FreePint Report: PIC 2009
29th June 2009

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Reference Desk: Tips on Using Your Wits
24th June 2009

The best training in the world may not always be enough when you're staffing a reference desk that serves the general public. From contextualizing to active listening to polite deflecting, Bob Duckett draws on his years of experience to provide tips for handling the wide range of questions that land at the public reference desk.

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The Lean Intranet: from Intranet Zero to Intranet 2.0 and beyond. (Part 3: Intranet 2.0 and Intranet 3.0)
24th June 2009

In the first two parts of this three-part series, Patrick Walsh has traced the evolution of organisational intranets from the baby steps of 'Intranet Zero' through its current 1.0 state, but believes that the collaborative approach hyped as 'Intranet 2.0' is a misnomer. He describes what a true 2.0 intranet must include and points to the future of successful intranets as truly integrated Enterprise Information Systems.

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Cooperative Intelligence: Help Yourself by Helping Others
23rd June 2009

Competitive intelligence may have a bit of a cloak and dagger reputation, conjuring up images of secretive sleuthing. But Ellen Naylor makes a strong argument that Cooperative Intelligence - that is, voluntarily sharing information with others in our increasingly connected digital world - may yield better results for customers and companies in the end.

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Sweeble: Making Print Production Accessible
23rd June 2009

Just because we're surrounded by news of digital media and resources doesn't mean that print has gone away; far from it. Sue Greenwood reminds us that for many people in the world, information access still means reading a paper (or blackboard) and describes how her company, Sweeble, seeks to put the means of production into the hands of those making the news.

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Information Risk
9th June 2009

It is not an exaggeration to say that the lifeblood of today's organisation, whether it be in the private or public sector, is information. All organisations handle information. If it is not effectively managed and controlled then potentially it can lead to both financial and reputational loss. 

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Information in the Cloud:10-Point Check List for Choosing a Hosted Provider
31st May 2009

In an age when cloud storage architecture is becoming more robust, offering not just cost savings but reliability, information professionals are playing a bigger role in determining how enterprise information is getting stored in the cloud. Jennifer Smith offers a common sense checklist of attributes and questions to assess hosted providers, along with tips for the types of answers to look for.

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Business Insight: BestForBusiness
21st May 2009

With 'only' ninety years as Birmingham Central Library's business information system, Business Insight is still finding ways to stay relevant. During the current economic crisis, that means the creation and launch of BestForBusiness, a new business trading platform that works as an online and physical service for every business, individual or organisation in the UK. Douglas Laird explains the components and benefits of BestForBusiness, as well as his ambitious plans for the platform's growth.

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Computers in Libraries 2009: Spreading Ideas
21st May 2009

This year's Computers in Libraries show focused on creating the future of libraries through spreading ideas and learning. As Jill Hurst-Wahl reports, the conference keynotes and sessions promoted just that goal, with valuable insights shared both inside the session rooms and spilling out into spirited discussions at 'lobbycon'.

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Copyright and Content: Sharing in a Digital Age
20th May 2009

In our digital age, copyright takes on a new urgency for publishers and corporate content consumers. Martin Belam sits down with Mark Bide, Project Director for ACAP, a protocol to allow machines to automatically understand the terms and conditions of content re-use over the Internet, to talk about how it can underpin legal use of protected data assets.

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