New Bibliography: Africa Command
Includes Internet resources, books, documents, periodicals,
Source: Muir S. Fairchild Research Information Center, Air University
Archive for November, 2007
New Bibliography: Africa Command
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007Cost Burden of Prescription Drug Spending in Canada and the United StatesCost Burden of Prescription Drug Spending in Canada and the United States…and other full-text reports on DocuTicker
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007Posted 26 November 2007 on DocuTicker:
+ Cost Burden of Prescription Drug Spending in Canada and the United States (The Fraser Institute)
+ State of Breast Cancer Report (Susan G. Komen for the Cure)
+ Discerning the ancestry of European Americans in genetic association studies (PLoS Genetics)
Resource of the Week: Consumer Guides for Getting and Keeping Health Insurance
Monday, November 26th, 2007Resource of the Week: Consumer Guides for Getting and Keeping Health Insurance
By Shirl Kennedy, Senior Editor
Here is an issue that, in the United States, needs no elaboration. Even if you, yourself, do not have a health insurance horror story, most assuredly you have a friend, relative or colleague who does. We’re all familiar with these tales by now:
- People who lose their health insurance when their employer kicks them to the curb.
- Small businesses no longer able to offer coverage to employees because premiums have become unaffordable — if they can find a company willing to insure them to begin with.
- Large businesses unable to complete on a level playing field in the increasingly globalized economy, due to the built-in overhead cost of providing health insurance for employees and, sometimes, retirees.
- People without insurance who put off going to the doctor until a health situation reaches the crisis stage, at which point they show up in the emergency room, where they are treated at taxpayers’ expense for something that might have been prevented — or relatively simply and inexpensive to take care of in its early stages.
- People who are tethered to unrewarding/unsuitable jobs — who would maybe like to work part-time and/or start a small business — because of the need for health insurance.
Your ResourceShelf editors, obviously, are not alone in their deep concern about the health insurance crisis. It quickly emerged a key issue in the 2008 Election. And if you keep up with the papers and reports on DocuTicker, our sister site, you already know that “health insurance” is one of the busiest categories over there.
Obviously, we’re not in a position to solve the nation’s health insurance crisis. What we can do is offer you helpful information. Like this week’s resource, from the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
The Georgetown University Health Policy Institute has written A CONSUMER GUIDE FOR GETTING AND KEEPING HEALTH INSURANCE for each state and the District of Columbia — fifty-one in all. These Consumer Guides are available at this web site and will be updated periodically as changes in federal and state policy warrant.The Guides summarize your protections, and so may not answer all of your questions. They are not a substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert before making any decisions about your own health insurance. The authors, the Health Policy Institute, and Georgetown University specifically disclaim any personal liability, loss or risk incurred as a consequence of the use and application, either directly or indirectly, of any information presented herein.
Access is straightforward; either use the interactive map on the home page or click the “Alternate list of states” link to a page where the guides are organized by region, alphabetically, and by state population size.
The guides are organized similarly, including a summary of legal protections, specific information for those in group plans and individual plans, information for small businesses and the self-employed, financial assistance options (federal and state), useful phone numbers and other contact information, and a glossary of health insurance-related terms. Some guides can be browsed online; all are available as PDF downloads.
Also available here:
+Managing Medical Bills: Strategies for Navigating the Health Care System, which consists of three guides:
- Understanding Private Health Insurance (PDF; 1 MB)
- Medicare and Medicaid: A Health Care Safety Net for People with Serious Disabilities and Chronic Conditions (PDF; 948 KB)
- Options for Avoiding and Managing Medical Debt (PDF; 616 KB)
Also on this page, a recently updated list of state “high risk pools,” with contact information.
Additionally, the Health Policy Institute’s Center on Medical Record Rights and Privacy offers information on how to obtain copies of your medical records and amend/correct the information contained therein. Guides are available for all states in PDF or HTML.
