How to survive clients that want information within 1 hour?

I attended the intermediate level educational program put on by the Competitive Intelligence Division of SLA, presented by Lynn Strand, the Principal of Outside Knowledge LCC. In this session, Lynn presents a Quick take session entitled: "What to Do When They Say "Give Me Everything You Have  on ... and Not Freak Out Because They Want it in An Hour". Below are her 9 tips in bullet form which can be helpful to both special librarians and independent information professionals.

1. Don't panic. That does not help.
2. Trust yourself. You can do this.
3. They do not want everything. Just an overview. In fact, they really don't know what they want.
4. Use "trends" in your search terms. This will retrieve information that provides an overview or that is broad in scope or focus.
5. Use resources you already know. Exhaust the familiar first.
6. Plan to search for 30 minutes and then give yourself time to put together your deliverable. Save some time to put together a final report on what you have found and don't spend all of it on searching for information.
7. Have a flexible template. For doing research reports, you need to have a template that all you need to do is put in new content and not worry about formatting.
8. Keep it to 3 pages or less. Right at the top of those pages, indicate three to four things the client must know. Hence, the most important information first.
9. Do a Google file type research. Sometimes the commercial databases may not contain the information you are looking for. Hence, if this fails, use Google search for file types like pdf, ppt. or doc. in order to retrieve the information you need.

Prototypes of virtual agents that provide business information

While browsing Chatbots.org, I have discovered prototypes of virtual conversational agents that do provide business (or company) information online. They are available on this online directory: http://www.chatbots.org/platform/facebook/

I have even discovered pre-existing virtual agents that offer legal and financial information online: http://www.chatbots.org/industry/finance_legal/

Even though I have not evaluated these agents as yet, (which might make for a useful future project), I believe that these discoveries support my perspective that conversational agents can be used to convey business information. It is just a matter of deciding what knowledgebase or database of business information or even company information that one wants a conversational agent to store.


Hence, I see that business librarians can perhaps adapt the conversational agent towards providing company information. Already in business information there is what we commonly call the company profile (See Abels & Klein, 2008, p.42 for definition of company profiles) . Or industry profile for that matter. Hence, a conversational agent could be designed to answer questions about what company produces what products and services. Information provided could also include whether the company is publicly traded or private. The agent could also be designed to indicate the ownership structure of the company.

Reference:

Abels E. G. &  Klein, D. P. (2008). Business information: Needs and strategies. Bingley, UK : Academic Press/Emerald.

Folklore as an information source for businesses

For this summer, I am investigating the feasiblity of folklore and storytelling being applied to modern online delivery of business information. So far, my hunch that guides my thesis is that folklore and storytelling, prior to the invention of writing, as oral art forms, were the means employed for communicating, providing or sharing information and as ancient techniques for information delivery. Since today’s online culture of information provision borders on a combination of print and oral traditions in information provision, the quest is to discover how folklore and storytelling can feasibly be applied in the modern online environment to delivery of serious or non-fiction information, and specifically apply these to communicating and providing business information, to entrepreneurs and micro-enterprise owners. 

As I have begun the readings on folklore, I see 3 main ideas emerging:

1. The theme of folklore as an economic resource for exploitation by business and capital, and how current developments in information technology and legislation have now positioned a new area for the exploration of folklore as a resource for commercial exploitation

2. The importance of a folklore collection as a source of information, not only for folklore academic researchers and humanists, but for a wide group of potential and enterprising business groups in the creative enterprises and industries such as game development, authors and creative writers, film, animation, graphics design, advertising, theatre, publishing, leisure, tourism and travel, landscapers, architects, fashion and other industry players involved in providing entertainment.

3. Folklore as an information source for businesses seeking to go global - having understanding of customs, characters, motifs and other folkloric content can help an entrepreneur from one nation create/develop appropriate services and marketing campaigns for customers in another nation.

As such, I see there is already a connection between folklore and business/enterprises. I also see a justified place for folklore collection in libraries for entrepreneurs. I am excited by what I have been finding so far, though I have not yet started to explore the use of folklore in actual information provision.

Brief update on my immature thesis idea

Just providing a brief update on my messy thesis concept. Right now it has evolved into the idea of using folkloric artificial intelligent conversational agents for transmitting business information for micro-enterprise owners.

 For the summer, I am hoping to look at literature on folklore being used to convey business information and/or use in online information services. By folklore - I am narrowing down to the use of folkloric storytelling and proverbs as well as the role of natural conversation in using these methods to convey information to micro-enterprise owners.

Also looking for theory to support this perspective. Thoughts, suggestions, or literature welcomed.

Preliminary thoughts on creating a chatbot to answer business questions from Jamaican government online sources

I am currently exploring the process of creating a chatbot for information provision, with view to apply it to my thesis and secondly to discuss its application to libraries in providing a new small business online information service.

So far, I am basing the chatbot as a question answering interface to Government documents for business users. My hope is to create the interface to answer questions by users regarding a Government process. In a sense, this moves into e-governance and the access to e-government information/ or simply the access to information.

So far, one of the issues that I have come across is the issue of updates. When basing the information for a business query on a government online source, in the case that I am doing, the particular Jamaican government agency has had a name change. Since the old/former name is in the document that I am attempting to use to feed my chatbot, one wonders when last the site was updated and how this could be a liability to libraries providing this service.

