by Constance Ard, Answer Maven, Candidate for Chapter Cabinet Chair-Elect

Knowledge Revolution is the 21st Century version of the Industrial Revolution.  Revolutions evolve. Be “Future Ready” by leading the evolution.

Educate the masses and transform them into your advocates.  Every member of society needs to know information professionals are not just checking out books at the circulation counter. In fact they need to understand the capabilities demonstrated by any information professional that deals with all the nuances of running an organization within an organization.

Publicize the impact of quality information in a quantitative manner.  Express the services provided in numbers that reflect the bottom dollar goals of the supporting organization.

1. Apply a number to the services provided with a factor for the information sources costs and the value of the professional.  In my waning days at the law firm I had begun toying with the idea of not only collecting the qualitative values of our services, but exploring methods of the quantitative one.  For instance: Winning Summary Judgment = Research Time + Information Source.
   Disclaimer: There are more factors that must be evaluated to develop an accurate equation.
2. eDiscovery is a growing industry in this knowledge revolution.  The cost of sanctions, the cost of preparation and the cost of production are all factors.  Using those factors we can quantify our value for the information management component in a significant manner. No knowledge organization should ignore the importance of information management or they will not be future ready enough to avoid costly risk.
3. Competitive Intelligence research is conducted to grow a business or define competitive advantages.  Quantifying this work is another way to discuss the value added services of knowledge professionals in a manner that establishes us as the leaders of the transition.

Statistics are important, and they need to be the right statistics.  Being future ready means embracing the science part of information science beyond technology and database design.

Eliminate the notion that information centers are overhead. Use statistics. Quantify the value of the information. Quantify costs: both those you reduce through good management practices and those that are necessary to complete the work of the organization. Every web developer knows that analytics are critical – every information professional should too.

Future ready requires you sell your value.

Information professionals are not just info pros – they are salespeople and marketers. It is our job to educate the knowledge workers who benefit from our knowledge, experience and services to view us as strategic partners who can innovate, create, and contribute to the overall goals of our organizations.  Embrace and excel at this sales job and the revolution is yours to transform.

Constance Ard is an Independent Information Professional with 14 years experience and expert research skills.  Ms. Ard offers on-demand research and information and content management business consulting services specializing in e-discovery preparation and project management.  You can follow her blog at http://www.answermaven.com and find out more about her services at http://www.answermavensolutions.com.

Constance is an active information professional organization volunteer. She served as the Chair of the Legal Division of the Special Libraries Association for 2010 and is a member of the New Member Outreach Committee for AIIP.  She has served in many leadership roles throughout her career.

Ms. Ard’s latest publication “Legal Research in the Age of Open Law” was published in the September 2010 issue of Online.  In October 2009, Ms. Ard completed her first published book: Next Generation Corporate Libraries and Information Services.

by Cindy Shamel, San Diego Chapter, Leadership & Management Division

Future Ready Toolkit

This post is from SLA’s new Future Ready Toolkit. The Toolkit was constructed by SLA members who have drawn upon substantial professional experience and alignment research to help you hone your skills in a way that is relevant and global. The toolkit is collaboration, alignment, adaptation, and community put into action.

Value Added Presentations.ppt

Cindy has provided value-added deliverables to clients for over 13 years. She’s a past president of the San Diego Chapter of SLA and recipient of the Sue Rugge Memorial Award for mentoring presented by the Association of Independent Information Professionals.

Compiled by Amy Affelt, Illinois Chapter, Business & Finance Division

Future Ready Toolkit

This post is from SLA’s new Future Ready Toolkit. The Toolkit was constructed by SLA members who have drawn upon substantial professional experience and alignment research to help you hone your skills in a way that is relevant and global. The toolkit is collaboration, alignment, adaptation, and community put into action.

Value-Added Intelligence

The knowledge that we provide is correct, citable, and on-point.  We deliver this knowledge on-time, in the format that the requestor finds most helpful, and either under or as close to budget as possible.

Facilitation of Good Decision-Making

We do this by gathering, organizing, and sharing high quality and highly-relevant information to ensure that the best decisions are made by our stakeholders.

