Karen M. Drabenstott
Associate Professor
School of Information
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1092 USA
Voice: (734) 763-3581
Fax: (734) 764-2475
karen.drabenstott@umich.edu
New topic -- "Open Topics"
Let me apologize for the silence from our CRISTAL-ED electronic discussion group. Suddenly and unexpectedly, we found ourselves unable to receive your messages, compile digests, and send them to the membership about a week ago. Since we couldn't send messages, we couldn't tell you that the MajorDomo list server software was experiencing technical problems. Thanks to our technical staff, we have fixed the problems and are back online.
Again, we apologize for the silence.
We will now issue correspondence that pertains to the last discussion topic on "Joint Dissertations" and previous discussions in appropriately numbered digests. To stay on schedule, we have decided to postpone our two-week discussion on "You Can Take the Library Out of the Degree, But Can You Take the Degree Out of the Library?" with guest editor Jennifer Bauer for November 30 to December 13. We will devote the next three weeks to an Open Topics discussion.
Let me brief you on upcoming discussions. Over four of the nine remaining weeks in 1997, we have scheduled "What's in a Name?: Active/Passive Connotations of Information," with guest editor Ray McInnis, from November 16 to 29, and "You Can Take the Library Out of the Degree, But Can You Take the Degree Out of the Library?," with guest editor Jennifer Bauer, from November 30 to December 13.
I am negotiating with one volunteer regarding scheduling a discussion in the new year. So far, however, I have scheduled only one discussion for the new year: "The Paper Library: Beyond the Automated Card Catalog, " with guest editor Hunter Kevil, February 1-14.
That's all that is on our CRISTAL-ED LISTSERV's discussion schedule for the foreseeable future. This is an important time for our membership to suggest topics that interest or intrigue them in an open topics discussion. Haven't you recently picked up a conference schedule, put it down in disgust, and said to yourself, "Gee, why don't they talk about something interesting like ...?" Or "I need to know about ... right now, not this junk." Haven't you recently struggled to sit through an endless presentation and said to yourself, "Gosh, I'd much rather hear about ..."
This is the time to design our discussion at CRISTAL-ED around topics that turn you on. Perhaps you are struggling with something and want to talk to others about it. You don't have to be an expert on the subject. Perhaps you have questions that you could pose to others to help you gain a foothold on an area. CRISTAL-ED discussions have always lasted two weeks but our membership has suggested in the past that one-week discussions are also welcome.
Let's have some action on CRISTAL-ED over the next two and a half weeks around our new topics discussion. We are fast approaching our fourth anniversary. Let's make this fourth year a really super one!
Bob Watson
Executive Director
Franklin Park Public Library District
10311 Grand Avenue
Franklin Park, IL 60131
Voice: (847) 455-6016
bwatson@linc.lib.il.us
This is in response to Karen's call for topic suggestions.
Earlier today, I was commenting in a conference elsewhere that is dedicated to the art of "conference hosting," with the topic being "cybrarianship." It's not the loveliest word, and it was being used incorrectly (in my mind, at least) at the time, but my point was simply that budding hosts have to learn search skills if they are to track down useful URLs.
These hosts, mind you, are not librarians. But many are quite Web-savvy.
So the question naturally rises: Do information searchers have to be "librarians"? If so, why? And if not, why? Or, if this is a matter of degree, why?
Obviously, people who know what they are looking for often do not need reference librarians to help them (as long as access tools are provided by either cataloging librarians or indexers). But what are the parameters of knowledge needed to conduct a search?
Is it something taught in library schools, or perhaps not?
Dr. Rosmarie H. Fouad
Idaho State University
Coordinator of Library Instruction
Oboler Library
Box 8089
Pocatello, Idaho 83209
Voice: (208) 236-3049
Fax: (208) 236-4295
fouarosm@isu.edu
Our university administration (a four-year university) is delaying the hiring of a new library dean because they want to review faculty status for librarians. I would like to investigate the reasons for giving university librarians faculty status and hear from university librarians who do not have faculty status. I think in some way at least this topic is related to the topic Bob Watson suggested. It also deals with the role of the librarian.
Judith Segal
jsegal@shuttle.admcs.wwu.edu
Might there be interest in a discussion about the role and title of the academic library director: director, dean or university librarian? Does the title change the perception, the occupation, and/or the status of the incumbent?
Mary K. Chelton, MLS, PhD
Assistant Professor
School of Library and Information Management
Emporia State University
1200 Commercial
Emporia, KS 66801
Voice: (316) 341-5071
Fax: (316) 342-6391
mchelton@cadvantage.com
I would be interested in a discussion of why we have created a false dichotomy between information and entertainment in our categorization of recorded knowledge. Has fiction disappeared except as a public library and youth services anachronism?
