[Sigiii-l] Plaza

[Jennifer Burns]

Professionals in a variety of fields often pay lip service to the notion of
"life-long learning", an expression I used to think was as meaningful as any
other sound bite.  However, as a result of the globalization of the
information society, "life-long learning" is exactly what I am facing in my
career as an information professional.

Information is being created, exchanged and disseminated around the world in
ways that transcend the traditional barriers of space and time.  I am
confronted with the daunting prospect of constantly upgrading my skills in
order to keep up with these changes.  On the other hand, globalization has
created an unprecedented opportunity for collaboration with a diverse
community of professionals in the field.  I will need to learn how to
communicate across the linguistic and cultural barriers I will encounter in
my professional life. 

I intend to use the resources available to me to keep informed about the
latest trends and information communication technologies.  I think that the
Internet will be particularly significant in this regard. I also look
forward to exchanging knowledge and ideas with colleagues around the world.


The information science community could help with this process by making the
tools for education, professional development and communication as
accessible to as many individuals as possible, providing low-cost or free
communications devices, software downloads and upgrades, and creating
virtual learning environments.

The impact of globalization has been fairly painless in my personal life,
probably because I have literally "grown up" with the technology involved.
However, I am concerned about the blurring of the border between
professional and personal spaces.  This is an issue that affects
professionals in many fields, but I think that the information science
community can be influential in creating and implementing policies and
standards that address this problem, and leading by example.   


Jennifer A. Burns
Faculty of Information Studies
University of Toronto
burns at fis.utoronto.ca