The librarian and information

Inaugural lecture--Department of Library Science, Rand Afrikaans University, 6 August 1973The study is concerned with four facets of the information problem as it affects the librarian. 1. Information reaches the librarian in a more or less orderly pattern. Whatever the size of the information explosion we know its origin and therefore the subject matter of new information is known. 2. Information becomes archival after treatment by the traditional library methods. As such it presents a serious problem of handling effectively. 3. Information as a commodity in the economic process with special reference to external information. The librarian as principal information handler is basically geared towards decision making. As such he is the ideal person to aid management in its operations. The natural pattern of the organisational structure is therefore management librarian -systems analaysist -programmer/operator aimed at computerised information handling. 4. The involvement of the state in creating the ideal situation for the communication of information. This is of national importance as is raw material, labour or capital