Category Archives: 2018

Information Governance is Boring

Information Governance is BORING, but it is also essential. Nobody wants to talk about it except when it doesn’t work, then everyone is screaming about it.

Information Governance is, for those of you new to the concept, “… the overarching strategy and tactics that connects together all of the diverse disciplines that leverage organizational information. Information Governance is the bridge between Records Management and Data Science, between Process and Policy, between collaboration and security. Information Governance is the umbrella that covers all organizational information. Information Governance balances the value of information with the risk that information poses; it determines the people, the resources, the processes, the functions, the organization, and the technology requirements of organizational information” (InfoGov18).

The practical reality is that information governance ensures that information is secure, people who do not need access to salary information do not have access and metadata is managed. These are a few of the things that come into play, but the ones that are the most visible.

IT has the most to go with information governance, but KM/CM and IT need to work in partnership. Information professionals have the expertise to manage a taxonomy where IT can set up an active directory more quickly and easily than an information professional.

In my content/knowledge management plans information governance is a key enabler of the Process section of my plan.

CM Start

In a recent talk on starting/brainstorming a content management plan, I suggested that people start small. That’s nice, but, then I went on to another bit of the talk. After the talk, I ran into a Washington librarian getting started on a CM program. I had seen him in the session and thought for sure he would ask a question, but he didn’t. I was glad I ran into him, because he told me what his library was doing and said he didn’t know how to start.

Content Management can be big and scary. Yes, you have to define what it means to your organization, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start with some small steps.

How to start:

The easiest thing to do is look at your events calendar. No matter what kind of library-or organization- you work in, events will be happening.

Pick out a couple of events

Create bibliographies of resources that support the event. Include town council  or management reports, videos, podcasts, websites, audiobooks in addition to the print and eBook materials that will surely find their way to your list. Do not segregate by format. If you segregate by format you are missing the point of CM.

Make sure your logo as well as suggestion to “Ask the Librarian for More Resources” and your phone number is on the sheet and pass it out at the next event.

Evolve that to a web page. If you can do it before the event, great. If not, put it up after the event. If you can’t make a webpage, scan it to PDF and create a catalog record.

You have made a good start. What’s next?

Internet Librarian 2018

I was selected to give a talk at Internet Librarian in Monterey again this year, so I went for a quick trip. My session was called Brainstorming Content Management Plans and I talked a lot about what I have discussed on this blog regarding content management.

Somehow my slides did not make it to the speaker site, so I am posting a pdf version here. I’ll also post the slides to Slideshare, if that is more convenient for you.

I was pleased to see a post about my session on another site. Shockingly fast reporting. The reporting is good, but do look at my slides and call if you need a consultation.

The wonderful Doris Helfer was the moderator and she did a great job. I also got a tip about continuing education courses held at Oxford University. I’ll have to put one of those on my list.