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Archive for the 'SLA 2007' Category

Breaking News: New Ask.com 3D

ITI Bloggers June 5th, 2007

The underdog in search is introducing a new version of its search engine on Tuesday—at Ask.com. The LA Times called it the “scrappy innovator in search” and the company takes pride in that. The latest version is being called Ask 3D, named for the three dimensions of search: Expression, Results, and Content. These correspond to the 3-panel interface display screen, which is what Ask has been testing in its experimental site, Ask X.
 Gary Price took some time from his busy schedule—including presentations at SLA—to give me a demo in advance of the launch (did I feel special!). He said the new version uses a new “Morph” content-matching and ranking algorithm that shows a different results page based on the query by customizing sources, selecting content, ranking results and exposing tools differently for each search a user conducts. The bottom line though is searchers spend less time and effort clicking to an answer—it’s all about saving time of the searcher, he said.
 There are lots of new features, including a new home page with icons featuring the vertical search options, larger image rollovers, Binoculars 2.0, new “skins” to personalize the page, video search powered by Blinkx, in-line functions to preview video and audio, type-ahead search suggestions, and lots more. I’ll be taking a closer look at it when I get more time. For now, go try it yourself.
Paula J. Hane
News Bureau Chief, ITI


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The Al Gore Sound Bites

ITI Bloggers June 4th, 2007

Don gave a wonderful summary of Gore’s presentation last night. But, in looking over my scribbled notes I found lots of great sound bites that I thought I’d share.
“I am Al Gore. I used to be the next President of the United States…I don’t think that’s funny.’ 
“I flew on Air Force 2 for 8 years. Now I have to take off my shoes to get on a plane.”
 “I am now a recovering politician.”
 “What you’re doing [as librarians] is so crucial to the future of our country.”
 His message to the EPA librarians: “God bless you for hanging in there.”
 In answer to whether he would run in 2008: “I’m not convinced that spending time in primaries…and then encountering a Congress that still couldn’t get it…is the best use of my time….This is burning up in me.”
“I am involved in a different kind of campaign right now.”
Paula J. Hane
News Bureau Chief, ITI


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Meet Astronaut Tom Henricks . . .

ITI Bloggers June 4th, 2007

 

He flew four Space Shuttle missions and was the first person to log over 1000 hours in space.

Today Tom Henricks is a publisher–President of Aviation Week (McGraw-Hill)–but by his remarks this afternoon, you could tell he is still in love with the stars.

I planned to only stay long enough to get a picture and quote, but I found his talk so riveting I missed completely the other sessions I had wanted to attend.  Henricks shared video clips and still photos from his missions, describing what it was like to be an astronaut.
 
"It’s been 50 years this October since Sputnik launched," he said. "In that time, less than 480 humans have been in space and only 120 have been more than once."

He recalled how as a boy living on a farm in Ohio, he had watched the ECHO balloon on the horizon at sunset. 

"Most people don’t realize," he said, "that on a clear night you can see the International Space Station overhead.  There are sites online where you can find when things are visible in your area."

I found this one:  http://www.heavens-above.com/  

The purpose of  Henricks’ talk was to explore how more young people can be encouraged to explore careers in the great, wide yonder . . . how to "create that spark that ECHO did for me."  If I were a tad younger, he would have convinced me.

Dick Kaser
ITI VP, Content


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Terrorism Information Center

ITI Bloggers June 4th, 2007

How One Librarian Made a Huge Difference

Brad Robison could hardly contain his enthusiasm, as he spoke this afternoon to fellow "solo librarians."

In the wake of the Oklahoma City bombings in 1995, Robison volunteered to catalog the items left at the Murrah building’s wailing wall.

In the process he also cataloged artifacts of the building itself, including shards of glass that later proved of use in scientific study.

One thing led to another.

"The affects of terrorism just go on and on," he said.

The project has grown into a world-class Web site, regarded as the number-one public resource for responding to terrorist attack, including databases from EBSCO, Gale, and Rand.  The site also includes a "Lessons Learned" database unique to the site.

Visit MIPT.org (The Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism), home to the Terrorism Information Center, which Robison directs.

Dick Kaser
ITI VP, Content


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New Quantum InfoStars

ITI Bloggers June 4th, 2007

This year’s winners, as announced during a special ceremony at the 2007 Annual Conference of the Special Libraries Association (SLA), are:
Amy Affelt, director, Database Research, Lexecon (Chicago, IL) -Affelt is being honored for her ability to anticipate the research needs of her clients and customize the information she provides to fit those needs.
Denise Chochrek, supervisor, Information Research Center, Frito Lay (Plano, TX) -Chochrek is being recognized for her vision in defining the information center’s role for the research and development group at Frito Lay.
Bill Schoeffler, senior manager, Research Services Group, Navigant Consulting, Inc. (Washington, DC) - Schoeffler is being praised for his leadership in meeting the information needs for 2,000+ employees, as well as his skill at growing a strong, cohesive and highly valued research team within the organization.
 The above is from a Thomson Scientific - Dialog press release issued today. I’m please to note that Amy has written several articles for ONLINE. Congrats to all three new InfoStars.
Marydee Ojala
Editor, ONLINE: The Leading Magazine for Information Professionals, www.onlinemag.net


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Elsevier’s Book Bingo Worth Big Bucks!

