Margaret Kinnell

Information science in 2010: a Loughborough University view

This article presents issues relating to the future direction of the information science discipline. A 10-year time horizon is chosen so that predictions will not be influenced unduly by change in the information environment. To know where the discipline is going relies on knowledge of where it has been; this trajectory is investigated in terms of its historical development. The scientific basis of information science is addressed, together with issues relating to an all encompassing definition for the term “information.” Moving from theory into practice raises further issues, and an acknowledgment is made to the gradual change from its genesis as an academic discipline in the 1950s to its practitioner base in the 1990s. It is suggested that the wheel will turn full circle by 2010, during which time a lot of effort will be expended unifying methodologies that underpin different perspectives of the multifaceted term, information. Core activities are suggested, and indication made to exemplar application areas that allow the best practice to be identified. Management issues, such as performance measurement, are also alluded to. The conclusions drawn show that information science will make a significant contribution to other disciplines (e.g., manufacturing, business, healthcare), and that a number of opportunities and challenges will present themselves.

Employee suggestion schemes: a management tool for the 1990s?

Quality figures large in the lexicon of today′s management. And so it should. For many, however, the use of buzzwords such as “commitment to quality” can suggest a case of all form and no content. Suggestion schemes, properly constituted and managed, offer real opportunities to achieve employee involvement and empowerment, key elements of quality management. Rewards need not be large, but the benefits in terms of motivation and increased employee morale can be considerable. Offers a model scheme for consideration, adapted from the commercial sector in both the United Kingdom and South Africa; it is suggested for use in the library and information sector.

Business information provision for small and medium-sized enterprises in China : the application of marketing models

The marketing of business information to small and medium‐sized enterprises in the UK is complex, and includes a number of variables. Considers the relevance of these variables to the marketing of information services in an emerging economy through a study of 13 enterprises in China, as part of a wider co‐operative project between the Department of Information and Library Studies, Loughborough University, and the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China.

Reviewing the literature on public libraries and social inclusion

This paper critically assesses the literature in the area of current UK community development work to examine the actual, and potential for, social impact and effectiveness of public library initiatives. Evidence of the social impact of public libraries is divided into three sections: first, the impact on the community, in sustaining local identities, in promoting social cohesion and in promoting cultural diversity; second, the skills impact, in helping to equip people of all ages to enter or re-enter the labour market; and third, the economic impact in contributing to local prosperity through the regeneration of town centres and local businesses and in decreasing poverty both on an individual and regional level. These analyses demonstrate the ways in which public libraries can work to promote the social inclusion of individuals who otherwise, for any number of reasons, may be marginalised.

The Development of Self-Assessment Tool-Kits for the Library and Information Sector.

The article considers methodological issues which arose in undertaking a two‐year British Library funded research project – Assessment Tools for Quality Management in Public Libraries – jointly managed by the Department of Information Science, Loughborough University and the Department of Information Studies, Sheffield University and discusses the principal findings. The aim of the research was to assess the potential of and then to develop and evaluate self‐assessment techniques for the public library and information sector. The authors argue that by using an action research methodology they were best able to produce a self‐assessment toolkit which matched the needs of public library services. Using evidence drawn from three case study library authorities and the literature, the authors go on to suggest that whilst self‐assessment can have a role to play in the evaluation of library and information services, there is a real need to tailor and adapt tools to reflect specific service cultures and experience.

Legal deposit: local issues in a national context

Describes a research project aiming to develop models to facilitate co‐operative initiatives and partnership arrangements which will improve the identification and collection of local publications under legal deposit and the coverage of these publications in the BNB. Underlines the importance of locally‐held collections and outlines the concept of “the national published archive”. Argues the need for a review of, and changes to, legal deposit, highlighting the need for greater co‐operation between the legal deposit libraries and others, whilst noting existing co‐operation. Maintains that the success of any distributed national published archive will depend upon a co‐operative approach, between the legal deposit libraries themselves and other information providers at local and regional levels. Above all, any new arrangements must be sustainable – able to withstand, for instance, future local or regional reorganisations of the kind recently experienced, and properly funded.

Benchmarking development needs in the LIS sector

This paper is based on the findings of recent research into the application of benchmarking in the library and information sector. It examines the needs of the information professions vis-à-vis benchmarking. Until recently, benchmarking has been confined largely to international corporations, but interest is now extending to the public sector and to smaller businesses. British Library funded research found a growing interest in the use of benchmarking techniques in the library and information services (LIS) sector, but little consensus on what it involves or how best to do it. In order to further this interest in benchmarking, and put benchmarking into practice, LIS managers need guidelines on benchmarking. These might usefully include the publication of case studies, which would provide practical examples of the application of benchmarking in a variety of LIS environments. A definition of benchmarking and a model or approach which is relevant to the information sector are also needed. The important issue of training for quality-related activities (such as benchmarking) also needs to be addressed. If quality initiatives are to succeed, all LIS staff need to understand the rationale behind these activities, as well as to acquire and apply the necessary knowledge and skills. This paper explores some of the approaches to training and assesses the literature on training for quality.

MARKETING PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES – OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE

Analyses marketing strategies relevant to public library managers at a time of change in the reviewing of public library services with reference to a material questionnaire and case‐study investigation of public library and leisure services marketing. Targeting and the role of marketing in library services were of particular concern.

From Autonomy to Systems: Education for the Information and Library Professions, 1986-1999

It is proposed that university education for library and information professionals has become less autonomous in character and more systematised. A triangular model which describes a dynamic tension between professors, students and the state is developed by further analysis of the state and higher education: the public sector context, the teaching and learning environment in universities, students and the market and the impact of cognate disciplines. It is concluded that despite the pressures within the higher education system, academics have had an important role in developing the information and library studies field and will continue to be significant.

The impact of information use on decision making in the pharmaceutical industry

Reports on research conducted in the UK into the impact of information use on decision making in the pharmaceuticals industry. The results help library and information service managers to better understand the information needs of their clients.