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Mary Ellen Bates - Interview with Annabel Colley, FreePint, 2003
NB: When you have finished, click here to see photos and read other FreePint dispatches and interviews from the SLA conference.
Personal
Can you tell me about the sort of work you do now as an information broker?
My business has three aspects: providing business research to business professionals and special librarians; providing consulting services to the information industry; and providing workshops and presentations for information professionals.
Would you say you are a risk taker? What prompted you to make the change? How do you manage risk?
Any change in jobs is a risk, but I feel that I have more job security now as an independent info pro than I did as an employed librarian. Now, at any given time, I have 50 "employers" rather than just one.
I launched my business back in 1991 because I wanted to continue to do what I love, which is online research, but wanted to do this in a more entrepreneurial setting.
I manage risk just like anyone else, I think. I look ahead as far as I can, so that I'm not blindsided by new developments in the information environment, and I take the attitude of "what's the worst thing that could happen to me if I try this?". Since the answer is usually "well, I probably won't wind up stark naked in front of a room full of people," I usually try whatever I'm considering.
Do you see yourself (and market yourself) as an "information professional" or a general consultant? What do you think of the profession and the way it markets itself?
I see and present myself as an "independent information professional". I don't think
the profession per se markets itself a particular way. In fact, I assume that most information professionals - whether independent or employed - know that they have to market themselves differently to all their different clientele.
Do you have any anecdotes about having to "explain" to IT professionals or business professional what it is that you do? - and what their responses have been when you have done a great job.
I have an example of how to explain our profession, in the book I just wrote, Building and Running a Successful Research Business. The example is taken from Paul and Sarah Edwards, gurus for home-based business. They describe a useful formula for developing your ten-second introduction. The template they use is:
"You know how [describe typical clients' information problem]? Well, I [solve problem] by [doing this]."
For example, "You know how frustrating it is when you spend an hour looking for market research on the Web and never do find what you're really looking for? Well, my company helps you solve business problems by finding information that doesn't even appear on the Web." Or, "You know how hard it is to find 'soft' information about your industry or your competitors? Well, as a telephone researcher, I can gather the insights of the industry leaders for my clients, and since my clients' names are never associated with the research, I can put my finger on information they couldn't have obtained themselves."
I like this formula because it forces me to focus on the benefits I provide to my clients, rather than simply describing what I do, and it keeps the entire description to ten or fifteen seconds.
Do you feel there is a climate of increasing reluctance by database providers to allow information brokers to sell on content from their databases?
No, not at all, because we don't "sell content"; we sell our expertise in finding information, and we pass along the direct costs incurred during online research. I see the online vendors as partners; they want to see info pros succeed because we're essentially secondary marketers for their services.
What are or have been the biggest challenges you face as an information broker?
I can't really think of a major challenge. I love this work and find it incredibly rewarding to be able to do what I love to do. I marvel at the fact that my clients pay me to travel all over the world and I can't imagine a job that's more fun than what I'm doing now.
What are the new growth areas for the entrepreneurial information professional?
One of the growth areas is in training end users to do more efficient web and online searches. And any info pro who can provide value-added services - analysis and synthesis of information, providing answers rather than just information - will see a lot of success.
What do you think of FreePint? Is it useful to you and what else do you think would be useful on FreePint?
Oh, I'm a big fan of FreePint. It's an incredible global community of info pros, and it offers an extraordinary fortnightly newsletter. I often start an online project by searching the archives of the newsletter, to see if anyone has written about the topic.
How do you keep in touch with other brokers / network, etc.?
I rely heavily on the Association of Independent Information Professionals <http://www.aiip.org>. It's a vibrant global community of about 700 independent info pros, and it's where I find subcontractors and experts in areas I'm not strong in. AIIP has a great private email discussion group, tremendous vendor partner benefits, and an annual conference I find very useful every year. And I'm not just saying that because I'm the president-elect of AIIP, either!
The SLA and professional bodies roles:
How can special library information professionals differentiate their information title from information professionals in human resources and in data processing? These professions also lay claim to information specialists?
Well, I'm still fond of the word 'librarian'. In fact, I often introduce myself to prospective clients as a freelance librarian. I think we should own our name and work to redefine it for the 21st century, so that our clients and patrons understand what librarianship includes these days.
The Future
Do you have an opinion on the increasing convergence of content. For example, the deal that Factiva has done to incorporate their news search into the research pane of Microsoft Office 2003? Implications for the vendor industry? Information brokers?
I think Factiva's initiative with Microsoft is an exciting one for our profession. It means that our clients and patrons will be exposed to all the content that isn't on the open web, and that means that their "information expectations" will be raised. That's a good thing for our profession, because as our clients realize it's not all on the web for free, they will appreciate even more the value that information professionals bring to their enterprise.
What is your long term view of the information profession?
I think this is a great time to be an information professional. There are a lot of opportunities for us, both within and outside libraries, and our unique skill sets make us a valuable commodity. Our challenge is to make sure that our employers and clients understand all the value we bring and the kinds of roles we can play within our organizations.
-Mary Ellen Bates
owner, Bates Information Services Inc.
<http://www. BatesInfo.com>
mbates@BatesInfo.com
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