Proactive Leadership and the Role of Information: Identifying Strategic Networks of Information

[Excerpt] Networking is supposed to be essential to successful leaders. But what is the importance of networking conceptually? Typically it is thought to be the ability to remain in and sustain contact with people as information and opportunity sources. Strangely few leaders actually understand the concept. Otherwise they would position themselves to receive other forms and channels of information and opportunities. People are only one form of this vital leadership resource. What are the others? And if they can be identified, how would one go about developing expanded networks of information and sources

The Personal Information Trainer

[Excerpt] The Personal Information Trainer (PIT) can become a unique employee benefit written into the employment contract of key individuals (very few) deemed to be essential to the success of a firm or institution. This is a no-extra-cost (non-compensatory) benefit that can help improve recruitment and retention of top talent and enhance the library’s value proposition. This concept is useful to human resource managers, libraries, and the institutions they serve. This article provides the fundamental concepts and constructs necessary to implement such a program with an emphasis on why and how this should be done

A KM-Based Strategic, Global Current Awareness Service

This presentation focuses on a global current awareness service designed to meet the knowledge needs of the institution from which it originates. In so doing, it also meets the needs of journalists, researchers, faculty, students, professional practitioners, and policymakers concerned with the same issues globally. It provides the institutional links between partnering institutions that sustain the relationships for the future. This serves as a model for how libraries can become supporting pillars of their organizations by tapping into and meeting KM needs

Leadership and the Role of Information: Making the Creatively Informed Questioner

[Excerpt] The quintessential leader is an informed leader. So it is said. However, this concept of being informed seems to lack definition and purpose. What does it mean to be informed? And what is the role of information in leadership? People often think that leaders are informed because they are educated or quick learners. To some extent this may be true. A more realistic view would be that they use their education in a manner that positions themselves and those around them to succeed and sustain their success. How do they do this? An explanation follows

The End of Institutional Repositories and the Beginning of Social Academic Research Service: An Enhanced Role for Libraries

As more and more universities establish Institutional Repositories (IR), awareness is developing about the limitations of IRs in enhancing the academic research service. The concept of an IR needs to be expanded to include the integration of the processes that transform intellectual endeavor into a broadening array of academic and research support services which are fundamentally social. These include, but are not limited to – (1) sharing institutionally developed intellectual product (traditional IR) (2) informing others of the availability of this product with defined purpose (3) collecting additional academically relevant materials in digital formats using IRs (4) disseminating timely information about what has been collected to researchers (5) creating an environment that encourages awareness and exchange of information (6) and more…. In brief, information gathering, dissemination, and discussion in the form of library service must become a crucial part of researchers’ networks. An IR cannot and should not be viewed as a stand alone endeavor. It needs to be viewed and used as a research and communication tool in an environment that synergizes all elements of the research process. If an IR does not create discussions between librarians (information specialists) and researchers, its potential is lost both to the academy and the library. The library and its librarians must be interactive with researchers and the institution served. With the advent of digital acquisition that IRs started, a new vision of the role of librarians can be fulfilled. The foundational concepts behind this vision are found in my article: The Library as an Agent of Change: Pushing the Client Institution Forward Information Outlook (Journal of the Special Libraries Association), Vol. 3, No. 8, August 1999, pages 37-40. The above is not theoretical. It is being practiced every day at the Martin P. Catherwood Library of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) at Cornell University where I work. By combining the uses of an IR, known as the DigitalCommons@ILR – see http://www.digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu, with a discipline-based Internet news service, see -- http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/iws/news-bureau/index.html, supported with outstanding web content, technical support for both print and digital collecting, reference, referral, and teaching, a goal has been realized. The library is seamlessly integrated into the outreach, research and teaching of the institution it serves. The library is part of the social fabric and network of the school

Mis-Information at the Heart of the University: Why Administrators Should Take Libraries More Seriously

Major university research library systems are complex organizations made up of at least three types of library entities -- the central library, the department/school library, and the professional school library. Are these libraries cost centers or value centers? The voices of all three types of libraries should be heard for their perspectives when determining the future of the university library system with respect to this basic question. Otherwise, the competitive future of the university and its key programs may be put at risk. Knowing the core businesses of the university and how the library can best serve its fundamental purpose is essential

The Librarian/Lecturer: Successful Course Development Based on KM Principles

This presentation focuses on a highly successful and award winning course taught by a librarian/lecturer. It was specifically designed to serve the knowledge needs and aspirations of students, faculty, companies, publishers and the educational institution to which all these parties are connected. The unique manner in which the KM needs of the parties are met by establishing synergies is highlighted as well as how it is assessed

The Library as an Agent of Change: Pushing the Client Institution Forward

The library in today's world must transform itself into an agent of change. Basefsky discusses why informing, discussing, soliciting, targeting, teaming and stretching need to be implemented if libraries want to remain useful and the institutions they serve wish to prosper.Information_Outlook_AGENT_of_CHANGE_reformatted.pdf: 2188 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Six Questions and a Strategy for Campus-wide Information Competence

[Excerpt] At Cornell University Library (CUL) a committee was set up in January 2005 to address the issue of information literacy at the university. The committee did extensive research on this topic and developed an approach for seeking solutions. In the course of these deliberations, I volunteered to create two items to serve as the basis for ensuing discussions. 1. a conceptual framework for this policy initiative (included in this article) 2. a document that outlines the basic or core competencies common to all constituents of what is called the Cornell community (the result was the six questions which are the focus of this article).Six_Questions_and_a_Strategy.pdf: 140 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020