Onthologies and knowledge organization: challenges and opportunities for information professionals

The emerging convergence in the field of ontologies between knowledge organization and knowledge engineering is examined in the context of the semantic web project. We describe the development of research on ontologies in library and information sciences and in other disciplines interested in ontological problems. The emergence of a research agenda on ontologies is discussed in the context of the development of the internet and, specifically, in relation to the semantic web project. Finally, some implications of this convergence for the information professional are discussed: the integration of knowledge organization into a broader transdisciplinary research arena with a very promising future, the need to clarify the role and potential contributions of the information professional, and the urgency of adequate education and training in the new standards and technologies