New LibGig Series: Career Profiles
LibGig is excited to present their readership with a new series of articles, Career Profiles, by Kim Dority, an information specialist, consultant, and author. Each article will discuss a different type of librarianship. We hope this series will assist those at any stage of the information game to have a better understanding of the diversity within the profession and what options are out there for new students, recent graduates, those between jobs, or information veterans looking to change direction.
Kim Dority, MLS, is Vice President of Content and Strategy for Disaboom.com, and the President of Dority & Associates, an information consulting company. She is the author of "Rethinking Information Work: A Career Guide for Librarians and Other Information Professionals," and thinks an MLS is the best career asset anyone can have!
August 31, 2009
Competitive Intelligence: Or How to Find Out What Everybody’s Up To
By Kim Dority
Competitive intelligence (CI) involves the gathering of information about the competitive landscape within which a given organization operates. Because CI relies on research, analysis, and writing skills, it can offer interesting opportunities for LIS professionals.
According to Business: The Ultimate Resource, 2d ed. (Perseus Publishing, 2006), competitive intelligence “… is a key aspect of analyzing the operating environment. Such information (which can range from new products or pricing to overall strategic direction) is used to make both short- and long-term plans in a number of areas, including strategy, mergers and acquisitions, pricing, marketing, advertising, and research and development.”
Who Does Competitive Intelligence?
What this definition makes clear is that competitive intelligence gathering can take place as an “embedded” function in many different areas within the organization. Alternatively, it may be one of many responsibilities handled by the Corporate Information Center.
Or, CI may be an outsourced function handled by an independent information professional.
Competitive Intelligence for Decision Support
Ultimately, the purpose of CI is to help key stakeholders within the organization make informed decisions about committing the company’s assets (time, personnel, capital) to a given undertaking or opportunity.
Good competitive intelligence, for example, answers such questions as:
• Who are my company’s (or client’s) main competitors, and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
• What market strategies are our competitors deploying?
• What direction might a recently hired CEO take a competing organization?
• What companies might make valuable merger or acquisitions targets?
• What share of the market do key competitors hold, and is this increasing or decreasing?
• Who are the key players in a new market my company is considering entering, and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
For Nonprofits, Consider Collaborative Intelligence
Although CI is generally associated with for-profit business organizations, the same research and analysis can be used to create a collaborative intelligence overview.
This approach would identify organizations that have complementary missions (for potential partnering or collaborative opportunities), organizations already working with a given constituency or offering programs of potential interest to the non-profit in question (enabling it to avoid duplicating work already being done by others), and other organizations in the non-profit’s “space” that are not effectively executing their missions (and therefore offer a possible market opportunity).
Approaches to CI
Essentially, with both types of intelligence gathering, the CI function is to try to identify who’s doing what, how they’re doing it, why they’re doing it, and what this may indicate about their future moves.
Research will usually be a combination of primary – e.g.., phone interviews, personal contacts, perhaps conference attendance – and secondary, to include database research, possible government documents research, and magazine and newspaper-based research, among others. Additionally, competitive intelligence may be an ongoing, systematic part of your job, or project-based, driven by a specific threat or opportunity. CI results may be fed directly into a company intranet to support broader, enterprise-wide strategic intelligence goals, and be a key part of an organization’s knowledge management program.
The CI Skill Set
The skills necessary to competitive intelligence work are, first and foremost, strong business research skills and an ability to analyze, synthesize, and draw conclusions from your research findings. As noted, excellent writing skills are a must-have.
Depending on the company or client, knowledge of a given industry may also be valuable, although this can often be picked up on the job. If you are an MLIS student considering a CI career path, you’ll want to pay special attention in your business reference/research, database searching, Internet searching, and government documents courses. Also, several LIS graduate programs offer competitive intelligence courses and certificates, some online. Additionally, these programs may be offered through the business-school courses.
Information Resources
Associations
Society for Competitive Intelligence
www.scip.org
SCIP’s describes itself as “a global nonprofit membership organization for everyone involved in creating and managing business knowledge.” It espouses a code of ethics, supports an online peer network, hosts more than 50 regional chapters, and makes available an online membership directory. Publications include the bimonthly Competitive Intelligence magazine (print), reports, case studies, and other materials deemed of use to members’ professional growth. Student membership is $25/yr.
Competitive Intelligence Division, Special Libraries Association
www.sla.org/content/community/units/divs/division.cfm
A fairly recent addition to the expanding group of SLA divisions, the CI group has as its mission to encompass “all aspects of competitive intelligence, including planning, identifying decision makers intelligence needs, collecting and analyzing information, disseminating intelligence products and services, evaluating intelligence activities, promoting intelligence services among a client base, and additional industry-specific issues. Competitive Intelligence Division members concentrate on developing their competitive intelligence skills to assist them in functioning more effectively as intelligence professionals within their respective organizations.” A great vehicle for connecting with others who are practicing CI professionals and those wanting to learn more about this career path.
