ASK!

Blogging can be fun, but there are several issues to be aware of lest you end up on the wrong side of the law. Here are some web resources that can give you an overview of some of such issues. These websites refer mostly to the Singaporean context.

Legal Issues:
Radio Singapore International: Blogwatch on the Legal Pitfalls in Blogging
WWLegal.com [Look for FAQs on the left link bar and click on the subject "Bloggers" when on the FAQ page]
Law Gazette by the Law Society of Singapore: Bloggers Beware, The Five Commandments for Bloggers

Corporate Issues:
ZDnet Asia: Want to blog? Stick to the rules
ST701: Itching to write? Blogging about work
Radio Singapore International: Blogwatch, Foreign Affairs Minister, George Yeo, on the role of blogs in society and the media

Other useful resources:
SPRING Singapore: Singapore Online Safety Guide (scroll down the page, find the link and download it)

All websites last accessed 24th November, 2006.

For more information, you could also refer to the books in our earlier post.

Answered by Jillian Lim, Librarian, Public Library Services

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Post your comments, or send further questions about this or any other topic to ask@nlb.gov.sg

The blogosphere (a term to describe the all blogs collectively) has at least 57 million blogs and is growing at an average of 100,000 new blogs each day (Source: David Sifry’s State of the Blogsphere, October 2006).

With this huge amount of blogs, it is very difficult to find the type of blogs that are of interest to you. However, there are a number of blog search engines or blog directories that can make finding a blog that shares your interests or hobbies much easier. There are also awards given out by the blogging community for the best blogs.

Blog Search Engines
These search through blogs to find blogs or blog entries that match what you input. Eg. Key in Singapore to find blogs that mention Singapore. Here are some search engines:
Technorati
Google Blog Search
Feedster
Blogdigger
Ice Rocket

Blog directories
These are compilations of blogs according to subject matter. Here are some blog directories:
Yahoo Blog Directories (a compilation of various directories)
Google Blog Directories (a compilation of various directories)
Forbes blog directory

There are many more blog search engines out there, though the above are some of the more popular ones. If are interested to find more, you can peruse this “Big List of Blog Search Engines“.

There are also Mandarin blog search engines as well:
Blogcn
Blogchina.com
Sina Blog

You may also like to check out this book, which provides blog recommendations:
Blogsphere : best of blogs by Peter Kuhns and Adrienne Crew
Indianapolis, Ind. : Que, c2006
Call No.: 006.7 KUH -[COM]
Description:
You probably have your favorite blogs to visit each day, but there are countless other blogs that you could never find on your own and that could potentially be added to the top of your favorites! Blogosphere: Best of Blogs is a collection of the blogs you’ve heard about and the ones still waiting to be discovered. Organized into sections based on interests and moods, you’ll find a listing of the best blogs out there, along with the reasons why they’ve made the list. Complete with searching tips and strategies, Blogosphere will help you find the greatest voices in the blogging universe.

How do I find blogs by Singaporeans or about Singapore?
You could try using a blog search engine as mentioned above or visit some or the following Singapore blog directories:
BloggerSG
Blogflux: Singapore blogs

Or try these Singaporean community metablogs (simply put, a metablog is a blog about blogs)
Tomorrow.sg
Ping.sg

All websites last accessed 24th November, 2006.

Answered by Jillian Lim and Isaak Kwok, Librarians, Public Library Services

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ASK! about Computers & IT

What is a blog?

According to the Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia:

“The blog (from Web log) is a new form of electronic publishing on the World Wide Web. A typical blog takes the form of an online diary consisting of short entries displayed in reverse-chronological order with links to other blogs or Web sites commented on by the blog’s author. Blogs may contain random personal observations, or they may be devoted to a single subject such as politics. A blog may be written by one or more people, and it may be read by an audience ranging from friends and acquaintances to enough readers to make the blog a profitable publishing enterprise for its author.”

blog. (2006). Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 23, 2006, from Grolier Online http://gme.grolier.com/cgi-bin/article?assetid=0035945-0

Another introduction to blogs and blogging from the Encyclopaedia Britannica Online:

“in full Web log or Weblog online journal where an individual, group, or corporation presents a record of activities, thoughts, or beliefs. Some blogs operate mainly as news filters, collecting various online sources and adding short comments and Internet links. Other blogs concentrate on presenting original material. In addition, many blogs provide a forum to allow visitors to leave comments and interact with the publisher. “To blog” is the act of composing material for a blog. Materials are largely written, but pictures, audio, and videos are important elements of many blogs. The “blogosphere” is the online universe of blogs.”

blog. (2006). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 24, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9404269

The Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia and the Encyclopaedia Britannica Online are databases available via our Digital Library. More details here.