And you’ll find a link to A Consumer Guide to Handling Disputes with Your Employer or Private Health Plan, from Consumers Union and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Author Interviews Now Available on Barnes & Noble Site, Other Places to Watch/Read Author Interviews
Monday, November 26th, 2007Author Interviews Now Available on Barnes & Noble Site
A new feature on the revamped and enhnaced Barnes & Noble web site includes author interviews. The first two:
+ Translating Tolstoy: Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky
+ Philip Roth on Zuckerman’s Final Exit
See Also: Afterwords
Authors of the latest nonfiction books interviewed by journalists, public policy makers, and legislators.
+ History Books (Author Interview Archive)
+ Public Lives (Author Interview Archive)
+ Search the Entire BookTv Database
+ BookNotes (Over 800 Programs, Aired from 1989-2004)
++ 500 of 800 shows can be streamed
++ Transcripts for all 800+ shows available
++ Audio versions of some shows available via Audible
Happy CyberMonday!!! Stats, Predictions, and Official Site
Monday, November 26th, 2007Statistics: Happy CyberMonday!!!
Fast Facts:
+ 72 Million Americans to Shop on Cyber Monday, Up From 61 Million Last Year
+
According to a Shop.org survey, conducted this weekend by BIGresearch, 72.0 million consumers plan to shop online from home or at work tomorrow, up from 60.7 million in 2006 and 59.0 million in 2005. The survey found that 31.9 percent of adults will shop on Cyber Monday, up 17.3 percent over last year (27.2%).
See Also: Complete Stats (PDF)
+
According to the Shop.org/Shopzilla eHoliday Survey, 72.2 percent of online retailers are planning a special promotion for Cyber Monday, up from 42.7 percent just two years ago. Promotions will range from specific deals (29.9%) to one-day sales (28.9%) to free shipping on all purchases (24.7%).
+
Shop.org survey conducted by BIGresearch [this past weekend] found that 54.5 percent of office workers with Internet access, or 68.5 million people, will shop for holiday gifts from work, up substantially from 50.7 percent in 2006.
Direct to CyberMonday Shopping Mall from NRF/Shop.org
550 retailers involved.
Source: National Retail Federation
Web Site: The 2007 World Almanac for Kids Web Site & World Almanac for Kids Resource Kit for Parents and Teachers
Monday, November 26th, 2007The 2007 World Almanac for Kids Web Site
Each month, we post a link to The World Almanac Newsletter and from time-to-time post material from The World Almanac Blog.
Today, we wanted to mention a sizable amount of reference content (free) available on The World Almanac for Kids. The publications also offers (free) The World Almanac for Kids Resource Kit for Parents and Teachers.
Sections include:
+ Chapter Articles
+ Games
+ Resource Kit for Parents and Teachers
+ Codes to “unlock” content from the book are included as you browse the book.
Source: The World Almanac for Kids
ResourceShelf’s Virtual Magazine / Serial Newsstand #3
Monday, November 26th, 2007Thanks! We’ve been happy to hear from several of you who are enjoying our collections (two posts so far, post three is below) of URLs to print magazines/periodicals. Remember, many of these publications offer additional info (often updated daily) as well as text from the print edition online, often available at no charge.
Compilation #3
+ 2600
The Hacker Quarterly
+ BBC Focus
From the BBC. Science and Technology. Consumer Specialist Magazine of the Year Winner, 2007 PPA Magazine Awards.
+ Death+Taxes Magazine
Music
+ Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine Online
+ MentalFloss
Fun for fact junkies.
+ Monocle
A briefing on global affairs business, culture & design.
+ Spin
Music
+ Under The Radar
Music and Culture
Challenges and Opportunities for Libraries in Pakistan
Monday, November 26th, 2007Challenges and Opportunities for Libraries in Pakistan
by Shafiq-ur-Rehman and Ahmad Pervaiz
This paper, based on review of literature, observation, and informal conversations, discusses various challenges regarding finance, collection development, ICTs, human resources, library education, library association and research & development faced by library profession in Pakistan. The opportunities to meet these challenges have also been explored. Keywords: Library challenges and opportunities (Pakistan); Librarianship (Pakistan); Library issues; Library profession in Pakistan.
Source: E-LIS
Briefs: Emerald Celebrates 50 Millionth Full Text Article Download; Google Wiki Speculation
Monday, November 26th, 2007+ Emerald Celebrates 50 Millionth Full Text Article Download
+ Rumors of a Google Web-based Wiki Hit the Web (via SEL)
Let the speculation begin. If you want to try a robust and web-based wiki service, Zoho Wiki is a place to start. It’s free to use.
