new and evolving roles of business information professionals sla 2004 annual conference, business...
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New and Evolving Roles ofBusiness Information Professionals
SLA 2004 Annual Conference, Business & Finance Division
Cindy Hill & Rebecca Jones
Our focus Cindy Hill, Sun Microsystems
Rebecca Jones, Dysart & Jones [email protected]
• Look at drivers of professional evolvement– Technology, Organizational Processes & Practices (Cindy)
• Talk about current roles– Our competencies, our potential (Rebecca)
• Discuss critical success factors– For our profession, our roles & each of us
Vision statement
• SLA is the global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners
At our parent organization’s level
• Vision statements ->• Mission statements ->• Strategic plans ->• Annual priorities and goals ->
• Cascading down and throughout
At our own organization’s level• CASCADING:
– Vision statements ->– Mission statements ->– Strategic plans ->– Annual priorities and goals ->
• Which might lead to personal goals and development plans
• Cascading down and throughout
UC Berkeley experience• Terry Huwe, UCB Labor Studies Library
– Identified an information gap within his school• By attending departmental meetings, talking with peers, observing
behavior
– Defined a solution– Developed and implemented the solution
• Some implications: staff core competencies, availability of time, technology support, future sustainability
– At a mature stage of the program, identified a point at which it was “okay” to turn over the project to another group for ongoing support
Rapid change
• Throughout our industries, organizations and profession
• Continual chaos– Technology influencers– Economics influencers– Environmental influencers
Organizational needs drive demand
• Organizational initiatives are opportunities– Ex: mobile worker– Ex: mobile student– Ex: mobile executive, administrator– Ex: “outsourcing” (business sourcing)
• New core competency identified: vendor relationship management
The mobile worker• Looks like: hoteling, iWork initiative• Impact:
– 24 hour clock now a given– demand for faster speed of delivery? – demand for selected, targeted information vs the info dump?– demand for “just the right info, in just the right amount, at just the right time,
JUST FOR ME?”• Moved from “nice to have” status to “must have” status?
• Opportunities for us:– eContent or physical?– Connections– Delivery of materials
• Bandwidth, postal mail– Training/education
The mobile student
• Distance education demands are growing
• Access to content
• Access to instructors, library staff
• Access to colleagues
The mobile executive• Are their needs different from other
workers?• Are their expectations different?• If the answer is “yes”, is there an
opportunity for us?– Different services, content, delivery,
packaging, communication?
Business sourcing (aka outsourcing)
• New core competency identified: vendor relationship management– Job definition/clarification (scope of work)– Annual or multi-year contract negotiation– Training or re-training– IDEA: Look to the Federal Government for
some best practicesJune 2004 Harvard Business Review
Technology as an influencer• Technology examples in the 3-5 years:
– Multilanguage translators– RFID tags– Webinars– Videoconferencing– Flash video training sessions– Federated search tools– Large content visualization tools– Automated taxonomy tools– 24X7 reference– Walk-around phones and headsets– GPS systems becoming ubiquitous
• Opryland?