Creation of a Culture of Knowledge Sharing

We do this by educating our colleagues on the best use of information sources (which are the most credible, most citable, etc.)

Creation of a Competitive Advantage

We do this by applying expert analysis to ensure that our stakeholders have the exact information they need to gain insight, understand trends, and secure an advantage over their competitors.

Expert Analysis

We go beyond “rip and ship” to inform the strategy of the organization by packaging results in such a way that sets the context for their use.  The knowledge that we provide ultimately reflects and enhances the organization’s overall goals.

Trend Identification and Insight

We look for trends across all industries and consider how those trends can be applied to our own work environments.  We anticipate the future by considering the present.  We read the news so that our stakeholders don’t have to, and we share developments immediately with stakeholders and in convenient formats such as through mobile applications.

Bottom-Line Benefits

Our work benefits the bottom line by saving stakeholders time and money.  We can conduct research more quickly and easily and achieve higher quality results than those with other job functions.

Context and Analysis for Knowledge and Results

We turn the information that we uncover into knowledge by setting the context for it as well as providing analysis of how it relates to the stakeholder’s challenge.  The stakeholder uses the knowledge we provide to ensure positive outcomes for the organization.

Amy is the chair of the SLA Public Relations Advisory Council, the Alignment Ambassador for the SLA Business and Finance Division, and director of database research at CompassLexecon, an economic consultancy.  She has a BA in History, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MLS from Dominican University. Amy is coordinating the Future Ready Toolkit.

by Nicola Franklin, Fabric Recruitment

Faced with challenges from all sides, from the economy, from technology and from changing user expectations, what skills will info pros need in the years ahead?

Apart from specialist professional skills, of course, everyone working in the library and information profession needs to be able to answer these questions:

• What’s an information professional for?
• Why should I ask a librarian instead of just searching Google?
• I can find what I need myself, why should I use the information centre?
• Why shouldn’t we just put the sources on everyone’s desktop?
• Surely it’s cheaper to outsource the research service?

One of the most credible defences of the services of a librarian I’ve seen came from a post on the Voices for the Library website:

“Our lives and the world around us are being documented, analysed, archived, and published at an astonishing rate and to a level of detail that wouldn’t even have been conceived of just a few years ago. You need us more than ever.”

Once you have thought of good, succinct, answers to questions like these, seek out opportunities to use them – to other stakeholders, not to fellow librarians!  That sounds daunting, but in practice it means developing a new skill set, one around writing (blog posts, articles, comments on others’ posts), speaking (at internal meetings, at seminars, at conferences) and marketing your information services.

Nicola has worked with the information profession as a recruitment consultant for just over thirteen years, working at Information Business Services, PFJ and Sue Hill Recruitment in London, UK.  At Fabric Recruitment Nicola leads the Information division, helping librarians, knowledge managers and records managers find that next best step in their career, and promotes all things social media to the team. 

by Christy Confetti Higgins, Rocky Mountain Chapter, IT & KM Divisions

Connecting and integrating is a critical piece in being future ready within your organization and in the delivery and management of your information services.

The term “connect” can relate to so many areas of the work that information professionals do.

Connecting….

• People with knowledge
• People with information
• People with people
• Information with information
• Information to innovation, knowledge, development, growth, and learning
• Information with social networking tools

Especially today, with the robust tools available to us to connect with our customers and create conversations around information services, it’s even more critical to leverage these tools within our organizations to stay relevant to the organization.

Tools such as blogs, wikis, microblogs, virtual worlds, instant messaging, and community tools all provide natural ways for us to embed ourselves into existing communities, create our own communities and networks, and connect ourselves and our services to the organization. Here are a few examples of connecting and integrating by leveraging technology and social networking tools in the enterprise.

• This example illustrates integrating information services into exisiting communities, leveraging wikis, and RSS feeds. This was the MyLearning portal at Sun Microsystems where we had our information video podcasts, eBook services, and news stories integrated into the home page. In addition, a search within MyLearning resulted in information from the LMS, internal information and knowledge, as well as information services purchased by the organization. Another key integration point!

