SLA PHARMACEUTICAL & HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY DIVISION

APRIL 8, 2008HILTON ST. PETERSBURG CARILLON PARK

Re-purposing the Information Specialist

Layne M. Johnson, Ph.D.

There Are Lots of Opportunities – What Do Users Need?

Today’s Knowledge Users Drive NeedInformation Professionals and ServicesUnderstand Your ValueWhere are the Opportunities?Where the Trends are Leading Us

Recognizing and Influencing the Trends

Disintermediated online searching – 1980’sThe availability of electronic databases -

building end user resources – late 80’s and early 90’s

Electronic journals established great value – early to mid-90’s

The internet and intranets – early mid 90’s - present

Recognizing and Influencing the Trends

Centralized management of information programs – mid-late 90’s – to present

Outsourcing and insourcingLibrary closures - global archivesBusiness process outsourcingThe struggle to establish value in the futureAll of these trends have required

information professionals to adapt!

Today’s Knowledge Users

Recognize when Google isn’t enough (sometimes!)Yet, more than 75% feel the web is effective for

generating search resultsAre more confident that search results with

sophisticated tools and content will have a more meaningful impact on their work

Publishers see more article downloads and submissions from outside the US than from the US (American Chemical Society, November 2007)

“Free Web Search vs. Paid Search Tools” – an independent study of 415Researchers and managers conducted by Martin Akel and Associates, August2007

When Today’s Knowledge Users Fail to Find the Information they Need…

64% turn to experts and colleagues inside their organization

17% turn to experts outside their organizationsOnly 1% admit to consulting a research librarian20% feel they find all the information they need on

their own

“Free Web Search vs. Paid Search Tools” – an independent study of 415Researchers and managers conducted by Martin Akel and Associates, August2007

Information Professionals and Services

New Business Models Continue to Develop as User Needs and Technologies Change

Re-purposing the Information Professional

Align more and create roles with sponsoring and other functions within your organization Strategic Planning, Business Intelligence, Competitive

Intelligence KM, Knowledge Discovery, taxonomies, ontologies,

text mining, analysis, Market Research Regulatory Intelligence Licensing & Acquisitions, External & Scientific Affairs Communications, Medical Affairs, Publications

Strategy Quality Improvement – 6 Sigma, Lean Procurement & Contracts IT & Informatics

Re-purposing the Information Professional

Align and create roles with vendors and other functions outside of your organization Information, management, administration, leadership roles in

the non-profit sector Medical Communications, Publications Strategy, online sites

like WebMD Information Companies of all sorts – infinite possibilities,

aggregators, database producers, internet start ups, publishers Academics – library or information centers, teaching Go back to school – Medical School, etc. Hospitals and healthcare companies (payers) Consulting firms, think tanks or build your own consulting

business Build your own business – follow your passion – buy a business

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Re-purposing the Information Professional

Must meet changing user needs Searchers shift to content management, access,

deployment

Keeping up with technology is a top concern – (and IT and Informatics should no longer be thought of in a negative context!)

Either catch up, or be left behind

Trends in Web Functionality

Weblogs (blogs) Web networking Wikis Twittering Personal web presence –

YouTube, LinkedIn, domains

Podcasts NetFlix RSS feeds (and other forms

of many-to-many publishing)

Social software web application programming

interfaces (APIs) Online web services such

as eBay, NYC subway route mapping, Google maps, cyberhomes, banking

The Power of Networking

Expertise Networking

Network Visualization

Translating Value in the Future

Focus ONLY on the true value-added products and services Wikis, blogs, Web 2.0, networking, collaboration e.g. Prepare to be outsourced, understand business process

outsourcing and develop your strategies for implementing it Step ahead of the pack and take courses – about anything! –

stay very involved with professional organizations, volunteer Prepare yourself – there are some really great skills that

many do not have (ontologies, taxonomies, KM, CI, analysis) NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK – know what it

means and learn how to do it well – giving back Be proactive and cooperative vs. reactive and defensive Stay close to key decision makers (your management, your

users)