A Better Guide to Subcontracting

Malcolm Varty, the Director of "A Better Guide to Subcontracting" is The Bennett Blog's special guest blogger this week.  He kindly gives us some of the background to his online product and how it came into existence.   Enjoy the read.....

MALCOLM VARTY THE DIRECTOR OF 

“A BETTER GUIDE TO SUBCONTRACTING PTY LTD” 

CRACKS A BIG ONE

 

The big one being the answer to subcontractor’s woes. Never before or at least not after Malcolm Varty and Chris White produced a video in 1999 called “A Guide to Better Subcontracting” - which sadly expired due to legislative changes almost two weeks after it was produced by the Bond University in Queensland - has anyone tried to put it all together for ordinary trades people.

Most tradesmen are expected to carry out a business appreciation course before they may apply for a trade licence. In my view these so called courses provided nothing to the applicant apart from basic business practices, which are not designed specifically for the Building and Construction Industry.

TAFE centres for learning provide imaginative and helpful information for their students but are limited in many areas, due to government cut-backs, to fully prepare their students for all possible outcomes when dealing with head contractors.

Registered Training Organisations have their curriculum set by the governing bodies who are mainly the Master Builders Association, the Housing Industry Association and the Unions.

Call me silly but aren’t the above organisation's members the ones that tradesmen have the problems with in the first place?

The only way to afford yourself of real education and help is to subscribe to “A Better Guide to Subcontracting”.  We come from a trade background and have spent the last 18 years fighting for legislative changes to protect subcontractors. We have achieved great outcomes legislatively and also provide a service which applies a professional touch to your specific needs. 

With your help www.abgts.com will be available free in all state and TAFE libraries soon. 

LIBRARIES WISHING TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT "A BETTER GUIDE TO SUBCONTRACTING" SHOULD CONTACT OUR DEDICATED E-TEAM AS PER THE DETAILS LISTED BELOW: 

Tel:      (02) 8988 5000

Fax:     (02) 8988 5031

Email: eresources@bennett.com.au

Request a trial today!

Keesing's World News Archive: providing your library with a trusted comprehensive source for research and fact checking

James Bennett is pleased to announce that Keesing's World News Archive has been added to the eResources stable.

Scholars and librarians agree that Keesing’s World News Archive is the most efficient  and cost effective way to research world events. Published since 1931, Keesing’s has been serving scholars, students, writers and reference librarians with factual information on the most important political, social and economic events by providing carefully vetted, accurate, objective and concise reports from every part of the world.  

  

Written for the permanent record and with no political or advertising masters to appease, Keesing’s is a uniquely neutral and accurate source of information. Keesing’s is used in more than 80 countries by academics, businesses and governments seeking to get quick access to important historical background. The entire 80 year, 100,000+ article archive is available with either an annual or perpetual license. And it’s updated each month with more than 55,000 words in at least 150 articles. 

IN RESEARCHING THE NEWS AND IN WRITING THEIR ARTICLES THEY ARE GUIDED BY FOUR ESSENTIAL EDITORIAL PRINCIPLES:

• Internationalism: Keesing’s is committed to providing comprehensive information on all regions of the world, covering all major developments in all countries.
• Accuracy: their reputation for accuracy, preserved and nurtured since Keesing's was first published in 1931, is their greatest asset. They work with the benefit of greater hindsight than that enjoyed by newspapers or the electronic media and thus have more time for checking facts and authenticating information.
• Objectivity: Keesing’s aim to be as objective as is humanly possible. They do not editorialise and they do not pass judgement upon the events which they record. The organisation is totally independent, with no political agenda to promote and no external commercial interests to placate.
• Permanence: Keesing’s is not producing disposable news. They are writing "for the record", and thereby providing a "first take on history". They do not sensationalise or distort for the sake of creating a eye-catching headline. Their aim is to establish the truth, to present it clearly, and to preserve it for future generations of researchers. 

The result of this process is that the Keesing's World News Archive contains a wealth of hard information: news upon which you can rely.

We are delighted to represent this product in the Australasian marketplace so if you would like to set up a 30 day FREE trial for Keesing's please contact our e-team on eresources@bennett.com.au

If you would like to keep up-to-date on new e-Resources via email, please send your contact details and subject interests to jbmarketing@bennett.com.au 

We look forward to being of service to your library.

