In today's fast-paced world of business, the need for information is an international commodity. Information, both internally and externally produced, is the lifeblood of an organization and essential for innovation and continuous learning. Information sharing is also essential for any organization that is attempting to understand and manage its intellectual capital, often in a global context.

Information professionals play a unique role in gathering, organizing, and coordinating access to the best available information sources for the organization, understanding the critical need of turning that information into usable knowledge.

This is accomplished through the development, deployment, and management of information resources and services. Information professionals, working in non-traditional settings such as market research, business development, and strategic planning, use the Internet and other technology to present information in a way that maximizes its usefulness, saving time and money in order to attain the goals of their organization. Organizations that are integrating information professionals into strategic planning initiatives recognize their necessity in gaining a competitive advantage in the information and knowledge age.

A study conducted by SLA found that eighty-five percent of the companies ranked in the top 100 on the Fortune 500 list employed information professionals, compared to less than fifty percent of the companies ranked in the bottom 100. The Special Libraries Association represents thousands of information resource experts who are ready to put your organization over the top. What steps are you taking to differentiate your business from the next and maintain your company's sustainability?

Information Industry Statistics

--Information end users with in-house libraries save an average of nine hours and US$ 2,218 (£3,115) in costs.
Information Management Under Fire: Measuring ROI for Enterprise Libraries, Outsell, 9 November 2007

--Spending on digital resources for 2007 is projected to comprise 64% of content budgets. This represents a continuing upward trend.
Information Management Best Practices: 2006 State of the Function, Outsell, 15 December 2006

--Among the "hot" trends in 2007: user-generated media, business reference and research, syndicators, mobile appliances, and business intelligence.
Content Industry Outlook 2007: Reality Checks, Shore Communications, 7 February 2007

--Ninety percent of OCLC survey respondents use search engines, and 48% use blogs.
Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World, OCLC, November 2007

Updated 11/07