Books
Carr, Margaret Metcalf, Jan Herring, and Reva Basch. Super Searchers on Competitive Intelligence: The Online and Offline Secrets of Top CI Researchers.Information Today, Inc., 2003. 336p. ISBN 0910965641.
Following the familiar “Super Searchers on…” format, this title presents practical how-to information and insider tips from 15 competitive intelligence specialists. Not only useful from the standpoint of how to undertake CI research, but also provides a good sense of what a career as a competitive intelligence specialist would entail.
Fuld, Leonard. The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence: How to See Through and Stay Ahead of Business Disruptions, Distortions, Rumors, and Smoke Screens. Crown, 2006. 320p. ISBN 0609610899.
More anecdotal than action plan, Fuld’s book provides an introduction to the role of CI in strategic decision-making for organizations. For a more formally organized, step-by-step guide to implementing a CI plan, see Fuld’s earlier (if now quite dated) work, The New Competitor Intelligence: The Complete Resource for Finding, Analyzing, and Using Information About Your Competitors (Wiley, 1994).
Gilad, Benjamin. Early Warning: Using Competitive Intelligence to Anticipate Market Shifts, Control Risk, and Create Powerful Strategies. AMACOM, 2003. 272p. ISBN 0814407862.
Early Warning is more of a why-to than how-to. Written for business leaders, its focus is on using the information gleaned through an ongoing, systematic competitive intelligence program to further key strategic goals. Provides an excellent complement from a strategy level for the Kahaner and Super Searchers books.
Kahaner, Larry. Competitive Intelligence: How to Gather, Analyze, and Use Information to Move Your Business to the Top. Touchstone, 1998. 304p. IBSN 0684844044.
Although it could benefit from an update, Kahaner’s book is one of the best overviews of the process of competitive intelligence and how it’s used to support business goals. A good primer for those unfamiliar with CI practices.
Online
Competitive Intelligence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitive_intelligence
Interesting overview of CI, the ethics involved in this type of research, and how CI fits within the broader scope of business intelligence.
Competitive Intelligence – A Selective Resource Guide
www.llrx.com/features/ciguide.htm
An outstanding – and current – directory of CI resources, including search engines, e-newsletters, business information websites and databases, benchmarking materials, and CI pathfinders and link collections, among others. Written by Donna Cavallini and Sabrina I. Pacifici, and part of the excellent LLRX.com knowledge collection.
Competitive Intelligence Programs: An Overview
www.brint.com/papers/ciover.htm
From the BRINT Institute and written by Dr. Yogesh Malhotra in 1996, this working paper provides an explanation of what competitive intelligence is (and is not), describes tools and techniques, and discusses benefits and potential hazards within CI work.
Using the Internet for Competitive Intelligence
www.cio.com/CIO/arch_0695_cicolumn.html
*Based on a column written by The Montague Institute’s Jean Graef for CIO Magazine, this article is a primer for chief information officers (CIOs) on how competitive intelligence is undertaken, and
July 31, 2009
International LIS Opportunities
By Kim Dority, MLS
If your wanderlust is right up there with your passion for, say, information literacy or tracking down answers to the toughest reference questions, then an international LIS position might be a perfect match for you.
What Are the Possibilities?
From international schools to cruise ships to non-governmental agencies (NGOs), the range of international jobs available is extensive and varied. But first you need to decide whether you’re looking for a relatively short-term engagement (think internship or job exchange), or a more permanent, longer-term commitment.
If you are interested in a short-term opportunity, your best bets are likely to be internships or international job exchanges (where you perform the job responsibilities of a colleague in another country and they usually do the same for your position for up to several months). The International Federation of Library Associations (see Information Sources, below) is an excellent source of these types of opportunities.
For more permanent or longer-term work options, generally you’ll find roles and opportunities that to some degree mirror those found in the United States. For example:
School library jobs
Primarily found among international schools and schools on U.S. military bases in international locations. Most jobs require the standard school library media specialist certification. According to The International Educator (TIE), an online clearinghouse and network for these types of jobs, hundreds of international English schools “provide an English-speaking education for children ages 3-18 in cities around the world. Many of these schools were originally started to serve the ex-patriot community; today many also serve host-country children.” TIE notes that international schools employ about 35,000 professionals, who work with nearly 350,000 students. The student body often comprises a highly diverse cultural and ethnic community.
When working for military bases, your constituency will generally be children of the American families stationed at the base. These schools may also be part of the international schools network, as the U.S. Department of Defense oversees some 220 of these schools (with the U.S. Department of State involved in another 200).