Help your library deliver new services and remain relevant in the digital age

The Tech Set, created and edited by Ellyssa Kroski and co-published by Facet Publishing and Neal-Schuman Publishers, was recently awarded the 2011 Greenwood Publishing Group Award for Best Book in Library Literature by the American Library Association. As per the press release from CILIP the Award committee praised the “creative, innovate approach” of this ten-volume set that shows librarians how to employ new technologies to create, deliver, and market new user services.

Covering topics such as social networking, mobile technologies, blogging, webcasts, gaming, and other current technologies that aid and improve libraries, each book is supported with an author wiki containing new advice and recommended resources and a podcast where authors discuss their books, current research, and the latest developments in their fields.

These practical, fast-paced guides will have librarians ready to implement all the essential technologies and tools they need to deliver outstanding new services and remain relevant in the digital age.

 

A full list of titles is provided here:

Next-Gen Library Catalogs  Marshall Breeding
Today’s web-savvy users often bypass traditional library catalogues for more interactive, tech-friendly interfaces. Help your library stand out within the crowded landscape of information providers with this new, highly practical guide to interactive next generation library catalogues. ISBN: 9781856047210

Mobile Technology and Libraries  Jason Griffey
Mobile technology is fast becoming the preferred method for connecting to the Internet. Librarians must keep pace with this trend and integrate themselves into the mobile realm if they wish to deliver enhanced user services. This is a practical, easy-to-follow new resource that will walk you through the start-to-finish steps for strengthening your library’s mobile presence. ISBN: 9781856047227

Microblogging and Lifestreaming in Libraries  Robin M Hastings
Microblogging and lifestreaming applications like Twitter, Tumblr, and FriendFeed are all around you and your users in everyday life. This is a practical primer to help any library transform these cuttingedge, budget-friendly services into highly effective professional tools. ISBN: 9781856047234

Library Videos and Webcasts   Sean Robinson
Online video and imaging software gives you the opportunity to communicate with your library users 24/7—but getting started can be intimidating. This book has the building blocks you need to effectively, affordably, and easily create and broadcast highquality webcasts to your library users, staff and the social networking sites beyond.  ISBN: 9781856047241
 
Wikis for Libraries  Lauren Pressley
Wikis have emerged as powerful platforms for facilitating and improving communication and collaboration between library staff, users, and professional peers. Whether you are a wiki novice or a seasoned pro, this book will enable you to build wikis to support special events, serve as a library instruction tool, create valuable online resources—to name a few applications of this popular collaboration tool. ISBN: 9781856047258

Technology Training in Libraries   Sarah Houghton-Jan
Your library plays a crucial role as your community’s epicentre for technology whether you provide skill building resources, free access to the Web, or both. To deliver top service to your web-savvy users, you and your staff must stay up-to-date with the latest technology skills and trends. This book presents practical guidance so you can implement a low-cost, comprehensive staff technology training program. ISBN: 9781856047265

A Social Networking Primer for Libraries  Cliff Landis
Social networking is rapidly infiltrating the information environment, and it is essential that librarians understand how best to use these sites and tools with their work to better serve their users and reach people who have never before used the library. This book provides easy-to-follow guidelines for using MySpace, Facebook, and other prominent sites as a way to expand and improve crucial library functions. ISBN: 9781856047272

Library Camps and Unconferences  Steve Lawson
More and more libraries are working to organise their own library camps or ‘unconferences’ - open, friendly and refreshingly informal gatherings for librarians to unite, exchange ideas, and share knowledge. This book provides you with the guidance you need to bring your vision of organising a library camp to life. ISBN: 9781856047289

Gaming in Libraries   Kelly Czarnecki
Whether gaming is already a crucial part of your library’s core services or it’s only just been introduced, this do-it-yourself new resource will give you the practical tools you need to organise, implement, and market successful gaming events for users of all ages. ISBN: 9781856047296

Effective Blogging for Libraries   Connie Crosby
Renowned library blogger, speaker, and educator Connie Crosby shares her experience and expertise in this step-by-step guide to successful library blogging. This is the go-to resource for any librarian in search of practical, easy-to-implement instruction for creating and managing a winning library blog. ISBN: 9781856047302

The Complete 10 Volume Set (ISBN 9781856047777) is currently on campaign. Libraries please login to JBO today to see our special price which is valid until the 31st May 2011.  Order today and take advantage of these great savings.   



Tel:  (02) 8988 5000
Fax: (02) 8988 5031
Email: info@bennett.com.au


Don't have an account with James Bennett and would like to place a credit card order?  Please email orders@inbooks.com.au and let them know you've seen this on the James Bennett blog or quote reference TECHSET11 for your discounted price.

Ever had a product you can't get enough of?

