Information Center Connections

News Connections...another way to stay informed

How do you keep up with news in the information industry?  That is, news about *your* industry.  Blogs, to be sure.  Discussion lists are also a great place to see what's happening and read about what people think. 

Here's another source:  SLA's Information Center posts news items on the SLA website in the form of "News Connections."  What's that?  Well, we use Factiva and Nexcerpt to find and post articles, blog items, and reports on a wide range of topics that our members care about. 

What's covered?  Copyright, Web 2.0, knowledge management, competitive intelligence, search tools, information policy, the Internet, digital libraries, virtual library services, and vendor news.  And anything else that makes sense.

You may not drop by everyday, but when you do, take a look at what's posted.  You might learn something about blogging, your database vendor, or a new Pew Internet report.

Worth a click

It's happened to all of us many times...
When Technology Fails, a new Pew Internet report

LIFE + Google = searchable archive of photographs
(millions of them)

PrintWhatYouLike makes web pages print-friendly

Ozmo, a licensing service for user-generated content, from the CCC

Value revisited

Usually, when I see the words "research librarian," I think of SLA members.  Our community and the important, valuable work we do.  But today, I was taken aback when I saw those same words in a blog post on All Things Digital.

I've noticed, as I'm sure you have, the rash of publishing industry layoffs and publication model changes in the last couple of weeks.  Just a few examples:  The Christian Science Monitor is ceasing to produce a printed paper on weekdays.  U.S. News & World report is going digital-only except for special issues.  I read about impending layoffs at Time, Inc., from numerous sources, including Time's own Lisa Takeuchi Cullen on her Work in Progress blog.  Which brings me to the All Things Digital post.

In a post dated Monday the 10th, Peter Kafka on MediaMemo reprinted some memos circulating around Time, Inc., about severance packages for volunteers, involuntary layoffs, and the general state of affairs at the company, including reorganization.  Categories of staff intended for downsizing were listed, and as I perused the list of writers and editors with slight variations in titles, I did a doubletake when I read that "1 research librarian" would be targeted at People (one of 18 planned removals) and that the category of "research librarian" was included in a list of several from which a total of "approximately 20 staffers" at Time would be let go.

Now, as we know, we are more than "research librarians."  We are also, among other things, catalogers and researchers, two words that were used repeatedly in the lists of those who would *also* soon have no jobs at the above listed Time properties, plus Fortune and Sports Illustrated.

I was a bit shocked, although I know I shouldn't be.  I've been reading the news, contemplating the impact of the failing economy.  Maybe it was the tone, the black-and-whiteness of it. 

Update:  Here's more information from All Things Digital about the layoffs at Time, Inc.

But, let's try to stay positive.  If we have been demonstrating our value and reaching our clients, that is to our advantage.  Computerworld is talking about value, too, and not just for IT.  An article from November 4th, "The New Commodity:  Long Hours and Hard Work," has some suggestions for being "the last person your employer would want to let go."  Education is number one.  Know about the business of your business...the strategy, the bottom line.  Connect yourself.  Get out there.  Do good great work.

What can SLA do to help?  Have you looked at 23 Things lately?  It's a free (that is, no-budget-impact!) way to learn about Web 2.0 tools, which can be used to reach clients, improve services, and work more efficiently.  What about a Click U Live! course that can bring you up to speed with what you need to know to impress your employer?  The first half of the 2009 schedule is now available.  And, don't forget about the free Course of the Month.

A very recent offering from SLA is a new dues category for those who are making less than $18,000 a year.  If you find yourself in that situation due to a layoff (or any other reason), the dues rate is just $35.  Your membership can open doors and keep you in the know.

Good luck.

Survey on digital preservation

Would you be willing to contribute to this Alliance for Permanent Access/PARSE.Insight/Digital Curation Centre survey on digital preservation?

From the survey's introduction:

"Digital media have become the dominant way in which we create, shape and exchange information. Government, businesses, research organisations and memory institutions as well as individuals have become completely dependent on digital information. This dependence on digital information presents us with a number of major risks because of the many unresolved challenges in the long-term management, access and preservation of this information.

Because of the critical importance of data and information in the global scientific enterprise, the international research community must address a series of new challenges if it is to take full advantage of the data and information resources available for research today and the future.

There is a growing realisation that the answer to these challenges calls for coordinated approaches on both the national and international level. Digital preservation is too big an issue for individual institutions or even sectors to address on their own. The required effort is simply not feasible and international exchange and collaboration are therefore essential.

In order for us to better understand the needs of the research community, we kindly request that you fill out this questionnaire, which may reach you via other members of the Alliance. It will take you about 20 minutes. The research community as a whole will benefit from your cooperation!"

Social networking for research

You read blogs.  You may even have a blog for your library or for yourself.  Do you use blogs for research?

Over the past couple of days, I was looking for information for a staff member and went to the usual sources:  a search engine or two and Factiva.  I was not surprised that there was nothing to be found on this particular topic, as it was a recent and quiet development, but that left me empty-handed.  Trying to be creative, I thought, "Technorati."  Search for blog posts...someone might be writing about it and referencing some good sources.

Do *you* use social networking applications to do research?  I recently came across two articles that talk about this approach.  "Blog Search Engines:  A Complete Overview," published on Search Engine Journal, compares Google Blog Search, Technorati, Blog Pulse, and Bloglines.  There's a handy table that lists the features of each, plus some elaboration in the text of the article.

Amelia Kassel's "Social Networking:  A Research Tool" is part of the September issue of FUMSI. The article focuses mostly on LinkedIn, a networking site that has just added a bunch of applications. Kassel talks about using LinkedIn to find expertise among the over 30 million members or to ask a question in the Answers section of the site.  A lot of potential there.

I have also read about several science-oriented sites that have created communities for information and data sharing.

So, when you need a different perspective, social networking applications might lead you to what you need.  It's certainly worth a try.