Be proactive: communicate your worth to management!

Lucy Lettis

Have you ever found yourself defending your credentials, expertise, and skill set as an information professional? Why does it seem most people accept that an M.B.A. diploma is more than just a piece of paper, while the person in the office next to you has little appreciation for the credentials of the degreed information professional?

While many of us have had the good fortune to work in organizations that value and respect the information professional, others must guide their managements up very steep learning curves. The savvy CEO (or Office Managing Partner, Director of Administration, etc.) learned some time ago about the studies that illustrate the direct correlation between increased volume of information center usage and increased revenues to the organization. The even more savvy CEO knows that, as we enter the new millennium, technology will no longer reign supreme. In her keynote address at EBIC'98 (TFPL LTD's European Business Information Conference), Ellen Knapp, vice chairman and chief knowledge officer at (then) Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) predicted: "As organizations sort out their technology and cultural issues they will then realize the true value of information skills - and information specialists are going to get rich very soon." Content will be king, content experts in demand, and technology recognized as a vehicle - albeit essential - for delivery of the new coin of the realm, content.

Many of us, over the course of our careers, have worked with John Doe, Amateur Researcher, deemed "just as good as the information center staff." John, after all, "does research." He even does it competently and he presents his results to management in a format they like. Wouldn't it be logical that John is blended seamlessly into the information center team? Wouldn't the information center staff welcome and embrace John as a fellow information professional? John's a nice guy, he can successfully retrieve company and biographical data, and he has some satisfied customers who will vouch for his work. Let's think about this...

If you're subjected to the notion that an M.L.S. degree is merely a piece of paper, or if your management or constituency is slow to appreciate the body of knowledge and critical skill set signified by your degree, what are your choices? My suggestion: take a deep breath and chalk up their quick judgment to ignorance, not malevolence. You could decide to leave your somewhat regressive organization and seek a position in a more enlightened atmosphere. Or, you can stay put and bide your time until the "perfect" job offer presents itself. Better yet, you can do something about it! Become a change agent, a pioneer, the one who starts the campaign to enlighten management. The process to alter their perception has to start somewhere, so why not with you?

Rest assured this is no easy task. But with a little perseverance, it can be done. First, the broad, sweeping statements you make about the value of your credentials must be backed with strong, solid points about the value of your contributions. Also, you must engage in articulate dialogue - especially since you're dealing with a topic about which you have strong, even passionate, feelings. My aim here is to give you some talking points for such a situation, or material which you may use prophylactically to help prevent the "John Doe, Amateur Researcher" scenario from occurring in your workplace.

On a fairly frequent basis I am asked, "What do you look for when you are interviewing junior level information specialists? What competencies, knowledge, and practical skills do you require?" I give tremendous weight to personal characteristics such as overall attitude, approach to problem solving, work ethic, commitment to quality, political savvy, ability to be a team player, and - above all else - dedication to the principles of providing first-rate customer service. This article does not focus on any of these critical elements. Rather, what I provide here is a checklist of specific intellectual and technical competencies I would expect a talented junior level information specialist to have acquired during her/his first year or two of professional experience in either a corporate or a legal information center.

Taken together, the two lists below - a list of intellectual competencies I expect of someone with a recently completed M.L.S., and a list of technical competencies I'd expect that same person to have gained within a year or two of completing the degree - might help you answer the question, "Why doesn't John Doe, Amateur Researcher, fit your profile of an information center professional?" or "What is it exactly about your requirements that makes you insist that a degreed individual with only a couple of years of work experience is more suitable for your team than our veteran employee, John Doe, Amateur Researcher?" Perhaps my second list can serve as an actual technical skills checklist as you enlarge your staff. And as you educate your management, by all means get a supply of SLA's document, Competencies for Special Librarians of the 21st Century to distribute to key executives in your workplace.

COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR JUNIOR LEVEL INFORMATION SPECIALIST

(M.L.S. plus one to two years in either corporate or legal information center)(1)

I. Competencies acquired in M.L.S. program:

* demonstrated understanding of the various information professions, concepts and vocabulary, and literature of the field

* demonstrated understanding of current issues and problems in the information profession

* demonstrated understanding of human information behavior as it relates to contemporary problems in library and information services, and as it can serve as a theoretical and professional base for such services; knowledge of various contexts of information behavior, and the processes of information seeking, searching, using, and valuing

* demonstrated knowledge of models of interaction in information retrieval: interactive processes in information seeking and searching; mediation and interviewing process; user modeling; principles and tactics for effective searching; dealing .with end-users; evaluation of search results in information retrieval

* understanding of the changing nature of information centers in organizations: emphasis on the information audit, selecting and evaluating information of value and utility to given user groups; ability to establish criteria for synthesis and the synthesizing process; knowledge of formats and methods of presentation of information for given users

* understanding of the technology and equipment used for the storage, organization, and dissemination of information; laboratory experience with online database searching; basic knowledge of computer applications suitable to the administration of information centers

* knowledge of descriptive cataloging, subject cataloging, and classification of information resources for library systems; emphasis on cataloging and classification in an online environment with attention to machine-readable record formats and cataloging networks (e.g., OCLC, RLIN, et el.)

