INFORMATION UPDATE  
    August 2008                             Number 96

Welcome to INFORMATION UPDATE, the monthly resource for
information seekers and users.

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IN THIS ISSUE
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   => DO IT YOURSELF - LibraryThing.com
   => DID YOU KNOW? - Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
   => NEWS, NOTES, and ANNOUNCEMENTS
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DO IT YOURSELF - LibraryThing.com
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Catalog your book collection.  Connect with readers having
similar interests.  Obtain recommendations for what to read
next.

LibraryThing offers users free access to a powerful list
building tool.  Simply register for an account and begin
adding books to your list.  Enter a title or author, and
LibraryThing searches Amazon, the Library of Congress, and
dozens of other library catalogs for references to your book.
Click on the title in the results list and the book is
automatically added to your list.

Add tags or keywords to each entry so that you can organize
your list.  I've added subject tags to my entries.  If the
book was recommended to me, I tag the name of the person who
recommended it.  I've also tagged books as "to read" so 
that I can sort by that tag when I'm looking for the next 
book to read.  Your LibraryThing list is mobile, so you
can access it in the local library or bookstore.  No more
racking your brain trying to remember what you wanted to
read next.

Once you've got a few books entered into LibraryThing you
will see a list of other members who have the same books on 
their lists.  This makes LibraryThing a networking tool.  To
facilitate this connection, you can join book talk groups and
forums.  It's really pretty amazing how fast you can become
integrated into the LibraryThing community.

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DID YOU KNOW? - Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
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You're learning to tie knots.  Would you rather read a step-
by-step guide or look at a series of pictures?

You're trying to get a handle on who owns whom in a major
corporate conglomerate.  Would you rather read a text version
of the corporate family tree or see an image showing the
network of relationships?

Not only is a picture worth a 1,000 words, but it can also
be a tremendous time saver.  When you need understanding and
insights, not just information, ask for a picture.

Photographs are great, but the concept of "picture" includes
tables, charts, graphs, videos, or these days, even a tag
cloud.  (For more on tag clouds see the August 18 post to
the Info Biz blog at http://shamelinfo.blogspot.com)

Your information consultant should be able to provide the
information you need in a format that saves time, enhances
understanding, and facilitates decision-making.  

For more information on this topic, contact 
Shamel Information Services at mailto:info@shamelinfo.com.

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Notes, News, and Announcements
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Info Biz - The blog for information entrepreneurs!    
http://shamelinfo.blogspot.com/

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Shamel Information Services Web Site 
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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.

Cynthia L. Shamel, editor

Shamel Information Services
  Decisions-Informed
Telephone: +1 858-673-4673

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