Purpose: Information sharing is a relatively unexplored part of the information behaviour. The aim of this paper is to examine the research on the concept, as it appears in other bodies of literature and to draw out the key variables that appear to influence information sharing in different contexts. Methods: A literature review was carried out…

The Future Voices in Public Services column is a forum for students in graduate library and information science programs to discuss key issues they see in academic library public services, to envision what they feel librarians in public service have to offer to academia, to tell us of their visions for the profession, or to tell us of research…

This paper seeks to establish the state of knowledge of Knowledge Management (KM) among Library and Information Services (LIS) professionals, the extent to which they find positions in the KM sector, the extent to which they practise identifiable KM processes in their work and the adequacy of educational preparation and professional development…

The paper traces the inability of the curricula of LIS schools in Africa to respond to the immediate job environment in Africa. The main weakness of the curricula is that they reflect essentially the curricula of LIS schools in the Western World. Thus, while most of the LIS curricula are relevant to the traditional library setting, the curricula…

Defines the Year 2000 Problem, and discusses when and where it occurs, its scale and its solutions. Examines awareness, attitudes and responses toward the problem in general, and then more specifically among information professionals. (Author/AEF)

Presents issues relating to the future direction of information science. Investigates the history and scientific basis of information science. Discusses the change from its genesis as an academic discipline in the 1950s to its practitioner base in the 1990s. Concludes that information science will make a significant contribution to other…

Examines the forces of cultural value and specificity in relation to information in the Arab world. Contends that information is integral and inseparable from the belief systems, political and cultural values, and ethical principles of any given society. Describes socio-political and economic factors. (AEF)

The challenges of bringing together information professionals from a variety of information agencies with different backgrounds, cultures, and skills are discussed in terms of their implications for the education of information professionals. (Author/JAK)

Presents a summary review of 25 years of the literature on user instruction and information literacy. Notes how developments and technology during the last 10 years have affected user instruction and have led to the emergence of information literacy. Demonstrates how the field of user instruction has expanded. Includes bibliographies. (Author/AEF)

Discusses the interdependence of telecommunications and information sciences in Brazil. Highlights include new technologies and telecommunications: satellites, fiber optic cables, data communication networks, information superhighways, and cooperative projects; and information services development. (AEF)

Articulates key elements in the "invisible substrate" of information science. Emphasizes information science's role as a meta-science--conducting research and developing theory around documentary products of other disciplines and activities. Suggests that mental activities of information science center around "representation" and "organization" of…

Discourse analysis addresses questions regarding both spoken and written communications and can be applied to purposes and practices of information study that appear in books and journals in the field. Applications of discourse analysis to information include investigation of the social, political, and technical implications of the word…

The thesis of this paper is that the growth of the field of medical informatics, while seemingly a potential threat to medical librarianship, is in fact an opportunity for librarianship to both extend its reach and also to further define its unique characteristics in contrast to those of medical informatics. Furthermore, because medical…

This article aims to suggest answers to two questions: What should be the primary purpose of information services in general and libraries in particular as we enter the new millennium? Assuming such a purpose, what array of services should the library be prepared to provide? These questions are approached mainly from the academic library…

Reviews the development of information resource management philosophies, methodologies, and techniques over the past five years. Areas that need improvement are discussed, including information resource management techniques, methodologies, research and educational bases, and professional associations. (13 references) (CLB)