Are you using a cell phone for s-l-o-w reading? And how about other reading?

David Rothman addresses an often overlook paradigm shift – using a smartphone for slow reading. You almost always have your smartphone with you. And with an estimated 190 million smartphone users in the US, Rothman posits that the discipline of reading on a small screen device can be learned, absent distractions (such as email and social media intrusions). Reading is fundamental (RIF), but the way we read has fundamentally shifted. Read on!

Subjects: E-Books, Education

Crowd Funding Resources 2016

This white paper link dataset compilation by Marcus Zillman focuses on reliable and actionable sources and sites on crowd funding from around the world. For many entrepreneurs in the planning stages or for those already creating startups and seeking to develop monetary sources, crowd funding has become an essential part of a financial game plan. This white paper lists many of these sources in alphabetical order to assist researchers and entrepreneurs to leverage a wide range of opportunities specific to their requirements.

Subjects: Business Research, Competitive Intelligence, Economy

Visiting Interlaken and Madrid

Research Assistant and world traveler Ryan Davis shares another travelogue installment – this time to Interlaken and Madrid. Ryan includes effective strategies for flexible ground and air travel, recommends the value of free guided walking tours, and includes shopping and dining tips, as well as fun and budget wise ways to enjoy these magnificent places.

Subjects: Travel

Law Librarians Flinch At Change? Can’t Say That I Agree With You David

Greg Lambert eloquently gives voice to truth which has been delivered through action by many fellow professionals throughout the course of our respective (some decades long) careers – we are not “gatekeepers” nor do we impede the purchase and distribution of innovative, subject matter focused, effective, forward moving technologies, services and resources within our respective organizations. To the contrary, change and disruption are often associated with the work of law librarians, knowledge managers and research professionals in firms.

Subjects: KM, Law Librarians, Legal Education, Legal Marketing, Legal Profession, Legal Research, Legal Research Training, Legal Technology, Libraries & Librarians

Mecha Justice: When Machines Think Like Lawyers

Most workplaces, whether public, private, academic – within the government, legal, education, news, or advocacy sectors – are increasingly focused on how to define, implement and position the use of ‘Big Data,’ data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and even robotics, into respective organizational missions that are under increasing pressure to innovate faster. Ken Strutin’s comprehensive, insightful and expertly documented article is a critical read to assist all of us in the legal environment, regardless of our role, in understanding key cases, issues, science, technology and applications, and potential as well as actual outcomes. As Strutin writes, the term “Mecha” envisions a futuristic artificial intelligence wrapped in human likeness and seamlessly woven into the activities of society. It represents a time when the aggrandizement of our species will depend on technology that looks and thinks like us. Today, the prototype of attorney mechas are emerging from advances in computer reasoning and big data. The demands of increasingly complex legal transactions, sophisticated consumers, and the momentum of technology are putting pressures on the practice of law that only computer assistance can relieve. This compilation of notable news articles, scientific studies and legal scholarship highlights the progress of rights, responsibilities and roles of legal professionals and thinking machines.

Subjects: Legal Research

Peter Drucker and the Forward Focused Mindset

Author, professor, editor Bruce Rosenstein highlights his 10 Elements of the Future based on his many years of study of Peter Drucker’s work. These elements are an actionable resource for proactively and positively engaging with the multifaceted challenges and opportunities we are encountering in our work places and personal lives.

Subjects: KM, Management