Academic library jobs
Colleges and universities throughout the world recruit reference librarians knowledgeable in specialized subjects, bibliographic instruction, collection development, and skills similarly in demand among U.S. institutions. In addition, some countries’ LIS programs (generally those taught at the undergraduate level) need faculty to teach basic LIS skill courses, providing teaching opportunities for those with MLS credentials. Explains Dallas Long (Instructor, Department of Library & Information Science, Berzsenyi Daniel College, Szombathely, Hungary) in his January 2005 LISCareer article “See the World – Be a Librarian!”:
Western-educated librarians bring a variety of skills to Central and Eastern European libraries. We’re trained in the latest technologies; we design web pages and digital libraries; we’re unafraid of search engines, electronic databases, OCLC, and barcode readers; we understand the complexities of consortia. A lot of those things are new to many Central and Eastern European libraries, for which electricity and a supply of books may have been a more pressing problem in the not too distant past than accurate circulation statistics. They definitely have a need for people to help teach them how to build these skills or even help point out issues and concerns that they may not have thought about yet.
Another type of academic librarianship can be found with American higher education institutions that offer degree programs “on the ground” in other countries, for example, Virginia Commonwealth School of the Arts in Qatar.
Special library and/or corporate jobs
Although the job title may not say “corporate librarian,” both international and U.S.-based companies need (and recruit for) the research, analysis, and information management skills LIS professionals possess. Dreaming of living in London, Tokyo, or Mexico City? Then your options will include both non-U.S. companies with businesses there and U.S.-based companies with offices in your favorite city.
Another corporate alternative is to work with LIS vendors who have an international presence, and target positions such as sales that will take you to foreign shores.
NGO library positions
Non-governmental organizations include such groups as UNESCO and the United Nations, the Peace Corps, and hundreds of other organizations that seek to impact the numerous challenges playing out across the globe. NGO mission statements often include a strong information gathering, management, and dissemination component – prime territory for LIS professionals.
Other opportunities
Many American embassies in major foreign cities staff libraries. Military bases often have base libraries that are similar in mission (if somewhat smaller in scope) to U.S. public libraries. And yes, some cruise ships DO have on-staff librarians to manage the guests’ library/reading room!
But if none of these seem like the opportunity you seek, consider also offering your LIS skills to a potential employer outside the traditional library framework. Have you heard that someone is funding a womens' micro-enterprise start-up in the Yucatan, and you happen to have worked locally in your library’s community outreach program? They may not think they need a “librarian,” but they probably need a research or information specialist who can marshal a collection of key resources, can set up a process for managing the flow of government-required information and documentation, can coach women on organizing and writing a solid business plan.
Information Sources
The following resources provide information about and/or job listings for international LIS positions. In addition to the resources listed here, you should also directly contact or monitor the websites of businesses, associations, embassies, and schools in your locations of interest. And don’t hesitate to contact those cruise lines – if they don’t have an information professional on board, maybe it’s time for someone to pitch the position!
American Library Association: International Relations Round Table
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/irrt/index.cfm
The stated mission of ALA’s IRRT is to “promote interest in library issues and librarianship worldwide; to help coordinate international activities within the American Library Association, serving as a liaison between the International Relations Committee and those members of the Association interested in international relations; to develop programs and activities which further the international objectives of ALA; and to provide hospitality and information to visitors from abroad.” At the website, check out the “International Job Exchange” bibliography, join the International Discussion List, and learn more about the annual conference. Not a job source per se, but a great resource for staying abreast of – and connected to – the international LIS scene.
American Libraries Career Leads Online
http://joblist.ala.org
Click on “ALA JobLIST” to access a clearinghouse of LIS job opportunities that includes postings from Canadian employers as well as American employers that have international opportunities. Search by keyword, location, library type, job category, position type, salary range, among other criteria.
Association of American Schools in South America
www.aassa.com
Non-profit membership association currently serving 41 American / international schools throughout South America and offshore islands. AASSA also does teacher recruiting through a process of online application then attendance at an annual recruiting fairs at several U.S. and international locations; see “Teacher Recruiting” at the website for dates and locations.
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Chronicle Careers
http://chronicle.com/jobs/browse/location/international.htm
Country-by-country listing of jobs available in academe, including some academic library positions.
Civilian Human Resources Agency, European Region (CHRA-E)
http://cpolrhp.belvoir.army.mil/eur/
Covers civilian job opportunities with U.S. Army and Department of Defense groups in Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Click on “Employment” in the left-hand menu to see (and apply for) employment opportunities, searchable by keyword, general occupation, pay grade, and location.
Department of Defense Human Resources Regional Service Center
www.dodea.edu/offices/hr/default.htm
Responsible for “managing the human capital programs and policies affecting the civilian employees of the Department of Defense Education Activity and its field elements, the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) and the Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS).” See the “Educators Online Application” for information about teaching overseas, application requirements, and applying for jobs. The “Current Vacancies” listings are searchable by location through a link to USAJOBS, the official job site for federal government jobs.
