READIT-2007 - Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

Information Resource Management in a
Knowledge Society
V. Rajendran* and E. Soundararajan *
Abstract
Digital Libraries have to serve the needs of knowledge society where the organizational
knowledge, individual knowledge and other resources of knowledge have to be managed and
disseminated. Librarians who have been the traditional information resource managers have a vital
role to play in this context. They are responsible for information resource management in effective and
efficient way. Information resources management includes the basic infrastructure management,
underlying technology, standards and protocols, access models and finally the user management which
is the ultimate purpose of any knowledge management process. This paper highlights essential aspects
of information resource management with a special reference to Indira Gandhi centre for Atomic
Research (IGCAR) environment.
1. INTRODUCTION
Information is an important resource in the “Knowledge Society” and its
management is very different from traditional Library management. Mostly, it
involves management of change, time and electronic sources, along with traditional
collection management aspects. Information resource management is a philosophical
and practical approach to managing information. Because information is a valuable
resource to be managed like other resources, IRM contributes directly to
accomplishing organizational goals and objectives. It provides an integrated approach
to managing the entire life cycle of information—from creation, to dissemination, to
archiving or destruction—so as to maximize the overall usefulness of information.
Forest W. Horton (1979) one of the leading experts in the area of IRM, defines
“Resource Management system includes all methods and procedures for collecting
and processing information on a particular resource (i.e. men, money, machines, or
what is germane to our subject here, information itself) and formatting that data in a
manner which is useful for management”.
The most comprehensive definition offered by Horton in his book
“Information resources management: harnessing information assets for productivity
gains in office, factory and laboratory” (1985) states that IRM is:
“a managerial discipline which views information as a resource equal to
financial, physical, human, and natural resources. IRM addresses the efficient and
effective handling of information resources (raw data) and the resulting information
assets (knowledge)”.
There are at least three events which, when combined together, triggered the
inception of IRM. The main events are:
* Scientific Information Resource Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam
Tamilnadu -603 102. Email: vraj@igcar.gov.in
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