• This example shows information services leveraging the virtual world space on the Second Life platform for Sun Microsystems employees. We invited employees from all over the world to participate in interactive events, conferences, and activities related to information services, and information and knowledge sharing.

• This last example is a recent example of leveraging social networking tools to communicate with and create conversation around information services at Oracle (Sun was acquired by Oracle in February 2010) where I have a larger audience and a new set of employees to engage around information. These tools have provided me a very effective way to quickly connect – in so many ways! I can’t show screen shots at this time but an internal Twitter-like application, internal Facebook-like application, and our internal blog have created great momentum for information services – it’s a matter of getting out there and leveraging the tools in order to CONNECT!

These are a few of the ways which have enabled us to more quickly and effectively impact our organization by providing them with information services that are highly connected to the business.

The efforts have resulted in new key relationships and partnerships with stakeholders and users. In addition, it has provided another way for current users of information services to connect with us and others users, and to stay informed.

So, Just Connect and grow your information presence in your organization, start meaningful conversations, integrate, and create additional value add to the business!

Christy Confetti Higgins is Cybrarian, Virtual Information Services (VIS) at Oracle Corp.  She is a long-time member of SLA, and currently serves as the Bulletin Editor for the Rocky Mountain Chapter, and is a member of the Virtual Worlds Advisory Council.

by Diana Menashi

One topic that has been raised by my professors regarding the future of the field is the relationship between librarianship and technologies, such as e-readers (Amazon’s Kindle or Barnes and Noble’s Nook), social networking sites (Facebook), and an ever-expanding selection of search engines from Google to Bing. The popularity and frequency of use of these technologies raises the question as to the role of libraries and librarians and the way in which they are perceived by the community at large and/or by corporations in the present information age. There are those who argue that the presence of these technologies renders or has rendered libraries and their services obsolete. Still, there are those who argue that the information searching and research skills of librarians are invaluable and will continue to be so as the ease of access to information increases.

Libraries and librarians have addressed this issue by maintaining an active online presence on the Internet through social networks, and by promoting services through library websites. This serves as an example of the ways in which the field considers users’ needs and desires when identifying platforms that would be most effective at providing services.

I would like to see the profession ‘reborn’ in the minds of those who perceive libraries and librarians as antiquated artifacts of the pre-information age. I would like to see libraries and librarians demonstrate that skills such as online searching are much more complex than a search engine would have one believe – that constructing a search query requires deeper thought and consideration beyond imputing two or three word phrases into a search box. I would like to see librarians show their users that the skill set that they have acquired and developed over the years goes beyond tasks such as reference services and cataloging.

Librarians should conceive of ways in which to demonstrate that their skills could be used to directly impact the success of the firm or the corporation. Librarians should breathe new life into the profession by stepping beyond the desk, identifying problem areas, and using their skill set to determine a possible solution. Their skill set would provide a unique perspective on the problem which would serve as an additional option for the heads of the firm or the corporation to consider when devising a solution. This would dispel the idea that librarians’ skill sets can be easily duplicated by computer programs and machines which serves as evidence that human involvement is still a necessity and an invaluable tool within the information age. Librarians should continue to develop Knowledge Management so that it is easily understood by those not versed in it. This could ease librarians’ attempts to explain its purpose and therefore increase the extent to which it is sought out by users and applied by librarians which would be mutually beneficial to both parties.

Diana Menashi is an MLS student at St. John’s University with a concentration is in special libraries. She is planning to take courses in law librarianship to acquire an additional skill set.

by Cindy Shamel, Shamel Information Services, San Diego Chapter

Imagine that you’re hungry. Seeking something to eat, you visit a local restaurant and order lasagna. The chef swings into action and soon a platter lies before you. It contains a carton of ricotta cheese, a package of dried lasagna pasta, some eggs, a bundle of fresh herbs, a basket of tomatoes, and a block of parmesan cheese. Clearly the chef has missed an opportunity here, and you don’t have food that you can eat. As a hungry diner you will not value a pile of raw ingredients nearly as much as a nicely presented meal, prepared with the skills, judgment, and training of an experienced chef.