Employment Opportunities in the UN and Other Organizations
www.state.gov/p/io/empl/
From the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs, this site lists job openings from the specified organizations (updated weekly), and job applicants apply directly to those organizations. Listings are archived by date of posting.
HigherEdJobs.com
www.higheredjobs.com
Online clearinghouse of jobs at both domestic and international institutions of higher education. Select ‘International” to see jobs posted by country, sortable by date posted, institution, location, job title, and category. All posted jobs can be applied for online.
The International Educator Online
www.tieonline.com
TIE is an online clearinghouse of international teaching (and librarianship) positions. The website offers resume posting, access to job listings, and useful information about teaching overseas. TIE publishes a hardcopy “newspaper” five times a year, and provides information about recruitment fairs and dates online and in its newspaper. Depending on level of service, a TIE subscription ranges from about $35 to about $75.
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
www.ifla.org
With a membership of associations, institutions, and individual practitioners, IFLA’s mission is to be “the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users.” At the website, see “Activities and Services” for a listing of more than 50 sections and discussion groups as well as the IFLANET mailing lists. Also, if you are interested in international vendor opportunities, check out the “Corporate Partners” listing (including contact info) under the “More About IFLA” section.
International Schools Services (ISS)
www.iss.edu/
Princeton, New Jersey-based ISS “plans and manages schools throughout the world for companies, individuals, and consortiums.” Of interest to those seeking international work opportunities, however, is that ISS also provides teacher, administrative, and information services recruitment for some 300 international schools. In order to take advantage of this service, job seekers must first create a professional file with ISS, which can be done online at their website for a fee of $185.00. Conducts several regional job fairs in the U.S. and abroad annually.
International Society for Knowledge Organization
www.isko.org
Although ISKO does not offer a job posting service, its conferences, journals and other publications, and regional chapters provide useful insight into the opportunities in information and knowledge management on an international basis.
LIBJOBS: Library and Information Science Jobs Mailing List
http://infoserv.inist.fr/wwsympa.fcgi/info/libjobs
From the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), LIBJOBS is “a mailing list for librarians and information professionals seeking employment.” Subscribers receive job postings that indicate country, city, and position title, with job description and contact information. Coverage includes all types of LIS jobs, including short-term positions.
Library Associates
www.libraryassociates.com
Although the bulk of recruiting and outsourcing projects Library Associates focuses on are U.S.-based, many of the organizations they work with have an international presence, thus providing a potential pathway to working abroad.
Lisjobs.com
www.lisjobs.com
Click on “Non-US Jobs” from the menu for an extensive listing of job exchange programs, Canadian jobs, Australian and New Zealand jobs, UK and Ireland jobs, and jobs located in other countries. Probably the best starting point for getting a good sense of the broad range of library-specific opportunities out there.
Search Associates
www.search-associates.com
Works with international schools to place teachers, administrators, librarians and interns throughout the world. Search Associates hold job fairs throughout the United States and globally; check the website under News > Fair Information for specific dates and locations. For helpful background information on teaching abroad and the SA job application process, see sections under “Candidates.”
University of Northern Iowa Overseas Placement Service for Educators
www.uni.edu/placement/overseas/
Mission is to connect “international K-12 schools with certified educators year round.” This group hosts an overseas recruiting fair every February in Waterloo, Iowa; information about the fair and registration is available at the website. For 2007, organizers anticipate that more than 150 recruiters from more than 100 international schools will be attending and actively seeking teachers (and librarians).
USAJOBS
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/
The place to go for access to all federal job and employment information. Check out the Info Center for information about the government’s hiring process, resume-building (and posting) tips, and FAQs. Search for jobs by keyword, location, job category (can do multiple selections), and/or salary range or pay grade; sort by key word relevance or date. Although the jobs listed are for, naturally, U.S.-based agencies, many of them can become gateways to international opportunities.
Further Reading
“Around the World in 100 Days,” Danianne Mizzy, C&RL News, November 2002; access at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/crlnews/2002/nov/ALA....
“Branching Out by Working Abroad – Opportunities in School Libraries,” Chris Tovell, Info Career Trends, September 2003; access at http://lisjobs.com/career_trends/?p=234
“International Librarianship: Getting from There to Here,” Robin Kear, ALA International Leads, December 2004; access at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/irrt/intlleads/leadsarchive/200412.pdf (p. 5).
“See the World – Be a Librarian!” Dallas Long, LISCareer, January 2005; access at www.liscareer.com/long_world.htm.
“Taking Your MLIS Overseas,” Nancy Fawley, LISCareer, October 2005; access at www.liscareer.com/fawley_overseas.htm.
“Working Internationally: Getting There, Being There and Coming Home,” Sam Werberg, Info Career Trends, May 2001; access http://www.lisjobs.com/career_trends/?p=100.
