Design without Computers

Librarians and information specialists, including those in trade libraries and information centres, are often called upon to produce reports which need a well thought-out cover design, or to produce brochures and pamphlets to advertise services.   We don't usually have the services of computer design people to help with this and so fall back on our own resources!  This short pdf (5 pages) may give you some ideas or confirm the ideas and principles that you already work with.   Have a look at it on the Learning Connexion site: http://www.tlcstudents.ac.nz/onlinelearning/index.html  It is by Elidh McDowall.

Slow learner and Dashboard

I am a slow learner - have just come across Google Dashboard which was launched last year!   Found it when I was trolling through some of the many emails that I receive in nz-libs list.   If you haven't come across it before either - it brings together all the Google tools which you may have subscribed to.   If you are like me, you subscribe because you think better to do it now knowing that you won't do it later!!  Then of course your subscriptions are lost in the mists of time...   By logging into Dashboard you can see all the tools you have subscribed to, what activity has taken place and you do get the opportunity to change settings and the information you have provided.

For the busy trade librarian, this could be really useful.  For example if you had forgotten that you had set up alerts for "exports to Liberia"  and "illegal arms trade", checking your Google Alerts may be just what you need to refresh your alerts for 2010.

The Dashboard site does have a short video explaining what it does.  BTW you need your Google account and password

11 Of The Coolest Bookcases (PHOTOS, POLL)

11 Of The Coolest Bookcases (PHOTOS, POLL)

If you would like to arrange your Trade Library Collection by colour and in an interesting bookcase, have a look at these photos! For growing collections I liked the Platzhalter...

Colour coded collection

Have you ever threatened to arrange your library or trade collection by spine colour? Well here is an example from the Booksellers Association (NZ) collection in Wellington. It is very arresting and the green Christmas tree at the right is very appropriate for the season.


The only problem was, that nothing could be found!

NZ companies web-aware

Homepage of Thermaflo, a Palmerston North (New Zealand) small business and exporting company http://www.thermaflo.co.nz/ - Managing Director Kevin Gilbert.   Photograph used with support and permission.


It was reported recently in the Dominion Post newspaper of 30 November 2009 on p.C6 that New Zealand businesses are more likely to have websites and ‘engage in e-commerce that their Australian counterparts.’ Statistics New Zealand has compared the technology industries of the two countries in a study entitled: Information and Communication Technology in New Zealand and Australia which can be found at:

http://www.stats.govt.nz/Publications/BusinessPerformanceEnergyAndAgriculture/ict-in-nz-and-aust/business-use-of-ict.aspx

54% of small businesses in New Zealand have a web presence compared with 48% in Australia, and overall 60% of businesses in New Zealand have a web presence as opposed to 53% in Australia.

What does this mean for the information professional in international trade? It is very frustrating being unable to find exporting companies on the web and it is obvious that 40% of businesses in New Zealand don’t have a web presence. It means that we cannot use the web as the only source of business and product intelligence. We will still need to rely on other means such as yellow pages, trade and business directories, and personal networking.

Write me a web page Elsie

This is the cover of Rachel McAlpine's book Write me a web page, Elsie.  Photo from the publisher.   We at the New Zealand School of Export think this is a really useful guide to writing on the web.   We have used it to re-vamp some of our pages on the School's website http://www.export.ac.nz/   I have been guilty of some of the worst of faults - using generic photos - well almost!  McAlpine says that eye-tracking research shows that most people ignore the pictures.   I am now trying to use images which fit really closely with the text and add to what it is saying!   She also recommends captions - sounds very simple.  That is the essence of this book - she gives down to earth advice in a style which makes you want to change!
If I have any gripe about the book, it is that the index doesn't cover everything in the book e.g. ACHOs and AFFLOs.  That aside I can thoroughly recommend it.
By the way, Rachel McAlpine is a dramatist, poet and novelist besides writing books on writing.

New New Zealand datasets website

The New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs has just produced and gone live with their data.govt.nz website which is an index to publicly accessible government datasets.   These are not necessarily new datasets, but this website brings them all together.

A search on exports retrieves four results, but a search on trade is more productive and produces 13 hits.  
This is a good way to ensure that you or your international trade colleagues have picked up all the relevant and available information.