Monthly Archives: November 2015

Various & Interesting #2

I know this series of posts must seem like All ResearchBuzz All the Time. I think Tara, the author and owner of ResearchBuzz does a great job and has so many helpful tips on so many different topics that I can’t help myself. I have found some other interesting tidbits and added them.

The Toronto Public Library and the Kansas City Public Library really did a good job collaborating on activities and events around the World Series. Great way to engage in the community and get people to the Library.

From ResearchBuzz: “Aaron Tay’s got a useful article if you’ve been using Google for a long time: 6 Common Misconceptions When Doing Advanced Google Searching. These are good points but I want to add it’s always worth it to try multiple * as wildcards when doing phrase searching. It doesn’t work quite like it used to, but it can still change the count and order of your search results. (Compare “three * mice” to “three * * mice”, “three * * * mice”, etc.)” (10/31/2015)

–> One of the things corporate and special librarians do for their professionals is help them with more precise Google Searching. I really wish Google would partner with librarians to work on their search algorithm.

Tara from ResearchBuzz also gives us some tips on uninstalling in Windows 10: “In case you need it: How to uninstall an app or program in Windows 10.” (11/2/2015)

ResearchBuzz is spending NaNoWriMo writing articles she has wanted to write for a long time. recently she posted one on Buffer. I knew about Buffer peripherally, but the article really got me interested in the product. I hope Buffer is listening as Tara has some GREAT ideas for improving the service.

Intersect Alert, the Government Relations newsletter of the San Francisco Bay Region chapter of SLA has posted an interesting new app. LawLibe – A Law Library – on Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

“This app comes preloaded with the U.S. Constitution. Then you can download additional legal content directly into the app, including the U.S. Code, Code of Federal Regulations, State Statutes, the M.P.E.P., and more!”

Features:

  • Fully offline – just download and go!
    • Download additional content directly into the app!
    • Lightning-fast speed.
    • Full-text search and in-text highlighting.
    • Page through content just like a book.
    • User preferences – adjust the font and font-size for easier reading.
    • GoTo Button – know the exact section you want? It’s one touch away.
    • Includes Advisory Committee Notes where available
    • Updated frequently to ensure you have the most current edition.

Have you tried it? What do you think? What effect will we see on law libraries and law librarians.

Reusing Information – the Lost Opportunity

Marc Benioff was quoted as saying “Companies now, more than ever, have an urgency to connect with their customers in a deeper way. But there is a problem, shared Benioff. All of the data and all the devices are not bringing us closer to customers.” Organizations are swamped with data and it has separated them from their customers. Less than 1% of customer data has been analyzed, while 77% of customers are not engaged with companies. “That’s what we are here to fill,” said Benioff. “Get ready for a new kind of customer success.” ” (Blog post, Salesforce blog, 9/16/2015)

This makes me wonder why more companies don’t value information for what it can do for them. Further, I wonder why reuse of information is not a higher priority.

Reuse of information has the following value:

  1. Saves time – when a document is reused, time is saved, because, at minimum, the basic information does not have to be duplicated. Maximum, a document can be created much more efficiently and the ultimate goal achieved that much more quickly.
  2. Branding is preserved – If templates are not set up, then the creation of documents that fit the branding and style of the organization can be a chore to create. By reusing documents, branding can be preserved. Of course, there are other considerations when using save as.
  3. Efficiency – time is a valuable commodity. How many people can the organization use more efficiently if documents are reused.
  4. Content created by an organization is an asset.

Information and documents are often not reused because they cannot be found. This is a content management problem that feeds into a knowledge management problem.

I was recently told by some friends that when they turned 50, suddenly a well known social media company was feeding them ads for Plus sized clothing and laxatives. Nothing had changed except their birthday. This proves Benioff’s point that 1% of customer data has been analyzed and 77% of customers are not engaged with companies. My slim, active friends sneer at the social media giant for stereotyping them and getting it so wrong when the company has the money to analyze the mounds of data they are collecting. Worse for the companies that buy ads: my friends don’t click on those links because they are not relevant.

Content created by someone in an organization is an asset and must be managed with the same efficiency as desks and chairs. Knowledge management programs must be tailored to each organization. Both of these tasks can be achieved with the assistance of a professional with experience in information organization and management.