Newsletter No. 157
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FreePint
"Helping 67,000 people use the Web for their work"
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ISSN 1460-7239 1st April 2004 No.157
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IN THIS ISSUE
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EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Paul Verlander
FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
JOBS
Information Officer, Web Services
Executive Search Researchers (3)
Editor - The Marketing Managers Yearbook
Information Specialist (Maternity Cover)
Intranet Editor
TIPS ARTICLE
"Intrusion on privacy by electronic surveillance
and personal data gathering"
By Ian Watson
BOOKSHELF
"Net Effects: How librarians can manage the unintended
consequences of the Internet"
Reviewed by Alison Salmon
FEATURE ARTICLE
"Skills for Career Success"
By Sylvia P Webb
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
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Library + information Show -21st + 22nd April 2004, ExCeL, London.
LiS is the only UK event covering all areas of information and
knowledge management. Of the 130 exhibitors, at least 50% are either
new to the event or will be demonstrating new products. Plus we have a
comprehensive, free seminar programme. David Gurteen is one of the key
speakers. Other speakers include J P Morgan, Euromonitor and the
British Library. For more information please see <http://www.lishow.co.uk>
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EDITORIAL
What skills are employers looking for in today's workplace? That's the
question asked by Sylvia P Webb in today's article, Skills for Career
Success. Today we publish her FreePint report 'Sharpening Skills,
Acquiring Knowledge' available to purchase online at
<http://www.freepint.com/shop/report>.
Keeping up to date with the latest developments, continuous learning,
and cultivating skills beyond subject knowledge all emerge strongly in
Webb's report as important skills and aptitudes currently sought by
employers. The report features interviews and insight from leading
information professionals including Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of
the British Library. It nearly always pays to seek out development
opportunities actively and to use your initiative to attend networking
and continuous learning events, sometimes in your own time. People who
do this early in their career usually find that it pays off in the
long term.
Innovation often comes from getting out of the workplace and
brainstorming with peers. This was evident at a recent Factiva forum
where I led an interactive workshop. One key theme to emerge was the
importance of information professionals' early involvement in IT
projects. Delegates agreed that information professionals have
naturally strong collaborative skills. However, collaboration alone is
not enough. What is needed is the ability to strongly influence key
stakeholders. It's the IT departments who often hold the purse
strings. Delegates agreed that with some tough negotiation and quick
wins, the tables can be turned, and more information professionals can
start to hold the budgets to develop user-centred technology projects,
whilst working alongside IT departments.
We recently ran a piece on US librarians' reaction to the US Patriot
Act and the implications of access to personal data
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/040304.htm>. This week Ian Watson looks
at perceptions of privacy in view of the increasing growth in
electronic surveillance techniques. With a number of topical case
studies, he illustrates aptly the boundary between invading privacy
and acting in the public interest. We are all acutely aware of the
importance of counter terrorism measures, but what about consumer
surveillance by manufacturers and retailers in the form of supermarket
loyalty cards and Radio Frequency Identification?
Today we also publish our first ever Virtual Exchange, on copyright. A
virtual exchange is a training package you can run online that enables
you to keep up to date with issues at your own PC. You can purchase it
at the FreePint shop <http://www.freepint.com/shop/>. A number of you
contributed to this virtual exchange by emailing in your own questions
on copyright. You can find out more at
<http://www.freepint.com/exchange/cp110304.htm>.
Best Wishes
Annabel Colley
Editor, FreePint
<annabel.colley@freepint.com>
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>>> Sue Hill Recruitment - the team to talk to. <<<
Register with us, experts in information recruitment. We always have
an excellent selection of opportunities in all aspects of information
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You know it makes sense.
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>>> NEW: Sharpening Skills; Acquiring Knowledge <<<
ISBN 1-904769-04-7
Published in April 2004 by FreePint, this report looks at the skills
and knowledge you need to acquire and the situations in which you
could apply them at various stages of your career. There is a
particular focus on information and research services, but the
advice is relevant to various cross-functional activities.
<http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/>
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Paul Verlander
* The Centre for Corporate Accountability
<http://www.corporateaccountability.org> - A critical look at health
and safety matters in Great Britain including details of deaths at
work statistics and inquests, responses to government initiatives
and critiques of the current health and safety system from this
campaigning organisation.
* The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (USA)
<http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html> - The research arm of the
health and safety system in the US, contains access to free
information and advice, databases including the bibliographic
database NIOSHTIC and a range of quality freely available research.
