Instructor Details

Information Resources Management Consultant

Biography:

For the past thirty years, Ms. Keiser has attempted to bring the availability of information sources to corporate management's attention and assist in maximizing their use, first as a corporate and academic librarian, and later as an information resources management consultant. The objective of her consulting practice is to enable her clients to use information effectively to improve profit and growth. Familiar with the information needs and concerns of organizations, she works closely with clients to develop suitable and correct information strategies. Barbie has a unique blend of hands-on experience in helping transform the technologic know-how of an organization into productivity and profitability.

Ms. Keiser has undertaken numerous consulting assignments around the world, under the auspices of IDRC (Canada), the National Academy of Sciences (US), and the United States Information Agency (USIA/USIS). She is an active member of the Special Libraries Association, currently serving on the board of the Environment Resources Management Division. As the initial chairperson of the International Federation for Information and Documentation (FID) Roles, Careers and Development of the Modern Information Professional Special Interest Group (MIP/SIG), she was responsible for creating a series of programs exploring how some information professionals have successfully responded to the new information environment, providing members with guidelines for developing the capabilities to meet the challenges ahead. These resulted in a number of publications illuminating alternative careers where members could apply their library and information skills.

Barbie is a prolific author and is a sought-after speaker at library and information meetings, both in the U.S. and abroad. She received her MSLS from Case Western Reserve University and is an active member of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). In 1987, Ms. Keiser was the recipient of the William T. Knox Award from Associated Information Managers (AIM); in 1999, she received the Shin Research Award (Korea). More recently, she received the President’s Award from SLA for her work with libraries, internationally (2005). Barbie has been a Fulbright Specialist in Slovenia (2004), concentrating on information literacy, and in Lithuania (2007) at Vilnius University Library. Barbie currently sits on the board of World Computer Exchange (http://www.worldcomputerexchange.org), a global education & environment nonprofit helping connect youth in 65 developing countries to the skills, opportunities and understanding of the Internet - while keeping used working computers out of landfills. She is an adjunct professor for business/competitive intelligence at Johns Hopkins University.

Status: Confirmed