INFORMATION SCIENCE PROFESSIONS, PROFESSIONALS

AND INDUSTRY
Presentation Outline

Definition
Categories of information 01
science professions
02 The role of the
Information professional
Qualification, skills and 03
competencies
04
Information industry
05
 DEFINITION OF

I N F O R M AT I O N S C I E N C E

It is an interdisciplinary science derived from and related to such

fields as mathematics, logic, linguistics, psychology, computer
technology, operations research, the graphic arts, communications,
library science, management, and other similar fields. It has both a
pure science component, which inquiries into the subject without
regard to its application, and an applied science component, which
develops services and products." (Borko, 1968, p.3)

Study of processes of analysis, collection, classification,

manipulation, storage, retrieval, dissemination, and protection of
information.
Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) defines a professional
as someone who

Places information
professional ethics at the
centre of their work 01 Delivers quality information
services for the benefit of their
Champions their profession
and its societal benefit
02 end users

03 Has evidenced recognised

information professional
Applies and reflects upon their
professional knowledge in 04 knowledge
practice 05 Aspires to excellence
Develops and maintains 06
their skills 07 Supports their colleagues and
engages with the professional
Leads at all levels and 08 community
instigates positive change 09
Information Professionals: Definition
A person who is well versed in collecting, recording,
storing, organising, preserving, retrieving, and
disseminating information in various formats.

An information professional is someone who

records, organises, preserves, retrieves, and
disseminates printed or digital information

The versatile term 'information professional' is also

used to describe other similar professions, such as
archivists, information managers, information
systems specialists, and record managers

Information professionals work in a variety

of private, public, and academic
institutions.
 CATEGORIES OF INFORMATION SCIENCE
PROFESSIONS
01 Information Specialist 02 Information 03 Information
This is person who manages files and analyzes data on Scientists Technologist
behalf of a company. In addition to data analysis, job This is one who is trained and vast in the art and science
An information technologist is a person who
duties include securely storing files, accessing of collection, categorization, storage, retrieval and
specialises in engineering, managing and
information on behalf of the company or their clients, distribution of information for utility purposes. (eg.
designing hardware and software solutions.
providing reports on the data, and training. (eg. information officer, knowledge manager)

04 Information 05 Information 06 Educators and trainers

Intermediaries Managers of information workers
Individuals and groups who obtain, analyse, and a person who is responsible for the systems that A person who analyse and evaluate information-
interpret information, communicating their findings provide information to the people in a company or based training needs and objectives, and develop,
to others. (eg. Information broker, information organization, and for protecting information that schedule and conduct related training programs
consultant) must be kept private: and courses (lecturer, trainers, concultant)
 INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS
Information Professionals

Librarians/Archivist/Records
Knowledge Data
Information Managers Managers Professionals
Manager

Public Reference Academic & Information Information Change Chief Data Data
Librarians Archivist Research Architects Rights Analysts Managers Knowledge Scientists Analytics
Librarians Managers Officers Managers

Records Govt Document Information Data Cyber- Knowledge KM Machine Artificial

Officer Librarians controllers Governance Protection security Architects Facilitators Learning Intelligence
Managers Officers Managers Specialists Specialists

Archives Data Digital Information Taxonomy Web Knowledge

Officer Librarians Archivis Scientists Specialists Managers Advisers
The supply chain for Information Professionals

Rapid political,
social, economic
& technological
change

Changing
Changing
behaviours &
demand for
expectations for
information
information users
skills & values
The supply chain for Information Professionals

Rapid political,
Changing skills
social, economic
base for
& technological
Information
change
Professionals

Changing
Changing Changing model
behaviours &
demand for for the supply of
expectations for
information information skills
information users
skills & values

Changing
requirement for
‘validation’ &
professionalism
The supply chain for Information Professionals

Rapid political,
Changing skills
social, economic Driving
base for
& technological leadership at
Information
change every level
Professionals