+ RedLasso Featured in Philly Inquirer Article
Still a closed beta. However, how can you write about a service like RL without giving some background of the space and mentioning TVEyes, ShadowTV , CriticalMention.com, and of course Nexidia (so cool!)?
We first posted about RL in August 2008.
+ IAC/Interactive CEO: Likely To Launch Chinese Ask.com In 2 Yrs (via Dow Jones)
A Selection of Sources for Author Interviews Online (Audio, Video, and Text)
Monday, November 26th, 2007+ New From the Enhanced/Updated Barnes & Noble Online
Author/Translator Interviews.
+++ Translating Tolstoy: Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky
+++ Philip Roth on Zuckerman’s Final Exit
C-SPAN Resources
+ BookNotes
Over 800 programs, 500 with video available, all with text transcripts
+ After Words ||| Podcast
Authors of the latest nonfiction books interviewed by journalists, public policy makers, and legislators.
+ In Depth
A comprehensive, live three-hour look at one author’s work, with questions from viewers via phone and e-mail.
+ BookTV (Complete Searchable Archive)
+ Author Profiles & Interviews (via BookReporter.com)
+ Author Interviews (via Salon)
Briefs: FilteringFacts.com is Back; News Products from Factiva, LexisNexis and Thomson Compared in Current Issue of VIP; OCLC Enhances WorldCat.org
Monday, November 26th, 2007+ Filtering Facts is back on the Web (via LISNews.com)
+ News Products from Factiva, LexisNexis and Thomson Compared in Current Issue of VIP
Among the key findings of the research are the following:
* Language: Factiva is the most multi-lingual of all three services (offering 22 languages) against 16 for LexisNexis and 11 for NewsRoom.
* UK and US coverage: Coverage of UK newspapers is evenly spread across the three services.
* Asia Pacific coverage: Most of the major Asia Pacific newspapers are available across all three services. For some titles, LexisNexis offers a slightly older archive than Factiva.
* Latin American coverage: Factiva has a slight edge over the other two.
* Middle Eastern newspaper coverage: Three out of four sources are not available on NewsRoom. A deeper archive is available on LexisNexis than on Factiva.
* Web content: Web content is available on all three but it is not possible to distinguish web content from other published content on NewsRoom
* Multimedia content: Factiva is the only one of the three to offer multimedia content as part of its prime service.
* Company, industry and market data: Investext reports are no longer being updated on LexisNexis and NewsRoom.
* Indexing and updating: All three services provide detailed indexing but only Factiva and LexisNexis extend their updating to foreign- language documents.
* Language interfaces: Factiva.com offers the same nine language interfaces. NewsRoom offers a greater choice of interface languages than the old TBI service. LexisNexis has extended its number of interface language options and has new customised country interfaces for UK, US and Australia.
* Source lists: LexisNexis and Factiva both enable the user to create custom source lists.
* Search output: De-duplication when searching is a basic option on Factiva and NewsRoom but an irritating omission on Nexis. The ability to display all search results in KWIC format is a big plus for Nexis users, as is the automatic and useful sorting of results by format, subject, company, geography, language and people.
Maps24 Offers Aerial/Satellite Imagery of Africa, Australia, Brazil, Europe, Middle East, and North America
Monday, November 26th, 2007Many web databases offer satellite/aerial imagery from a number of sources. Because various sources provide imagery taken at different times, the more sources the better.
Here’s another source, Maps24.
Maps24.com offers aerial imagery of:
+ Africa
+ Australia
+ Brazil
+ Europe
+ Middle East
+ North America
Maps24 also offers:
+ Numerous Personalization Options
+ Maps
+ Hotel Lookup
+ 3D Map Views
+ Find Points of Interest
+ Send Routes and Info via Email
Google And Microsoft Want To Hear From You, Lots of Other Free Voice-Activated Services Also Available
Monday, November 26th, 2007Google And Microsoft Want To Hear From You (via Dow Jones)
A look at the IVR (interactive voice response services from MS and GOOG. No mention of 1-800-Free411 or the many other voice activated services available and coming online all of the time. Also, no mention that MSFT acquired Tellme (1-800-555-TELL), an IVR company in early to add to their home built technology. Tellme offers business listings but also news, showtimes, stock quotes, sports, driving directions and more.
