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Subject:Re: Where does an "Information Manager" Fit From:Candace Bamber <cbamber -at- CASTEK -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 2 Jun 1997 09:12:33 -0400
All,
A week or so ago, I posted some questions and comments about where
"Technical Librarians" and/or
information managers fit into the general scheme of technical
communications.
Many many thank yous to the 41 people who responded! My sis and I never
expected to get quite so much good advice.
Quick summary:
1. No one said that a technical librarian WASN'T a technical communicator!
2. About half the responses indicated that consulting would make a good
career direction. it would give the librarian a chance to sell the benefits
of good information management and then charge the earth for the skills.
The "sell" is important as "most" organizations have a hard enough time
understanding why they should pay writers, let alone a librarian. One
person said that librarians are among the first to be down-sized where they
do exist.
3. A number of people suggested that my sis approach her company and
convince them to offer information management services as part of their
engineering systems offering. My sis was very interested in this particular
idea. Although she's had considerable success with her current company,
this is her first job out of school and she doesn't really see independent
consulting as a option for another two or three years.
4. Many people said that they didn't really understand what a tech
librarian does, but from the description I gave of what Laura (my sis)
accomplished at her company, they thought their company needed one. More
about this below.
5. A number of people sent job postings and contact names. Thank you very
much indeed.
We definitely established that there are professional librarians on this
list. Regarding item number 4: Lots of people said they don't really
understand what a technical librarian does. Information Management has
evolved in the "Information Age" and seems to occupy something of a grey
are between database design and implementation and the dewey decimal system
:^^) .
I would like to understand much more clearly what Information Managers DO
in technical companies, and to compile a list of reasons why a software or
engineering firm needs a professional Information Management Specialist,
(which I will post back to the list) so that I can make a strong
proposal/business case for hiring one. Contributors welcome and thanked in
advance!
Have a great Monday!
Candace
cbamber -at- castek -dot- com
***************************************************************************
*********************************************
Candace Bamber
now thankfully at: "Whatever you can do or dream,
Castek Software Factory Begin it.
Toronto, ON, Canada Boldness has genius, magic and power in
it."
416-777-2550 X 331 --- Goethe
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