Event: Information Pros as Enterprise Content (ECM) Consultants with Deb Hunt - Thursday, January 14, 2010

 Jean Bedord and Vicki Garlow

Deb Hunt, principal of Information Edge, kicked off 2010 for the San Andreas SLA chapter with a Career Agility presentation entitled “Mining Enterprise Business Intelligence – All the World’s a Stage:  Another Role for Info Pros” on January 14. 

  

 Information Edge has been in business for twenty years, as Deb has juggled consulting and traditional librarian roles. She has been very active in SLA (both the San Andreas AND San Francisco chapters!) and AIIP (Association of Independent Information Professionals), and is currently a Director of SLA. She was recognized by Information World Review’s as “Information Professional of the Year (2009)” for her work on behalf of SLA to spearhead and implement 23 Things, a membership program to update technical skills.   

 

Business intelligence for the enterprise  is more than just the traditional library and information sources, extending to internal assets which include Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and

intellectual capital assets. In this time of layoffs, her presentation identified MLS/MLIS skills that are valuable for assuming a role as a knowledge professional in auditing, recommending and implementing ECM systems.

  

Highlights of her presentation included:

• Background describing strengths of information professionals and knowledge engineers and how to stay connected to new opportunities. See  Staying Connected after a Layoff   by Dee Richardson. Searcher, Nov/Dec 2009.  

• How the information provided by information pros creates a competitive advantage and improves the bottom line. See Finding and Providing Information Aren't Enough by John Latham, Information Outlook, July/Aug 2009.

• Defined Enterprise Content Management (ECM), recommending AIIM as the key organization for knowledge management. She recommends joining the AIIM ECM network on LinkedIn to tap into social networking. You can register for a free AIIM Webinar on ECM on  January 27, 2010. 
  

• Defined intellectual capital and the importance of organizing and making this information findable within the organization. Deb described several case studies where she was brought in to organize critical internal professional assets and the positive impact on the companies.
  

• Described collaboration with IT and getting senior executive buy-in to assess and implement ECM within the company. Information pros are the experts on the content, and complement the skills of the IT team.

• Identified keys to ensuring that ECM programs are in alignment with the primary objectives of an organization, a critical success factor for information professionals. See Reinventing Ourselves for Success by Jamal Cromity and Barry Miller, Information Outlook, Dec. 2009.

• Talked about the 23 Things wiki which is a self-learning module to assist SLA members to keep up-to-date on the use of Web 2.0 tools in Knowledge Management.

   

Additional resources that Deb recommended for information pros who have been laid off or who anticipate being laid off:

• Here Comes Everybody:  The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky ( 2009)
• LinkedWorking:  Generating Success on LinkedIn the World's Largest Professional Networking Website by Frank Agin and Lewis Howes (2009)
  

And of course, use the  SLA membership benefits to update your skills, specifically  23 Things  and Click University!!! Deb's presentation is available at her business website Information Edge.

Special thanks to Lee Pharis for hosting us at Exponent, and fpr making these Career Agility programs possible. We welcome your suggestions for 2010 programs. 

 

Jean Bedord and Vicki Garlow

Program Directors 2010, San Andreas SLA