What value and benefits do we add? Why information professionals are essential to successful...

The information profession has got to evolve; but how?

Kate Arnold

SLA President 2014

katearnold64@yahoo.co.uk

LILAC 2014

SLA

• 8,000 members in 75 countries

• 55 regional groupings (chapters)

• 26 subject groupings (divisions)

• Networking

• Learning

• Advocacy

SLA membership

Source: http://bit.ly/1tdmmwF

Old to new skills

From

Waitresses

Transactional

Clerks

I have it

Supplicant

Source: Nora Paul 1999 Leadership for News Librarians course, Maastricht, Netherlands

To

Tour guides

Transformational

Coaches

I know who has it

Pitchman

Old to new skills

Old

Gatekeeper

Online searcher

Custodian of collections

Service provider

Information gatherer

Library process

Inward looking

Source: Lesley Robinson Consultancy Services Ltd (www.lesleyrobinson.co.uk)

New

Collaborator

Trainer

Facilitator

Information advisors

Problem solver

Business process

Networker

Old to new skills

From technical experts …

Technical experts

Inward looking & reactive

Gathering

Provide information to others

Work in a silo

Unclear metrics

Only work within comfort zone

Source: FT/SLA survey 2013

To decision enablers …

Multi-skilled

Outward looking & proactive

Distilling & validating

Coach others to self-serve

Integrated within organisation

Clear metrics linked to strategy

Happy to work outside comfort zone

Source: http://bit.ly/1eTPZPl

IFLA Future Trends

Providers and users views

‘The evolving value of information management and the five essential attributes of the modern information professional’

www.ft.com/sla

Top 5 cited challenges

Knowledge providers • Everything is on the

internet• Demonstrating value• Budget/financial

constraints• Cost of access to info• Lack of understanding of

colleagues/other depts

Executives

• Information overload• Filtering/sifting through

information found• Relevancy of information• Up to date/most recent

information• Speed & timeliness of

information

Attributes

• Communicate your value

• Understand the drivers

• Manage the process

• Keep up your technical skills

• Provide decision-ready information

Source: http://bit.ly/1gK5Ajs

Source: http://bit.ly/1td36zb

Source: http://bit.ly/QqTeCA

Source: http://bit.ly/1i89mPE Source: http://bit.ly/1i89mPE

Source: http://bit.ly/Qg0m58

SLA’s Competencies

2003

• Managing information organisations

• Managing information resources

• Managing information services

• Applying information tools & technologies

2014

• Creating & maintaining collaborative relationships

• Managing information services & resources

• Understanding & applying information tools & technologies

CILIP Professional Knowledge and Skills Base

• Source: Sandra Ward and Ian Wooler: The essential competence – demonstrating value. Online conference 2011

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1238333

Sourceshttp://trends.ifla.org (IFLA’s Future Trends Report)

www.ft.com/sla (register to download FT/SLA survey)

http://www.linexsystems.com/blog/item/sla-ft-report-summary (Sara Batts’ take on 12 tasks from FT/SLA survey)

http://www.sla.org/slatalk-roundup-proving-value-information-services/ (Storify of #slatalk on FT/SLA survey 4/3/14)

http://www.cilip.org.uk/cilip/jobs-and-careers/professional-knowledge-and-skills-base (CILIP PKSB)

http://bit.ly/1irXc8D

Katearnold64@yahoo.co.uk @katefromuk