Changing
Changing Changing model
behaviours &
demand for for the supply of
expectations for
information information skills
information users
skills & values

Championing
Changing
equality,
requirement for
diversity &
‘validation’ &
inclusion in our
professionalism
profession
 The supply chain for Information Professionals

Rapid political, Improving

Changing
social, Driving information,
skills base for
economic & leadership at data &
Information
technological every level knowledge
Professionals
change capability

Changing
Changing Changing model Attracting,
behaviours &
demand for for the supply retaining and
expectations for
information of information developing
information
skills & values skills talent
users

Championing
Changing Driving
equality,
requirement for information
diversity &
‘validation’ & literacy for
inclusion in our
professionalism everyone
profession
 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL ROLES
Managerial processor of
Interpreter of
information
information
the process of assigning meaning system that interprets, converts,
to the collected information (eg. and summarizes data in the form
Research data, data analytics etc of statements and reports

Analyze of Routine
information processor of
Transformer To show information
individually in order to information
of see clearly the the acquisition,
information differences between each
recording,
piece of information
a person or thing that organization, retrieval,
transforms something display, and
(eg. From printed to dissemination of
digital; dato to information
information etc.)
Original creator of
Transporter of information
information
types of vehicles designed to transport is something or someone who
information (Televison, Radio, Social Media etc) brings something into being
QUALIFICATION, SKILLS AND
COMPETENCIES
Qualifications.
Educational institutions around the world offer academic degrees, or
degrees on related subjects such as Archival Studies, Information
Systems, Information Management, and Records Management.
Eg. Bachelor of Information Science (Library Management/Information
System Management/Information Content Management/Records
Management) (Hons).
Post Graduates Qualification
Eg. MA in Information Management, MS in Business Analytics and
Information Management
EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS
Information Analyst Law Librarian
Information Broker Medical Librarian
Information Consultant School Librarian
Information Manager Record/ Document Manager
Information Officer/ Executive Record Management Officer
Information Centre Knowledge Management
Administrator Officer
Librarian Research Officer/ Researcher
System Librarian System Analyst
Web Programmer
Data analyst
https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf?_gl=1*1g2nbyw*_u
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REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
REPRESENTATIVE JOB TITLES, DUTIES, SKILLS,
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
 MAJOR INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
COMPETENCIES
1. Managing Information Organizations
• Aligns the information organization with, and is supportive of, the strategic
directions of the parent organization or of key client groups through
partnerships with key stakeholders and suppliers.
• Assesses and communicates the value of the information organization, including
information services, products and policies to senior management, key
stakeholders and client groups.
• Establishes effective management, operational and financial management
processes and exercises sound business and financial judgments in making
decisions that balance operational and strategic considerations.
• Contributes effectively to senior management strategies and decisions
regarding information applications, tools and technologies, and policies for the
organization.
• Builds and leads an effective information services team and champions the
professional and personal development of people working within the
information organization
2. Managing Information Resources

• Manages the full life cycle of information from its creation or acquisition
through its destruction. This includes organizing, categorizing,
cataloguing, classifying, disseminating; creating and managing
taxonomies, intranet and extranet content, thesauri etc.
• Builds a dynamic collection of information resources based on a deep
understanding of clients’ information needs and their learning, work
and/or business processes.
• Demonstrates expert knowledge of the content and format of
information resources, including the ability to critically evaluate, select
and filter them.
• Provides access to the best available externally published and
internally created information resources and deploys content throughout
the organization using a suite of information access tools.
• Negotiates the purchase and licensing of needed information products
and services.
• Develops information policies for the organization regarding externally
published and internally created information resources and advises on
the implementation of these policies.
3. Managing Information Services

