Diffusion of Information and Knowledge: How Information Becomes Meaningful - Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer - page 96

vice, the treatment brings the client and the needed information together. This ser-
vice requires knowledge of various information sources and services that are avail-
able within the system, as well as those located elsewhere.
With the advancement of more complex and sophisticated technology, the lib-
rary and information professional must be aware of (1) the array of information
sources available, (2) the “best use” of a particular information package for meeting
client needs, (3) the preferred formats of the client, and (4) the information needs
of the client. This phase of professional service relies heavily on the diagnosis
in order to determine client preferences and information needs. As a manager,
the library and information professional organizes a service that addresses the in-
formation needs of a group, employing knowledge of the group's characteristics to
provide the information, staff, and facilities to offer the service.
At this stage of implementation, the diffusion of information can take place. Sim-
ply presenting information sources to a client or group of clients is the dissemina-
tion of information. Diffusion requires the information professional to go a step fur-
ther: the information professional must interact with the individual, either alone or
in a group, to help the client understand the meaning of the information and to help
the client make sense of the information. With meaning comes diffusion of informa-
tion, making utilization possible. More about diffusion is found later in this chapter,
and utilization is discussed in Chapter 7.
Evaluation
After the information service has been implemented, the outcome must be eval-
uated in terms of clientele satisfaction. An unsatisfactory resolution of the original
need should trigger a repetition of the entire cycle. The second cycle may amend
a part of the sequence, or it may require an entirely new approach. In a reference
situation, for example, the information professional would observe and query the
client after presenting information to assess the appropriateness of the information
provided. Likewise, a service should be evaluated and modified according to the
findings of an evaluative process. Similarly, allocation of organization resources for
specific purposes should be evaluated after implementation. Methods for collect-
ing and analyzing data for purposes of evaluation can range from simple verbal
inquiries to sophisticated quantitative and qualitative analyses, depending on the
circumstances.
Whether applying this process of prescription or analysis, diagnosis or recom-
mendation, treatment or implementation, and evaluation to an individual or group,
a critical component is the diagnosis of the individual's or group's need, prefer-