This handbook provides a cutting edge overview of issues of key concern for information professionals providing information services in corporate environments. Corporate information professionals serving the workplace rather than learning communities or the general public face specific challenges and demands, from providing competitive intelligence to managing information in a global environment. International contributors working across a variety of sectors pinpoint the key topics facing the corporate information professionals today and share their experiences and expertise. The key topics include: how information professionals/libraries fit into the contemporary workplace managing the corporate intranet the role of the corporate librarian in internal and external marketing gaining buy-in for corporate knowledge and information management the hybrid librarian/systems specialist managing staff and change in a difficult climate, and demonstrating value managing information in a global firm; developing corporate taxonomies at a time of change working with suppliers/licensing for elibraries training end-users competitive intelligence searching. Readership: Experienced information professionals working in the corporate sector, including professional services firms, government, NGOs, commercial and industrial companies. The book should be useful to those with a high level of experience and/or seniority, wanting an overview on specific aspects of corporate information management, but will be accessible to more recent entrants to the workplace. It will also be of interest to students of librarianship and those applying for jobs within the sector, as well as the related professions of knowledge management, information architecture and intranet management.

1. A Handbook for
Corporate
Information
Professionals

2. What is it?
A cutting-edge overview of
issues of key concern to
corporate information
professionals in a world where
information services need to
demonstrate their value to
survive.

4. Who is it for?
All information professionals
working in the corporate sector,
including professionals services
firms, government, NGOs and
commercial industrial
companies.

5. Who is it edited by?
Dr Katharine Schopflin is an
information professional with
more than 15 years experience
in the media, government and
non-profit sectors. She is also
the editor of A Handbook for
Media Librarians.

6. Who is in it?
Simon Barron, SOAS Library
Danny Budzak
Fiona Fogden, Linex Systems
Andrew Grave, Research Counts
Helen Lippell
Shaunna Mireau, Field Law
James Mullan, Fieldfisher
Tina Reynolds, Magic Circle
Anneli Sarkanen, Fieldfisher
Linda-Jean Schneider, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Katy Stoddard, Guardian News and Media
Philip M Weinberg, Partners in Performance

7. What to expect
chapter-by-chapter

8. 1. The history and profile of the
corporate information service
This chapter, by Katharine Schopflin, begins
with a history of special libraries before
outlining some of the issues faced by
corporate information professionals in the
modern workplace. These include
disintermediation, corporate alignment and
marketing, information overload, embedded
working, knowledge management and
evidence-based practice and data
management.

9. This chapter is
available as a free a
sample
download a PDF here

10. 2. Managing the corporate
intranet
This chapter, by James Mullan, defines the
purpose and goals of the corporate intranet
and highlights some of the issues intranet
managers face. These include deciding the best
approach to content management, keeping
authors engaged, navigation and intranet
design, intranet governance, people and
content searching, social intranets and
choosing a content management system.

11. 3. Internal and external
marketing
This chapter, written by experience law
librarian Shaunna Mireau, gives a number of
examples of how promotion in a range of
contexts has helped to enhance her service's
provision within her firm, and be recognized as
a source of revenue rather than as an
overhead.

12. 4. The hybrid librarian-IT expert
The authors of this chapter, Linda-Jean
Schneider and Simon Barron, both define
themselves as information professionals, but
have used their technical skills to inhabit or
create hybrid IT roles combining elements of
‘info pro’ and ‘IT pro’. They draw on their
experience and that of an increasing network
of similar hybrids to share the advantages and
possible approaches to working with
technology as an information professional.

13. 5. Building a corporate
taxonomy
The aim of this chapter, by Helen Lippell, is to
give readers an easy-to-digest overview of the
issues, requirements, practical steps and
possible pitfalls of building a taxonomy, or
controlled language, for use in an organization.
It is designed for those with some background
knowledge and familiarity with the associated
terminology.

14. 6. Practical knowledge
management
The author of this chapter, Danny Budzak, has
worked in a range of knowledge and
information management roles over the past
20 years. He brings his experience to offer,
first, an interpretation of the term ‘knowledge
management’ and some of the concepts
associated with it, and then some key areas of
advice for anyone working in the area.

15. 7. Successfully managing your
team through change & transition
This chapter, by Andrew Grave, examines the
possible changes that corporate information
departments may encounter. It provides
practical advice on leading your team through
such changes and successfully transitioning
them to a new way of working. It examines the
warning signs that tell you such changes may
be coming, and seeks to answer the question:
how can a corporate information department
prevent unnecessary change occurring?

16. 8. Successful management of insight,
intelligence and information functions in
a global organization
The author of this chapter, Philip M Weinberg,
has managed knowledge workers for a global
consultancy for a number of years. He shares
his advice on how to manage the challenges of
providing information to a global organization.
He covers both those concerned with keeping
the information products relevant and well
used, and the cultural, practical and human
problems associated with global teams.

17. 9. Working with suppliers and
licensing for e-libraries
This chapter examines the issues facing
corporate information professionals when
purchasing and rolling out subscription
resources to end-users. The authors, Tina
Reynolds, Linda-Jean Schneider and Fiona
Fogden, have extensive experience in this area,
working for law firms based in the UK and
USA.

18. The book is out now!
Find out more information and order the book
from Facet Publishing here
If you are in North America, you can order from
the American Library Association here
Download a free sample chapter of the book
here

20. Image credits
Front page: ‘vanishing point’ - Flickr cc image
from paul bica https://www.flickr.
com/photos/99771506@N00/3146028811