Big Data Opportunities for Enterprise Librarians
Jinfo Blog

By Katherine Allen

Abstract

Kat Allen looks at skills which enterprise information professionals bring to the world of big data and why they want seats at the table alongside data scientists and developers.

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Enterprise information professionals may be well positioned to take advantage of big data opportunities. But there are plenty of others wanting seats at the table alongside the data scientists and developers. That’s not surprising considering the scale of the opportunity.

Given the vast collections of data that organisations now amass from customers, suppliers and elsewhere, it’s to be expected that big data was a major theme at the recent Enterprise Search Europe conference. It was more surprising, though, to hear a large number of thoughtful, almost philosophical questions from delegates. In response to one presentation which showcased how artificial intelligence technologies link with big data analytics, one delegate asked “Are we moving from ‘10 blue links’ to ’10 blue opinions’? And if so, do we then have to decide who to trust? And how do we do that?”

I think this points to a particular strength that info pros bring to the table: the ability to understand how users interpret and interact with information, and to contribute to the design of big data tools that meaningfully, and usefully, meet their needs. It’s not just about technical skills, it’s about using communication, guidance, and creativity to create big data outputs that are truly actionable. Given the big data skills gap that has been identified, it’s an opportunity worth seizing.

Kat commented on series producer Victor Camlek's article on opportunities for information professionals in big data.

Editor's Note: Big Data in Action

This article is part of the FreePint Topic Series: Big Data in Action, which includes articles, reports, webinars and resources published between April and June 2013. Learn more about the series here.

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