Midterm: Information Audit

Due Tuesday, October 16th, 11pm CST

Conduct an Information Audit for a real or fictitious library.

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to introduce the Information Audit (IA), a technique for collecting data about customer information needs. Since this data will later form the basis of your strategic plan (your final assignment), be sure to select a setting which can also qualify for use in your final project assignment (see description below). At the conclusion of this assignment you should understand when an IA is needed, how to develop objectives for the IA, the processes that can be used to conduct the IA, how to analyze the data, how to develop appropriate action items and how to obtain resources needed to implement changes warranted by your findings -- in other words how to apply this technique in a real setting. Samples of exemplary plans from prior classes will be provided for review.

Deliverable: Select a real or fictitious library setting in which to conduct a real or imaginary information audit. YOU DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE TO CONDUCT AN INFORMATION AUDIT, BUT YOU MAY. If basing your paper on a real library, you may not use a Library which already has a published Strategic Plan. Write a report (submit as a Word document - see Formatting directions) outlining the objectives, process used for conducting the information audit, findings, and necessary action items to address shortcomings or required changes. Refer to Henczel's 7 stage model - (Henczel, S. -"The information audit as a first step towards effective knowledge management - Figure 3) to use as an aid in organizing this report.

Include a 3 column table mapping "Findings" to the "Action" it requires and lastly, "Resources" needed. The chart should represent a management briefing or executive summary you would submit to senior management to reveal the Information Audit findings, recommendations for further action and additional resources required or returned, to make it possible to execute on your recommendations. Conclude by summarizing any resources required to address the action items you would undertake in response to the findings of the real or imaginary Information Audit and, if possible where you might be able to reallocate some existing resources to implement changes. Also note any resources you can save or "return" such as savings of time or money or other resources.

A word of caution - the most frequent problem students have with this assignment is that they try to fit the IA process to a project they wish to justify. Remember, the IA is about collecting data to learn the information needs of a target audience - not trying to figure out the best process for completing a project or initiative that already exists.