Now, apply this scenario to the information center or library. A need exists for actionable information and the request comes in. The info pro swings into action, and soon gathers a selection of bibliographic information, articles in full-text, and several links to relevant web sites. It’s all delivered up as attachments to an e-mail with a note saying, “Here’s the information you requested.” Clearly the info pro has missed an opportunity. To add value, the info pro will want to apply skills and experience to filter, analyze, and summarize the findings, formatting them in a way that meets the immediate need of the requester.

Just as the chef adds value to raw ingredients by transforming them into a satisfying meal, the info pro can add value to information by creating content ready to consume. The formatting will vary according to the need. It might include tables, graphs, charts, and spreadsheets. Key findings can be featured in executive summaries, in bullet points, or with highlighting, bolding, or font colors. Organizational tools such as tables of contents, headings, and subheadings enable scanning and navigation. Article summaries in place of full text save time for the reader. A value added deliverable will feature the content that answers the question or meets the need. Info pros have the skills and experience to develop spot on deliverables that organizations need to succeed.

Where do we find the time? Many of us are solos. We’re shorthanded. We’re overwhelmed. We’re working with limited resources. Consider this. I contend that just as individuals can enter a grocery store and purchase the raw materials for lasagna, they can go online and gather information. The differentiator lies in adding value. Just as the chef creates the dishes that satisfy hunger, the info pro creates the deliverables on which to base enterprise actions.

Cindy Shamel has provided value added research to clients since 1998. She is a member, former director, and past president of the San Diego Chapter of SLA.

by David Cappoli, Southern California Chapter

Reputation, content, and convenience – these are the core areas on which I am focused for the near future.  I oversee the Friday Forums for the UCLA Department of Information Studies. The forums are a series of continuing education workshops geared towards the needs of information professionals. With subjects ranging from an overview of competitive intelligence, to movements in youth literature, to understanding the needs of paper conservation, these workshops introduce professionals to emerging ideas and new ways of thinking about ongoing challenges. Nearly all of the workshops are hosted on campus, but my goal is to reach out beyond the confines of UCLA and find new audiences who can benefit from these workshops.

In moving forward to attain this goal, I will utilize the well-regarded reputations of the workshop instructors, and the forums themselves, which have been confirmed by surveys and evaluations. The instructors have been cultivated and identified because of their high levels of expertise; interest in helping people learn; and, preparedness. Their collective ability to engage participants confirms their value. I will also continue to examine the needs and trends in the information profession so as to work with instructors and develop content that is highly sought after, and easily employed in one’s career. And as content is created and developed, I will work on new methods of delivering it, whether it is done by offering virtual workshops or hosting off campus workshops. These options make continuing education more convenient for professionals enabling a higher rate of participation and a wider spread of the benefits gained from attending the workshops. An expectation of broader participation is that the reputations of the workshops will be further enhanced, thus feeding into the expansion of the Friday Forums.

The personal network that I have constructed with instructors as well as workshop participants will aid me in focusing on reputation, content, and convenience, as I seek a broader audience for the workshops. I am also aware a substantial amount of time and effort will need to be invested in order to succeed, but the benefits will be plentiful.

David Cappoli is the Digital Resources Librarian at UCLA. An active member of SLA locally and nationally, David has been president of the Southern California chapter, and a member of SLA’s Annual Conference and  Nominating committees.  He currently serves on SLA’s Public Relations Advisory Council.

by Jill Strand, Legal Division, Minnesota Chapter

I’m borrowing the title of recent American Bar Association Journal article in which the authors Patrick Lamb and Paul Lippe ask if anyone starting a new law firm today would have a library or even a librarian. Although unsure about the value of a physical library, they favored having a librarian, noting that “finding essential information is more important than ever. When you live in a value free world, someone who finds the right information efficiently is really valuable.” While I would debate their assumption that all the resources lawyers need are available online, they are right to recognize that “the role of the librarian is becoming more critical as the volume of information in the world grows.”