Stay tuned within the next few weeks for more on this matter.

Young Adult-Owned Business Information Resources for Academic Librariesss

My vision is to see academic libraries provide support for student entrepreneurs to start new businesses. I strongly believe that academic libraries have the existing resources to do so.

Today I went to the Business Library at the Ivey School of Business building and in its reference collection used several resources of value to the small business owner or entrepreneur. There where directories about who buys what; sample business plans, business plan templates, industry profiles and other resources.

I am contemplating collecting a list of resources that academic librarians can use to provide information to students who want to start small businesses.

However, I may first want to make the case for young business owners:

Today, 'more young persons have abandoned traditional corporate career paths in favor of increased autonomy and financial rewards that are possible through entrepreneurship.' Hillstrom, updated by Magee ('Young Entrepreneurs' Organization (YEO)' Encyclopedia of small business / Arsen J. Darnay, Monique D. Magee, editors.3rd ed. Detroit : Thomson Gale, c2007.)

This is evident from a number of articles:

• Muhammad, Tariq K. 'From Buppie to Biz-Wiz: Forget Corporate America - Generation X is Choosing the Entrepreneurial Path to Success." Black Enterprise. January 1997.
• "Entrepreneurial Enthusiasm" Black Enterprise. February 2004 vol 34 #7- p. 32
• Smith. D. (2004, Nov). Students of enterprise. Entrepreneur vol 32 # 11 p. 108 Entrepreneur.com  http://app02.secondact.com/article/73166-3
• "Turn classmates into customers" Black Enterprise vol 33 # 3 October 2002, p. S2.

Some resources that I saw as very useful include:

• For Reference book - Small business sourcebook.(2008). Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co.,
• For Periodicals - the Black Enterprise and Entrepreneur magazines.
• For Book - Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating What Matters Most: Building Attitudes, Behaviors and an Action Plan for Success in Your Own Business. - Mary S. Moore (1994). Courage Press

However, as my problem is practically oriented, I have the great challenge of converting this into an academic research proposal.

Why business information services for the National Library of Jamaica?

The recent National Library of Jamaica Act 2010, specifies that in carrying out its function it must:

I note specifically, the idea of economic development, which comes about when Jamaican can produce goods and services for sale. This idea also takes into consideration the need for job or employment creation. It is further noted that entrepreneurship is responsible for the creation of jobs and employment opportunities. hence it is impossible to have economic development if entrepreneurship is not harnessed and businesses not developed. As such, it is one of the paramount priority that a business information service be delivered for Jamaica's economic development, and it is thereby the mandate of the National Library of Jamaica to provide this.

In another post, I hope to take this argument further.

Work cited:

National Library of Jamaica Act. Act 33 of 2010. 31 Dec. 2010. JAMLIN Jamaica Libraries & Information Network. Web. 14 July 2011. <http://www.nlj.gov.jm/jamlin/341_The%20National%20Library%20of%20Jamaica%20Act,%202010.pdf>

Jamaican Libraries need to implement business information services

Jamaica Library Service and the National Library of Jamaica to my knowledge do not provide any special library service to business persons. They offer a general library service to adult users, but none specifically aimed at providing the business persons with information. This is surprising considering that the more established library traditions of United States of America (see for example http://www.nypl.org/locations/sibl) and Britain (http://www.bl.uk/bipc/aboutus/index.html) do offer this service.

 In fact, one core public library mission according to the IFLA/UNESCO Public Library 1994 Manifesto is that of 'providing adequate information services to local enterprises, associations and interest groups'. http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s8/unesco/eng.htm

Manley establishes that providing library services to businesses should be done by every public library. When public libraries participate in the provision of business information services , they have the opportunity to directly impact economic needs and provide ‘a service of paramount importance to the community’ (Manley 'Preface'). Library service in providing business information can have the most impact on society, as this service touches every individual, including ‘those interested in earning a living’ among others (Manley 'Preface'). Business further impact on employment and a nation’s standards of living, both in terms of wealth and job creation. In this regard, Manley concludes that a library’s business information service is an extension of general library service which is to provide information to meet the needs of one's community.

What is a business information service?

According to Manley a business information service provides answers to business questions and in particular those questions  that cannot be answered personal experience (4). Library business information  service is a service offered by the library where users turn to the library to answer business question and the library helps the user to get his answer (Manley 6). Answers could be gotten through either the  library’s 1) providing selected materials and/or 2) serving as a ‘point of contact through which other information sources can be tapped’ (Manely 7)

Business information services are not the only contribution that libraries have made to the development of businesses. Yates indicate how libraries have shaped businesses from the founding of the first professional library school. She points out how in the 1890s and early in the twentieth century, that librarians helped businesses better organize and make accessible their own internal information through the vertical file ( 56). She points out that the vertical filing of papers ‘a new form of flat filing which evolved from the vertical card files used by librarians, was presented to the business world in 1893’ and became adopted by many businesses (Yates 56). Hence libraries have had a tradition of serving businesses information management needs. 

Works Cited:

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). "IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto." 1994. (November 3, 2004): International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). 2011. <http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s8/unesco/eng.htm>.

Manley, Marian C. Library Service to Business: Its Place in the Small City. Chicago: American Library Association (ALA), 1946. Print.

Yates, JoAnne. Control through Communication: The Rise of System in American Management. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1993. Print.