Information officer
Information officers manage and develop the procurement, supply and distribution of information for an organisation or client in support of their needs and objectives. They work with electronic information, especially online databases, content management systems and internet resources, as well as traditional library materials.
Services may be provided internally and/or externally and the role may involve managing and exploiting internally produced information as well as sourcing and providing materials from outside organisations.
Job titles vary, for example information specialist or information scientist, and it is important to look beyond the title to the actual work involved in the role.
Information officers play a key role in a wide range of organisations and handle all types of information, including scientific, technical, legal, commercial, financial, medical and educational.
Information officers are concerned with managing information in order to make it easily accessible. Work activities vary, depending on the needs of the organisation or client, but typically include:
Staff may also be involved in:
Although this area of work is open to all graduates, a degree in library and information management or information science may improve your chances. However, in posts where specific subject knowledge is useful, some employers prefer a degree in that subject followed by a postgraduate qualification in library studies/information management. This is most frequently the case for information services provided in scientific or technical contexts. Posts also exist where a humanities, social sciences or arts degree might be especially useful.
Most employers require a degree or specialist postgraduate qualification accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) . It is difficult to progress without relevant qualifications. A vocational postgraduate qualification at Diploma or MA/MSc level is highly desirable, unless your first degree is in information or library management. As well as full-time study, it is also possible to take postgraduate courses on a part-time basis or by distance learning.
CILIP publishes details of accredited courses on its website. Some financial help may be available for postgraduate information and library management courses from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) , but competition is keen, so apply early. See the CILIP website for more information on possible sources of financial assistance.
Postgraduate library/information management courses may require some pre-entry work experience, typically of at least one year. Many employers offer fixed-term appointments for one year, which are designed to provide relevant pre-entry experience. See CILIP Graduate Training Opportunities for further details. Some specialist recruitment agencies also offer vacancies for these posts.
Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:
Some posts (more often in the public sector) also require CILIP Chartered Membership.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Chartered membership is the professional award made by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) . Most members gain Chartership two to three years after graduation. Applicants must:
Chartered membership of CILIP entitles the holder to use the letters MCLIP. It is considered the ‘gold standard’ for information professionals and is recognised throughout the world.
Short courses, conferences and seminars across a wide range of topics are also offered by professional bodies such as CILIP, as well as by some training consultants and employers. Many employers also provide or arrange for training in the use of specialist databases, IT systems and resources used in the workplace.
Masters degrees for mid-career professionals are available on a full or part-time basis, or by distance learning. Research degrees are also offered by university library and information studies departments.
The typical career path for an information officer is typically to information manager (managing collections or people), moving upwards to national or global management at a strategic level. Taking on management responsibilities or specialising in particular professional areas, for example IT systems or training, are the usual routes to promotion. However, you should be prepared to move between jobs and employers to achieve this. It is often necessary to work in a variety of posts in order to gain experience in a range of functions before being considered for more senior positions. Many information units are not large enough to offer a clear structure for promotion to management positions, or even a great variety of roles.
Gaining chartered membership of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) is sometimes required to progress beyond qualified entry level in public sector posts. CILIP also offers a revalidation scheme enabling members to demonstrate that they are maintaining and developing their professional skills and expertise.
Fellowship is the highest level of professional qualification awarded by CILIP and can be achieved from six years after Chartered status. It is awarded for a high level of achievement and personal contribution to the profession and entitles the holder to use the letters FCLIP.
Information officers often move sideways or diagonally for career development, perhaps into associated and support industries such as commercial online database providers, publishers and larger booksellers or library software suppliers. These roles are typically in customer support, sales, training and management positions.
Senior strategic information professionals can work as information consultants, either independently or as part of a consultancy practice. Training roles are also available (both permanent and contract roles), for example in a law firm when staff need training on a particular product such as LexisNexis.
University library and information management departments are involved in research over a broad range of specialisms in information science and management and there are some opportunities for research posts and higher degrees.
Information officers work in a variety of organisations, including:
See the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) website for more information on where information officers are likely to work and salary guides for each sector.
The publication Libraries and Information Services in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland provides contact details for over 2,000 libraries and is a good starting point for researching potential employers. However, an approach to the headquarters of any fairly large organisation should enable you to make contact with its information unit. Visits to several of these would enable you to find out first hand the variety of employment opportunities that exist in information management and perhaps even lead to invaluable work experience.
Recruitment agencies commonly handle vacancies. See Glen Recruitment , Infomatch, the CILIP Recruitment Agency , Sue Hill Recruitment , TFPL , Vital Information and Weekes Gray Recruitment . Also, search the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) consultancy finder for a list of member agencies specialising in information and library work.
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