Information professional

Traditionally, an information professional is someone who collects, records, organises, stores, preserves, retrieves, and disseminates printed or digital information.

The term is most frequently used interchangeably with the term 'librarian', or as a progression of it. Librarians traditionally managed information contained in books or other paper records. Nowadays, however, libraries make extensive use of modern media and technology, hence the role of librarians has been enhanced. The versatile term 'information professional' is also used to describe other similar professions, such as archivists, information managers, information systems specialists, and records managers. Information professionals work in a variety of private, public, and academic institutions.

Since the term information professional is broad, the skills required for this profession are also varied. A Gartner report in 2011 pointed out that "Professional roles focused on information management will be different to that of established IT roles. An 'information professional' will not be one type of role or skill set, but will in fact have a number of specializations". Thus, an information professional can possess a variety of different skills, depending on the sector in which the person is employed.

Some essential cross-sector skills are:

Moreover, an information professional should be skilled in planning and using relevant systems, in capturing and securing information, and in accessing it to deliver service whenever the information is required.

Many universities around the world offer Library and Information Science (LIS) academic degrees, or degress on related subjects such as Archival Studies, Information Systems, Information Management, and Records Management. Furthermore, many library associations and unions offer Information Management training, and there are also online e-learning resources, some of which offer certification for information professionals. In many countries the courses and certificates available are accredited by the relevant professional association, as is the case for example with the American Library Association (ALA) in the USA, Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) in the UK, and Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) in Australia.

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Wikipedia