Microsoft also offers Live Search 411. 1-800-CALL-411.
Many of the same services found on TellMe. Some will call it a TellMe rebranding. In fact, many of the voices you hear on both services are the same.
For more IVR and FREE DEMOS:
1) This page has a backgrounder on MS IVR and links to many services. We use 1-800-MY-TRAFC all of the time.
2) News about the new 1-800-Flights
3) Goog411, Live411 and MSFT/TellMe offer only business listings. 1-800-FREE411 provides residential, government and business listings.
International Business Research: New Reports from Bermuda, Panama, and Venezuela
Monday, November 26th, 2007International Business Research: New Reports for Bermuda, Panama, and Venezuela
+ Panama: Wireless Telephone Equipment
+ Venezuela for American Companies
+ Kazakhstan: Power Generation and Distribution Industry
+ Lebanon: Kazakhstan: Power Generation and Distribution Industry
Source: U.S. Commercial Service
New Study: Internet Users Give up Privacy in Exchange for Trust
Monday, November 26th, 2007Internet Users Give up Privacy in Exchange for Trust
With public concern over online fraud, new research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, has revealed that internet users will reveal more personal information online if they believe they can trust the organisation that requests the information. ‘Even people who have previously demonstrated a high level of caution regarding online privacy will accept losses to their privacy if they trust the recipient of their personal information’ says Dr Adam Joinson, who led the study.
The findings of the study are vital for those aiming to create online services that pose a potential privacy threat, such as Government agencies involved in developing ID cards. The project found that even those people who declared themselves unconcerned about privacy would soon become opposed to ID cards if the way that they were asked for information made them feel that their privacy was threatened.
The ‘Privacy and Self-Disclosure Online’ project is the first of its kind, in that rigorous methods were used to measure internet users actual behaviour. Dr Joinson explains; ‘For the first time we have research which actually analyses what people do online, rather than just looking at what they say they do.’
56 percent of internet users stated that they have concerns about privacy when they are online. The central issue was whether websites were seen as particularly trustworthy – or untrustworthy – causing users to alter their behaviour. When a website is designed to look trustworthy, people are willing to accept privacy violations. But, the same actions by an untrustworthy site leads to people behaving in a much more guarded manner.
+ The Privacy and Self-Disclosure Online Project (PRISD)
This page includes references and links to Reports, Papers, Book chapters and Presentations related to the PRISD project. All documents are in pdf format.
Source: Economic & Social Research Council (via DocuTicker)
Statistics: Black Friday Weekend Traffic up 4.8 Percent as Consumers Shop for Smaller Ticket Items
Monday, November 26th, 2007Black Friday Weekend Traffic up 4.8 Percent as Consumers Shop for Smaller Ticket Items
From the survey:
Consumers spent an average of $347.44*, down 3.5 percent from last year, but still up an incredibly strong 14.8 percent from 2005. Retailers made up for the lower average expenditure with increased traffic…Black Friday was marked with retailers opening their doors earlier than ever, with some choosing to start their sales as early as midnight. This strategy appeared to pay off as 14.3 percent of consumers were out shopping before 4:00 AM, compared to 12.4 percent last year.
Men once again proved to be the better Black Friday customer. With a greater emphasis on door-buster specials in the consumer electronics category, men outspent women $393.63 to $303.95.
The most popular items purchased were clothing or clothing accessories (46.8%) as well as books, CDs, DVDs, videos or video games (41.7%). Other purchases this weekend included consumer electronics (35.7%), toys (28.2%), and gift cards (21.0%).