July 2, 2009
Medical Librarianship
By Kim Dority, MLS
Medical librarianship may be one of the most diverse nontraditional career paths available, because it subsumes such a broad range of disciplines and types of work within those disciplines.
In addition, medical librarianship can translate into a public-library consumer health specialization, a position in any number of government agencies, work in an academic setting (for example, a with a university medical school), international outreach, and nonprofit and association opportunities.
Notes the introduction from the Medical Libraries Association (MLA) website, their members “…provide health information about new medical treatments, clinical trials and standard trials procedures, tests, and equipment to physicians, allied health professionals, patients, consumers, and corporations,” while also helping “physicians provide quality care to patients, help patients find information, answer consumers’ questions, and provide information to the health care industries.”
A further indication of the range of options is apparent by simply checking out the sections within MLA’s organization, which include cancer librarians; chiropractic libraries; consumer and patient health information; corporate information services; dental, educational media and technologies; federal libraries; health association libraries; hospital libraries; international cooperation; medical informatics; medical library education; nursing and allied health resources; pharmacy and drug information; public health/health administration; public services; and veterinary medical libraries, among others.
A Diverse Range of Career Paths
Among the MLA special interest groups (SIGs) are clinical librarians and evidence-based health care; complementary and alternative medicine; department of the army medical command libraries; department of veterans affairs librarians; mental health librarians; molecular biology and genomics; osteopathic libraries, pediatric libraries; primary care; rehabilitation hospital; and vision science. And this doesn’t even include the entire range of veterinary research and development and biotechnology and pharmaceutical, both hot areas of business investment.
Bottom line: if you’re interested in any aspect of biomedical science or health care librarianship, you’ll have an awful lot of options. A number of these can be found in the MLA career brochure (available at their website and a great resource), which identifies as possible positions for a medical information professional, the following:
• web manager for an academic medical center
• community outreach coordinator for a public
• health agency
• collection development officer at a university library
• reference librarian at a hospital
• electronic resources cataloger for an Internet startup company
• director of a nursing school library
• user education specialist at a consumer health library
• information architect for a pharmaceutical company
You may work directly with consumers looking for information in a public library, or with patients seeking to learn more about a diagnosis. Or you may be supporting medical school students, clinicians, medical/biotechnology/pharmaceutical researchers, public health statisticians, or international health care providers.
Your work may involve teaching users how to navigate the intricacies of PubMed, being a key contributor on a research team, managing a major medical library, running a corporate information center for a pharmaceutical company, supporting a taskforce of public-health policy-makers, or being the information specialist for a medical association. You may be a medical informatics specialist, and be instrumental in designing, implementing, and managing the systems that underlie so much of today’s delivery of health care. Or you may specialize in bioinformatics, and be charged with maintaining the IT systems so critical to managing the torrents of information generated by global genetic research projects.
Salaries for the Medical Librarianship Careers
As with most types of work, salaries in the medical information and librarianship field are strongly influenced by what type of organization you work for, how large it is, and where it’s located (the coasts generally seem to have somewhat higher salaries). IT skills are always in demand, and those whose library skills are complemented by a strong technology background will probably find more opportunities open to them. According to MLA, the average starting salary among their members in 2005 was just over $40,000, the “overall average salary for medical librarians” just under $58,000. For those aspiring to management roles, medical library directors were earning up to $158,000 in 2005.
What Education Will You Need?
An MLS is generally required for any professional position within medical librarianship, but if possible coursework in bioinformatics or medical informatics is highly recommended, as well. Check the MLA website for a list of MLIS programs that offer courses on medical or health-sciences librarianship or related topics.
Information Resources
Associations
American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
www.ahima.org/
With more than 50,000 student and professional members, AHIMA’s mission is to be “the professional community that improves healthcare by advancing best practices and standards for health information management and the trusted source for education, research, and professional credentialing.” Check the website for education programs, professional development options, publications, and links to further resources.
American Medical Information Association (AMIA)
www.amia.org/
Included in the AMIA membership are some 3,500 physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and other clinicians; health information technology professionals; computer and information scientists, biomedical engineers, consultants and industry reps, medical librarians, academic researchers and educators, and students interested in clinical informatics or health information technology (membership discount for students). Especially interesting at the website is the “About Informatics” section, which brings together a number of topical resources related to medical informatics.
Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL)
www.aahsl.org/
AAHSL’s focus is on “the libraries serving the accredited U.S. and Canadian medical schools belonging to or affiliated with the Association of American Medical Colleges,” and “includes other related libraries and organizations that lead in resolving information and knowledge management problems in the health care environment.” Its mandate includes member education, information sharing, professional leadership, and legislative advocacy.
