de Stricker

Influence ... Why Don't We Have More?

In late October 2011, I had the great honor - along with my colleague Connie Crosby - of being named Instructor of the Year at the iSchool Institute of the University of Toronto Faculty of Information (http://institute.ischool.utoronto.ca/). It has been my pleasure to teach in the program for years, and I look forward to doing so in the years to come. Nothing is as rewarding as seeing course participants realize how they can apply the course content to their own jobs; I teach each course in the hope of encouraging my professional peers to "go out there and make something happen". In other words, I like to think I make a difference.

Then, I came across a statement in an article by K. Matthew Dames in the November 2011 issue of Information Today (Intellectual Property - Libraries Encounter the Piracy Paradigm - www.infotoday.com/it/nov11/index.shtml). In it, he said "the library community … does not have the political influence to fundamentally change the conversation. The result is the nation's major political, economic, and legal stakeholders virtually ignore the library community."

Matthew Dames' article focused on copyright, but his direct statement about influence hit home. In a time when public libraries are shut down and corporations and government departments look to do without libraries, what influence do we librarians actually have?

In a recent item written for Information Today Europe - http://www.infotoday.eu/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=78092
- I commented on the 'new you' we all need to become. In my question "haven't we been polite about it long enough?" I was referring to the fact that we cannot afford to stay silent about the consequences of inadequate information behaviors. But Matthew Dames' comment shows my questions about information husbandry extend to society in general:

What influence do we have on public policy and funding for education, social and health services? Are the librarians - so very familiar with social and educational challenges - consulted when it comes to designing social programs? How can our knowledge be brought to bear on political will?

In the spirit of "isn't it time we moved from service to influence", I urge reflection … "how can I, as an information professional, make a positive difference in the legislation and practices of my society?".

New Normal Needs a New You: Internet Librarian International 2011

Once again I recently had the privilege of contributing to one of my favorite conferences: Internet Librarian International held in London in late October 2011. Within the conference theme of "The New Normal", my colleagues Michael Stephens and Joanna Ptolomey and I had the honor of concluding the activities through our final panel entitled "The New Normal Needs A New You". We each summarized key takeaways from the conference and were very pleased with the obvious engagement from the audience - check out the #ili2011 tweets!

As usual, the ILI conference drew attendees from all over the world and offered them up to the minute insights into best practices in a wide range of professional domains. In advance, I had been asked for a brief statement for Information Today Europe - see http://bit.ly/qQ4M1z. I was encouraged to see how the conference sessions and conversations bore out my thoughts - and even more encouraged to find how much it seems information professionals are preparing for new realities. Here are some views I had the opportunity to articulate at ILI2011:

►As a profession, we must expand the definition of what we do. I had the chance to advance this opinion as a panelist at the preconference SLA Europe reception: "We must adjust our
vocabulary to reflect to employers that we are superbly suited in many non-library roles - say, as policy analysts and marketing specialists - due to our skills in data, information, and knowledge management". The desire to work in traditional libraries is indeed a respectable goal; it's just that the number of traditional library jobs is dwindling fast . There will not be jobs in libraries for many graduates of information schools.

►We live in an attention economy and in a self service culture. Bombarded by inputs all day long, our potential clients may never discover the value of what we can offer them; and - worse - what they can't imagine, they can't ask for. There is a perfect match between "what they need" and "what we can do" - but the perceptual gap is huge.

►Hence our current challenge is to describe our services in ways our clients find meaningful. Our words must resonate with employers or members of a community ("what's in it for us?"). To that end, we must know everything we can about their needs and pain points - so that we can speak to them directly and with relevance, in language they understand. Some say it's a learning curve to drop the professional jargon - I say it's a matter of keeping our work particulars to ourselves. No one cares that we do content management - but our clients do care about the outcomes: "Save time by … Find job opportunities quickly by … Get homework help for your children by … [etc etc]".

►We must fundamentally examine our activities and let go of ones no longer serving the priority needs of our target audiences. It does not matter how expertly we do X … if X is not high on the list of our clients' needs!

