In order to compete in this global economy, organizations have to rely on individuals to retrieve data from the massive amounts of information available in both hard copy and the new and emerging formats in the electronic environment. Special librarians are well suited for this job. They not only know how to access material, but they can also add value to and package it, thus providing it to the end user in a useable format.
Information will be at the center of business and society in the next century. The rise of knowledge industries offers opportunities for special librarians and information specialists to be change makers and leaders as they demonstrate the connection between the information they provide and the realization of the goals of their larger organizations. Whether located in a Fortune 500 company or a small enterprise, special librarians will be the trainers; helping others navigate through the vast amounts of information resources available. SLA members must seize this opportunity and market their ever expanding skills in order for those in the larger organizations to seek them out when searching for information.
In today's world, a country's power and stature are often measured by its economic/industrial capability. Therefore, governments, their ministries (such as those dealing with finance and trade) and major industrial sectors are increasingly expected to play a more prominent role in their respective country's collection efforts. While a military rival steals documents for a state-of-the-art weapon or defense system, an economic competitor steals proprietary business information or government trade strategies. Just as a nation's defense establishment is the main recipient of defense-related information, companies and commercially oriented government ministries are the main beneficiaries of economic information. The governments and companies of highly industrialized nations collect economic intelligence to gain a competitive edge over major economic rivals, either across the board or in specific industries. In addition, intelligence is collected on government plans and policies with regard to trade and industry.
SLA members firmly believe that a government's policies on the gathering of economic intelligence should be directed at protecting the interests of its citizens and companies. However, said policies should also be balanced to maintain a high ethical standard for operating in a global economy.
Encryption technologies can also impact the ability of information professionals to compete. The world is in the midst of a profound information access revolution . It is transforming our society more completely and faster than did the printing press, the telephone or even the television. By winning the first round of the computer race, we reaped the rewards of economic growth and new goods, services and social opportunities. We can win the race for connected computing as well.
The encryption concepts at issue are not complicated. In essence, encryption technology empowers people to protect their digital property from unauthorized use. Whether sending an e-mail to a friend, faxing medical records to an insurance company, or giving the plans for your latest product to a business partner on a floppy disc, encryption tools allow us to "scramble" the message. Over time, these tools will become increasingly more effective at protecting valuable information.
SLA calls for an end to onerous, government-sponsored encryption standards. Export controls on commercial digital technology, especially in the consumer realm, should be terminated. Moreover, the federal government should be explicitly barred from placing restrictions on the sale and use of encryption programs domestically, and mandatory key escrows (which would allow access to private information by the government or law enforcement) should be prohibited. These steps are necessary for two, reinforcing reasons: The first is that such barriers to our future wealth generating capacity are simply unaffordable; the second is that such interventions will not work anyway.
In a more general sense, however, it is we citizens, not the intelligence or law enforcement communities, who should determine the nature of our Constitutional heritage in the digital age.
As the Internet becomes a major tool for global commerce, governments are grappling with the issue of regulating through taxation and access. The major economic powers of the world are already considering options for promotion and control of doing business online. SLA members believe that any such controls on the ever-expanding commercial potential of the information superhighway are potentially damaging to its economic viability. Governments should recognize that the Internet is unlike any other communications or information tool ever created, and must be managed in a manner consistent with free market philosophies.
RSS
Feedback form
