The information industry press-impressions

Abstract

Earlier this year, in anticipation of my retirement in February 1992 (from BIOS IS, not the information business), I accepted an assignment to write a Yearbook of the Information Industry. The Yearbook will be published by the National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services (NFAIS) in 1992. In my enthusiasm for this project, I engaged to use the information industry press as a major source of input. As I write this editorial, I am looking at the consequent accumulation of material that constitutes a major portion of the 1991 information industry press. It is a depressing and exciting sight. The volume of information is impressive and signals a vital and growing industry. After six months of scanning the sources available to me, I have counted 36 publications that have had at least one item worthy of inclusion in the yearbook. There are probably an equal number that (at this point in time) have not generated any noteworthy items. The types of publications run the gamut. There are scholarly journals, newsletters, slick magazines, crude bulletins, news releases-the "works". The prices probably reflect those charged for publications in other industrial communities. There are some bargains and there are some exorbitantly priced publications, few of which are worth much. Allowing for the variety of editorial styles and journalistic standards to be expected in a technology based and international industry, I am struck by the dismal level of communications that is provided in much of the material I am reading. In an industry devoted to the technologies that support information transfer and communications our quality standards are remarkably low. This editorial will do little to correct the situations. In fact it may add a little to the problem, but it has been written so that those who create and publish the information industry press will know that someone notices.