Note: If you are registered for this course, please go to the Student Information Form, fill it out and submit it. This will allow me to make a class list that should be useful to you.

Introduction to Special Libraries and Competitive Intelligence

People who perform information analysis and provision functions in organizations have various titles. Two of the most traditional are special librarian and information resources manager; people with these titles usually have responsibility for a collection and a service facility. Other titles include market researcher, competitive intelligence specialist and knowledge analyst/manager; people with these titles compile analyze external information, compare to internal information and compile summary reports. Still other information people work independently and form their own businesses. Two typical titles for the independent folks are information broker and information consultant.

Although the titles differ and the organizational context affects the nature of services delivered, a common knowledge base and theoretical framework undergirds all these positions. In addition, they share a need for a common set of professional and personal competencies.

The knowledge base and theoretical framework for the class comes from the knowledge management literature. Relevant applications are drawn from the library/information science (LIS) literature. Within the course, the following professional competencies will be addressed:

• Strategic planning for client-centered services
• Techniques for developing expert knowledge in the business interests of an organization or client and the "best" information resources for that context
• Training and instructional techniques
• Design of value-added information services and products
• Application of information technologies to the acquisition, development, and dissemination for use of information products and services
• Management and communication skills in running a library or information service business and serving as a member of key management or research team
• Evaluation of service use, customer satisfaction, and impact of services on the bottom line of the organization.

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Course Objectives

"The core of knowledge management is the organization of processes in which new knowledge is developed, knowledge is distributed to those who need it knowledge is made accessible for current and future use and use by the whole organization and knowledge areas are combined."

The goal of the course is that each student learn:

1. To define potential career paths in knowledge management in all its manifestations
2. To investigate current trends in knowledge management and their manifestations in business and industry
3. To develop appropriate physical and virtual collections, services, and products for a selected information service environment
4. To develop management competencies in the operation of a special library or information service business
5. To achieve self-reliance and self-confidence in presenting the need for information support services to upper level management.

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"The ultimate corporate resource has become information --
the ultimate competitive advantage is the ability to use it --
the sum of the two is knowledge management."
-- Nigel Oxbow and Angela Abell, "Putting Knowledge to Work"
SLA Institute on Knowledge Management, 1997, p.25.

Textbooks and Other Readings

The following required textbook is available in the bookstore and online from various vendors.

Skryme, David. Knowledge Networking: Creating the Collaborative Enterprise. Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999.

In addition, three Harvard Business School case studies have been ordered for use in the class. These are:

Airborne Express (A). 9-798-070 Rev. Dec 7, 1999. Leadership Online: Barnes & Noble vs. Amazon.com (A). 9-798-063 Rev. Dec. 4, 1998. Leadership Online: Barnes & Noble vs. Amazon.com (B). 9-799-138 Rev. Jan. 31, 2000. Yahoo!: Business on Internet Time. 9-700-013 Rev. Jan. 6, 2000.

Additional materials are on reserve and are assigned each week. Relevant websites are indicated on the class outline.

Note: You may always substitute a reading of your choice for an assigned reading.

Please also become familiar with the Special Libraries Association website and SLA's publication, Information Outlook. Please look at recent back issues of the latter and read current issues as they come in.

If your interest is in information brokering, you may want to obtain a copy of the following book. It is also on reserve for your use.

Rugge, Sue and Alfred Glossbrenner. The Information Broker's Handbook. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, 1997.

If your interest is in special librarianship, you may want to obtain a copy of the following book. It is on reserve for your use.

Mount, Ellis. Special Libraries and Information Centers: An Introductory Text. 4th ed. SLA, 1999.

In addition, the British publication, Handbook of special Librarianship and Information Work, edited by Alison Scammell. 7th ed. Aslib, 1997, may prove useful to you and is also on reserve.

A book of value to those interested in competitive intelligence work is the following (also on reserve for you):

Choo, chun Wei. Information Management for the Intelligent Organization; The ARt of Scanning the Environment. 2nd ed. ASIS, 1998.

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Course Requirements

The course will be conducted by lecture, classroom discussion and student presentation. Readings, visits, and invited speakers will extend understanding of possible career options and the dynamics of particular settings and functional activities.

You will be asked to complete a number of assignments as follows:

1. Exploration of Career Opportunities
2. A project for either Planning an Information Center, Writing a Business Plan or Developing a Competitive Analysis (i.e., the "Project) The four parts and a presentation are as follows:
   1. Environmental Analysis
   2. Service Planning - Inter/Intranet, Collection/Resources, Policies and Procedures, Services
   3. Demonstrating Value - Performance Measures, Reporting, Marketing and Public Relations
   4. Projecting Resource Needs - Finance, Staff, Space and Equipment
   5. Poster session

Most of these assignments have a written and a presentation (mostly informal) component. The first assignment is to be done independently. I encourage you to work in a team of 2 people (3 is also possible) on the project assignment. For team assignments, each person on the team will receive the same grade, unless there is overwhelming evidence to do otherwise.

Options to each assignment may be proposed to allow each person to tailor class activities to his/her particular interests.

Grades will be based on the following weighting scheme:

• 20% - Class participation
• 20% - Career exploration
• 60% - Project (some interim grades may be given but will be superseded by overall grade at the end

Please note: A grade of incomplete may be taken only because of illness or special circumstances and only with the permission of the instructor.

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Honor Code

As you know, UNC-CH has a student-administered honor system that encourages and promotes the individual's adherence to the ethics of academia. Essentially, the honor code means that information taken from the work of other is always attributed and that work that you submit is your own (or your team's in the case of group work). In this class, collaboration, discussion, and the use of assistance from other class members is encouraged and is not inconsistent with the honor code.

Page revised 1/03/2001.

Send me an email with any questions or comments to Evelyn Daniel.

INLS247 is the class listserv. I believe you are automatically subscribed when you sign up for the course. Let me know if you have any difficulties.