On the trail of an information professional

Abstract

Information professionals are essentially sleuths and detectives, constantly scanning the horizon for clues, enquiring and searching for information and discovering quality resources that will support both organisational and user needs. Although this 'detective work' is a skill that most information professionals will attest they are born to do, it is highly desirable for all knowledge workers to learn these fundamental skills. Becoming more proficient at finding and evaluating information resources is essential as we rely more and more on the Internet as a provider of resources. This column follows the trail of an information professional in a year-long journey through the World-Wide Web (Web), learning essential information skills and discovering and collating a 'toolbox' of indispensable resources that will support all knowledge workers. Competency framework for information professionals The UK Ministry of Defence has published a framework of functional competencies for librarians and information managers (www.mod.uk/linked_files/aobutus/libraries/funcomp.pdf). This competence framework was designed to comprehensively represent the range and scope of information professionals and to enable practitioners and their line managers to identify and assess the competencies necessary for effective job performance. One of the functional competency clusters identified is 'Knowledge and Evaluation of Information Sources'. The competence is identified as knowing and using information sources. The performance criteria are recognized as demonstrating knowledge and familiarity with the various types and formats of information to meet customer needs and demonstrating awareness and use of internal and external information sources. The outcome of this competency is that users have confidence in the information professional's ability to retrieve relevant information. The second competence is identified as valuating information sources. The performance criteria include demonstrating the ability to investigate and evaluate the features and performance of information sources and systems used. The outcome of this competency is that the information professional is able to make value judgements on competing sources and systems to be used. While this competency cluster is geared specifically towards information professionals, it is essentially a competency that all knowledge workers need to develop in order to work efficiently and effectively with both information and information resources, especially information resources on the Web.