Blog - Improve your Current Awareness Strategy

Last month, a remarkable story went viral. The New York Times profiled¹ a man who after November 8, 2016 refused to learn about anything in the news. He even went as far as to listen to white noise in public to avoid overhearing anything. The reaction on Twitter² was harsh and well-deserved: ‘Today in White Male Privilege’ seemed to sum up the radical selfishness of the subject of the profile.

As we head to the next century, libraries have to think about the possibility of shared space. My previous post about libraries of the 22nd century discussed how space and cost will drive libraries to share facilities and resources. The possibilities are endless but one of the more intriguing options is the burgeoning field of telemedicine.

Have you deleted your Facebook account? Be honest. Have you even reviewed your privacy settings on any other social media site, let alone Facebook?

One commentator recently noted that the fastest growing market at the moment is for personal information.¹ Everybody wants to know everything and our reliance on being technologically connected means we are increasingly comfortable with making our private lives visible. And until now, the regulatory framework has struggled to protect the individual against a wholesale requirement of providing a discoverable trail of personal data.

March 31st is upon us, and this has prompted us to think about budgets. Even if your annual library budget for next year is already written in stone, it’s worth reflecting on your budget - and the process you use to plan your budget - now, while the experience is fresh.

By Clare Brown and Remy Maisel

Despite premature reports of the death of librarianship, law librarians continue to be in high demand - sometimes in new and different roles. We at Vable are excited to be part of the vanguard of technology and other companies that are recognising the value of information professionals and finding new ways to utilise the unique skill set they embody.

It’s impossible to talk about libraries these days without talking about change. As the needs of users change, and as technology changes, libraries must adapt in order to continue to serve their users and organisations well. So as libraries are asked to change quickly - and incorporate new technologies - some are turning to the software development world to adapt their methods of fast-paced working for the library.

Most professional jobs require at least an element of management, and being a librarian is no exception. Yet, according to Ken Haycock, few beginning Library and Information Science students will say they want to be managers or leaders in the field. What’s more, many LIS graduates also complain¹ that they lacked training and education in management during their studies, while others say² that management modules that were offered but they were not required. So what training would LIS students need to feel qualified to be library managers?

You might think that you shouldn’t still need to make a case for your continued existence, and I understand your frustration. However, there’s an ongoing problem across industries of people not understanding what exactly Knowledge Management professionals do.