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You can’t afford not to be green

Well, according to the YUDU Green book anyway. This carbon free publication contains “51ways that your business can save money and the planet”.

The ‘book’ is a great way for YUDU to promote themselves and their carbon neutral approach to publishing.

“Carbon Neutral Publishing: From the planet’s favourite publisher!

YUDU believes in lessening the environmental impact of printing. While there will always be a desire for printed publications, we want to cut out the unnecessary use of trees and energy to help reduce carbon footprints.

But it’s not just the act of felling trees; the whole process of printing and distribution is harmful:

1. Logging – disturbs wildlife and uses fuel
2. Pulp mills – use natural resources and create pollution
3. Transportation – creates pollution
4. Printing – uses natural resources and chemicals
5. Waste – cleaning and recycling uses resources and energy

So it’s not difficult to appreciate the environmental benefits when you publish with YUDU.

But hard as we try, we cannot be completely energy free. The computer servers that process, host and serve YUDU publications all consume energy.

So to make sure all YUDU digital publications are as carbon neutral as possible, we completely offset all our CO2 emissions by donating money to Carbon Clear, a leading carbon management company. They invest in projects that improve living standards in developing countries and which provide global climate benefits with clean energy projects and reforestation initiatives.

All YUDU publications carry a carbon neutral stamp.”

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Manchester’s Commercial Library and Ask About Business service

Today I visited Manchester’s Commercial Library and Ask About Business service with my colleague Nigel Spencer. The weather was spectacular all day which made for wonderful views from the train over Cheshire and the Peak District. But also put a lie to Manchester’s reputation as grey and wet city. Walking along the canal past Victorian industrial palaces and modern glass and steel offices to the impressive circular building (apparently based on the Pantheon in Rome) was a delight.

The meeting was to compare developments in our respective services and to explore how we can support each other in future. They demonstrated their recently launched Ask About Business service, which is particularly impressive.

“Ask About Business is a new partnership between eleven library authorities in Greater Manchester, Blackpool, and Blackburn with Darwen.  Led by Manchester Library & Information Service, Ask About Business provides access through libraries to information that supports:  Pre-Start and new businesses, Existing business, Jobseekers, Consumers, Inventors, Business students”

What is particularly inspiring was the decision to use their numerous local libraries as the front line for this new service. Customers are then referred to business information specialists on a case by case basis.

It was flattering to hear that some of their initiatives (such as workshops and use of success stories) were inspired by our activities in the Business & IP Centre. Considering the limited budget they have been working to, their achievements are even more extraordinary.

Providing remote free access to the Cobra (Complete Business Reference Adviser) database (one of our most useful sources for business startups) is inspired.

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Walkit.com gets me to work on time

Walking over the Millennium Bridge on a sunny morning

Having regularly walked from London Bridge station to work at St Pancras for nearly three years I thought I knew all the routes. Including the fastest ones which avoided busy and noisy roads.

However the newly improved Walkit.com website has shown me the error of my ways. Thanks to them I managed to cut nearly ten minutes off my 55 minute standard walk time. In addition their route gave me more time enjoying the view along the Thames before cutting up through the amazing inns of court including Middle Temple and Gray’s Inn Gardens.

Middle Temple Gardens
Middle Temple Gardens
Gray's Inn Square
Gray's Inn Square
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Feeling good about ethical fashion

The British Library had it’s own contribution to London Fashion week in the form of Feelgood Fashion.

We brought together a panel of pioneering design and fashion entrepreneurs to talk about ethical fashion.

Jen Ruppert, founder of eco-fashion company Revamp

Ed Gillespie, creative director and co-founder of communications agency Futerra

Safia Minney, founder and director of People Tree, an environmental and Fair Trade label available in TopShop.

After the presentations and question and answer sessions we were treated to a fashion show in the main entrance of the British Libary. The creativity and quality of the re-cycled clothing was spectacular.

[youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mItLcACFP_Q]

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Maurice Collins and his Weird and Wonderful collection

Maurice Collins, the man behind our very popular Weird and Wonderful small display currently in the Centre, gave a very entertaining talk last night.

We had a full house of over 100 interested visitors, and Maurice entertained the audience with a mixture of slides and items from his collection. Often he would test to see if they could guess what the mysterious object actually did, and was greeted with a wide range of suggestions.

Two of his favourites kept the audience baffled for quite some time. Eventually someone guessed what the applicator for pile ointment was for. But the brothel clock had everyone stumped.

This BBC news story has images of eight more of the gadgets in his collection.

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Journey of an invention blog

The British Library has always had a strong fan base, particularly when our funding seemed to be threatened. However it is great to see a new fan in the shape of Liz Joseph an inventor. She has started a brand new blog to follow her journey of discovery as she develops her mass-market product.

She has started her route to success by making full use of the wide range of services we offer, and it is great to see her positive comments on the practical benefits these give.

She has already put in for a detailed patent search, so fingers crossed for a positive result there. I look forward to following her adventures as the days and weeks go by.

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Blind tours of London?

The ever wonderful source of ideas Springwise has come up with Blind Tours. In this instance Lisboa Sensorial organizes blindfolded walking tours of Lisbon.

After being securely blindfolded, participants are steered through Alfama’s narrow streets by blind guides from the ACAPO (Portuguese Association for the Visually Impaired). The guide share their experience of the surroundings, and encourages participants to fully explore their altered perception of “the narrow streets, the smell of grilled sardines, the sound of a Fado that can be heard from afar.” A guide with historical knowledge of the area also accompanies each group.

The project has two main goals: to provide participants with a new sensory experience of their surroundings through the stimuli of smell, touch, taste and hearing, and the absence of vision.

Secondly, they aim to make sighted people more aware of how the visually impaired experience the world.

As Springwise point out – this seems like a concept that’s worth copying to other cities such as London.

I am trying to imagine the sounds and smells of my various routes to work in London, in particular through Covent Garden and past Monmouth Street Coffee Shop (the best coffee in London IMHO).

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Business & Intellectual Property Centre (the envy of every business librarian

I know we like to think we are doing a great job here in the Business & IP Centre, but it is great when an external source confirms this for us. Especially when it comes from as far away as Australia.

The case in point is a blog post from the State Library of Western Australia which has picked up on our Weird and Wonderful Gadgets and Inventions small display, but in passing mentions that the Business & IP Centre is “the envy of every business librarian”.

Praise indeed.

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Free Design Council guides for small businesses

As you know from previous blog postings, I am interested in the impact of design on business and profitability.

Now the Design Council has created three new free guides to help start-ups and small businesses find and work with designers effectively, use branding to their advantage and create more successful websites.

All three guides are full of step-by-step advice, real-life examples and practical ideas other small businesses can learn from and put into practice.

The choices are ‘Finding and working with a designer’, ‘The power of branding’ and ‘Getting a great website’, the 30-page guides are available free at www.designcouncil.org.uk/smallbusinessguides

Over 25 case studies are included across the guides, showing how business-owners have overcome challenges faced by all small businesses, including Gü, Munchy Seeds, Kent Brushes, Ecobrands, Atlantic Hotel and Newmarket Race Courses.