ITI Bloggers November 25th, 2008

I suppose it could be left unsaid, but since Online Information 2008 is the first major industry event since the collapse of world financial markets, as reporters we will, of course, be looking for signs of the economic impact on the industry that we devote our time covering.

The new organizers, Incisive Media, have this autumn been quick to point out that the way out of troubled times is better information services, but in many companies travel budgets were the first thing to get locked down.

Though we would normally by this point have received many invitations to after-hours social affairs, my mail box is as empty as my dance card was at the high school prom. 

We expect to find the industry actively present in London, but as with our own strategy, we presume we will see fewer people from vendor companies.

We wish the organizers the best.  We thank them for their hospitality in issuing us press passes.  And we look forward to covering the event.

Dick Kaser

ITI, VP, Content

• Online Information 2008

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ITI Bloggers November 25th, 2008

As usual, Online Information is providing us not only with an active trade show floor (with hundreds of exhibitors) to cover, but a great deal of program content.

Our coverage begins Monday with the EPublishing Innovation Forum, a new pre-conference, parallel event, being held just in advance of the official Online Information show.  Topics include vertical search, widgets, and collaborative tools.  The event is chaired by David Warlock, Chief Research Fellow at Outsell, Inc.   We will be popping in and out of that program.  Watch the blog especially for Barb Brynko’s coverage of Worlock’s concluding summary remarks.

We will be covering as much as we can muster of the main Online Information program, which starts Tuesday at 10 a.m., with a keynote by Clay Shirky, and then runs three-tracks at a time for the three-day run of the event.

While the main meetings are running, the conference organizers are also offering a full program from the show floor.  This part of the event is being marketed as Information Management Solutions ‘08. 

Though not associated directly with the Online show, there’s an interesting event happening on Thursday down the street in Kensington.  Sponsored by BIC (an arm of the Publishers Association, CILIP, and The British Library), a short program will be presented, to what is said to now be a sell-out crowd, focusing on the digital supply chain.  I requested a press pass a while back, but never got a confirmation.  If the organizers come through with a pass (hint! hint!), I would delighted to cover the event.

Dick Kaser

ITI VP, Content 

• Online Information 2008

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ITI Bloggers November 25th, 2008

I don’t know about you, but if it weren’t for multi-tasking, I wouldn’t get half as much done.   As usual, I’ll be using my time at the Online show to kill multiple birds with a single stone.

My show coverage on this blog will, therefore, be focused on a subject near and dear to me, academic journal collections and research databases, particularly the STM stuff.  I haven’t been able to keep up with it lately, so I want to catch up.

As luck would have it, I’ve promised my readers an update on the subject that will appear in a fast forthcoming issue of Computers in Libraries.  The Online show just happens to be timed perfectly for me to meet my looming deadline.  With all the vendors in one place at Online, the show’s providing me with a great multi-tasking opportunity.

If the subject of digital research collections happens to be of interest to you, too, I would welcome your comments, both now and during the course of the event.  Just use the comment feature on this blog to add your thoughts to the mix.

You can start now, by tipping me off to vendors you’d like to hear about, topics of concern to you, or issues that you would like me to explore for you.  Now, don’t be shy.  Drop me a comment right on the blog.  Or, if you must, email me at kaser {at} infotoday(.)com.

This goes for vendors too.  If you want to make sure that I visit your stand or hear about your news, drop me a line or add a comment to this message.

Looking Forward to Working with You from London,

Dick Kaser

VP, Content, Information Today, Inc.

Executive Editor, Computers in Libraries

• Online Information 2008

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ITI Bloggers November 25th, 2008

We know that for some of you, it won’t be possible to attend the Online Information show in London this year.

Out of our sense of economic prudence, we ourselves are bringing a smaller crew across the pond.  Regrettably, the man who has served both as anchor and pivot for this blog the last few years, drew the short stick.  Columnist Don Hawkins, who has provided so much in-depth reporting and has made so many other creative contributions to this blog, will, unfortunately, not be with us.  We will miss him!

Reporting from the convention floor and conference halls in London this year will be:

• Barb Brynko, Editor-in-Chief, Information Today newspaper & Editorial Director, InfoPro Pubs
• Marydee Ojala, Editor, ONLINE Magazine, and Conference Chair, Internet Librarian International
• Kat Allen, ITI’s newest staffer, who previously managed the London Online Information show and is now heading up our UK operations for Streaming Media Europe (conference and magazine)
• Jim Ashling, our European correspondent for Information Today, who will be making a cameo appearance or two

Wearing my hat as Executive Editor of Computers in Libraries magazine, I plan to use the blog as a collaborative platform.  Please join me in helping write a story for the next issue.

From the States, we’ll be backed-up, as usual, by:

• Paula Hane, ITI News Bureau Chief and Editor, ITI NewsBreaks
• Michelle Manafy, Editor, EContent Magazine and Editorial Director, Enterprise Group

. . . and others from our crew who may wish to join in.

For those of you in the States, have a Happy Thanksgiving.  For those abroad, please feel free to feast along with us this Thursday.  We’ll be reporting from London starting next Monday. 

Dick Kaser

V.P., Content

Information Today, Inc.

• Online Information 2008

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ITI Bloggers November 4th, 2008

It’s clear from the blog that IL in Monterey was a terrific show this year.  Thanks to Don, Kathy, Paula, & Marydee for covering Internet Librarian so well.

Our next editors’ conference blog will start in only a few weeks, as once again we go to London to cover the online industry’s longest running event–Online Information, London.

Our coverage starts on December 1st.  If we don’t see you there, see us here.

Dick Kaser

ITI VP, Content

• Online Information 2008

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ITI Bloggers December 10th, 2007

(Photo by Don Hawkins)

Let’s not say goodbye, but rather arrivederci. 