Yet the authors go on to wonder if there is a disconnect between how they would define librarians’ value and how librarians themselves define it. Mr. Lamb and Mr. Lippe see librarians as professionals who can manage internal knowledge and external information, understand the costs involved and the connections to marketing and business development. They go on to quote an unidentified survey of a small group of librarians who describe their value using phrases such as “loyal, accurate, friendly and smart.” The authors see this disconnect as a challenge to everyone (not just librarians) “to figure out how to add real value to their enterprise.”

Sound like a familiar challenge? Nearly two years since the ground-breaking research of the Special Libraries Association Alignment Project was released, this challenge persists. More importantly, how do we make sure that we, as librarians, are aware of the value our customers perceive in us, and how do we change our perception of our own value? I chose to see the challenge as an opportunity for librarians to demonstrate that we understand these concerns and are already several steps ahead in addressing them. SLA’s Alignment Task Force is currently turning the Alignment Project research into tools and tips to help members align themselves and their libraries with the goals and values of their organizations.

In a way, being Future Ready is really just a form of Alignment put into action. Even better, it offers an open slate – you get to decide the how, when and why of your own Future Ready agenda. As a law firm library director I’m taking the advice of another Future Ready librarian, Nina Platt, and spending 15-20 minutes to meet with individual attorneys and learn a little more about the focus of their practice, their business development goals and how they stay informed. Each interview gives me a glimpse into the future. Rather than wait and respond to a last minute request, it allows me think ahead about tools and information that can support their goals.

Even before the economy took a nosedive, librarians and knowledge professionals were investigating innovative and cost-effective ways to add value to their organizations. Mr. Lamb and Mr. Lippe note that “we create five exabytes of information every two days and that pace is accelerating.” In order for lawyers, doctors, scientists, professors and other professionals to be able to fully use their unique training and talents for success, they require the unique training and talents of librarians and knowledge professionals to evaluate and manage the information searching, sifting, analyzing, synthesizing and delivery that affords them that focus.

Jill Strand is an active member of SLA at the local and national levels. She has held several leadership positions in the Minnesota Chapter, and is currently a member of the Annual Conference Advisory Council, and Nominating committee and past member of the Public Relations Advisory Council.

by Dennie Heye, Europe Chapter, Petroleum & Energy Resources Division 

Adding value

Information service departments are expected to show how they add value to the organization – a difficult challenge, but nonetheless an important topic. If you are not demonstrating value, the future of the department is at risk.

Value in this sense is perceived value by the customer, and this can differ from the ‘real’ added value as the producer added it. For instance, the costs of setting up a personalised information alert are quite low. But for a busy professional, this fine-tuned and highly personalised information delivery may be very valuable in terms of time savings, frustrations saved and opportunities created.

In a formula, you can express the perceived value as:

                 Quality x Service
Value =   ——————–
                    Costs x Time

In this formula, one aims to bring quality and service to the highest level, while keeping costs and time investment on the lowest possible level. Quality and service in this formula are as perceived by the customer – as illustrated by the following quote from Peter Drucker:

“Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for. A product is not quality because it is hard to make and costs a lot of money, as manufacturers typically believe…Customers pay only for what is of use to them and gives them value. Nothing else constitutes quality.”

Facets of perceived value

In order to find out what the perceived value of your service is you can, for example, use a customer satisfaction survey, asking what element of the service or product provides the value for the customer. In this context, it is more than just providing the service; it also entails exceeding the customer’s expectations and being proactive.

From an information service point of view, the real value is making sure the right information is available to the right person at the right time. If possible, this should be achieved with little time and effort for the customer to get maximum value. Part of the perceived service is also the trust of the customer in the provider, as the information delivered has to be trustworthy if decisions are to be based on it.

Last, but not least, are the cost and time components the customer has to invest to acquire and use the service. This covers not just the financial costs but also the effort involved; think about filling out a complex form, for example.

If you work closely with customers, you can gain valuable insights into what they perceive as the value of information products and services – and the investment it is worth making in them. In particular, when a customer does not pick up a product or service, it is helpful to see how the balance between value and investment is perceived.

Dennie Heye is Global Knowledge Manager at Shell International. He is also a member of SLA’s Information Outlook Advisory Committee and the International Relations Chair for the Petroleum & Energy Resources Division.