* laboratory knowledge of computer-mediated communication and information retrieval in a networked environment; conceptual knowledge of and practical experience with variety of Internet search engines; ability to evaluate search and metasearch engines for application in an information service setting

* fundamental knowledge of theoretical aspects and questions underlying digital libraries; knowledge of integration of information resources and relations to traditional libraries

* familiarity with concepts of information systems analysis, and information systems in the framework of organizations; emphasis on information use and user-oriented approaches rather than on technology; familiarity with variety of applications such as competitive intelligence, information retrieval systems, digital libraries and information networks; ability to evaluate quality of information systems from user-oriented perspective

* knowledge of the evolution of information science and librarianship and problems addressed over time; demonstrated knowledge of approaches, methods and trends in research; understanding of disciplinary and interdisciplinary relationships, seminal authors and works

* demonstrated knowledge of measurement and evaluation skills, i.e., the procedures associated with selecting and purchasing books and electronic resources

* basic knowledge of the historical roots of modern information mediation; ability to apply information theory to the requirements of professional practice; basic familiarity with policy aspects of information access across borders

II. Competencies expected to have been acquired during one to two years in corporate or legal information center

* ability to identify information needs in the context of the constituency served through the application of principles of organization, selection, and evaluation of information resources

* demonstrated comprehension of the varied missions and organizational patterns in information agencies, libraries, and their interrelationships

* ability to apply appropriate methods of research, evaluation, and measurement for selection and organization of print and electronic media

* proven ability to formulate complex search strategies on a product-specific basis

* ability to provide basic level bibliographic instruction to end-users

* extensive and proven expertise in a minimum of eight popular databases, including ability to articulate features, benefits, and caveats of each; ability to articulate comparative pricing of each; and demonstrated ability to apply product knowledge on a customized query-specific basis

* proven proficiency in a minimum of three of the following Internet search and metasearch engines: AltaVista, Dogpile, Excite, Hotbot, Infoseek, Lycos, Northern Light, WebCrawler, Yahoo!; demonstrated ability to articulate features, benefits, and caveats of each and to select engines on a customized query-specific basis

* proven understanding of interlibrary loan networks, fee-based document retrieval services, fee-based information brokerage services, and independent information contractors; proven ability to leverage these resources as appropriate on a query-specific basis

* familiarity with public sector information agencies and how to use them effectively

* demonstrated ability to respond to high-end inquiries on wide variety of general, corporate, securities, intellectual property (familiarity with patent databases such as Derwent and/or Micropatent, trademark databases, et al.), international, and current awareness topics

* demonstrated ability to effectively coach and mentor end-users, helping them to select appropriate tools and to conduct basic research independently

* familiarity with trade and industry publications, special ratings/rankings issues, and fundamental knowledge of print and electronic research tools in a minimum of three of the following subject areas or industries: medicine, pharmaceuticals, oil & gas, tax, insurance, securities and investments, federal law, state law, retail industries, consumer goods, high technology, telecommunications, entertainment, and industrial/manufacturing sectors

* demonstrated interest in appropriate professional organizations (e.g., SLA, AALL, ASIS, SCIP, et al.), preferably starting with student membership and continuing with attendance at meetings and the beginnings of a professional network for information exchange

* familiarity with a minimum of two of the following and ability to leverage these services appropriately on a query-specific basis: Docutronics, Global Securities, Carl Uncover, University Microfilms, Disclosure Research on Demand, NYPL Corporate Express, Joint Information Services, The Conference Board, et al.

* familiarity with concepts pertaining to end-user desktop solutions; a minimum of name-recognition of major players in desktop marketplace

* ability to identify potential technologies and tools to add value to the information center

* proven success at managing the development and completion of multiple simultaneous client projects

* ability to add value to raw data through appropriate filtering, synthesis, packaging, and presentation formats

* proven commitment to reading relevant literature so as to stay continuously abreast of the wide array of emerging information theories, products, and services

* proven ability to thrive in fast-paced business information environment and to successfully juggle multiple conflicting project deadlines

* excellent communication skills including ability to negotiate project aspects such as scope, cost parameters, and timelines

* must demonstrate personality conducive to effective teamwork and collegiality among professional peers, paraprofessional and support staff, and management

* basic knowledge of pricing structures such as site licensing vs. subscription fees vs. transactional vs. flat-fees and ability to apply this knowledge to selection of appropriate resources on a query-specific basis

I am woefully aware that the above checklists fall far short of being comprehensive. I am sure there are many important skills I've inadvertently omitted, as well as curriculum aspects I've neglected. But I hope that these points can form the basis of an instrument you can alter to fit your particular situation and needs, one to which you can add other competency requirements reflecting your own values.

I know a colleague who disseminated lists similar to those above to her management to avert a real-life John Doe, Amateur Researcher crisis! By doing so, she protected the integrity of the information services and products her center provides, the professional collegiality of her information center team, and the department's commitment to providing customers with the highest quality, most cost-effective, information services attainable.

1 I have borrowed liberally from the web site of Rutgers University's School of Communication, Information and Library Studies.

Lucy Lettis is director of business information services at Arthur Andersen LLP in New York. She is chair of the steering committee for SLA's Second Worldwide Conference on Special Librarianship to be held October 2000 in Brighton, England, She can be reached via e-mail at: lucy, lettis@us, arthurandersen.com.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Special Libraries Association
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group