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Libraries

Libraries urged to embrace ICT to stay relevant

There is another news article relating to information literacy coming out of Brunei. The Borneo Bulletin has an article titled Libraries urged to embrace ICT to stay relevant by P. Marilyn. In it Marilyn writes about The Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education, Awang Haji Daud bin Haji Mahmud, yesterday called for a change in the traditional role of librarians or information officers.Here is some of what he said during the speech:"He said the role of libraries in an academic enterprise is dedicated to maintaining the importance and relevance of the academic library as a place of intellectual stimulation and a centre of activity on campus.""Though access to information is increasingly decentralised, and computer labs now compete with libraries as campus gathering points, librarians must demonstrate to the campus community that the library remains central to the academic process.""Information literacy skills and user education should be integrated across the curriculum and into appropriate courses with special attention given to information evaluation, critical thinking, intellectual property, copyright and plagiarism.""As the profession becomes progressively challenging, we have to ensure professional education of new librarians and re-educating existing librarians with skills and knowledge to support new roles in a Digital Information Age, especially roles involving teaching and library promotion."
Published: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:14:45 GMT - Source: Information-literacy.Net - Read the article

Europe

Stelios refuses to approve easyJet accounts

The dispute between the easyJet board and the airline's largest shareholder escalated this morning after Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou refused to approve annual accounts which showed a 46% fall in pre-tax profits.Haji-Ioannou, who has fallen out with board members over the budget carrier's strategy, said he was "unable" to back today's figures due to a number of objections related to easyJet's acquisition of GB Airways. The easyJet founder also ruled out becoming chairman of the airline but has proposed two lieutenants from his easyGroup business as non-executive directors. In a letter to the board published at the end of easyJet's annual results, Haji-Ioannou again criticised the airline's ambitious expansion plans."I would like to place on record that I believe that with careful cash management and in particular more prudent capital expenditure, easyJet and its shareholders will be the winners in European short-haul aviation. We must focus on cash flows forecasts and not on carrying more passengers," he said.Sir Stelios, who remains the airline's largest shareholder with a 27% stake, has demanded that the carrier begin paying dividends for the first time. The accounts were signed off by the airline's auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers.EasyJet reflected its founder's concerns in a change in short-term strategy announced today. Europe's second-largest low-cost carrier said it had reduced winter growth plans from a 12% increase in capacity to zero and added that it had deferred four aircraft deliveries scheduled to arrive in 2010. It added that, according to a multi-billion pound order with Airbus, it can defer up to half its 109 future aircraft deliveries for up to two years. However, easyJet refused to state whether it is considering pushing back those orders."EasyJet delivered a good trading performance in the financial year ending September 2008 ... We recognise that economic conditions will be very difficult and easyJet is planning accordingly," said Andy Harrison, easyJet chief executive.Boosted by an expansion that added 28 aircraft to its fleet over the year, easyJet said revenues grew by 32% to nearly £2.4bn as passenger numbers rose 17% to 43.7 million. The passenger load factor, which states the amount of seats sold per flight and is an important indicator of the financial health of a low-cost carrier, was flat at 84%. Profits were hit by higher fuel costs.Harrison said in a conference call with reporters this morning that the concerns raised by Haji-Ioannou were "not new news" and had already been considered by management, the audit committee and auditors. He said they were non-cash items and had "no impact on the value or commercial strength of the company".Haji-Ioannou said in his statement that easyJet should monitor the profitability of GB Airways more closely by accounting the performance of each of its routes separately. He said the valuation of GB's Gatwick airport slots was too optimistic given the current economic climate, that the aircraft owned by GB should be written down in the easyJet accounts and that the impairment value of the GB assets should be tested separately on an annual basis. "I am left without any other options but to abstain from voting on the accounts as a director of easyJet plc. I am doing so reluctantly, but I believe it is in the interest of all shareholders to be more prudent at the present time," said Haji-Ioannou. The easyJet founder said the airline should pay a dividend from 2011 onwards, which would represent an about-turn in a company strategy that is predicated on growing the business much faster than all rivals except Ryanair.EasyjetAirline industryCredit crunchguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Published: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:03:42 GMT - Source: Guardian.Co.Uk - Read the article

Europe

Stelios raises easyJet stake and threatens to return as chairman

A rift between easyJet and the airline's flamboyant founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, erupted into the open yesterday after the tycoon increased his stake in the business and threatened to reinstate himself as chairman.The board of the budget airline made public the details of an email sent by Haji-Ioannou to the company late on Thursday. In it, the airline's founder disclosed that he had lifted his stake from 15.6% to almost 27%, after taking control of his sister's shares. Haji-Ioannou said he wanted to appoint two representatives to the board or else exercise his right to name himself chairman. The tycoon remains a non-executive director but has not been chairman since 2002.The two sides are at odds over strategy. Haji-Ioannou is demanding that the carrier because of the slowing economy, stoking some speculation over the financial health of his easyGroup empire, which operates businesses from hotels to pizza delivery to men's toiletries. EasyJet has never paid dividends in its eight years as a public company, preferring to invest for growth.In an emailed response to questions, Haji-Ioannou said: "I am merely applying my rights under the articles of association of the company to protect my investment in easyJet." He said his request was for the company to pay a dividend by 2011 "if the markets allow".The company said it had been taken by surprise. In a statement, chairman Sir Colin Chandler said "there has been a far-reaching debate over these issues", adding that "the ongoing dialogue with Sir Stelios continued" during a scheduled board meeting on Thursday, when it appeared as though a resolution was in reach. He said dialogue would continue, but noted: "I would like to make it clear up front that the other non-executive directors and I fully support the executive management of the company."The board includes Channel 5 chairman Dawn Airey, former Alliance & Leicester executive David Bennett, Ladbrokes boss Sir David Michels, and John Browett, who runs DSG International, the owner of Currys, Dixons and PC World.The relationship between Haji-Ioannou and the company began to sour in summer when the tycoon filed a claim in the high court accusing the carrier of breaking its licence agreement by starting too many ancillary businesses, including a credit card and hotel-booking website. The case is still rumbling through the courts.At an investor day in September, the airline outlined plans to take delivery of 85 new aircraft in the next three years, adding 35 craft to the fleet and bringing it to 200, after taking into account the retirement and sale of older planes. The aim is to build routes to mainland Europe.At its full-year results due next week, however, the airline is expected to pare back its ambitions. In the statement, the company defended its plans and said it was already taking a "cautious" approach to spending.EasyJet said its full-year figures would be in line with market expectations, adding that forward bookings and total revenue per seat are running slightly ahead of last year. The company is expected to report profits of £115m, a little over half the previous year's £202m.Haji-Ioannou, 41, who was born in Cyprus, started easyJet when he was 28, floating the business on the stockmarket in 2000. His brother Polys owns a further 11.3% of the airline.Pressed about the financial state of easyGroup, Haji-Ioannou responded: "I am doing very well financially, considering the macro climate, thank you. I have no leverage at all."Shares in easyJet have more than halved in price since the start of the year, costing the businessman a paper loss of around £170m.Douglas McNeill, airline analyst at stockbrokers Blue Oar, said the market was still digesting the situation. "On the one hand you have conflict at board level, which is undesirable. But there is also the prospect of a change of strategy and the distribution of cash," he said. "The rapid rate of expansion that has been planned requires a huge amount of cash to be spent on new planes. Stelios clearly thinks that cash could be better used elsewhere."EasyjetAirline industryguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Published: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:16:05 GMT - Source: Guardian.Co.Uk - Read the article

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