Knowledge and Special Libraries

Book excerpt: First Published in 1998. Formerly, a library was viewed as a place for information storage and information was viewed as simply bits of data. Furthermore, many wielded information as a tool of power, in that those who had more information had more authority. It is becoming increasingly clear that shared collective knowledge of an organization is of far greater value than that of each individual's privately held data. In view of the librarian's changing profession, it has also become clear that they are now being charged with the mission to explore and implement new and innovative methods to encourage sharing and to better manage information. The articles selected for this compendium are well thought-out and organized and are drawn from the fields of information and library science and business management. Since most special libraries are corporate libraries, the selections are taken from these different disciplines to provide perspectives from both a business standpoint and an information management one. The selections contain many different predictions about libraries and librarians of the future. They focus on new roles and highlight the importance of the profession. With the rapid growth of technology, end-users are being inundated with choices. They need expert advice from experienced practitioners. Currently, much of the literature focuses solely on the management of libraries as opposed to environment in which libraries operate. The purpose of this reader is to correct that.