The conference ended on a shared note that our highest goal is "knowing and reaching the customers on their terms". Nothing new here … it's just that it's a harder goal to reach nowadays when our voices are but a few among the thousands our clients hear every day in their electronic din.

My co-panelists and I would be most pleased to hear from our readers on the topic of "the new normal".

Could Intermediation Become Respectable Again?

In collegial discussions about trends having affected our careers, one phenomenon tends to rise to the top:  Disintermediation.  The doing away with the research intermediary transformed our profession irrevocably and entirely altered the way in which we serve, and communicate about our services to, our clients.  It took some time, but in the end we collectively decided "the intermediation train had left the station" and got on with myriad ways of assisting our clients in doing their own research.

To no one's surprise, the "everyone for himself" research model generated a lot of dissatisfaction, in turn feeding a busy industry of public search providers and vendors of enterprise search solutions.  Users looking for information have a lot of options but often express dismay at the bewildering variety of those options and the impossibility of determining which ones are preferable.

Now, a different term offers the intriguing possibility of the train returning:  Curation.  Typically associated with archives or museums, the term refers to the act of collecting and arranging for others' viewing a number of objects - a wiki manager curates the content in it or a content manager is the curator of intranet information.  If the curator in question happens to be an expert whose judgment can be trusted in terms of what information to collect and arrange - and in some cases with respect to any commentary provided - those making use of the curated collection have a high level of confidence they are spared all the useless clutter and are offered "just the good stuff".  When I hear "the best place to get X type information is Y source, right?" I know the inquirer is looking for such confidence.

In a twist on traditional indexing and abstracting services whose goal was and is comprehensive coverage of a defined body of scientific or professional or news sources, some bloggers and organizations focusing on a particular subject matter have established themselves over time as authoritative sources of guidance.  In effect, they become "first port of call" because they consistently provide good quality results for users.  As one example, a recent Beyond Search blog post describing a targeted new blog entitled Backnotch (http://backnotch.com/) states "online has moved from vertical search to vertical 'finding' services" (see http://arnoldit.com/wordpress/2011/04/27/vertical-blog-a-new-spin-in-online/).  Aha, is intermediation back?

In the past, we held the intermediary role when our clients came to us, described the research need at hand, and went about their business knowing we would, in the time agreed, deliver (at least a solid first pass at) useful information.  Now, we can occupy a new version of the role when we take it upon ourselves to curate - select and comment on - information for clients with special interests.  The key differentiator between old style current awareness ("here is today's harvest of content mentioning topic X") and curation ("here is what I believe warrants your time today regarding topic X and why") is … yes, judgment and knowledge.  Some information professionals have shied away from applying it, believing clients are the ones to choose for themselves; however - in my humble opinion - today's realities deny clients the luxury of reviewing large amounts of information.  As business partners with our clients, we owe them the service of curation - intermediation with expertise.  Sure, that will open the age old generalist-vs-subject-matter-specialist conversation … but isn't that a good thing as we keep working to refine our roles and enhance our professional value?

We Are All In Business: Conference of Independent Info Pros (AIIP)

In the title of my 3 February 2011 post pointing to the 3rd series of ASIST essays by my colleagues, I touched on a theme I have always advocated:  No matter what our specific roles as information professionals, we must sell to clients the notion it is worth their while to give us their time (if not money).

Thus, we are all "in business" - offering value added services to clients who pay us with their engagement.  For inspiration in reaching out to clients, look here: Association of Independent Information Professionals holds its 25th annual conference April 7-10 in Vancouver, WA, USA (10 minutes from Portland, Oregon).  Many session topics are relevant for all info pros:

►     Using Social Media to Move Your Business Forward

►     Real Time Marketing and PR

►     How to Write a Winning Proposal  

►     Self Promotion is not a Dirty Word

►     Marketing for Lazy People

►     Price your Services for Success

►     Cha-cha-changes:  Is it Time to Renovate Services?

In addition, three preconference sessions are relevant for info pros anywhere:

► LinkedIn Down and Dirty: Supercharging a profile for attracting clients

► Social Business: Social tools for business and competitive research

► Exhibiting Your Business: Why, Where, and How to

The conference is a splendid example how a community of dedicated professionals can focus on what matters when it comes to reaching out to our clients and explaining our value.