Dr. Robert S. Butters
Director and Editor
Search: A Newsletter For Graduate Students
rbutters@naplesnet.com
Observing some indication of libraries (few in number) that have been successful enlarging their role in the field of knowledge management in the corporate setting, leads to questions that may be of interest: Will these trends in role and function be adopted in other fields in the future?
With an interest in the concept of knowledge management, I was able to retrieve and review the article cited below by Lucy Marshall in the printed version of Online Magazine. My attempt to report a Web location for the article failed. The full text is not yet available in Online:
Hope knowledge management may be of interest to others.
Dale Mead
dcm@jps.net
I think that the subject of knowledge management could be very interesting to discuss in this group because I think that it gets to root of some of the other issues that have been discussed here over the last couple of years. I think that this might well get to why, if information management is becoming so valuable, librarians are having a hard time cashing in.
In my company, Knowledge Systems (headed by a VP) is charged with capturing and managing the intellectual assets of the corporation. Knowledge managers do frequently have backgrounds in library, teaching, and technical publication. We consider an MLS to be a distinct plus in hiring. But, while library skills are vital, we would probably never hire someone whose sole experience was in a library.
Beyond what one traditionally sees in library school, our KM's have strong backgrounds in project management, solid understanding of information systems technologies and experience working with traditional IS organizations, and detailed understanding of the business we are in. They work on a daily basis with VP and director-level people in all areas of the company and they need to be able to hold their own regardless of whether that VP is in marketing, engineering, R&D, manufacturing, or whatever has been decided is VP level today.
This field is new and there isn't DDC or LCSH to provide existing intellectual structure for your work. Because of this, organizing an intranet or WAN to speed employee access can be very different than traditional library work. If you are going external and need to account for marketing spins on your site as well, things start to get interesting. Experience in User Interface testing, graphics and video arts, and Web development are also critical.
There are certainly librarians that fit this bill nicely and much of what I have written above assumes a great deal of corporate experience because, at least in my company, junior positions haven't evolved yet. But even where the junior positions arrive, I don't think that the current MLS curriculum is geared to even preparing graduates to even start becoming knowledge managers.
Karen M. Drabenstott
Associate Professor
School of Information
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1092 USA
Voice: (734) 763-3581
Fax: (734) 764-2475
karen.drabenstott@umich.edu
Since the first "new topics roundup" that I summarized a week ago, I have been in touch with several prospective guest editors regarding their interest in leading discussions. Unfortunately, only two suggestions have been issued this week. And I still have no takers for the following two topics:
Perhaps these ideas just aren't worth discussing. Are there other ideas that you have in mind and want to contribute? We still have a week to gather new suggestions. A few people have contacted me directly about their ideas (karen.drabenstott@umich.edu) and this is an alternative to making suggestions to the entire group.
Please keep the ideas rolling in!
Professor Tom Wilson
Head of Department of Information Studies
University of Sheffield
Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K.
Voice: +44-114-282-5081
Fax: +44-114-278-0300
T.D.Wilson@Sheffield.ac.uk
I see that "knowledge management" has popped up again. This concept really needs seriously to be taken apart. To my mind it is 99.5 percent management consultancy hype, since whenever I read things about it or hear people talk, the writer or speaker slides from "knowledge management" to "information management" and back again, using the terms completely synonymously. At a recent meeting in London, Dr. Sandra Ward of Glaxo Wellcome Research -- one of the most respected people in the special library/information management field in the UK -- gave a presentation that made a previous presentation by one of the noted U.S. gurus on the subject look empty and trivial by comparison, and she was dubious about the validity of the concept, in her experience.
"Knowledge" inheres in people -- when someone records what they know, that becomes "information" in the sense of having the potential to inform someone -- if that someone has understanding of the concepts and field concerned, it then become part of their knowledge of that field. It follows, then, that only information can be managed. Of course, people can also be managed, and they can be managed in ways that make it more likely that they will communicate effectively what they know to others -- but that requires management skills in general not some undefined set of skills with the name "knowledge management."
If we can use the buzzword "knowledge management" to sell library and information functions more effectively to senior management, then that's fine, but let's not get carried away into believing our own hype.
I just came across this URL for a bibliography on the issue of faculty status: http://www.smu.edu/~cul/faculty_status.html.
Katharina J. Blackstead
Library Advancement Officer
221 Hesburgh Library
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
Voice: (219) 631-6657
Fax: (219) 631-6772
blackstead.1@nd.edu
As someone who is alternately invigorated and frustrated by my own faculty status as an academic librarian, I would love to see this topic addressed in a forum such as CRISTAL-ED. I think we all have much to learn from a discussion of this thorny issue, about whose benefits and drawbacks we need to have a clearer understanding if we are to better understand ourselves and the direction(s) we need to take in our profession in the future.
My historical knowledge base of this phenomenon is insufficient to make me an effective discussion leader, but I think our taking a serious look at faculty status is something we need to do. I hope that someone will take it on.
You may join the discussion and look over the list of past and future topics.
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