* The UK Health and Safety Executive <http://www.hse.gov.uk> - A
wealth of freely available information from basic advice leaflets to
full-text access to the full range of research sponsored by HSE.
Also provides access to HSE's register of prosecutions and
other enforcement action.
* OSHROM <http://www.ovid.com> - The principal bibliographic database
in occupational safety and health - unfortunately a subscription-only
service. Contains high quality bibliographic references from the
databases of the Health and Safety Executive, NIOSH, the
International Labour Office and extracts from MEDLINE. Can be
purchased from OVID.
* The European Agency for Safety and health at Work
<http://europe.osha.eu.int> - The pan-European network for the
promotion of health and safety in the workplace. This website
contains a range of information from a wider cross-European
perspective including statistics and full text access to research.
Paul Verlander is an information specialist at the UK Health and
Safety Executive, the UK regulator for health and safety at work and
is part of a team producing the HSELINE database.
Submit your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at
<http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>.
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>>> VIP No.4 :: Review of Dialog's new platform <<<
The latest edition of VIP includes: A review of Dialog's
new unified platform; Market Research on the Web;
guest comment from OneSource CEO Martin Kahn.
Find out more about VIP at:
<http://www.vivavip.com/>
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FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
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TIPS ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/010404.htm#tips>
"Intrusion on privacy by electronic surveillance
and personal data gathering"
By Ian Watson
The right to privacy - at its simplest the right to be left alone, or
the right not to be subject to surveillance - is enshrined in the
European Convention on Human Rights
<http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/Treaties/Html/005.htm> which is
now incorporated into English and Scots Law. Article 8 states that
'everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life,
his home and his correspondence'. The exercise of that right should not
be interfered with by public authorities, except 'such as is in
accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in
the interests of national security, public safety or the economic
well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime,
for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the
rights and freedoms of others.'
The right to privacy therefore is not absolute. It is further tempered
by Article 10 which provides for the right to freedom of expression,
including the right to seek and impart information. If we accept that
a degree of surveillance is a necessary requirement of contemporary
ways of life, the problem becomes one of defining the circumstances in
which, and degree to which, the invasion of individual liberty or
privacy might be acceptable. 'Surveillance and the Information Age',
the 1999 White Paper Modernising government (Cm 4310, HMSO, 1999
<http://www.official-documents.co.uk> talks of Information Age
Government: 'New technology offers opportunities and choice. It can
give us access to services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will
make our lives easier. Government intends to be at the head of these
developments ...'.
Few would argue against harnessing the power of information technology
to deliver better services through better and more rapid access to
information and though interactive services. Are these gains
outweighed by the attendant loss of privacy? Simon Davies, founder of
Privacy International <http://www.privacyinternational.org> believes
that the ease of surveillance introduced by the internet is a force
that is more than likely to be used by government and corporate
interests to the detriment of those of the individual.
National Security
-----------------
As western governments seek greater access to personal data as part of
their counter-terrorism efforts, web sites such as
<http://www.epic.com> and <http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk>
express concern about over zealous surveillance on the grounds of
national security. The Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening
System (CAPPS II), a programme intended to prevent the hijacking of
aircraft, uses information from government and commercial databases to
assign each passenger a security ranking. It has attracted
considerable criticism, especially in Europe where there is great
concern that exporting passenger data to the USA would be in breach of
European data protection rules. In January 2004 The Register
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/34915.html> and
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/34563.html> reported that the
EU had agreed to the use of European passenger data for testing
purposes only. Andreas Dietl of European Digital Rights
<http://www.edri.org> is sceptical:
'The Commission has agreed to the abuse of EU citizen's personal data
to test a surveillance system that in its very nature is against the
principles of EU data protection legislation. The claim by the U.S.
that the data used for testing purposes will be deleted thereafter is
merely a joke: The data will still be available in the Computerized
Reservation System (CRS), where it can be accessed by government
agencies at any time.'
In February 2004 Privacy International was equally scathing, accusing
the EU of failing to respect the privacy of air travellers: see
<http://digbig.com/4bagq>. The Electronic Frontier Foundation
<http://www.eff.org> is concerned about data quality, data integrity,
the right of public access and 'mission creep', a common problem with
government agencies, described in
<http://www.eff.org/privacy/cappsii>:
'The National Directory of New Hires ... was to ensure that the new
hire was not a "deadbeat parent" evading responsibility for child
support. Not long after the directory was established, however, it
became a tool for locating students with overdue loans and anyone else
owing federal monies.'
