Information for industry—the role of the information broker

Abstract

My purpose is to draw the attention of the information profession to the fact that the majority of British companies have totally inadequate access to information, to outline the role information brokers can play in alleviating the situation, and to stimulate discussion. In view of the overall theme of the conference, the economics of information, it is probably time that due attention was paid to the problems of what is almost an information ‘third world’, because of the possible adverse effect on the economy of the United Kingdom if it continues to go unnoticed. The size of the problem is substantial; on the British industrial scene, the professional information population is dwarfed by the actual number of companies.