Direct to Complete Survey (PDF)
Source: National Retail Federation
Transgender Employment Discrimination…and other full-text reports on DocuTicker
Monday, November 26th, 2007Posted 25 November 2007 on DocuTicker:
+ Transgender Employment Discrimination (UCLA Women’s Law Journal)
+ Immigration: Terrorist Grounds for Exclusion and Removal of Aliens (Congressional Research Service/Federation of American Scientists)
+ Family structure and health, how companionship acts as a buffer against ill health (Health and Quality of Life Outcomes)
Google Tweaks “Classic” Home Page, Goodbye to Video Search Link and Hello to Product Search Link
Sunday, November 25th, 2007A small tweak to the Google “classic” home page in the past few days. A link to video search has been removed from the upper left side of the homepage and replaced with a link to Google Product Search. No idea if this is something permanent or a tweak just for the holiday shopping season. Our bet? Holiday season only.
Here’s a screen cap of both the current and previous version.
Call for Papers: Libraries in the Digital Age, 2-7 June 2008 – Dubrovnik and Mljet, Croatia
Sunday, November 25th, 2007Call for Papers: Libraries in the Digital Age
2-7 June 2008 – Dubrovnik and Mljet, Croatia
The annual international conference and course Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) addresses the changing and challenging environment for libraries and information systems and services in the digital world. Each year a different and ‘hot’ theme is addressed, divided in two parts; the first part covers research and development and the second part addresses advances in applications and practice. LIDA brings together researchers, educators, practitioners, and developers from all over the world in a forum for personal exchanges, discussions, and learning, made easier by being held in memorable locations.
Themes LIDA 2008
Part I: Education and training in digital libraries
Contributions are invited covering the following topics (full list on LIDA site):* knowledge, values and skills of the digital librarian to be reflected in educational offerings
* conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches to digital library education* instructional design, development, and evaluation of programs of study and specialization for digital librarians in a variety of schools and on different levels – existing and proposed
* examples of good practices of specific courses (or sequence of courses)and programs
* cultural and social elements in digital library education.
Part II: Reference in digital environments
Invited are contributions covering the following topics (full list on LIDA site):* evaluation of various modes of digital library services
* application of theories and models in study of users and use of virtual reference
* application of theories and user information needs assessments for design and development of digital reference systems
* assessment of the decision making process for users who choose virtual reference over other modes (e.g., face-to-face, phone)
* advantages and disadvantages of different virtual reference modes
For papers and workshops: 15 January 2008. Acceptance by 15 February 2008.
For demonstrations and posters: 1 February 2008. Acceptance by 1 March 2008.
Final submission for all accepted papers and posters: 15 March 2008.
Source: LIDA
Presentations from the recent Building Academic Library 2.0 event (November 2, 2007) at the UC Berkeley are now available as three webcasts/podcasts (audio and video are available).
+ Building Academic Library 2.0
A presentation by ResourceShelf friend and colleague, Meredith Farkas.
+ The Case for Mutability: Library 2.0 and Implications for Academic Library Staffing, Organization, and Leadership
Columbia University Librarian & Vice President for Information Services, speaks at UC Berkeley also on November 2nd.
Source: UC Berkeley Library Systems
See Also: An Open Letter to the World, From Your Local Librarian
A couple of notes from RS.
+ All of what Jeanne has to say is true. Of course, Worldcat has been available for decades to librarians. Now, it’s available to the general public. Question is, how many people know about it and/or use it?
++ The rest of Jeanne’s comments, especially how she ends the article, are quite interesting.
+ RSS? Text Messaging? Perhaps she is correct. However, the info pro needs to know about these services and should also brainstorming about other ways to use them.
1) Note from Gary, Ask Maps and AskCity offer useful mapping features unavailable elsewhere.
Our point here is to know about and use more than one resource when necessary and it doesn’t have to be Ask.
For example:
+ Ask Maps offers both driving AND walking directions
+ AskCity allows you to mark an area and search “inside” it.
+ Live Maps from MSN offers amazing aerial imagery not seen elsewhere
+ Meebo as a tool to make IM EASIER and faster.
+ Obtaining VERY DETAILED local info from TerraFly
+ Using RSS on a web results page (aka the power of syndication) on a web search results page.
+ Ask images works well offering both the ability to narrow/focus and in some cases find image results directly from a web search results page (where most people only look). Here are two examples:
A) Watercolors of flowers
B) Van Gogh Paintings
*Gary is Director of Online Info Resources at Ask.com