Canadian Health Libraries Association (CHLA)
www.chla-absc.ca/
Made up of some 400 professionals working in health sciences libraries throughout Canada, the mission of CHLA is to “improve health and health care by promoting excellence in access to information.” Check the website for information about CHLA’s journal, its chapters and special interest groups, upcoming conferences, continuing education opportunities, and job postings, among other resources.
Medical Library Association
www.mlanet.org
Over 100 years old, MLA has more than 4,700 individual and institutional members based in the health sciences information field. Focus areas include education of health information professionals; health information research; and promoting universal access to health sciences information, national and international. The website offers a number of useful resources, including links to job listing sites, other medical library associations throughout the world (both international and nation-based), state and regional medical library organizations, and the afore-mentioned list of MLIS programs. Steeply discounted student memberships.
Special Libraries Association: Biological Sciences Division
www.sla.org/division/dbio/
One of the largest divisions within SLA, Bio Sciences “encompasses all aspects of the life sciences, both pure and applied, including: biology and biochemistry, zoology and botany, microbiology, genetics, biotechnology, evolution, ecology, veterinary and human medicine, health sciences, and other aspects of the life sciences not specifically noted, or encompassed by another SLA Division.” A section within the division is devoted to the biomedical and health sciences, and “the acquisition, organization, dissemination, and use of information in all formats.”
Books and Periodicals
Huber, Jeffrey T. Huber. Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences. 5th ed. Neal-Schuman, 2008. 386p. ISBN 1555706363.
The three aspects of this well-known work are reference collection (organization and management thereof), bibliographic sources (organized by format, e.g., monographs, periodicals, etc.), and information sources (organized by topic, e.g., drug information, statistical sources, etc.). Entries include not only descriptions but also notes on how and when used, and comparisons with alternative sources.
Cimino, James J. and Edward H. Shortliffe (ed.). Biomedical Informatics: Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine. 3rd ed. Springer, 2006. 1037p. ISBN 0387289860.
Intended as a textbook for courses on the application of information technologies to health care and medicine, Biomedical Informatics provides a thorough overview of informatics in health care services delivery. Assumes a strong knowledge of medical practices.
Detwiler, Susan M. and Reva Basch, ed. Super Searchers on Health & Medicine: The Online Secrets of Top Health & Medical Researchers. Cyberage, 2000. 200p. ISBN 0910965447.
One of the well-known Super-Searchers series books, Health & Medicine follows the familiar format: ten expert online medical researchers share tips and techniques on using the Internet to research diseases, treatments, and related information. A glossary and a directory of recommended resources conclude the book; readers are directed to the publisher’s website for links to the most important Internet resources for health and medical researchers. Although in need of an update, this is still a useful introduction to thinking about how to find health and medical information online.
Holst, Ruth and Sharon A. Phillips. The Medical Library Association Guide to Managing Health Care Libraries. Neal-Schuman, 2000. 371p. ISBN 1555703976.
In its review, Booklist called this “required reading for any librarian offering health care information to professionals, faculty, or consumers.” Coverage includes administrative topics, collection development, cataloging and classification, and audiovisual services, among other topics. Although an updated edition would be helpful, this guide is nevertheless considered the standard resource for those managing or working within libraries in the health care universe.
Online
Medical/Health Sciences Libraries on the Web
www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/hslibs.html
Organized by state, this directory of links is an interesting resource to check because it highlights how many different types of medical/health science libraries there are. For example, listed in Colorado are the libraries for the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN), National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Saint Joseph Hospital, and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
“Medical Librarianship: A Niche for Every Interest,” Laura Townsend Kane. LIScareer.com, published March 2004, accessed at www.liscareer.com/kane_medlibrarian.htm on June 1, 2009.
Townsend Kane, herself a medical librarian, describes the types of activities that make up her job as well as providing a brief but helpful overview of paths within medical librarianship.
June 2, 2009
Military Librarianship
By Kim Dority, MLS
Uncle Sam wants you! Or at the very least, those excellent LIS skills you possess. In fact, military
librarianship can offer opportunities for working abroad, a broad range of choices as to the type of work you
might do, and a way to support American troops (and their families) both in the United States and in other
countries.
What kind of opportunities exist, and where are they? The U.S. military comprises the Army, the Navy, the
Marine Corps, and the Air Force, all under the auspices of the Department of Defense. Within these
divisions, the diversity of military libraries reflects the same range of specialization as is found in non-military
libraries: that is, public, school, academic, and special.
Public Libraries – Sort Of
The military’s version of public libraries are the 78 base libraries that support the reading, information,
reference, and entertainment needs of the military families stationed on base (as well as the non-military
personnel), and may offer story hours for youngsters as well as popular paperbacks, CDs, and DVDs, as
well as access to electronic databases. In addition, as noted by Ron Chepesiuk in his “Mission: Access”
article for the February 2006 issue of American Libraries, the Navy is charged with maintaining a general
library for “every one of its 260 ships.”
