INFORMATION UPDATE "Offering Information Solutions" January, 2003 Number 40 A Monthly Publication of Shamel Information Services mailto:InfoUpdate@shamelinfo.com Welcome to INFORMATION UPDATE, the free monthly newsletter for people who need to know. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ IN THIS ISSUE ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ => Do It Yourself - Froogle from Google => Did You Know - Take Time for Strategic Assessment => Notes, News and Announcements => Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information ************************************************************ DO IT YOURSELF - Froogle from Google ************************************************************ Good ole Google has developed another new tool for its users. Froogle from Google claims to offer "All the world's products in one place." Go to http://froogle.google.com/froogle to try Google's beta shopping directory. Here's how Google describes Froogle: "Froogle is a new service from Google that makes it easy to find information about products for sale online. By focusing entirely on product search, Froogle applies the power of Google's search technology to a very specific task: locating stores that sell the item you want to find and pointing you directly to the place where you can make a purchase." I tried Office/Office Furniture/Desks to see what kind of options there might be for a new computer desk. The search produced 3244 hits, but Froogle lets you limit by price, so I entered $150-$250 and narrowed the results to 775 hits. It would be nice to be able to limit in other ways such as by style, materials, or size, because 775 desks is still a lot to look at. Froogle must define "desk" rather loosely, because results included a molded plywood skateboard on casters to hold a computer's CPU up off the ground, and it also included a three piece set with table and stools decorated with sun- flowers. Nevertheless, Froogle might be worth a try if you are looking for an online supplier of a specific item. ************************************************************ Did You Know? - Take Time for Strategic Assessment ************************************************************ Here's a New Year's Resolution for you. Take the time to complete a strategic assessment of products and services you supply to your customers. Whether your customers are inter- nal or external, the work you do serves to facilitate the work of others. How well are you meeting their needs? Are you offering them the best mix of goods and services, or could you do better? Take a look at what you are doing. Take time to interact with your customers to understand what they need. How well do your offerings and their needs align? What other goods or services could you provide? How well is the competition doing in meeting your customer's needs? For assistance in undertaking a strategic assessment of what you do and for acquiring the information you need to better understand your industry or marketplace, call Shamel Information Services. Market research and competitive intel- ligence are essential to cost effective business decisions. ************************************************************* Notes, News, and Announcements ************************************************************* >>What's your favorite business related Web site? If you have a site you rely on or go back to several times a month, pass it on. Share your wisdom and experience with other Information Update readers. Send your suggestions to: mailto:webfavorites@shamelinfo.com Look for your suggestion and others in the February Information Update. >>Cynthia L. Shamel, Information Update editor, will speak on Market and They Will Come: Marketing to Your Target Market and Building a Brand on January 24, 2003 at ProQuest University. This is a preconference at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. For more information go to: http://www.proquest.com/division/pqu/preconference/default.shtml >>WebSearch University, February 3-4, 2003 in Orlando, FL, US WebSearch University is a unique, valuable, and intensive learning opportunity in which intermediate and advanced searchers can improve their skills and learn new search tactics, strategies, and tools. To register go to: http://www.websearchu.com/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Shamel Information Services web site at http://shamelinfo.com contains Information Update archives. Just click on "Newsletters" and check for any issues you might have missed. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Subscriptions to INFORMATION UPDATE are free. You may subscribe or unsubscribe by sending a message to: mailto:InfoUpdate@shamelinfo.com with SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Copyright 2003 Shamel Information Services Please feel free to forward this issue to colleagues, in its entirety. Other uses without permission may violate copyright. Online archives at http://shamelinfo.com/newsletter.htm ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Cynthia L. Shamel, editor Shamel Information Services Poway, California mailto:cshamel@shamelinfo.com Author, "Centralized Library and Learning Resources: A Remote Access Demonstration Project," Community & Junior College Libraries 10(4):13-28. Author, "Building a Brand: Got Librarian?" Searcher July/August, 2002. http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/default.htm President-Elect of the Association of Independent Information Professionals http://www.aiip.org. Telephone: 858-673-4673 Toll Free: 800-330-9939