Law Enforcement
---------------
The Crimes and Disorder Act 1998 allows for partnership schemes
amongst local agencies to tackle a range of social ills including drug
misuse, domestic violence and football hooliganism. The Act makes
very wide provision for the disclosure of information. A joint
statement by the Data Commissioner and the Home Office
<http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs/jsdprho.html> recognises the
dichotomy between information sharing and data protection:
'The public rightly expects that personal information known to public
bodies will be properly protected. However, the public also expects
the proper sharing of information, as this can be an important weapon
against crime. Agencies should, therefore, seek to share information
where this would be in the public interest.'
This dichotomy was dramatically illustrated when the 2003 Soham murder
trial revealed a critical lack of information-sharing by various
police forces. In the wake of the trial, Information Commissioner
Richard Thomas introduced a new package of measures to improve
guidance on interpreting the Data Protection Act, declaring:
'It is ridiculous that organisations should hide behind data
protection as a smokescreen for practices which no reasonable person
would ever find acceptable ... Data protection law stands in the
way of a surveillance society where government and commercial bodies
know everything about everybody... '. Organisations must use their own
judgement to balance what they want or need to do against the need to
safeguard the privacy of individuals and to ensure their personal
information is handled properly. In another case
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3342059.stm> British Gas was
criticised for failing to pass on to social services the information
that it had disconnected the gas supply to an elderly couple who
subsequently died.
Both these cases illustrate that the boundary between invading privacy
and acting in the public interest may be very hard to define and,
given the reliance on 'common sense', may in fact be more of a blurred
'no man's land'.
Consumer Privacy
----------------
According to CASPIAN (Campaign Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion
and Numbering) <http://www.nocards.org/welcome/index.shtml> the data
collected by loyalty cards can be used in ways detrimental to the
individual. David Hinchcliffe MP, Chairman of the House of Commons
Select Committee on Health, is reported to have suggested that data
loyalty cards could be used to monitor eating habits and steer
consumers towards healthier eating (see
<http://www.nocards.org/news/index.shtml#obesity>). 'You have enormous
power with these,' he said, holding up a loyalty card. 'Perhaps there
is a use for these to steer people, in some respects, towards more
healthy products.' This might be a laudable objective but a dubious
use of personal data, from which the supermarkets have been quick to
distance themselves. If loyalty cards have attracted hostility - "the
opening volley of the marketers' war against consumers" according to
Katherine Albrecht <http://www.nocards.org/AutoID/overview.shtml> -
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has the potential for even more
intrusion and, it should be conceded, benefits.
RFID employs a technology called EPC (electronic product code), a
system which can allocate a unique number to any physical object in
the world and track its whereabouts. According to Albrecht, 'Though
many RFID proponents appear focused on inventory and supply chain
efficiency, others are developing financial and consumer applications
that, if adopted, will have chilling effects on consumers' ability to
escape the oppressive surveillance of manufacturers, retailers, and
marketers. Of course, government and law enforcement will be quick to
use the technology to keep tabs on citizens as well.'
Conclusions
-----------
Michael Cross
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,1122844,00.html> argues
against blaming the information infrastructure per se for the loss of
privacy. In World War II, the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, with a
population register based on then state-of-the-art IT (punched cards),
was more efficient than France (which relied on pieces of paper) in
its ability to round up Jews. This line of reasoning would lead to
the conclusion that state inefficiency is the last bastion of freedom.
The efficient provision of goods and services online does require the
collection of personal data which can make the whole process more
convenient.
The EC Privacy and Data Protection Directives
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/privacy/law_en.htm> and
<http://digbig.com/4bagp> go some way to protecting privacy. Lawrence
Lessig <http://www.lessig.org> is an advocate of technological
solutions, arguing that code can restore the original balance between
freedom and constraint. Information architecture could enable machine-
to-machine negotiations about privacy, allowing individuals to
instruct their machines about the privacy they wish to protect. Given
the current state of PC operating systems, this option is probably
beyond the capabilities of most casual users.