...well for James Bennett staff, that product is Library PressDisplay.  We've been representing it for several years now and it's been a winner on soo many levels.  Firstly the product is great.  We'll tell you about that in a minute.  The service has been excellent.  Our account manager at Library PressDisplay is reliable, helpful and supportive of our business.  We feel like it's a team effort and we're very proud to be representing Library PressDisplay in the ANZ marketplace.  

There's something very special about having a wonderful relationship with a supplier.  Our Publisher Relations & Marketing Communications Manager, Rachael McDiarmid recently said "we work with thousands, if not tens of thousands of suppliers on a regular basis.  There's nothing better than having one that works with you and is aware of the service level expectations of your customers.  PressDisplay is definitely one of those suppliers.  It's a must-have product for libraries and the service from them todate has been nothing short of exceptional. I can't recommend them highly enough."  

So, what exactly is Library PressDisplay?

More than 1700 newspapers from 92 countries in 48 languages

Library PressDisplay is a web-based portal which provides anyone, from the casual reader to the formal researcher, access to over 1700 newspapers and magazines from more than 92 countries in 48 languages. The easy-to-use interface allows patrons to access the most current editions of international and local newspapers and magazines. Your patrons can search any newspaper, use instant translation, select articles in a table of contents and share them with other patrons.

Library PressDisplay automatically allows you to serve a wider audience with a variety of newspapers and magazines, complemented with a variety of digital tools, accessible from home or within your library. No installation of any software or plug-in software is required. The product would saves delivery costs of print subscriptions, staff resources and shelving space.

Interested?  You can contact your sales executive or you can email the dedicated eResources team at James Bennett on eresources@bennett.com.au   We're more than happy to answer any of your Library PressDisplay enquiries and to set you up on a free 30 day trial.  Contact us today!

Reasons to choose James Bennett as your vendor of choice

Are you looking for a new supplier to manage the acquisition needs of your library?


Here are 10 reasons to choose James Bennett as your vendor of choice:

• Global reach—local service
• Competitive and flexible terms for customers
• Speed of supply—the right book at the right price in the quickest timeframe
• Expertise in working collaboratively with libraries on profiling & selection services
• Single representation for consistency and knowledge of your library workflows
• Proven track record in workflow development and liaising with libraries to streamline their supply chain
• Full service supplier
• Experienced and professional staff
• No compromise in quality, range, or price
• WE AIM TO REDUCE YOUR ACQUISITION COSTS

Contact us today to see how the services we offer will help you meet your collection development needs.

Tel: (02) 8988 5000 or email: info@bennett.com.au



In a future edition of The Bennett Blog we're going to share some information about our Profiling & Selection Services.  Profiling and selection is the fastest growing part of our business, particularly in public libraries, and our new system JBS has been custom-built with library requirements in mind.   We look forward to telling you all about it!

Welcome

I'm the first to admit it.  I never thought we would have a company blog.  What message do we want to send?  Will anyone read it?  Is it an appropriate forum to engage our customers?  What about our suppliers - is this something that publishers will embrace?

In this digital world, all businesses are supposed to have an online presence.  I took this to mean a website, and more importantly for our customers, JBO - our online selection and acquisition interface.  Anything other than the primary services to our customers was not high on my priority list.  Yet here we are.  We have The Bennett Blog.  We're also now on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook so if you use these sites for business communications please "follow" or "like" us to stay up-to-date with news, special promotions and other offers.
 
Do we have a message that is relevant to all those we have the privilege of doing business with?  Well the answer is a resounding YES.  Afterall James Bennett has been recognised as an industry leader by many in the publishing and bookselling world.  We have staff who are incredibly knowledgeable on all parts of the supply chain, particularly ebooks and digital reference.  We have a stable Management Team who continue to lead the organisation through an ever-changing industry.  Our sales representatives, profiling & selection staff, and operations people work hard to deliver a uniquely James Bennett service that supports the acquisition needs of our customer base.  And our customer service staff receive more accolades than we sometimes know what to do with!  In a nutshell: we know our business, we know our industry.  It's a continually changing world out there.  And we have much to share with you.

So where do we go from here?  The first thing is to have someone look at the broader communications plan.  I've already appointed an experienced marketing communications champion to look at relevant subject matters, the timing, the delivery mechanisms.  We're excited about new product offers, eResources, business developments and how the James Bennett business will deliver new and competitive services in the year ahead.

As always, let us know your expectations.  How would you like to engage with us?  We've been partners for many years.  Let's take it to another level.

Chris von Hinckeldey
Managing Director