what is an information professional in the digital age?
DESCRIPTION
This is a 4-part series on answering the question, "What is an Information Professional in the Digital Age?" by Alina J. Johnson, MSITRANSCRIPT
What is an Information Professional in the Digital Age?
Alina J. Johnson, MSI(c) 2010
Outline
Definition of an Information Professional
Traditional Roles
Accreditation
The Digital Age
New, Improved Roles
Information Seeking Behaviors
Reassessing User Behaviors
Challenging Assumptions
Outline
Definition of an Information Professional
Traditional Roles
Accreditation
The Digital Age
New, Improved Roles
Information Seeking Behaviors
Reassessing User Behaviors
Challenging Assumptions
Outline
Definition of an Information Professional
Traditional Roles
Accreditation
The Digital Age
New, Improved Roles
Information Seeking Behaviors
Reassessing User Behaviors
Challenging Assumptions
Outline
Definition of an Information Professional
Traditional Roles
Accreditation
The Digital Age
New, Improved Roles
Information Seeking Behaviors
Reassessing User Behaviors
Challenging Assumptions
Outline
Definition of an Information Professional
Traditional Roles
Accreditation
The Digital Age
New, Improved Roles
Information Seeking Behaviors
Reassessing User Behaviors
Challenging Assumptions
Outline
Definition of an Information Professional
Traditional Roles
Accreditation
The Digital Age
New, Improved Roles
Information Seeking Behaviors
Reassessing User Behaviors
Challenging Assumptions
Outline
Definition of an Information Professional
Traditional Roles
Accreditation
The Digital Age
New, Improved Roles
Information Seeking Behaviors
Reassessing User Behaviors
Challenging Assumptions
Outline
Definition of an Information Professional
Traditional Roles
Accreditation
The Digital Age
New, Improved Roles
Information Seeking Behaviors
Reassessing User Behaviors
Challenging Assumptions
Definition An information professional is one
with the education, training, and experience to strategically search, locate, and find answers to common information dilemmas
An information professional can aid another in the search and retrieval of information objects
Several professional and trade organizations give various definitions of the what an information professional isis and doesdoes
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Definitions
• A bevy of definitions abound from a seemingly endless array of alphabet soup from associations, trade groups, and organizations
• ALA
• ASIS
• SCIP
• AIIP
• CILIP
• AITP
Traditional Roles In the past, the Professional Librarian was
the authoritative source, and contextual and visual metaphor for the information professional
Librarian specializations include that of Archivist, Records Manager, Preservationist, Cataloger, Museum Curator, Referencer, Media Specialist, Government Document Specialist, GIS (spatial data), among others
In addition to the vast number of specializations within librarianship, there are a number of professional degrees available, notwithstanding the traditional MLIS
In short, a Librarian IS an Information Professional, but just one of many types
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Accreditation Accreditation is an undertaking that
seeks to unify and advance the profession under the conditions set by reputed graduate programs, and meets the criteria for standards bodies and approval to demonstrate quality to both students and the public
One reputed organization, the Council of Higher Education Accreditation, lists 60 academic programmatic organizations
Of these, the American Library Association (ALA) accredits library and information studies master degree programs in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico
• For instance, the University of For instance, the University of Michigan Michigan has held ALA-has held ALA-accreditation status continuously accreditation status continuously since 1925 and was the first of since 1925 and was the first of its kind to receive ALA its kind to receive ALA accreditation with all of its unique accreditation with all of its unique specializations in 1996 specializations in 1996
• In fact, working closely with ALA, In fact, working closely with ALA, the School of Information (SI) the School of Information (SI) gained re-accreditation in March gained re-accreditation in March 20082008
The Digital Age
• More recently, university and college programs at computer science, engineering, and information schools are filling the void as the role of technology grows in a globalized and digital information society
• The Age of Information demands that information professionals be more than simply Librarians
• Librarians are but the first of the information professionals variously known as webmaster, system designer, incentive engineer, usability/interaction designer...
... website designers, social network analyst, web archivist, information policy analysts, information architects, knowledge navigator, and information specialist, among others
To be continued...
• Please join me next week, Feb. 22 – 26, 2010 for more information in “What is an Information Professional in the Digital Age?
• Contact Alina J. Johnson
– www.linkedin.com/in/alinajjohnson
– www.umich.edu/~alinaj(c) 2010 – All Rights Reserved