The question of whether the benefits of electronic commerce and
personal security outweigh the loss of privacy depends to some extent
on the individual's own perception of privacy. If privacy itself is
difficult to define then it may be difficult to recognise when it has
been violated. Data protection laws are part of a mechanism for
patrolling the rather ill-defined and shifting borderline between
excessive surveillance and privacy. What constitutes an acceptable
balance will to a large extent be determined by the interplay of
political, social and economic forces in society as whole, and the
extent to which individuals and campaign groups are willing to defend
their privacy.
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Ian Watson is Rights and Information Manager for Newsquest's
Glasgow-based newspapers, The Herald, Evening Times and Sunday Herald,
He first encountered the Internet, then a bizarre creation virtually
unknown outside academe, in 1989 while working at the Turing
Institute, a research centre on artificial intelligence. As the World
Wide Web brought the Internet to a wider public in the early 90s he
became a regular columnist on the subject in Managing Information. He
is currently studying for an LLM in IT Law by distance learning from
Strathclyde University.
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Related FreePint links:
* 'Security' articles and resources in the FreePint
Portal <http://www.freepint.com/go/p127>
* Post a message to the author, Ian Watson, or suggest further
resources at the FreePint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/010404.htm#feature>
* Access the entire archive of FreePint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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FREEPINT BOOKSHELF
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
"Net Effects: How librarians can manage the unintended
consequences of the Internet"
Written by Marylaine Block
Reviewed by Alison Salmon
This is a useful book, full of diverse ideas, fresh thinking and
solutions to stimulate the mind.
Marylaine Block describes herself as a writer, Internet trainer and
'librarian without walls'. This book, a collection of essays compiled
by the author, was written as a follow-up to her essay, 'Planning for
side effects: The case for semi-Luddite management'. Block believes
that information professionals feel they are losing control of their
library services, because of complications experienced due to the
uptake of the Internet.
The Internet, she suggests, has to a certain extent made our lives
'easier', but it has brought with it many technological side-effects.
For example, it has changed the way people search and use information,
users' expectations relating to the speed of information received has
increased, and information professionals can feel pushed into
diverting funding away from purchasing hard copy resources to
purchasing electronic resources and their technical support.
Block acknowledges that these could potentially be big problems but
she suggests that they are 'opportunities in disguise' for service
development and that her book, an 'anthology' of solutions, can help
to iron out the problems.
There are 10 chapters:
1. Regaining the Right to Select; 2. Rescuing the Book; 3. Training
Our Users; 4. Adapting To Our Users' Changing Expectations; 5. Access
Issues; 6. The Techno-Economic Imperative; 7. Continuous Retraining;
8. Up to our Ears in Lawyers; 9. Disappearing Data; 10. How To Not Be
Blind-sided Again
Each chapter first discusses the problem, and a number of solutions in
forms of essays are provided. Throughout each chapter are interspersed
comments from Block, which are handy as they give bite-size overviews
of the chapters' contents, highlighting points of interest.
One chapter I found to be particularly interesting was 'The
Techno-Economic Imperative'. It addresses problems such as how we as
information professionals are becoming more systems-savvy, how we deal
with vendors, choose new software, deal with online subscriptions, and
how we work with our IT departments.
This book will appeal particularly to those information professionals
who have users in attendance, e.g. public or academic libraries. It
is an American publication, but don't be put off by the American bias;
solutions can be tailored to your situation and to any type of
library!
As an added bonus, Block has created a website 'tie-in'
<http://marylaine.com/book/index.html>. New articles and online
resources relating to the problems covered by this book can be found
there. Also the book contains a listing of all the URLs and the works
cited.
I don't know if I've ever considered myself to be a Luddite, but I
think the semi-Luddite attitude this book suggests is not such a bad
thing. For example, being prepared; being professionally aware; and
IT-literate, so that you do not miss advancements or advantageous
situations and can help you keep your cool. Such an attitude will help
prevent you from being overwhelmed by the Internet and its
consequences.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Alison Salmon has been an information professional for approximately
14 years. She is currently the Information Manager for the Society of
Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT Ltd). Much of her work involves
searching for and disseminating automotive and transport information
to the Technical Department in which she is based, and to the SMMT as
a whole. Alison is a solo information professional, and a committee
member of ICLG (Industrial and Commercial Libraries Group), a CILIP
group. This group supports and promotes the professional interests of
library and information workers in a wide range of commercial and
industrial workplaces, and those acting as independent consultants.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Related FreePint links:
* Find out more about this book online at the FreePint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/effects.htm>
* Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk
<http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573871710/freepint0c>
or Amazon.com
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573871710/freepint00>
* "Net Effects" ISBN 1573871710, published by Information Today Inc.
* Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the FreePint
Bookshelf at <http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
* Read about other Internet Searching books on the FreePint Bookshelf
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To propose an information-related book for review, send details
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FEATURE ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/010404.htm#feature>
"Skills for Career Success"
By Sylvia P Webb
[This article is an introduction to the report 'Sharpening Skills;
Acquiring Knowledge' ISBN 1-904769-04-7 published in April 2004 by
FreePint <http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/>]
Whatever career path we start out on, or choose to move into, we all
need various skills and varying degrees of knowledge about certain
subjects to carry out our work effectively . A new FreePint report*
looks at the sorts of skills and knowledge that you might need, and
the situations in which you could apply them at various stages of your
career. Whilst the particular focus is on those qualities and skills
necessary in the field of information, library, and research work,
many of them will be equally relevant, even essential, to other
professions, especially those skills relating to the management of
various cross-functional activities. For example, project management,
financial planning, and staff development apply to most professions
and businesses. You are likely to have to take on responsibilities in
one or more of those areas at some stage in your career.
What are the options?
---------------------
The key determinants in choosing a career will be: your preferences;
your knowledge of a sector or a profession; parental or peer
encouragement; your aptitude and your motivation and commitment. In
other words, you need to be able to make an informed choice according
to what appeals to you, how much you know about it, and what you are,
or might be, good at. You have to be realistic. Some of us are
naturally good at doing certain things, they seem to come easily.
Other activities require a lot more work and can still be difficult to
grasp. That does not mean they are beyond our reach, or that we should
not pursue them, but it could make a difference to our initial choice
and subsequent direction. Don't be put off; we can't all achieve
excellence in everything, but we do need to be competent.
Initially you may think you would like to become an accountant, a
librarian or an engineer, or you may have no idea of a possible
career, but decide to study in a field that interests you and make
your career choice later. Whichever profession you decide to pursue,
there are many variations and possible directions within each. That
is where your preferences, skills and knowledge need to be considered
together, along with the entry requirements of the relevant
professional body which will ultimately award or accredit your
qualification. Have a look at the websites of some of the professional
bodies. They are not only concerned with qualifications, but also with
setting standards and providing advice. They will give you an idea of
the different types of work involved. Key library, information and
research activities are discussed in more detail, along with related
skills, in the FreePint report*.
In the library and information field start by looking at the Chartered
Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) in the UK,
<http://www.cilip.org.uk>; the Australian Information and Library
Association (ALIA), <http://www.alia.org.au>; the American Library
Association (ALA), <http://www.ala.org> and the Special Libraries
Association (SLA) in the USA, <http://www.sla.org>; also the European
Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations
(EBLIDA), <http://www.eblida.org>. For international links try the
website of the British Council which has offices throughout the world,
<http://www.britishcouncil.org>, or a general search engine such as
Google, <http://www.google.com>.
Even at the beginning of your career, you will be able to bring
certain skills to your first job. For example, as part of your formal
education you might have carried out research. Any work experience
that you have had will have allowed you to test and develop your
skills in dealing with people, as well as learn more about
organisational behaviour. Such prior experience could be useful in
your new job, but don't forget that your new employer may have
different ways of working, so you will need to be adaptable, possibly
adjusting or abandoning some of those earlier ways of working. Don't
be weighed down by baggage which may no longer be needed.
What do employers want?
-----------------------
What will your potential employer look for, or expect of you as a new
employee once you are in post? The Association of Graduate Recruiters
(AGR) representing many of the UK's top employers, has conducted
surveys of members, asking them for key qualities they seek as
employers. As well as a consistent search for business awareness,
teamwork and communication skills, there has been an increasing call
for candidates to display a willingness to learn, seen as the key to
career success, and 'employability' based on 'skills beyond subject
knowledge'. Look at the AGR web site, <http://www.agr.org.uk>. where
some publications can be downloaded free of charge. Among others worth
viewing: Graduate Prospects which produces careers guidance for
graduates, <http://www.prospects.ac.uk>, and LTSN Generic Centre which
promotes effective practices in learning and teaching across all
disciplines in Higher Education, <http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/genericcentre>.
In order to 'grow' staff who will be able to fully contribute to the
organisation in achieving its objectives, employers need to put in
place appropriate and realistic training and development programmes.