• Develops and maintains a portfolio of cost-effective, client-valued

information services that are aligned with the strategic directions of
the organization and client groups.
• Conducts market research of the information behaviors and problems
of current and potential client groups to identify concepts for new or
enhanced information solutions for these groups. Transforms these
concepts into customized information products and services.
• Researches, analyzes and synthesizes information into accurate
answers or actionable information for clients, and ensures that clients
have the tools or capabilities to immediately apply these.
• Develops and applies appropriate metrics to continually measure the
quality and value of information offerings, and to take appropriate
action to ensure each offering’s relevancy within the portfolio.
• Employs evidence-based management to demonstrate the value of
and continually improve information sources and services
4. Applying Information Tools & Technologies

• Information professionals harness the current and appropriate technology

tools to deliver the best services, provide the most relevant and accessible
resources, develop and deliver teaching tools to maximize clients’ use of
information, and capitalize on the library and information environment of the
21st century.
• Assesses, selects and applies current and emerging information tools and
creates information access and delivery solutions
• Applies expertise in databases, indexing, metadata, and information
analysis and synthesis to improve information retrieval and use in the
organization
• Protects the information privacy of clients and maintains awareness of, and
responses to, new challenges to privacy
• Maintains current awareness of emerging technologies that may not be
currently relevant but may become relevant tools of future information
resources, services or applications
INFORMATION INDUSTRY
• The Information sector comprises establishments engaged in the
following processes: (a) producing and distributing information and
cultural products, (b) providing the means to transmit or distribute these
products as well as data or communications, and (c) processing data.

• The main components of this sector are the publishing industries,

including software publishing, and both traditional publishing and
publishing exclusively on the Internet; the motion picture and sound
recording industries; the broadcasting industries, including traditional
broadcasting and those broadcasting exclusively over the Internet; the
telecommunications industries; Web search portals, data processing
industries, and the information services industries.
 Information Industry has 3
components :

1 2 3
PRODUCTION PROCESSING DISTRIBUTION
Many of the producers of information Information processing comprises a
fall outside the bounds of the Distribution of information also
large portion of the activities within
information industry proper; these comprises a large part of industry
the information industry; processing activity; distribution includes marketing
include authors, illustrators, inventors, transforms information into products
and so on. the information products that were
that can be packaged and sold as processed and delivering the products
However, information is also produced
within the industry itself; for example, usable goods. Publishing a journal to the customers who purchase them.
companies specializing in data mining involves processing a number of For example, once an electronic
use large collections of data to create articles into an edited and database of journal articles has been
usable information products such as integrated package. assembled, proper distribution ensures
customer profiles or product Creating an electronic database of that potential customers know it exists
purchasing trends. journal articles involves assembling and that they can access it after
Also, some of the products generated purchase. When the product is
citations and abstracts for articles
in the processing of information are delivered to the customer, that
from a carefully selected group of individual might be a librarian or other
sufficiently novel that processing journals and integrating them into a
becomes a form of production information professional.
large, usable database system This person, who then distributes
.
 CROSS SECTOR SKILLS OF INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL

Some essential cross-sector skills are:

• IT skills, such as word-processing and spreadsheets, digitisation skills, and
conducting internet searches, together with skills in digitisation, loan systems,
databases, content management systems, and specially designed programmes
and packages.
• Customer service. An information professional should have the ability to
address the information needs of customers.
• Language proficiency. This is essential in order to manage the information at
hand and deal with customer needs.
• Soft skills. These include skills such as negotiating, conflict resolution, and
time management, which are useful for all interactions at a workplace.
• Management training. An information professional should be familiar with
notions such as strategic planning and project management.
• Moreover, an information professional should be skilled in planning and using
relevant systems, in capturing and securing information, and in accessing it to
deliver service whenever the information is required.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS

• Always keep abreast to latest and current information and its associate technology
• Perform public relations techniques
• Customer care and service attitude
• Research attitude
• Leadership
• Strategic Thinking
• Creative and Innovative
• Active and Proactive
• Responsible and accountable
• Facilitating
• Instructing
• Ability to organize knowledge and information
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