Egbert John Sánchez Vanderkast

The information professional in a networked society

Society has undergone important changes. This can be perceived in the advances in computer, information and communication technology and the progress made in information science. The use of computers in our daily life, specially in the scope of libraries have pointed out development and possibility to store, to organize and to retrieve information in huge volume and in a rapid way. Communication between users has been supported through links between computers. This interconnectivity, in means of networking is transforming how libraries provide and users seek information. The organization of knowledge is necessary, otherwise retrieval will be difficult for the end‐users. They will not obtain the needed information unless they spend much time or they have gained vast experience in searching. In view of this, Information Professionals have to affront the emerging demands of the end‐users. Advances in technology and end‐users demands are evolving increasingly rapidly. The role of the information professionals has changed dramatically from a “book‐lending” person to a recognized “intermediary” between information and users. This recognition is not in general. In case of Latin American countries this situation is more evident, because of the budget decreasing. The expectation of a library is not only to satisfy users demands, without considering those accomplishment to require essential training, infrastructure and economic resources. Institutions in charge of formal library and information science education are making effort to affront training and skills to face the marketplace. The reluctance to change must be considered by the profession and society, which by means assimilate very slowly those changing profile. In contrast society demands these changes without recognizing the library as an active agent in a social system, neither to support the necessary infrastructure to satisfy users demands. In view of this information professionals got together to discuss issues about their concern of the directions of the profession. They concluded that the future is uncertain. There is a lack of policy and great diversity of opinion among members. Libraries in general are confronting with the idea that this institution is a decreasing stage because the overpromoting of the computer. Users specially in the educational environment have the idea that using a networked environment will immediately solve their information problems. Others have in mind that the cyberspace will substitute the library function and that libraries will be soon disappeared. Libraries in general have been affected not only by these mentioned opinions but also in their budget, which had strongly influenced their possibility to acquire appropriate equipment to satisfy information needs of users and training of the workers.

Tópicos de políticas de información en el entorno científico y técnico: México 1989 -1994

En primer lugar se hace un recuento sucinto del concierto internacional en materia de politicas de informacion, luego se resena la situacion de algunos paises de America Latina y enseguida se revisa la situacion en Mexico con el fin de: a) revisar si el discurso oficial en materia de politicas de informacion en el campo cientifico y tecnico es considerado en los planes nacionales de desarrollo; b) identificar los topicos de politicas de informacion en materia de ciencia y tecnologia a partir del analisis de algunas publicaciones oficiales mexicanas y c) profundizar en el periodo 1989 – 1994 que comprende el sexenio del entonces presidente Carlos Salinas de Gortari. La metodologia utilizada se refiere al analisis documental de las obras y a la aplicacion de una propuesta en particular en torno al estudio de las politicas de informacion. Palabras claves Politicas de informacion. Mexico. Ciencia y tecnologia. Topics of information policies in the scientific and technological environment: Mexico 1989-1994 Abstract In the first place a count becomes resume of the international concert in the matter of information policies, soon the situation of some countries of Latin America is reviewed and immediately the situation in Mexico is reviewed with the purpose of: a) to review if the official speech in the matter of policies of information in the scientific and technical field is considered in the national plans of development; b) to identify the topics of policies of information in the matter of science and technology from the analysis of some Mexican official publications and c) to deepen in the period 1989 - 1994 that includes/understands government of Carlos Salinas de Gortari. The used methodology talks about to the documental analysis of works and to the application of a proposal in individual around the study of the information policies. Keywords Information policy. Mexico. Science and technology.

Information Literacy, a Cornerstone of Democratic Society: A Component of an Information Policy

Among the many declarations about the use of information made between 1997 and 2012, the Havana Declaratory (15th action) concluded that “Multi-literacy has to be promoted as collaborative work between different agencies”. A national information policy is a cardinal point in accomplishing this proposal in order to have programs that can achieve short-, mid- or long-term goals. This paper will discuss three components of multi-literacy; computer literacy; information literacy; and the political literacy needed for these processes to reach an informed citizenship as a step in the construction of a democratic society.