Examples of what employers require and offer are described in the
report, and include BRIS, a business information service; KPMG, a
multinational firm, and the British Library.
Impact of the corporate culture
-------------------------------
As well as the employer's need to assess you as a potential employee,
you will want to build up a picture of the employer. Of course you
will carry out the necessary research in preparation for any
interview, probably by looking at annual reports, corporate websites
and various independent sources. However, you will not get a real feel
for the organisation until you actually work there. The corporate
culture will vary considerably from one organisation to the next and
will have a considerable impact on policies and working practices, as
research from Mercer Consulting shows <http://www.mercerHR.com>. It
will certainly influence the role and status of the information
service. As new policies are put in place, for example on whether to
set up a knowledge management centre, there will be opportunities for
library/information managers to make a valuable contribution, provided
they a) have the appropriate skills and understanding of the concept
and b) ensure that top management is aware of this. The management of
change covers a range of work policies and requires both employer and
employee to re-think their working patterns and attitudes. As well as
the requirements of employment law which influence the ways that
companies operate, there are other things which have made sweeping
changes to the way we work. The development and spread of technology
has been rapid, and has had a particular impact on information work,
allowing those working in the field to acquire a whole range of new
skills and create a niche for themselves. Anna Atkinson, now a web
manager, did just this in deciding to explore the potential of IT in
her various posts, as described in the report.
Successful management
---------------------
Jobs at all levels and in all fields will require you to manage your
work effectively from day one. As you progress, you will need to
develop and put into practice a range of management skills. Staff
management and training, systems decisions, negotiation, all form part
of the manager's brief. Library and information skills can provide the
foundation on which to build a successful career in that field, or be
equally valuable as transferable skills if you choose to make a
complete career change. This is demonstrated in the report by the
example of someone who moved out of business information, first into
stockbroking, then on to work for a statutory enforcement agency. In
her current role she finds that her earlier information-seeking
activities have been invaluable in pursuing a whole new area of
knowledge, as well as in her day-to-day work. Management skills have
been added along the way and now involve her in such activities as
managing strategic projects, as well as staff-related management.
That same approach, building on skills, and adding others, are equally
important if you decide to work as an independent consultant. Here you
will need not only to be highly motivated, but also very well
organised, and able to think "outside the box". You will also need
those practical skills that enable you to actually run the business,
as well as keeping up-to-date in your chosen areas of operation.
Leadership skills, vision and management competence have contributed
to Lynne Brindley's success, leading to her current post as Chief
Executive of the British Library. Since her appointment in 2000, the
British Library has undergone comprehensive management restructuring
and completely transformed human resources management. In-house
programmes have been developed in, for example, performance management
and leadership. Lynne provides an excellent example of the way in
which skills, knowledge, experience and hard work can take you to the
top of your profession.
The process of developing skills and acquiring knowledge is not quick
or easy. They are gained through longer term experience, and require
considerable thought and effort, but are well worth pursuing,
resulting not only in personal growth and development, but also
promotion and a great deal of job satisfaction.
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* This article is an introduction to the report 'Sharpening Skills;
Acquiring Knowledge' ISBN 1-904769-04-7 published in April 2004 by
FreePint <http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/>.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sylvia P Webb BA(Hons) FCLIP is a well-known consultant, author and
lecturer in the LIS field. She has lectured internationally including
two highly successful lecture tours of Australia. Her best-known book
'Creating an information service' has sold worldwide. She was College
Librarian and lectured in behavioural sciences at Ashridge College.
Her most recent research considered the introduction of knowledge
management in legal firms. Other research covered business
information, quality issues in corporate libraries, and professional
education in the finance sector. Sylvia was the founding editor of
Aslib's KnowHow series, now part of Europa Publications' list. She has
served on various government advisory bodies; been regularly involved
in professional education and training, and active within the library
and information professional associations, especially as Chair of
CILIP's Accreditation Board.
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Related FreePint links:
* 'Sharpening Skills; Acquiring Knowledge' ISBN 1-904769-04-7
FreePint, April 2004, <http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/>
* 'Information and Libraries' articles in the FreePint Portal
<http://www.freepint.com/go/p69>
* Post a message to the author, Sylvia P Webb, or suggest further
resources at the FreePint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/010404.htm#feature>
* Access the entire archive of FreePint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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