Tuesday 22 May 2012

The World Bank's Doing Business Project

Today I learnt that the World Bank’s Doing Business Project measures and compares business regulations and their enforcement across 183 countries.

OK, so I already knew that UKTI produces “Doing business in...” guides that cover a wide range of countries, and I also knew that PLC produces “Doing business in…” legal guides for a number of jurisdictions across the globe. I’m not too sure how I missed the World Bank’s Doing Business project and website until now…

Doing Business gathers quantitative data to compare business regulation environments in 183 countries. In doing so, it “encourages countries to compete towards more efficient regulation” and “offers measurable benchmarks for reform”. Countries are ranked according to their ease of doing business. The following topics are examined and included in the ranking:

Starting a business
Dealing with construction permits
Getting electricity
Registering property
Getting credit
Protecting investors
Paying taxes
Trading across borders
Enforcing contracts
Resolving insolvency

You can view the data and summary for each country, or download the Economy Profile. You can also view the historical data back to 2003, allowing you to see how the ease of doing business in a particular country has changed over time.

Doing Business website:

Friday 18 May 2012

BIALL’s Duplicates Exchange Scheme is back

Today I learnt that BIALL’s Duplicates Exchange Scheme (for exchanging duplicate journal issues) is back.

For a wee while we all thought the scheme was no longer, but it is still going strong and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year! The BIALL website describes the scheme as follows:

“The scheme is the means by which all Libraries can share resources, helping both large and small firms, academic and government Libraries. The scheme facilitates the obtaining of missing periodical parts, old textbooks and directories and off-loading surplus material you can’t face throwing in the bin.”*

It operates 3 times a year (October, February, June). You have to be a member to take part in the scheme and the annual subscription price is £32 plus VAT for organisations or individuals who are BIALL members or £50 plus VAT for non-members. More information on how the scheme works can be found on the BIALL website:

Thursday 17 May 2012

Locating sections of the US Code using the popular names of the Act


Today I learnt how to locate sections of the US Code using the popular name of the Act.

Those helpful people at the Legal Information Institute at Cornell have made available an A-Z list of popular names. The popular names are generally the names given to pieces of legislation as they pass through Congress. This list allows you to look up the popular name and see exactly which parts of the US code it has ended up in. For some popular names you will also be given a Public Law number and a link to the bill as it was originally passed by Congress. That link will take you to the LRC THOMAS legislative system, or GPO FDSYS site.