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Weekly News Digest
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March 3, 2020 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today.
CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.
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Getty Images Rolls Out a New Research Arm Called Visual GPS
Getty Images introduced Visual GPS, a new outlet for global visual research. It finds that “[p]eople place high value on the wellness of themselves, their family and the Earth, but intention does not always necessarily translate into action. … This presents a unique opportunity for brands to engage and assist consumers in bridging the gap between intention and action. …” For example, 92% of respondents from its first survey “said they believe the way we treat our planet now will have a large impact on the future and yet 48% also say that although they know they should care more about the environment through their purchasing habits, convenience takes priority.”Visual GPS will continue to release insights throughout 2020 and beyond, in the form of reports, articles, videos, and more. “Visual GPS looks at the key Forces that drive consumer engagement and purchasing behavior across geographies, generations, gender and employment, delivering unrivalled insight into what today’s consumers care about so brands can better choose visuals that will resonate with them.” The Forces are technology, sustainability, realness, and wellness. For more information about findings related to each of the Forces, read the press release.
Internet Librarian International Seeks Presentations for October Conference
Information Today, Inc.’s Internet Librarian International (ILI) conference issued a call for speakers. The conference, which will be held Oct. 13–14, 2020, in London, will have the theme Strategies, Solutions, Stories, and Strength. Presentations should focus on strategies for the 2020s and real-world innovations: “case studies, great stories, personal experiences and lessons learned from the ideas, strategies and practical implementations you’ve put in place.” Examples of topics include AI and Big Data; apps, tools, and tech; creative communities, networks, and partnerships; content design and creation; data management; digital scholarship; resilience and sustainability; social inclusion and equality; understanding users and user experience; and virtual and augmented reality.Speakers can come from academic and research libraries, public libraries, school libraries, corporations, and other institutions from around the world. Presentations are held in English. The deadline for submissions is April 3. For more information, read the news item.
COVID-19 NEWS: London Book Fair Is Canceled
According to the BBC, “This year’s London Book Fair, one of the UK’s largest book events, has been called off due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. … The announcement follows a number of publishers and agencies pulling out of the event.” It had been scheduled for March 10–12, but due to travel restrictions and “an abundance of caution” (as Amazon put it), the 25,000-plus attendees from across the publishing industry will have to wait until next year to celebrate the event’s 50th anniversary. Organizer Reed Exhibitions “said London Book Fair would return ‘better than ever’ in 2021.”For more information, read the article.
COVID-19 NEWS: EveryLibrary Provides a List of Coronavirus Resources
EveryLibrary issued a set of resources on COVID-19 (coronavirus) for librarians. “The biggest role libraries can play in a national response to the emerging COVID-19 threat is as information specialists,” the webpage notes. The following are some links EveryLibrary shares:For more information, including the context of these resources, visit the webpage.
EBSCO Acquires Linked Data Leader Zepheira
EBSCO Information Services entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Zepheira, which provides libraries, archives, and museums with large-scale, decentralized linked data infrastructure. The company “uncovers previously hidden data and insights for patrons and facilitates connections between library systems and the open web. This acquisition reinforces EBSCO’s commitment to making information available when, where and how users need it.”EBSCO and Zepheira had previously partnered in 2015, which included the creation of data enrichment services with NoveList Select. “Zepheira’s expertise and technologies combined with EBSCO’s resources, library collections and open web resources will bring advanced new capabilities to shared products and services. In the future, Zepheira’s linked data capabilities will have far-ranging applications across information discovery, resource management and stewardship.” For more information, read the press release.
Help the Librarian of Congress Choose the Qualifications for the Next Register of Copyrights
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced that she is seeking input on the expertise needed by the next Register of Copyrights. The public can submit their opinions via an online form by March 20, 2020. “The Library of Congress will review all input and use it to help develop the knowledge, skills and abilities requirements for our announcement to fill the Register of Copyrights position.”For more information, read the press release.
GPO Director Urges Modernization of Congressional Document Formats
Hugh Nathanial Halpern, the director of the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO), is advocating “modernizing Congressional document formats, which have remained relatively unchanged for the last 150 years. …” At a hearing before the Committee on House Administration, he “emphasized the need to transition from dense, hard-to-access documents to documents that are readable and accessible on computer screens, phones, and on paper.”For example, GPO’s digital publishing technology XPub produced the most recent edition of the U.S. Code 7 months faster than the previous edition, which relied on older technology. According to the press release, “GPO also invested in six new digital inkjet presses that will vastly enhance GPO’s flexibility to meet its customers’ needs for both large and small jobs.” Halpern noted that modernization will result in “documents that are easier to author, to produce, and to consume. Congress, GPO, and the public can benefit from these changes.” He added, “My hope is that Congress has reached a point where it is ready to partner with GPO to create documents worthy of the 21st century.” For more information, read the press release.
New Gale Online Learning Platform Provides Skill-Building Videos
Gale unveiled Gale Presents: Udemy, an online learning platform for public libraries that is powered by Udemy for Business. The platform offers more than 4,000 on-demand video courses across 75-plus categories, giving workers opportunities to improve their skills in areas such as business, tech, and design. Patrons with a library card from a participating library and a Google or Microsoft account can access the platform to choose instructors and content that match their needs. Search results can be filtered by course features, competency level, duration, topic, and ratings, providing a customized learning experience. Updates are available monthly, with new materials on emerging topics added.For more information, read the press release.
OCLC and PLA Issue a Call to Action to Combat the Opioid Crisis
OCLC teamed up with the Public Library Association (PLA) to publish a report, “Call to Action: Public Libraries and the Opioid Crisis.” It “offers tested strategies to consider as libraries determine local responses to the nationwide public health emergency.” The call to action encourages the following:- Evaluate local health data
- Seek community partners
- Educate staff and community members on the issue
- Consider the need for staff care
- Offer programs and services that support local needs
The suggestions were “informed by case study research with eight public libraries that have created community responses with local partners, as well as discussions with government agencies, public health and human services organizations, community organizations, and library leaders.” For more information, read the press release.
ACS Sponsors Kudos' Bridging the Divide Research Project
The Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and Kudos joined forces “to explore and identify gaps in support for researchers’ efforts to achieve broader impacts of their research.” ACS agreed to sponsor Bridging the Divide, “a research project gathering input from researchers, university administrators, funders and others with a role or interest in ensuring that research engages and benefits audiences beyond academia.”“Being indispensable in the communication of, and engagement with, research is one of ACS’s key strategic goals, so it’s important for us to refine our knowledge of how researchers communicate to broader audiences, what they struggle with, and what support they would value,” says Sarah Tegen, VP of global journals development at ACS. For more information, read the press release.
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Brandi Scardilli
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