Here are some websites that give an overview of the various blog software/tools:
Problogger’s post on choosing a blog platform
Forbes.com Blog Tools
PC Magazine’s article on Blog Tools
Wikipedia: Weblog hosting

All websites last accessed 24th November, 2006.

For more on information on blogging and how to do it, read on for our book recommendations!

Read more »

ASK! about Fiction

Well, it all depends on what you (or the person you are getting a book for) would like to read!

That being said, there are a few awards for teen books and authors which may help you with your reading choices.

The American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association has a wealth of resources/listings on its website. You could look at the Alex Award (books written for an adult audience that have special appeal to teens as well, contains both fiction and non-fiction, suitable for older teens) and the Michael L. Printz Award (given to books that display literary excellence in young adult literature). There is also a section for Young People’s Literature in the National Book Awards.

For younger teens, you could also explore the books mentioned in the Newbery Medal.

In addition, here are a few other websites that you could visit for more information about teen fiction/authors:
Overbooked: Young Adult Literature (an extensive collection of links + also has its own best books reading lists)
Teen Reads
Genreflecting
Randomhouse Teens

Of course an award-winning book is not guaranteed to be popular or interesting to everyone, so if you’d like us to recommend specific titles according to your tastes, please let us know what type of fiction you enjoy reading (genres like: fantasy, romance, mystery, thrillers, horror, scifi etc) or maybe the authors/themes that you have read and liked.

All websites last accessed 24th November, 2006.

Answered by Jillian Lim, Librarian, Public Library Services

Found this interesting? What do you think?
Post your comments, or send further questions about these books or any other fiction topic to ask@library.nlb.gov.sg

ASK! about Singapore

Singapore Public Sector and Country Statistics

Information about Singapore statistics can be found at Singstat’s Guide to Singapore Official Statistics.
Most of the time, you would be able to locate statistics/reports at the relevant official website, eg for tourism statistics like number of visitors, number of hotel rooms etc visit the Singapore Tourism Board website. Most organisations both public and private also provide online versions of their annual reports at their official websites. However, the information available on websites is usually relatively current, for older statistics, you would probably need to refer to print materials at the libraries.

Another way to search for statistics is to use the news database, Factiva, as news articles often mention statistics. Click here for information on using Factiva.

Business Statistics

For info on companies, click here.

If you are looking for market statistics or market surveys, eg market for pet food and pet care products in Singapore, one of the eResources you can access is the Global Market Information Database [Euromonitor]. This database is only accessible from the libraries. Alternatively, you could search for print copies of market surveys using our catalogue. Try the keywords “xxx market surveys Singapore”, where “xxx” is the product/service you are interested in.

If you are unable to locate the information you are looking for, you could also contact the relevant organisation. Usually there would be a hotline or an email for enquiries listed on their official website. For information/statistics that are not published online, or in books/journals/reports or in the newspapers, most organisations would require you to write in with a statement describing why you require the statistics/information and how it will be used.

Still unable to locate the information you need? Email us at ask@nlb.gov.sg or call us at 6332 3255.

All websites last accessed 14th November, 2006.

Answered by Jillian Lim, Librarian, Public Library Services

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Post your comments, or send further questions about this or any other topic to ask@nlb.gov.sg

ASK! about Business & Finance

Useful online resources on company listing(s):

SGX. Tomorrow’s Market, Today. (Singapore Exchange)

What is it about?
It is the website of the Singapore Stock Exchange.

It contains all the latest listed companies annual reports.

Why is it useful?
It provides e-reports of listed companies in Singapore.

Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority Singapore – Directory of Companies/Business Names

What is it about?
This is the website of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority.

It has the list and details of registered accountants, business and companies in Singapore.

Why is it useful?
It provides business and companies information, as well as information to register a business / company.

Kompass.com (Kompass)

What is it about?
Listed 23 millions product and services references in 53,000 classes, 1.9 millions companies in 70 countries, 750,000 trade names and 3.5 millions executive names.

Why is it useful?
It provides company profiles, e.g. information of the Singapore Airlines Ltd.

If you’re looking for further information on a particular company, you may email us at ask@nlb.gov.sg or call us at 6332 3255.

