Intr@nets for Info Pros

Citation

Fourie, I. (2008), "Intr@nets for Info Pros", Online Information Review, Vol. 32 No. 5, pp. 691-692. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520810914070

Intranets are of growing importance in the library and information service sector and elsewhere, and they require input from information professionals as well as IT professionals. In this context, Intr@nets for Info Pros is a timely and valuable addition to our subject literature. In 11 chapters Mary Kennedy and Jane Dysart succeeded in combining expert contributions on a wide spectrum of issues relevant to information professionals. Contributors include Angela Abell, Cory Costanzo, Mike Crandall, Eric Hards, Ian Littlejohn, Cynthia Ross Pedersen, Avi Rappoport, Craig St Clair, Jose Claudio Terra and Debra Wallace. These contributors come from diverse backgrounds, including library and information science, information and knowledge management and information technology. It is therefore easy to agree with Tom Davenport's remark in the foreword: “Perhaps, nowhere else will you find such useful content on how information and IT professionals should view and leverage intranets”.

With Davenport setting the background for the book in the foreword and Kennedy explaining the concept of an intranet and the challenges faced by information professionals, the reader can comfortably continue with the issues and challenges to be faced. As background to this exploration, I especially value two remarks by Kennedy in Chapter 1, namely reference to Brenda Dervin's theory of sense‐making and its importance to the use and seeking of information, and a reference to the work of Dave Snowden on the need to allow for serendipity. I believe these two perspectives clearly capture the rationale for information professionals to take note of Intr@nets for Info Pros.

The 11 chapters cover the following: issues of current importance as well as directions for the future, the roles of information professionals as well as the need for ongoing professional development, implementing an intranet (with the very important addition to the title: “… that makes sense”), governance roles and responsibilities, collaboration and communities, content management for intranets, writing for intranets, corporate portals and intranets, information architecture, intranet search, and designing the ultimate end‐user experience by separating presentation and content. In the afterword, Kennedy stresses that users and circumstances changes. For me this implies that Intr@nets for Info Pros should be used as a good point of departure, but supplemented by ongoing reading of supporting literature and time for reflection on the design of intranets “that makes sense”.

The book concludes with a detailed index and a good bibliography. A few references to resources information professionals can use for serendipity on intranet developments would have been a useful addition.

Although it is stated that the book has been written so that each chapter can be useful on its own, I strongly recommend that it be read from the foreword to the bibliography to enable the reader to fully benefit from the wealth of finer suggestions that would enable information professionals to design intranets that would support sense‐making, serendipity and focus on user needs and information behaviour.

Intr@nets for Info Pros is highly recommended to all information professionals in any way involved in the design and use of intranets. Although written in a practical, easy‐to‐read style, it is backed by a sound, theoretical structure – as is also clear from the list of references. In this regard, I would also strongly consider it as prescribed or at least recommended reading for library/information science students. Even students in IT fields could benefit from views with a stronger emphasis on designing for the user.