Volume 38, Number 2 - March/April 2014
EDITORIALFrontLines Page 4 Government websites don't disappear only when the government shuts down. Politics, security issues, money, and lack of interest also play a role. By Marydee Ojala Searcher's Voice Page 33 Since librarians often pick up where teachers leave off, filling in the gaps of the basics covered in the classroom, bq proposes that information professionals could become the new "go-to" group whenever a "how-to" need arises. By Barbara Quint DEPARTMENTSPage 8 Search Engine Update New Search Features, Developments, and Content By Greg R. Notess Page 62 Conference Corral Educating Entrepreneurial Librarians and Ending Online Page 9 Letter to the Editor FEATURESPage 10 What’s the Big Deal About Big Data? Big Data dominates the technology and business press, but what does it mean to information professionals? How about new ways to decipher information, mine data, discover trends, analyze search results, and even create your own Big Data? Yes, it is a big deal. Sherman not only explains this terra incognito, he suggests relevant sources for further exploration. By Chris Sherman Page 18 Talk to an Engineer Getting an expert opinion is good advice in any number of situations. The trick is to find the expert. Experienced researcher Jocelyn Sheppard shares her proven techniques for finding expert engineers to lend their opinion on her clients' projects. By Jocelyn Sheppard Page 24 Triggering Productivity We'd all like to be more productive, in both our personal and professional lives. Moving beyond simple to-do lists, Keiser highlights online services that are designed to help us trigger the actions we should be doing but too often procrastinate about. These take reminders and tickler files to the next level. By Barbie E. Keiser Page 28 We Are the Innovators Has search run into a dead end? Arnold reviews the history of search engines, with profiles of once prominent companies, and suggests that newer search engines have their own unique elements to consider. Innovation in search is not dead, but you do have to know where to look. By Stephen E. Arnold Page 54 Signing a license for a subscription-based resource can be stressful and time-consuming. A veteran of both the buying and selling sides of the negotiating table, Brevig has seven practical suggestions for both things to know and things to do when faced with a licensing situation. By Armand Brevig Page 58 Websites That Aren’t There Anymore Alex Wellerstein, a science historian, calls the final few months of 2013 the season of the disappearing websites. It's not only in his specialty, nuclear science, that this is true—and in some cases, it's been happening long before 2013. Why do information sources disappear just when you need them? By Marydee Ojala IN-DEPTH REPORTSPage 38 Creating Company Lists With the electronic age greatly expanding resources, the question information guru Cindy Shamel addresses is how to approach list creation in what she call "an environment of abundance." By Cynthia Shamel Page 42  Almost 50% of all scholarly research published in 2008 was available online by 2012, meaning open access has surpassed the tipping point. Combining her own findings with the opinions of 13 people connected to the scholarly publishing realm, Abby Clobridge dissects just how far the OA movement has come and its impact on the STEM field. By Abby Clobridge COLUMNSThe Dollar Sign Page 71 Supply Chain Research Although not the sexiest of topics, supply chains can be the root cause of failure and success of industries and companies. Ignore them at your peril when you're doing business research. By Marydee Ojala Online Spotlight Page 80 Breaking Up Is Easy to Do As the nature of publishing changes, breaking up publications into smaller pieces creates new challenges for info pros. By Mary Ellen Bates InfoLit Land Page 68 When Everything Is Down If the shutdown of the U.S. government in 2013 taught us anything, it's that important websites can become unavailable. Having alternative sites in mind and a backup plan are essential for the information-literate information professional. By William Badke Control-Shift Page 74 Beyond the Single Search Box: Discovery Systems For years, the importance of the single search box in discovery systems reigned supreme. But discovery systems expanded and ?now offer features and functionality to entice users to find the full value of the library. By Jeff Wisniewski On the Net Page 65 Surviving Rot and Finding the Online Past The online past can be forgotten territory, lost in link rot, removed sites, and outdated material. Here are some solutions to the problem. By Greg R. Notess Hard Copy Page 77 Recommended Reading on Virtual Libraries, Google, Archiving, and Management By Deborah Lynne Wiley Internet Express Page 35 Kids Today: Trending Social Networking Sites and Apps Now that so many Boomers, especially parental types, have joined Facebook, it's no longer the favorite hangout for teens and 20-somethings. Instead, as Irene McDermott has discovered, the younger crowd is turning to the likes of Imgur and other social networking sites and apps, where they can share images and conversations without the older generation lurking about. By Irene E. McDermott |