Answered by Norasyikin Ahmad Ismail, Librarian, Public Library Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think?
Post your comments, or send further questions about this or any other topic to ask@nlb.gov.sg

ASK! about Business & Finance

Useful online resources on countries’ taxes:

CIA – The World Factbook

What is it about?
The World Factbook is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency for the use of US Government officials, and the style, format, coverage, and content are designed to meet their specific requirements. Information is provided by Antarctic Information Program (National Science Foundation), Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (Department of Defense), Bureau of the Census (Department of Commerce), etc. and other public and private sources.

Why is it useful?
The World Factbook provides national-level information on countries, territories, and dependencies.

It provides a brief background of the country, its geographical information (location, size, climate, etc.), information about the people (population size, age structure, population growth rate, etc.), the government (capital, administrative divisions, legal system, etc.), the economy overview (GDP, labor force, currency, etc.), communication modes, transportation modes, military information, and transnational issues related to the country.

The World Factbook is currently updated every two weeks, and is available in the public domain. Thus it may be used freely by anyone at anytime without seeking permission. However, as a courtesy, please cite The World Factbook when used.

BBC NEWS : Country Profiles

What is it about?
It provide an instant guide to history, politics and economic background of countries and territories, and background on key institutions.

Why is it useful?
It also includes audio or video clips from BBC archives.

You may search for information via a country, territory or international organisation from the menus provided.

EIU.com (The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited)

What is it about?
It provides an in-depth analysis of political and economic trends in nearly 200 countries.

Why is it useful?
It provides country reports and outlook, e.g. Singapore outlook for 2005 –2006.

If you’re looking for further information on a particular country, you may email us at ask@nlb.gov.sg or call us at 6332 3255.

Answered by Norasyikin Ahmad Ismail, Librarian, Public Library Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think?
Post your comments, or send further questions about this or any other topic to ask@nlb.gov.sg

Kids ASK! about Science & Technology

Electricity is a form of energy, evident from the fact that it runs machinery and can be transformed into other types of energy such as light and heat. It is invisible. During an electrical storm, we do not see electricity. We observe the air being ionized when the electricity travels through it.

Source: Canada Science and Technology Museum
Website last accessed 12th November, 2006.

Some recommended books relating to the subject:

Electricity : a question and answer book / Adele Richardson.
Publisher: Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press, c2006.
Call No.: J English 537 RIC
Click here for item availability.

Electricity / Sally M. Walker.
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : Lerner Publications Co., c2006.
Call No.: J English 537 WAL
Click here for item availability.

Electricity and power / Peter Riley.
Publisher: London : Franklin Watts, 2005.
Call No.: J English 537 RIL
Click here for item availability.

Answered by Ms Norlin Naim, Librarian, Children’s Services

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Kids ASK! about Science & Technology

Earthworms feed on the rotting parts of dead plants. They have no teeth or jaws, so the food they eat must be very soft. Worms also feed on soil. They take in any goodness as it works through their body, and get rid of any waste in a worm cast.

Source:

Earthworms/ Claire Llewellyn.
Publisher: London : Franklin Watts, 2000.
Call No.: J English 592 LLE
Click here for item availability.

Some recommended books relating to the subject:

Earthworms / Sue Barraclough.
Publisher: Oxford : Heinemann Library, 2005.
Call No.: JP English 592 BAR
Click here for item availability.

Lowdown on earthworms/ Norma Dixon.
Publisher: Markham, Ont. ; Allston, Mass. : Fitzhenry & Whiteside, c2005.
Call No.: J English 592 DIX
Click here for item availability.

The life cycle of an earthworm/ Bobbie Kalman.
Publisher: New York : Crabtree Pub. Co., c2004.
Call No.: J English 592 KAL
Click here for item availability.

Answered by Mr Kelvin Tan Yunchuan, Librarian, Children’s Services

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Kids ASK! about Singapore

Some recommended books relating to the subject:

Celebrate Chinese festivals / Suzanne Lauridsen, Sally Heinrich.
Singapore : Asiapac Books, 2005.
Call No.: J SING English 394.26 LAU
Click here for item availability.

Celebrate Indian Hindu festivals / Suzanne Lauridsen, Sally Heinrich.
Singapore : Asiapac Books, 2005.
Call No.: J SING English 294.5 LAU
Click here for item availability.

Celebrate Malay Muslim festivals / Suzanne Lauridsen, Sally Heinrich.
Singapore : Asiapac Books, 2005.
Call No.: J SING English 297.3 LAU
Click here for item availability.

Feasts and festivals of Singapore / concept and illustrations by Patrick Yee.
Singapore : Education Pub. House, 1999.
Call No.: J SING English 394.295957 YEE
Click here for item availability.

Answered by Ms Raneetha Rajaratnam, Librarian, Children’s Services

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