Those who can come to the US Northwest for the conference may meet in person a group of dynamic and forward-looking information professionals.  Everyone else can gain inspiration from perusing the conference program and from pursuing the individual offerings of the presenters.  Have a look!

 

Curious about a Career in KM? Watch These Videos

I'm often asked "what does it take to build a successful career in information and knowledge management?" and feel tempted to answer "are you free for the next hour?" because it's less than straightforward to come up with a list of definitive requirements.  At professional meetings, we discuss the matter frequently, and now Karen Huffman, Chair of the Knowledge Management Division of the Special Libraries Association, has taken the initiative to record some of our comments.  Her video series on the functions, successes, and challenges of KM professionals features excerpts from interviews in which we share our views on the special characteristics of work in the KM arena. Check out the recordings made so far in the series at http://www.youtube.com/sladkm - and be inspired!

The stories we tell are very different, yet they add up to painting a picture of the engaging work we do.  As it very much involves people and their perceptions, decision making processes, interactions, and "way of thinking", our work keeps evolving with the ever changing factors determining what goes on in every workplace.  I hope viewers take away from Karen's videos a sense of the pride and reward we get from our varied activities, and I hope those curious about a career in KM will feel encouraged to pursue it - even though it may not be easy to define it clearly and briefly.

Many thanks to Karen for undertaking the video project!

Compensating for Lack of (Recent) Experience to Inspire Employer Confidence: Guest Post by Alexis Bonari

My readers know I provide recommendations for resume construction in frequent seminars and online (see http://www.destricker.com/en/seminars.html).  It is my pleasure to provide Alexis Bonari's supplemental commentary on the conundrum of "lack of (recent) experience":

Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and resident blogger at College Scholarships.org.

If you have had poor luck with job opportunities, needed to attend to family matters for some years, or just want to get back in on the vocational action after a long absence, you may feel at a disadvantage. It can be frustrating and difficult to find ways around the obvious requirement of experience, but here are some tips.  Careful preparation, knowledge of your expertise relative to your desired field of work, and attention to detail can help you overcome your lack of experience to land you a new job.

Assess What You Have to Offer

Analyze the situation from the viewpoint of your potential employer. Which attributes do you possess that might contribute to the advancement of the company? Do you have something more valuable than experience? Don't forget you may have some fresh ideas for the potential employer as a result of your volunteer or internship experience. Strong personal qualities such as excellent self-motivation, well-channeled passion, professional curiosity, and thoughtful innovation can be highly attractive to employers who are not by legal regulation required to fill positions with individuals meeting predetermined requirements for recent experience. What you need to project a positive image to prospective employers is a strategy to showcase these qualities: draft some responses to potential interview questions that demonstrate your fit with the company and the job opening. Making everything fit together seamlessly goes a long way toward convincing an employer that you’re the right choice. Some background research may be necessary, so naturally you act like the info pro you are and search for background on the company and information about the likely characteristics of the job.

Stay Connected to the Professional World

Temporary work, volunteer work, and participation in conferences relevant to your career and expertise can provide evidence that you are professionally motivated, determined to make the most of your time, and engaged in the networking opportunities.  Search local newspapers or other publications for temporary and volunteer positions, freelance writing opportunities, and upcoming conference events.

Refresh Your Skills

If you have been out of practice for a while, you may want to brush up on some specific skills currently in demand due to technological progress. Online courses, community college classes, or just consistent practice can help you develop your skills and thus feel confident in answering pointed interview questions.

Reformat Your Resume?

Some resume advisors recommend listing experience according to skill sets or experience as opposed to providing chronological evidence of work.  No matter what your choice, it will help to feature some recent volunteer or temporary experience to fill in any gaps.  Feature in your resume a qualifications summary  including a headline, one or two short paragraphs about your experience, and a list of specific areas of expertise such as computer skills and interpersonal communications.

The Internet and Our Brains: How do we Come to the Aid of Bombarded Clients?

