- Information Matters

Special Issue on Professional Development

Guest Editors: Aylin Imeri and Kyrie Zhou

August 2024

Information Matters Special Issue on Professional Development

Aylin Imeri

Information Matters Special Issue on Professional Development

The aim of this special issue (SI) is to encourage readers to think critically about their own professional development and to take time to reflect on it. Are you looking for helpful insights? Or have you ever wondered what others are doing? Then this is the place for you. Ten…

Volunteering with International Professional Associations: Pathway to Professional Development

Bhakti Gala

Volunteering with International Professional Associations: Pathway to Professional Development

How do you build your professional career by volunteering with international professional associations? Can volunteering play a role in expanding your professional growth? It is known that joining an international professional association increases the possibilities of interacting with a global community and expanding domain knowledge. There are two aspects to…

Level Up Your InfoScience Path: Build Powerful Networks for Lifelong Learning

Jelina Haines

Level Up Your InfoScience Path: Build Powerful Networks for Lifelong Learning

In today's rapidly evolving field of information science (IS), continuous learning is no longer optional, it's essential. But keeping up with the latest trends and developments can feel overwhelming if you go it alone. That's where the power of supportive networks comes in. By cultivating a network of mentors, colleagues,…

The Broad Spectrum of Opportunities for an Information Career

Lynn Silipigni Connaway

The Broad Spectrum of Opportunities for an Information Career

I believe that to be effective as an information professional, one must have a desire to learn and to adapt to an ever-changing environment and to be a risk taker. But most of all, to be able to relate to people. Without high-level interpersonal skills, it is very difficult to…

Using Professional Networks to Unlock Career Opportunities in the Information Field

Sandy Hirsh

Using Professional Networks to Unlock Career Opportunities in the Information Field

What is one of the best ways to find new career opportunities in the information field? In my experience, networking is the key to successful job seeking. Networking is also invaluable for building professional connections, developing a sense of community, and establishing your reputation. As a past president of ASIS&T,…

The Fifth Industrial Revolution: Information Professionals and Skills

Rexwhite Tega Enakrire

The Fifth Industrial Revolution: Information Professionals and Skills

In the era of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), information professionals are crucial in organizations to ensure the collection, processing, acquisition, archiving, dissemination, and weeding of information to ensure it meets the stakeholder's objectives. To be effective in this role, information professionals must possess different skills and be ready to learn,…

Lisa Hussey

The Soft Side of Information Science

Before becoming a LIS professional, I worked in bookstores, usually in supervisory or management positions, for about 7 years. Retail is not an easy environment, and it requires a certain set of skills to be successful, especially as you take on responsibilities that require considerations and actions beyond your own…

Dealing with Criticisms in Interdisciplinary Research

Tongrui Zhang

Dealing with Criticisms in Interdisciplinary Research

On Being a Research-informed Information Practitioner

Timothy J. Dickey

On Being a Research-informed Information Practitioner

Our 21st-century global society needs research-informed information professionals of all stripes more than ever. Librarians serve our communities more vitally than ever with valuable resources, and as teachers of life skills and information literacy; archivists and records curators preserve historical documentation against “alternate facts;” information architects and others help shape…

Learning How to Work All Over Again as a Parent

Elizabeth Hoiem

Learning How to Work All Over Again as a Parent

The COVID shutdown arrived in Illinois two weeks after my parental leave ended, just when I resumed writing the book I needed to complete for academic tenure. Instead of having the next five months to finish my manuscript, I cared for my two daughters in four-hour shifts shared with my…

Developing Professional Skills for the Workplace: A Student-Staff Partnership to Create University-Wide Learning

Marta Bustillo

Developing Professional Skills for the Workplace: A Student-Staff Partnership to Create University-Wide Learning

Students often find themselves learning and using digital technologies in the course of their studies; however, they may not be similarly prepared for a professional workplace environment. These professional skills, which may range from understanding appropriate communication and digital etiquette to creation and collaboration in the online workplace, form part…