Library and Information Science Research Coalition

Congratulations to Hazel Hall on her appointment to the new Library and Information Science Research Coalition.

The remit of the Coalition is to facilitate a co-ordinated and strategic approach to Library and Information Science (LIS) research across the UK. It was founded in March this year by the British Library (BL), the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and the Research Information Network (RIN).

Hazel’s appointment, and the formation of the Coalition, is particularly timely in view of the debate that is currently taking place within the records and information management community around the question of whether there is a need for more coordinated representation of the various sub-groups within the profession.  It’s encouraging to see these organisations working cooperatively together to improve the value and impact of the research they fund and/or sponsor.

Hazel is an Associate of TFPL and worked with us on the 'who’s managing information? information responsibilities in the digital world' project in 2006.  I recently reread the report and was pleased to find that its conclusions remain valid three years on; in fact, TFPL commented on the convergence of individual disciplines at that time:

We are witnessing a merging of IM disciplines (library and information services, knowledge management, information management, records management, Web and IT) and the integration of new disciplines into the IM arena, resulting in the creation of new IM roles.  Whilst IM is becoming everone’s responsibility in terms of daily work the identification and allocation of explicit IM responsibilities is increasingly becoming essential to the development of robust IM capability.

Further information about the Coalition is available on their website.

Melanie Goody
Director of Consultancy