At the recent Internet Librarian International conference in London UK (www.internet-librarian.com/2010/) I once again had the privilege of meeting with colleagues from all over the world to find out what they are working on, hear about their latest ideas and innovations, see what the concept of “user friendly systems” can mean, and so on. In addition, the conference is a superb vehicle for catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. As always, I appreciate the organizers’ efforts to create a dynamic environment for interacting and building on those social networks of ours.
In particular, the conference afforded me the opportunity to catch up with Jane Macoustra – an international information professional of the first order – and hold her new book Global Research without Leaving Your Desk (Chandos, 2010, ISBN 978-1-843343660 - www.woodheadpublishing.com/en/book.aspx?bookID=1795&ChandosTitle=1). In it, Jane puts her 27 years of worldwide research experience to use for the benefit of readers, showcasing resources even seasoned researchers may not have come across. Jane’s emphasis on understanding how information is collected and treated in various parts of the world – so as to “consider the source” at an entirely deeper level – is an eye opener, and the richness of practical tips (e.g. how to mine discussion lists and blogs and leverage social media, how to search anonymously) is impressive. I hand it to Jane for compressing so much valuable information into her guide and for having committed to updating it.
I see collegial sharing as one of the prominent characteristics of information professionals, so Jane’s book illustrates for me the “sharing what we know” attitude I have admired for as long as I have been in the profession (and continue to strive to emulate). Amassing what we have learned during the course of our careers and distilling it into a practical tool for others is our hallmark and a habit I hope we will never lose.
Jane’s book will be a useful “case in point” for encouraging those entering the profession to be diligent in keeping in the back of their minds the questions “How could I one day share what I have learned to help speed others on their way? What are the lessons I could pass along? How could I save others the time and effort in finding out for themselves? What would be the best way to offer a heads-up so as to point out potential pitfalls and lead the way to golden gems?" Granted, younger professionals tell me they have a lot on their plates getting oriented in their first jobs, but I want to encourage them anyway: You, too, will one day be in Jane's shoes, having an awful lot of high-value material to share!