LexisNexis Releases Survey on Information Professionals Use of Web 2.0 and Knowledge Management to Add Value to Their Organizations

June 4, 2007; 03:29 AM
LexisNexis, a leading provider of information and services solutions, today announced the results of a nationwide survey to provide insights into how Information Professionals (IPs) are adding value to their organizations through technology and knowledge management. The survey also explores where IPs see the future of technology. LexisNexis is exhibiting this week at the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Conference at the Colorado Convention Center, Booth #319.

Information professionals are savvy when it comes to leveraging technology to make information more valuable, relevant, and accessible, with 93% of librarians saying they currently use intranets for managing and distributing information, and seeing collaborative workspaces (57%), wireless (44%), and portals (51%) as very important for the future.

The survey revealed an interesting breakdown and frequency of information sources accessed. With Web 2.0 it’s no surprise that information professionals are very in-tune; nearly four in ten access Weblogs at least weekly (39%), and more than a third access wikis (34%).

For more traditional sources there was even greater usage. More than nine in ten surveyed access news Web sites (92%), and company Web sites (93%) at least weekly (or more often). Video or audio podcasts were rarely accessed. Less than two in ten access video podcasts (16%), or audio podcasts (15%).

When respondents were asked, “What is the most successful new initiative/service that you have launched in the past year?” the top five responses were:

    1) document search, retrieval, delivery, and access enhancements,
       such as centralizing the document collection into a common ILS
       or Integrated Library System, OpenURL linking, RSS feed,
       taxonomy, and library portal integration, development and/or
       enhancement;

    2) embed and/or migrate IP services within business units;

    3) increase, provide, and/or offer new training;

    4) enhance or standardize process and quality control procedures;
       and

    5) provide assistance and services proactively.

Other notable mentions included digitizing important and/or historical print sources, providing collaborative workspaces, and creating wiki-type databases.

“The time is ripe for information professionals to step up to new opportunities and this study shows they are doing it,” said Joanne Lustig, vice president & lead analyst at Outsell, Inc. “These findings mirror our own and affirm that ongoing success and growth will be in the implementation of tools and applications to better organize, mine, and analyze information and enable connections and linkages among users and knowledge.”

As part of fulfilling its Total Solutions strategy, LexisNexis has taken many steps in the content and knowledge management area to help information professionals, such as licensing its taxonomies, acquiring additional data mining and analytics capabilities through the acquisition of Datops to spot emerging market trends, and enhancing LexisNexis® Publisher for current awareness.

With the new LexisNexis® Publisher Link users can now combine access to LexisNexis content with other premium and free Web-based content, and receive one consolidated email or newsletter with updates.

In the Web 2.0 arena, LexisNexis teamed up with Newstex Blogs on Demand in 2006 and recently won an SIIA Codie Award for the best blog aggregation via LexisNexis.

For more information on LexisNexis Corporate Knowledge Solutions, go to http://www.lexisnexis.com/librarian/corp/.

The survey also revealed insights into IPs current challenges and future obstacles. These findings will be reported in a separate press release.

Survey Methodology

The Web survey invitations were emailed to a random selection of approximately 1,500 LexisNexis IP customers during the month of May 2007, resulting in 107 completed surveys (with a +/-9.5% level of precision at the 95% confidence level).

In order to participate in the survey, respondents needed to confirm they were an Information Professional as defined by the Special Libraries Association — as someone who strategically uses information in his/her job to advance the mission of the organization. This is accomplished through the development, deployment, and management of information resources and services. The IP harnesses technology as a critical tool to accomplish goals. IPs include, but are not limited to, librarians, knowledge managers, chief information officers, Web developers, information brokers and consultants.

About LexisNexis

LexisNexis® (www.lexisnexis.com) is a leading provider of information and services solutions, including its flagship Web-based Lexis® and Nexis® research services, to a wide range of professionals in the legal, risk management, corporate, government, law enforcement, accounting and academic markets. A member of Reed Elsevier [NYSE: ENL; NYSE: RUK] (www.reedelsevier.com), LexisNexis serves customers in 100 countries with 13,000 employees worldwide.