ITI Bloggers June 4th, 2007

I watched one lucky player win a $100 gift certificate in Elsevier’s clever Book Bingo product demonstration, where audience contestants matched numbers (related to Elsevier products) on their gaming cards.  Who said product reviews have to be dull?  Once again, Elsevier sets the benchmark.  Visit them in Stand #513.

Dick Kaser
ITI VP, Content


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Update on Deep Web Technologies’ Projects

ITI Bloggers June 4th, 2007

At the Scitopia.org launch I caught up with Abe Lederman, president and CTO of Deep Web Technologies—this is the company providing the technology that powers Scitopia.org. Deep Web worked closely with the partners on the technical design of the new site, which uses the company’s proprietary federated search software, Explorit. He feels the site is off to a good start and, just 2 months after its formation announcement, met its stated goal of launching at SLA.
I asked whether Scitopia.org provided enhancements over what is offered at Science.gov, a site powered by Deep Web and built in conjunction with the Dept. of Energy (DOE) and other government partners. He said that it did offer some additional interface features and functionality, which could show up in the next iteration of Science.gov. That site upgrades to a new version each year, usually in February.
Science.gov site is also being used as a model for Science.world, which is being developed through an alliance of DOE and The British Library. (See the NewsLink Spotlight on Science.world at http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbReader.asp?ArticleId=19230.) Abe gave me a heads-up. The project’s new official name and URL are now WorldWideScience.org. It plans to start with 13 databases—the list is available now on the prototype site. DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI; www.osti.gov) and The British Library are working closely with The International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI; www.icsti.org) and they will provide a status report at the summer meeting of ICSTI in France—later in June.
In addition to its work with Scitopia.org and government agencies, Deep Web has now worked with a major corporate library client and will be working this summer with its first major academic institution. Deep Web is providing the Intel Library with a federated search solution for the library’s subscription content and internal content. The important requirement was that it be accessible as a Web service. The library then built its own user interface.
Paula J. Hane
News Bureau Chief, ITI
 


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Silent Sentinels

ITI Bloggers June 4th, 2007

SLA’s Tech Zone

An army of computers awaited willing learners this morning in the room SLA was using for its hands-on mini-workshops on Podcasting ("Make Noise the New Way"); Blogs, Wikis & RSS ("Cool Stuff within Sharepoint 2007"); "Creating Product Demonstrations with Adobe Captivate"; and "Best Practices–Top 10 Essentials of Successful Web Sites."  Though the sessions carried a modest additional fee, it must have been more-or-less cost-recovery, given the infrastructural investment SLA made in setting up this (clearly) state-of-the-art lab.

Dick Kaser
ITI V.P., Content


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Synergistic

ITI Bloggers June 4th, 2007

 

This morning’s opening session–dubbed the "Synergy Session"–in the Korbel Ballroom featured Information Today’s own CEO Tom Hogan, Sr. (left screen), SLA President-Elect Steve Abram (right screen), CNI’s Cliff Lynch and Information Professional Eugenie Prime.  

The session was conducted in an innovative Q&A open conversation format, based on questions submitted by SLA members.  Of 60 submitted questions, said Hogan, who was acting as moderator, 10 were selected for discussion. 

In answer to how the value of information professionals could be improved, Prime said that, "First we must be convinced of our own value, and then we have to deliver and communicate results."  She stressed the importance of using stories to "add flesh to statistics."

On the question of why OPACs are not appreciated, Abrams had a few choice words:  "OPACs do a lot of stuff really well, but they do not generate a good user experience."  

While not arguing with the need for a good user experience, Lynch observed that the idea of giving users "the Google experience," which is often mentioned in this context, is "largely wrong."  The essence of the Google experience, he said, is not so much about search as it is "the instantaneous access to whatever you find, one click, anytime, right to the source."

I’m sure my fellow bloggers will have other reports to share from the very energetic and, yes, synergistic opening session.

DIck Kaser
ITI V.P, Content


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Going Green

ITI Bloggers June 4th, 2007

It just seemed politically correct to turn the spotlight on industry efforts to become more environmentally conscious at this SLA conference in Denver. After all, former vice president and global warming expert (An Inconvenient Truth) Al Gore gave quite a moving opening conference keynote (or so I heard). EBSCO Publishing has been busy doing its part by "going green." Company employees have been recycling cans, bottles, magazines, and newspapers; the company has been using paper products in bathrooms and kitchenettes made of 100 percent recycled papers and changed incandescent light bulbs to high-efficiency fluorescents; and established an Energy Management System in renovated buildings to lower energy consumption by 20 percent. Every little bit can and does make a difference, according to Kathleen McEvoy, media communications coordinator. Look for EBSCO Publishing to include solar panels to be installed on the roof of its largest building to generate more than 20 percent of that building’s electricity and converting the fleet of company-owned cars in the U.S. and Canada to hybrid vehicles.

Barbara Brynko
Editor in Chief
Information Today


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