I take my hat off to all the editors who participated in our blogging effort this year.  I challenged the blog team  to do nothing more than "produce good news stories."  Of the five blogs we have written in London, this certainly stands as our best collaborative effort  . . . to-date.

See you next year.

Dick Kaser
ITI V.P., Content

• Online Information 2007

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ITI Bloggers December 10th, 2007

As usual, covering the London show was a whirlwind experience.  As you can see, ITI’s editors were "all over" the show. 

For my conclusions on web 2.0, you’ll need to read my editorial in January’s edition of Information Today (www.infotoday.com).  Though I don’t quite always "get it," I am convinced it’s here to stay.

Among the many vendors on the show floor who have embraced and incorporated the new technologies is Teragram, who has just released the enterprise version of MyGADs, a service that supports users in creating, accessing, searching and sharing documents and pages through an Internet browser, Smartphones, mobile PDAs (e.g. BlackBerry or Windows Mobile phones) and mobile phones.

Teragram representatives Cailyn Clark and Seratendu Sethi showed me MyGADs

Dick Kaser
ITI V.P., Content

• Online Information 2007

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ITI Bloggers December 7th, 2007

The OECD (the not-for-profit Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) has more numbers than you can ever crunch, and there’s more coming. Toby Green, head of OECD Publishing, just announced the launch of OECD.Stat in beta that will let researchers search for statistics and gather data across OECD’s 50 databases. OECD.Stat is now part of SourceOECD, OECD’s iLibrary. “Users can search through OECD.Stat for free while it’s in beta,” says Green. Access to this world of statistics will later be subscription-based.

But for those who aren’t familiar with the Paris-based OECD and its mission, here’s some history in a nutshell: The OECD is a forum that was established in 1961 with the goal of helping governments support economic growth, boost employment, raise living standards, maintain financial stability, and contribute to world trade. For years, the OECD operated “under the radar” and pursued economic development for its members. Now, the 30 member governments collaborate in addressing the economic, social, and environmental challenges involved in globalization.

“The OECD is a think tank of countries that share their experiences and come to agreement through peer pressure,” says Green. Such collaboration has resulted in establishing regulations and guidelines that benefit the members as a whole. But with such a storehouse of data in its banks from the organization’s team of 1,000 researchers, the OECD is ready and willing to share stats and facts the organization has compiled and analyzed over the years from inflation rates to climate change. For more on the project and the OECD, visit www.oecd.org.

Barbara Brynko
Editor in Chief
Information Today

• Online Information 2007

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ITI Bloggers December 7th, 2007

Ovid, a Wolters Kluwer Health business, rolled out its new precision search and discovery platform called OvidSP at London Online that has enough sterling functions to make any user smile.

Since it went live on Oct. 25, OvidSP has collected a rather loyal audience of users (whether novice or expert) who will attest that the extensive user-driven feedback behind the scenes has culminated in a product that churns out relevant results quickly, accurately, and easily. Karen Abramson, president and CEO of Wolters Kluwer Health, Medical Research, is certainly pleased with the launch, but she’s even more enthusiastic about what lies ahead. "Version 1 is the first phase of the vision," she says, "and we’ll continue to build and refine the search platform with upcoming releases that will cover in-depth workflow tools, collaborative features, and more." She says the product works on all levels: for end users to easily search complex topics on their own, for librarians to help clients search for relevant results, and for publishers to promote their journal and book content.

OvidSP offers a host of features: a simple, intuitive user interface; natural-language processing; multiple search modes (for all levels of searchers); and a variety of workflow tools. Users can search across a collection of books, journals, and databases for the most relevant results. Need help? Users can tap into Ovid’s Knowledge Base for more information or ask an on-site expert a question.

The search tabs make navigation  easy, whether finding citations, changing search tools or search fields, or consulting Ovid Syntax. Need to narrow your search? The Search Aid at the left side of the screen lists the terms used in a search, then it offers ways to narrow or broaden the search, depending on the results received. Users can also stay on the same page to check out abstracts (no need to toggle away and then come back) and set up customized alerts via RSS feeds or email (AutoAlerts and eTOCs). Can’t spell? OvidSP will display a warning with an assortment of options. The yellow note icon also lets users annotate any results in their research along the way.

The SP, by the way, actually stands for SilverPlatter, but Abramson likes to refer to the SP as "Super Product." 

Barbara Brynko
Editor in Chief
Information Today
 

• Online Information 2007

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ITI Bloggers December 7th, 2007

Every year I return from Online with a host of resolutions. I’ll surely look further into some of the things I’ve just heard about.  However, like many folks, I guess, there’s always plenty to catch up on. Inevitably, those good intentions get pushed to the back of the mind and a few of them get forgotten altogether. I remember the first time I ever heard about some new-fangled search engine called ‘Google’ at a conference and noting to myself to check it out. But oh no, it got pushed to the back of my mind and it was months later before I realized that I’d missed something important.

I’ll try harder this year - honest! For one thing, Online is loaded with practical advice sessions with alerts to new functions, sites or services. You can’t attend them all, but Mary Ellen Bates’ 20 Search Tips In 25 Minutes is guaranteed to give you a few new things to try out. So my resolution this year is to try out every one of her tips, and furthermore to get it done before the New Year even begins.

I’ve made a good start. I’ve already downloaded Tip #5: a Firefox extension called CustomizeGoogle which allows me to remove advertisements, run the search on other engines and number the hits among many other useful things.

There’s plenty more to try though - you can find them all on Mary Ellen Bates’ website here.

Jim Ashling

Information Today, International Columnist

• Online Information 2007

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