New Information Management Work in a Changing World: an Australian Survey

Abstract

This research investigated the knowledge, skills, formal qualifications and experience of successful applicants for a subset of the information management jobs advertised in a daily newspaper in Sydney from April to June 1996. The subset included jobs which were shaped by new information technology, which were not part of any established profession or career, and which utilised information management knowledge and skills of the type which may be gained through Library and Information Studies (LIS) education. Some traditional LIS skills, most notably skills in organising and retrieving information and in assessing information needs were reported to be essential for many of the jobs. The jobs investigated were diverse as were the qualifications of successful applicants. The link between qualifications and job was often not obvious, which suggests that applicants may have needed to make the case for the appropriateness of their qualifications and experience. Thus LIS graduates seeking such jobs need to prepare themselves to argue their appropriateness for them.