Nicholas Carr, high-profile author and controversial proponent of the view that the Internet, social media, and all our gadgetry - I'll use as a collective name "all the flashing and beeping" - are altering the way contemporary human brains function, was the concluding keynote speaker at the recent Special Libraries Association annual conference.  As if to illustrate in person an experience contrasting today's bombardment, Mr. Carr's delivery evoked academic lectures of the past - a lectern reading of a fairly densely written speech requiring focus and attention on the part of the listener.  Quietly, he outlined a vision of a world in which our capacity to reason and solve problems is diminished because our brains have been conditioned to "go with" crowd wisdom and the quick fix of whatever information happens to surface when we look at our screens.  He summarized the concern that all the flashing and beeping will degrade people's ability to dig deep, to reflect, and to form well-reasoned opinions, and to his credit he ended the talk by considering how information professionals might deal with such a development.  To their credit, audience members grabbed his message in some well positioned questions and comments illustrating the very value of expertise in sifting substance from shine.

 

Those holding views opposing Carr's argue that the internet and our gadgetry is nothing more than a reflection of ourselves - a means allowing us to splash our ideas and conversations around the world in no time whereas our reach in the past was much slower and less global when traditional publishing mechanisms and telephone calls had us waiting months, weeks, or at least days before "hearing back".

 

The discussion is flourishing on the internet (!) and will no doubt take off in a number of directions as various professional domains continue to apply it in their unique spaces.

 

Since hearing Carr speak, I have pondered "is he right?"  What is the impact of the fact that typical knowledge workers today - the ones I meet in the course of working on projects, my colleagues, and I - are "interrupted" constantly by messages and meetings and spend too much time poring over busy and animated search result screens, looking for something relevant?   What can info pros do for knowledge workers who are run off their feet, arrive late to meetings because they were held up in a previous one, have their PDAs go off every few minutes, and so on?  (No wonder stress levels are off the chart, but that's another conversation.)

 

The challenges for information professionals supporting client populations bombarded with all the flashing and beeping add up:  It may be difficult even to get enough of our clients' time to find out what they're up to in their work so we can diagnose needs and design services to match; our messages may be lost in the stream of other messages arriving on their screens and devices; and they may be forced to make do with what they can find quickly because the deadline is 20 minutes away.

 

My modest proposal in that context - built on the evolution of our roles from service providers to business partners - is simple, though likely not so simple to implement.  It follows the philosophy that preparation, planning, and contextual knowledge pay off.  It is unrealistic to expect knowledge workers to consult with info pros day to day, but another type of relationship is worth considering:  When info pros are briefed as to a team's upcoming projects, they are in a position (1) to prepare "backgrounders" to relieve the team members of the effort associated with foundational research, and (2) to monitor for and supply highly targeted notifications of new material of potential interest.  There is no point in joining the barrage our clients deal with every day … our job is to reach them just in time with just the material they need to avoid spending any more of their precious time than they must in that noisy place Carr warns against.  Imagine that - equipped with the latest in technology and tools, our aim is to provide our clients a refuge from it all!

 

PS:  Care to guess how many audience members were tweeting Nicholas Carr's talk?  He rests his case.

Telling it like it is

In a recent blog post, Dave Pollard comes right out and "nails" what ails the information profession.  It's well worth a visit and a reflection: http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2006/12/20.html#a1732  I took the opportunity to thank him for the piece and look forward to hearing more as he examines the matter further: What can be done to overcome what I call the "obscurity challenge" - the fact that in spite of our efforts to demonstrate value, many senior managers and executives remain unaware or unconvinced that information professionals are critical success factors in the successful operation of their organizations?

Are we relevant? In a timely manner?

Some years ago, I wrote an article entitled "Keep Me Posted - But Not Too Much" (dealing with scientists' current awareness preferences).  In just about every project I do, I see evidence of that sentiment.  People simply do not want information that is not directly actionable, that does not make a difference in current projects, or that does not somehow impart a concrete advantage - right now.  The implication?  We need to show up at just the right moment with something bang-on relevant to what the client is in the middle of doing.  Which means, of course, that we need to be on top of what they are doing … so we can become the "human Googles" they need us to be.