School Libraries on Base
School libraries are found among the K-12 schools located on military bases where families may be present,
especially those stationed abroad. And academic libraries can be found at all of the military training
institutes and academies such as the Air Force Academy, the Naval War College, the U.S. Army War
College, the Army Management Staff College, the Joint Forces Staff College, and the Air University.
Military Academic and Special Libraries
As in the non-military world, special libraries in the military support their organizations’ strategic missions,
which may be medical and scientific research, historical archives, technology development, or management
and leadership training, among others. Examples of these types of libraries are those of, for example, the
Military History Institute, the Naval Operational Medicine Institute Library, the Pentagon Library, and the
Naval Oceanographic Office. Others include the Army Corps of Engineers’ Cold Regions Research and
Engineering Laboratory Library, the Signal Corps' Woodworth Library, and the Air Force Research
Laboratory Research Library (focusing on such scientific disciplines as geophysics, astronomy,
astrophysics, physics, and chemistry, among others).
Outsourced Library Services
Some military bases outsource the management of their libraries to contract firms that employ librarians on
behalf of the base management, so that a job as a military librarian might entail working as a subcontractor
for the contracting agency, rather than for the federal government. (For an example of one company that
provides contract librarians for the military, see Information International Associates, Inc., at
www.infointl.com.) Also, many military base libraries are subject to the same closure decisions mandated
under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) recommendations approved by
Congress, so it is unclear what may happen over the coming years to those base library collections, and
their librarians.
Despite this, many military librarians laud the stable job environment, decent pay, and excellent benefits of
this career choice. In addition, for those who are interested in LIS opportunities outside the United States,
military librarianship can offer a viable and rewarding path to international library work.
INFORMATION RESOURCES
Army Library Program (ALP)
http://www.libraries.army.mil
Check out the ALP portal to see how the Army’s librarians are delivering services and furthering their
mission electronically. The ALP describes itself as “a strategic knowledge management resource that
enables the Army to gain and maintain full-spectrum knowledge superiority while concurrently facilitating
education, research, training, self-development, well-being, outreach, and lifelong learning for Army soldiers,
civilians, and families.” From the menu, select “Army Libraries Directory” to see the many different types of
Army libraries in existence, or explore the many resources listed under “For Army Library Staffs.”
Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Round Table (FAFLRT) – ALA Roundtable
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/faflrt/index.cfm
Some 450 federal and military LIS professionals belong to FAFLRT. According to its mission statement, the
roundtable’s goals are to 1) to promote library and information service and the library and information
profession in the federal and armed forces communities; 2) promote appropriate utilization of federal and
armed forces library and information resources and facilities; and 3) provide an environment for the
stimulation of research and development relating to the planning, development, and operation of federal and
armed forces libraries. FAFLRT hosts an electronic discussion list and publishes the quarterly Federal
Librarian, whose current and past issues are available to the public at the roundtable’s website.
Military Librarians Division, Special Library Association
http://units.sla.org/division/dmil/index.html
This SLA division provides “a forum for the exchange of ideas, opportunities for networking and career
enhancement, and programs to develop specific and unique military interests.” Members include librarians
and other LIS professionals from all U.S. military services, the Canadian Combined Armed Forces,
international military services, Department of Defense agencies, contractors, vendors, academic institutions
and anyone with an interest in military librarianship. Check out current and past issues of the division’s
quarterly newsletter The Military Librarian, archived on the website, for a good overview of issues relevant to
military librarianship.
FURTHER READING
“Mission: Access,” Ron Chepesiuk, American Libraries, v. 37, no. 2, February 2006, p. 24-29.
An overview of the broad range of roles and responsibilities currently being undertaken by American military
libraries.
“Paths to Becoming an Army Librarian,” Edward Metz, Info Career Trends, September 2003; access at:
http://lisjobs.com/career_trends/?p=231
Metz provides clear, step-by-step guidance for identifying and landing one of the many military librarianship
jobs available. See also the information on paid internships.
About Us
http://www.armymwr.com/portal/recreation/libraries/
From the U.S. Army MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) site (the division under which the Army
libraries fall), this is the starting point for information about how the Army libraries present themselves to
their military constituencies.
May 8, 2009
Embedded Librarianship – Delivery at the Point of Need
By Kim Dority
One of the most interesting growth areas for LIS professionals is embedded librarianship, which involves the delivery of library and/or information services at the point of need, as part of an operational team or department. (In academia, the term also refers to embedding library instruction in online course delivery.)
Why should you consider embedded librarianship? Because while the number of professional library jobs and corporate/special libraries may be contracting, the need for the information skills we possess is expanding at a steady clip – and therein lie many well-paying job opportunities and potential career growth.
Embedded librarianship can take several different directions. These include:
• Being officially part of an existing special library, but being “assigned to” (often permanently) another department or functional unit within an organization.
