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We constructed a corpus of digitized texts containing about 4% of all books ever printed. Analysis of this corpus enables us to investigate cultural trends quantitatively. We survey the vast terrain of 'culturomics,' focusing on linguistic and cultural phenomena that were reflected in the English language between 1800 and 2000. We show how this approach can provide insights about fields as diverse as lexicography, the evolution of grammar, collective memory, the adoption of technology, the pursuit of fame, censorship, and historical epidemiology. Culturomics extends the boundaries of rigorous quantitative inquiry to a wide array of new phenomena spanning the social sciences and the humanities.

So far in 2007, ICBA has launched three new Preferred Service Provider (PSP) programs -- all developed to provide unique value to ICBA member banks -- which round out the 20 other existing PSP programs. The first program launched this year is with Didier Printing, a manufacturer of secure credit and debit cards. Turning to customer relationship management, or CRM, an area that has proven profitable over the years for large money-center banks and played a large role in improving their customer service capabilities, ICBA kicked-off a program with InBusiness Services Inc, of Nashville, TN. And just last month, ICBA selected Fidelity National Information Systems as its newest preferred service provider for core data and item processing.

As the nation's largest banking association, ICBA wields significant political and market influence from the strength of its combined membership. Establishing vital product and service programs that harness the total economic power of all community banks is an important ICBA mission. ICBA leverages its membership power in the marketplace through its own banker-driven service corporations and its various Preferred Service Providers (PSP) programs, which provide community banks access to a wide range of competitively priced products and services opportunities. More than 80% of ICBA members participate in at least one revenue-generating PSP program, offering a huge return on their membership dues. A list of ICBA PSPs is presented. advantage of these programs.

Since 1982, ICBA has offered value-added products and services to community banks. So far in 2005, ICBA has added five new programs to complement the existing line-up of its Preferred Service Provider programs. Working with outside service providers, these programs are designed to help members compete more effectively by providing members cost savings, revenue enhancement opportunities, or new products for community bank customers. Because ICBA is effectively lending its name to Preferred Service Providers it is essential that service providers that earn the right to use the ICBA logo are financially strong, provide quality products, are credible and have the best interest of community banks at heart. Once the selection process has been completed and a vendor becomes an ICBA Preferred Service Provider, ICBA's efforts shift to oversight. To ensure superb customer service they are also developing a system to survey member banks that participate in these programs or that contact ICBA for further information.

With insurance premiums rising and community banks exploring a variety of nontraditional services and roles, it is important for financial institutions to perform regular and periodic reviews of their insurance coverage to ensure that they are not exposed to unnecessary risk or overpay for redundant coverage. In general, a community bank should review its insurance coverage every three to five years, says Jim DeRoberts of the Columbus, OH-based insurance agency Dick DeRoberts and Co. Banks should also remember that as they diversify their product lines, they may need to reassess their insurance coverage. In general, insurance costs are on the rise. In the wake of the Sep 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the bursting stock market bubble and the wave of corporate accounting scandals, insurance pricing has been creeping up for everyone -- banks included. But the good news is banks represent relatively low-risk insurance carriers, and therefore costs have moved up more slowly.

All business relationships are based on mutual benefit. They're also the underpinning of every Preferred Service Provider program that ICBA forms with valued service providers. ICBA, in addition to voicing the interests of community banks to lawmakers and regulators in Washington, represents community banks in the financial services marketplace. For community banks, ICBA Preferred Service Provider programs aggregate the economic power of all its members and generate product discounts and fee income opportunities that would be difficult for banks to negotiate on their own. Community banks have many choices in selecting product and service relationships. ICBA Preferred Service Provider programs strive to make those decisions easier by providing trusted discount and fee-income programs that your bank cannot afford to pass up -- and whose returns far exceed the dues your bank pays for ICBA membership.

As a group, the community of independent banks represents a broad market of potential customers. However, individually, many of the institutions do not have the assets necessary to invest heavily in third-party services. ICBA's member services can serve as a critical avenue to reach that potential market. On the face of it, ICBA's services allow vendors to license the ICBA name and logo. But it's more than that. They try to work with the vendors to make sure the services provide ongoing value for their members. Here's how the process of picking a vendor works. First, ICBA identifies a need. Staff passes those proposals on to the chairman and vice chairman of ICBA's Bank Services Committee. The entire process can take more than a year. In part, the schedule is dictated by the Bank Services Committee's twice-annual meeting. The proposed service must provide members cost savings or revenue not available to nonmembers.

Customer expectations have increased markedly over the last few years. Now more than ever, consumers demand better and faster service, more options, new and innovative products, and less hassle than in the past. This change in expectations is due, in no small part, to the increasing role technology plays in all of people's lives. Community bank members are ICBA's customers. To continue to attract and retain your business, they will continue to evolve with the changing times in an effort to meet your needs. Last year, ICBA launched two new services. They introduced Brainscratch, a turnkey student loan program for community banks that want to provide this service without the hassle of developing their own program. They also teamed with My Travel Wallet, which provides foreign currency and foreign currency travelers cheques to community bank customers. This year, ICBA introduced two more new services that reflect recent changes in the banking industry.

Since the 1980s, ICBA has used the aggregating power of its members to help community banks compete on an even playing field in an increasingly consolidating financial services marketplace.

A recent report by Grant Thornton documented this clear-cut challenge for Wisconsin manufacturers. In a survey of Wisconsin employers, 43 percent offered fewer than eight hours of annual training per employee. In a recent newspaper article, Mike Altschaefl, a Grant Thornton- Wisconsin managing partner said, \"Wisconsin was one of the lowest (states) in expectations to provide at least eight hours of training at the manufacturing level.\" Wisconsin's Technical Colleges' employer advisory committees see the same trend here. Employers are looking to conduct more training of incumbent workers, especially in manufacturing. While these are encouraging signs, Wisconsin needs to do more to ensure employees' skills remain a priority.