Technology as an influencer
• As new technologies emerge…– …we test them
• Alpha and beta tests with information partners• Personal exploration & use -> professional use
– Gaming -> learning via simulations
• Adoption and incorporation
The info pro as an influencer• As we identify new needs…
– We define them– We begin creating them and/or making requests of our
partners– We may even enter into joint partnerships– Some examples: multiple language translations,
usability of eBooks, content for handheld devices, RFID potential
Technology as an influencer• As new technologies emerge…
– …we learn about them• Tech talks: Stephen Abram, Genie Tyburski, Gary
Price• Conference sessions: “24x7 Librarian”, “Innovative
Instruction”• Professional publications • Our colleagues
Our competencies• Roughly defined as a specific range of skills, abilities or
knowledge enabling or qualifying someone to perform a particular function or carry out selected responsibilities
• They are:– The very foundation of a profession– The basis for professional growth and performance measures
• Widely used by the profession as well as by educators and employers http://www.sla.org/content/learn/comp2003/index.cfm
Management of:
Information Organizations
Information Resources
Information Services
Information Tools & Technologies
Four major competencies• Managing Information Organizations• Managing Information Resources• Managing Information Services• Applying Information Tools and Technologies
Each of which are augmented with specific skills
Managing information organizations– Business Skills– Align with strategic directions of parent thru partnerships– Communicate value to stakeholders– Management, operational & financial processes with sound
business judgment– Contribute to organizational strategies & decisions– Lead info services team & champions their development– Market services & products– Gather evidence to support decisions re products & services– Advise on copyright & intellectual property
Managing information resources– Manage the life cycle of information– Build dynamic collection of information resources– Demonstrate expert knowledge of content– Provide access to external & internal information– Negotiate purchase & licensing of information products &
services– Develop information policies re: external and internal
information
Managing information services
– Develop & maintain portfolio of information services
– Conduct market research of info behaviors & challenges of current & potential clients
– Research, analyze & synthesize info into accurate answers/actionable info
– Develop & apply relevant metrics to continually measure quality & value
Applying information tools & technologies
– Assess, select & apply current & emerging information tools & create info access & delivery solutions
– Apply expertise in databases, indexing, metadata, info analysis & synthesis to improve info retrieval & use
– Protect info privacy– Maintain current awareness of emerging technologies
Our Personal Competencies• Seek challenges & new opportunities• See the big picture• Communicate effectively• Present ideas clearly, confidently • Create partnerships & alliances• Plan, prioritize & focus on critical• Take calculated risks• Team approach• Plan career
We did not choose this profession because it’s easy
A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.
English proverb
New Roles Using eCompetencies• Explorers & navigators in the information
ocean– Translating for & training our communities
• Information designers– Building collaborative spaces– Integrating content into workflow & processes
• Information futurists– Daily blogs with links to econtent– Analyzing information trends
Samplings in academic venues• “Educators” of the faculty and administration
• Terry Huwe talked about the incredible influence of this role
• The new frontiers….distance education & literacy• Defining & delivering services through partnerships, &
strategies
• The business perspective of stakeholders• Demands for business plans, performance measures &
portfolio reviews with libraries leading the way
Samplings in government venues
• eGovernment:– Working for decision makers in a global
economy– Special library model converging with the
business model– Business skills for survival in the future
including trend watching
Samplings in corporate venues
• Extending spheres of influence• Manager of Research in a global organization includes
responsibilities on the Global IT Team determining IT budgets & resources, as well as on the Global Marketing Team
• Director Knowledge Networks involves responsibility for enterprise information portal, a business information portal, contracting & integrating content, plus enterprise intranet solutions for external clients
Anywhere you want to go…
Information initiators, facilitators, strategists, mediators, moderators, movers
Director of Web Communications, Web designers, definers, developers, divas
A few more…Knowledge Management – Architect, Content
manager
Communities of Practice Coordinator
Information Strategists
Information Discoverers
Oh! And those consultants….what do we do?
Evolving doesn’t mean erasingSystems librarians
Taxonomy, cataloguing & indexing consultants
Oh yeah….let’s not forget…
Reference, research & advisory
Competitive Intelligence:• Managing Collection Networks; Tools & Technology
Analysts
Records:• Analysts; Policy & Program Advisors
Learning:• Learning Architects & Advisors
And move onto our potential
• Our potential is now
• As information becomes increasingly regarded as a commodity, high value roles will be applied at the ends of the process and rarely in the middle
We are in a service revolution• Farmers add value by enhancing seed or breed
development or by creating specialty foods• We must research our markets and processes
• Where can we expand, what market gap can we fill?
• We must analyze our portfolios of skills• What must we start, stop, continue? • What can we outsource in terms of our roles that enable us to
concentrate on what we truly want to do?
Our potential depends on• Readiness:
• Continuous competency & professional development & demonstration
– Find the learning opportunities at SLA & other organizations/universities/etc.
• Relationships:• Networking in your organization & your profession
• Realism:• Understanding what’s required in the role you want, & what
the organization requires