• Working within a non-library department or functional unit for an organization with no tie to the corporate library (if there is one), but doing the sorts of information work (research, information organization, access and retrieval, etc.) that call on key library skills.
• Working in an ongoing collaborative relationship with non-library staff to deliver library services (for example, embedding/delivering academic library services in an online course).
The basic idea, however, is that you are deploying your library/information skills at the point and moment of need. You are part of a team of people often responsible and accountable for a “deliverable” of some sort, and your collaborative efforts are usually with that functional team rather than with other librarians. You may or may not have “librarian” as part of your job title.
How do you find these types of jobs? In his blog, David suggests following a three-pronged approach for embedding library services for an existing corporate library:
• Start with your friends
• Lead with management contacts
• Volunteer
The challenge comes when trying to figure out how to identify and move into these jobs when you’re not reaching out as part of an existing, centralized library. People may know they need information, but not realize that you’re the solution they’re looking for. For example, a new business development department may need someone who can find, interpret, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to make it actionable. They’re looking for decision support.
Very rarely will people associate “librarian” with “killer information skill set” – which is, in fact, what we’ve got. So it’s up to you to find the match not in the titles for jobs that may be posted (or needed), but in the skills required.
Perhaps you’re already in an organization in a library role and either 1) you want to move out of that position into an embedded information professional one or 2) your library is going away and its staff is being laid off but you’d like to stay with the organization. How to start? By devising a strategy for demonstrating your value to potential internal employers. And Shumaker’s three points work just as well in this situation.
Start with your friends. You want to actively seek out and build relationships with key information users throughout the organization – look for ways to use your information skills to help them achieve key business goals, come up with important “wins.” Essentially, you want to help them (and their department) succeed, so that they understand how much better life would be if you were
a part of the team.
Lead with management contacts. There are people who love you, and people who love you and can make decisions to hire you. Make sure that the latter see, acknowledge, and come to rely on your expertise. Can you pull together statistics for that last-minute presentation they’ve got to give?
Find the market analyst report whose findings substantiate a key business decision? Provide some other killer information that saves the day? The key here is to always focus on need to have, rather than nice to have. Nice to have means they’ll miss you when you’re not around; need to have means they’ll find a way to get you into the budget.
Volunteer. Take a tip from Procter & Gamble: nothing beats a free sample when it comes to getting people to see how good you are. You may find yourself doing your regular job and taking on a bit of additional work on your own time to be able to start building a new relationship (and demonstrating that killer skill set), but consider it an investment in your future. You’re doing the
work necessary to create a potential new opportunity. Is there a guaranteed payoff? Nope. But increased visibility for your skills is always a good thing; you never know what it may lead to. What if you’re trying to find a job as an embedded information professional, but aren’t currently working in an organization’s library?
• Look for jobs that say things like researcher, analyst, information specialist, or business development support. If you’re an SLA member, cruise through the membership list to get an idea of some job titles that sound as if they might be something you could do, and search the job postings for those titles.
• Retool your resume with a focus on transferable skills. Describe your LIS skills in a way that resonates with your potential employer – use business language rather than LIS terms.
• Tell everyone you know that you’re taking your information skills in a new direction and are looking for opportunities to deploy your expertise with any of the following departments: marketing, communications and public relations, community affairs, competitive intelligence, or new business development. Be prepared to describe the kinds of work you could do to contribute value to each one of these functional areas.
Also, don’t hesitate to pitch a position for a company you’d like to work with – in other words, suggest a position that doesn’t currently exist. Contact the head of marketing (or any other department of interest), and tell him or her how you could add value to their group and help it achieve its goals. (I tend to avoid doing things like this by phone since I’m simply appallingly bad at
phone conversations, so usually will do a written overview that I might, for example, present to someone over lunch.)
The benefits of the create-your-own-job approach include 1) no one knows what to call you, so you can often make up a cool title, 2) no one knows what to pay you, because there’s no precedent, so you can sometimes negotiate a higher salary, and 3) you get to make the job up as you go along, because no one else has done it before.
Bottom line: whether you’re an embedded librarian or an embedded information professional, moving your skills into operational units and becoming key participants in group outcomes may offer an increasingly important career opportunity for librarians and other information professionals.
Resources
Shumaker, David. “Who Let the Librarians Out? The Promise of Embedded Librarianship.” Presented to the Agriculture Network Information Center Annual Meeting, Beltsville, MD, April 22, 2009. Access at http://embeddedlibrarian.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/agnickeynotefinal.p.... An engaging and informative look at how embedded librarianship is likely to develop, its benefits (read: value and excitement), and how to initiate and sustain an embedded librarian role.
The Embedded Librarian
http://embeddedlibrarian.wordpress.com
David Shumaker’s blog – a must read as David is usually in either the forefront or the middle of everything going on in embedded librarianship.
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