Introduction: Theorist Howard D. White has made a call to action for "scientist-poets" to synthesize concepts and oeuvres in the centrifugal literature of information science. In response, this paper interprets the work of canonical information scientist Marcia J. Bates through the original metaphor of "castles and inverted…

Introduction: The role of library and information science professionals as knowledge facilitators is solidly grounded in the profession's theoretical foundations as much as connected with its social relevance. Knowledge science is presented in this paper as a convenient theoretical framework for this mission, and knowledge engagement…

Discusses trends in the fields of knowledge engineering and historical sciences to speculate about possibilities of converging interests and applications. Topics addressed include artificial intelligence and expert systems; the history of information science; history as a related field; historians as information scientists; multidisciplinary…

This discussion of the need for, and development of, education and training for information specialists and information users in the context of national scientific information policy focuses on attempts made in Spain over the past decade to formulate a national policy for scientific information and documentation. The central objective of these…

Addresses seven changes in role of the information professional--role as part of information transfer chain, need to harness technology and management tools, shift to individual-oriented information services, need for new directions in education, changing image of information professional, ethical commitment, increased international awareness.…

This brief review of the impact of both new and old communications technologies on the dissemination of information argues that the machine is essentially a distribution system and that it is time to consider the social, political, and economic implications of the new technologies. Six references are listed. (EJS)

A study which was made concerning the training of professionals in the computing industry found that existing programs in computer science at academic institutions do not provide the preparation required for the practice of computer science in industry. The problem is due primarily, but not exclusively, to the failure of academic institutions to…

A review of the literature indicated that few empirical studies have been conducted on either what factors influence or what factors deter women from pursuing information technology (IT) careers. Much of the information that is available is anecdotal. Several studies have focused on broader areas of women in science and/or technology; however,…

"Libraries for life" in Papua New Guinea today is not an impossible goal to strive for to achieve with today's new and old information and communication technologies. However, in order for this to happen, a number of questions will need to be asked. There are three that need immediate attention: (1) What is an "information…

The integration of Information Science into the library school at the University of Western Ontario was the theme of a talk delivered to ASIS in October 1976 and AALS in January 1977. Two problems arise in the pursuit of integration: (1) information exists in both book form and in some other form; e.g., machine readable form, and (2) theory and…

This paper describes a research project conducted in March 2001 for the Master of Library and Information Studies at New Zealand's Victoria University of Wellington. The project investigated the perceptions of information professionals (denoting qualified practitioners) in New Zealand regarding applied LIS (Library and Information Studies)…

This essay examines the probable future of academic libraries and discusses the impact that Information Resources Management will have on public libraries, library schools, and academic libraries. The need for information specialists and implications for academic libraries of the 1990s are noted. (EJS)

Market research has been undertaken in preparation for a new postgraduate program in "Information and Knowledge Management" to be taught by the staff at the Department of Information Science at Loughborough University (England). The research was needed to shape the curriculum and to define program parameters. This paper presents the…

This paper considers a number of potential developments for the future of library science and the roles of information professionals. Among the projections are: (1) the use of computers and management science operations research methodologies will form the basis of decision making in libraries in the future; (2) a concerted effort will be made to…

Includes abstracts of 18 special interest group (SIG) sessions. Highlights include natural language processing, information science and terminology science, classification, knowledge-intensive information systems, information value and ownership issues, economics and theories of information science, information retrieval interfaces, fuzzy thinking…