DOCUMENT RESUME ED 356 798 IR 054 547 TITLE State of the Modern Information Professional, 1992-1993. An International View of the State of the Information Professional and the Information Profession in 1992-1993. FID Occasional Paper 4. INSTITUTION International Federation for Information and Documentation, The Hague (Netherlands). REPORT NO FID-701; ISBN-92-66-00-7013 PUB DATE 92 NOTE 180p. AVAILABLE FROMInternational Federation for Information and Documentation, P.O. Box 90402, 2509 LK The Hague, Netherlands. PUB TYPE Collected Works General (020) Reports Evaluative /Feasibility (142) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC08 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Foreign Countries; Futures (of Society); Information Needs; *Information Scientists; Information Services; Information Technology; International Studies; Librarians; Postsecondary Education; *Professional Education; Professional Training; Profiles IDENTIFIERS Africa; Caribbean; Denmark; Dominica; Europe; Finland; Hungary; Information Policy; *Information Providers; Latin America; Malaysia; Venezuela ABSTRACT The following 14 papers are provided: (1) "Perfil del profesional de la informacion en Venezuela" with a synopsis in English: "Profile of the Information Professional in Venezuela" (A. D. Anton and M. S. de Arenas);(2) "The Modern Information Professional in the Caribbean Setting" (D. Douglas); (3) "Development of Information Professionals and Paraprofessionals in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, with Special Reference to the Commonwealth of Dominica" (S. Evan-Wong);(4) "To Experience a Connection; In Search of a New Information Professional for Latin America" (I. Paez-Urdaneta); (5) "Information Intrapreneuring and Entrepreneuring" (A. S. Wa4ner);(6) "The Information Professional in Denmark" (J. Christensen);(7) "The Great Variety of Roles and Careers for Modern Information Professionals in Finland: A Review of the Current Situation and Signs of Change" (M. Karivalo and R. Launo);(8) "Information Policy in New Circumstances in the Region of Central and Eastern Europe, with Special Regard to Hungary" (G. Rozsa); (9) "Education and Training as a Key to Professional Success" (E. Simon);(10) "Darwinism Extremis: Evolution for Survival: A New Breed of Information Professionals for the 21st Century" (L. R. Baker); (11) "Information Professionals in Malaysia: Roles, Careers, and Development" (R. A. Yaacob and L. bin Hashim); (12) "Information Professional: Agent of Cultural Preservation and Promotion in Africa" (M. N. Lelo);(13) "Roles, Careers and Prospects for Tomorrow's Information Professional in French Speaking Sub-Saharan Africa" synopsis of "Roles, Carrieres et Perspectives du Professionnel de l'Information de Demain en Afrique Subsaharienne Francophone" (0. Sagna); and (14) "The Changing Information Society: Changing the Information Professional" (M. Hill). Author biographical sketches are included. (Contains 153 references.) (SLD) FID Occasional Paper 4 STATE OF THE MODERN INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 1992-1993 U.S. DEPARTMENT Of EDUCATION An International view of the state On.ce CA Educational Research and improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION of the information professional CENTER tERICI This document has been ,eorocloceo as and the information profession in 1992-1993 received from Ine (person or organzauon originating it Minor cnanoes nave been made to .mprove tePrOduct.On Cluantv Points of view Odn.0n3 stated. ..n.sclocu went oo not necesser.tv reoresent OE RI oositan or Rohe/ Compiled by the FID Special Interest Group on Roles, Careers and Development of the Modern Information Professional (FID/MIP) FID 701 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY belt_ Ccoelege.bagre. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1992 tr International Federation for Information and Documentation (FID) The Hague, Netherlands `;) BEST COPY AVAILABLE FID is the leading international professional organization of institutions and individuals that promotes the idea that information is a critical resource that is needed in all levels of society (international, regional, national and sub-national) to:(1) sharpen the competitiveness of business, industry and national economies; (2) advance the frontiers of science and technology; (3) strengthen coping mechanisms to sustain peoples' lives at a minimal level and enhance the quality of life where possible; (4) improve the ability of policymakers to govern wisely d fairly, and (5) pursue enlightened expression in the arts and humanities, including information literacy and lifelong learning. FID Publication Number 701 FID Occasional Paper No. 4 No. I From Informal Gatekeeper to Information Counselor: Emergence of a New Professional Role No. 2 National Information Policies No. 3 Management Ratios of Industrial Information Services No. 4 The State of the Modern Information Professional 1992-1993 Published and distributed by: FID P.O. Box 90402 2509 LK The Hague Netherlands Copyright © 1992 by the Federation Internationale d'Information et de Documentation (FID) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. ISBN 92 66 00 7013 PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS FID Occasional Paper 4 STATE OF THE MODERN INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 1992-1993 An International view of the state of the information professional and the information profession in 1992-1993 Compiled by the FID Special Interest Group on Roles, Careers and Development of the Modern Information Professional (FID/MIP) FID 701 rev 1992 International Federation for Information and Documentation (FID) The Hague, Netherlands Copyright © 1992 by the Federation Internationale d'Information et de Documentation (FID) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. ISBN 92 66 00 7013 PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS Contents Preface Introduction iii SECTION I. THE MODERN INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL AROUND THE GLOBE LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN Perfil del professional de la information en Venezuela Aida Damas Anton and Mercedes Santana de Arenas (Venezuela) ..1 The MIP in the Caribbean setting Daphne Douglas (Jamaica) 11 Development of information professionals and paraprofessionals in the organization of eastern caribbean states, with special reference to the Commonwealth of Dominica Sue Evan-Wong (West Indies) 25 In search of a new information professional for Latin America Iraset Paez-Urdaneta (Venezuela) 33 NORTH AMERICA Information intrapreneuring and entrepreneuring Alice Sizer Warner (USA) 57 EUROPE The information professional in Denmark Jens Christensen (Denmark) 67 The great variety of roles and careers for modern information professionals in Finland Merja Karivalo and Ritva Launo (Finland) 93 Information policy in new circumstances in the region of Central and Eastern Europe, with special regard to Hungary Gyorgy Rozsa (Hungary) 99 Education and training as a key to professional success Elisabeth Simon (Germany) 105 ASIA AND OCEANIA Darwinism extremis: evolution for survival (a new breed of information professionals for the 21st century) Leigh Baker (Australia) 113 Information professionals in Malaysia: roles, careers, and development Raja Abdullah Yaacob and Lai li bin Hashim (Malaysia) 121 AFRICA Information professional: agent of cultural preservation and development in Africa Mamosi N. Le lo (Morocco) 145 Roles, carrieres et perspectives du professionel de l'information de demain en Afrique subsaharienne francophone Olivier Sagna (Senegal) 149 SECTION II. NEW DIRECTIONS, NEW NEEDS The changing information sector Michael Hill (United Kingdom) 165 SECTION III. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 171 7 Preface At the beginning of 1991 the FID Council decided to set up a Special Interest Group on "Roles, Careers and Development of the Modern Information Professional" (FID/MIP). The Special Interest Group was set up to consider the expanding role of the information professional in modern society and the impact of this role on FID as a whole. The incredibly rapid changes in information handling technologies in the past two or three decades, have altered, in some cases drastically, the activities of information professionals and the functions of individual information departments within larger institutions. FID, as the leading professional organization for individuals and institutions involved in information handling and management, has to play an important role in this evolutionary period. In 1992 the FID/MIP Special Interest Group initiated an ambitious and continuous project to monitor the State of the Modern Information Professional. FID, in its role as an international showcase to demonstrate the career and professional