Librarians alert. How can we exploit what is happening with personal information management (PIM), reference management and related issues?
| Date | 06 September 2011 |
| Pages | 550-556 |
| Published date | 06 September 2011 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831111174477 |
| Author | Ina Fourie |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Librarians alert
How can we exploit what is happening with
personal information management (PIM),
reference management and related issues?
Ina Fourie
Department of Information Science, University of Pretoria,
Pretoria, South Africa
Abstract
Purpose – This column aims to explore the potential of personal information management (PIM) and
reference management. It seeks to focus on how librarians can stay alert on new developments
regarding PIM and related issues such as plagiarism, reference techniques, information literacy and
information behaviour. It also tries to stimulate interest in looking for hidden gems that can be of value
in their careers as well as those of library users by considering the innovative and creative use of PIM,
e.g. by also monitoring the potential of mind maps and concept maps.
Design/methodology/approach – The column is written against the background of research from
information behaviour, PIM, information curation, alerts on software development and related issues,
and also social bookmarking.
Findings – There are many ways in which librarians can stay abreast of what is happening with
PIM, reference management and related issues. There are also many things to note such as
improvement of the software, uses of PIM and reference management, teaching skills in PIM and
reference management, ways of sharing information, linking to innovation and creativity, and linking
to information literacy and information behaviour.
Originality/value – Although much has been published on developments in PIM and reference
management, the author is not aware of other attempts to link alerting services on PIM and reference
management to go beyond developments in software.
Keywords Alerting services,Computer software, Information,Information management, Librarians,
Technology ledstrategy
Paper type General review
1. Introduction
Over many decades libraries have offered current awareness services (CAS) which is
also known as alerting services or sometimes as selective dissemination of information
(SDI). Often they however, seem to neglect their own extensive use of such services or
to reflect on their own use (Fourie, 2006; Stenstrom and Tegler, 1988). Staying alert of
developments regarding personal information management (PIM), reference
management and related issues offers an excellent opportunity to not only note
developments in a topic of growing interest to the services offered by libraries and
information services (here after only referred to as libraries), but to also actively get
involved in the use of PIM and the other issues at stake. These include: organising
information so that it can be found again, metadata and tagging, choice of software,
information literacy skills (e.g. identifying information needs, selecting appropriate
sources to search, evaluating information, analysing and synthesising information),
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
LHT
29,3
550
Received June 2011
Revised June 2011
Accepted June 2011
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 29 No. 3, 2011
pp. 550-556
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378831111174477
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