Callender on Thursday, 21st February 2013
SharePoint is well-used in large and small firms for intranets, collaboration and workflow and seems to be maintaining its competitive edge as the latest version, SharePoint 2013, is introduced. Evan Callender reviews Axceler's ControlPoint, which is designed to help those running management and policy enforcement for large SharePoint environments as well as offering some useful features which aren't present in the native SharePoint offering.
- ... More ...
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The FreePint Newsletter (ISSN 1460-7239) is published by Free Pint Limited. FreePint is a registered trademark of Free Pint Limited, registered in England and Wales. Registered Number: 3754481. Registered Office: Delaport Coach House, Lamer Lane, Wheathampstead, Herts, AL4 8RQ.
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