Introduction
An information personnel is an individual involved in the acquisition processing storage repackaging dissemination, marketing and publicity of information. it function qualify to be referred to as information centre examples include Librarians, Archivists, Document lists, and Records Managers, Curators etc. The various information personnel are covered in the specific information centers such as Libraries, Archives, Documentation centers, Publishing Houses, Government institutions, Consultancy Firm and many others.
Librarians.
These are professional personnel who plan administrate and manage the libraries. They supervise technical operations like classification, cataloguing, acquisition work, reference services and circulation abstracting and indexing are the domain of libraries.
Library Assistants.
These are the Para professional staff employed in a library. They are the first – managers who oversee the operations such as charging and discharging of books, filing of catalogue cards, writing of overdue notices, filling of acquisition order forms, among other daily routines performed by library attendants.
In small libraries, especially in Kenya, the Library Assistance classify, catalogue, and offer. Current Awareness services (CAS) and Selective Dissemination of information (SDI) and reference service. They work under the direction of Librarians with minimum supervision.
Library Attendants
This is a non – professional Cadre of staff. They perform clerical duties of keepings as statistics e.g. of books issues, overdue – dues, users etc. They shelve books and perform other duties as directed by the librarian
Binder
This is the person who is charged with the binding of books whose binding has become loose. New books in paperback can also be taken to the binding for rebinding so that they can last longer. Minor repairs to be done on books are also are also handled by a binder.
Machine Operators/Recognizers Personnel.
This category of staff is to be found in large libraries like the academic libraries. The machine operators are trained at Kenya Polytechnic to handle equipment used for reprography e.g. photocopiers recording machines (video cameras, video recodersetc) television sets, computers and so on. They play an important role in modern libraries, which cannot be considered to have all personnel without the machine operators.
Archives and Records Centers.
Archives are public records or historical documents kept in a repository or the repository itself (building). Record centers are institutions or buildings providing accommodation for the inexpensive but efficient storage and further processing of records which are no longer frequently used but which must be preserved, and for the provision of a reference service. The archives are managers by archivist while records managers care for the records centre.
Archivists.
Archivists are the professional staff in archives. The plan ad mister and manage operations that take place in an archives. Their duties include appraisal, accessioning, preservation, arrangement, description, and reference services and user education.
Archival Assistants.
As in libraries, archives have archival Assistants. This group of personnel is Para – profession. They are supposed to work under the direction of archivists. Their duties are as those of the archivists but activities that require high intellectual ability like appraisal are left to the archivists.
Record Managers.
Managers in record centers oversee proper creation and use of documents. They ensure vital records are protected. It is also their duties to provide effective and economical procedure systems, personel and equipments to protect records, provide guidelines for maintenance, use and control of active, semi – active, non – active and vital records.
Machines Operators.
They are important in archives and record centers. They are engaged in microfilming of documents and other activities of reprography in archives and records centers.
Conservators.
Conservators are highly technical staff in archives. Their work involves use of chemicals and physical procedures in treatment or storage of documents to restore and preserve the archives (documents).
Conservator’s physical procedures of preservation include binding of documents, framing, in – capsulation, lamination and full pasting. It is therefore not necessary to have a binder who deals with the physical methods restoration and preservation.
Document lists.
A document lists is one who practiced documentation. It is an information officer, intelligence officer who collect and disseminates knowledge by assembling information contained documents together with date from other sources for form a new compilation. There are various titles that are used to describe the various specialists in a documentation centre.
Bibliographers.
These are professionals able to bibliographies according to recognized principles. Compiling bibliographies using all the principles is very demanding and specialized exercise. Due to its importance, bibliographic centre exist especially with national libraries.
Indexers.
The indexers are professional personnel who carry out indexing. Indexing is the art of compiling indexes, which are location tools for concepts in an information material.
Abstractors do abstracting, which is the act of preparing abstracts – Abstracts are summaries of a larger work.
Translators.
These are persons who translate documents to other languages as required by users of a documentation centre.
DATABASES (DATA CENTRES)
These are organizations for acquiring, processing, receiving, storing retrieving and disseminating data. They are manned various categories of staff as below.
Information Technologist
An information technology is a personal who collect store users and send information by means of computer systems and telecommunication.
Data base Manager.
This is person in –change of providing computing projects. Ensuring computing is put into the best use by date processing staff. He also ensures that the department severs the interests of the organization, advising the administration on way of adopting new technology and implication to the company.
Programmer
A programmer write computer programmes according to the requirement of the system analyst. He allocates time to various programmes, arranges for repair and maintence of the computer when neccesary.allocate work to the computer operation and data preparation staff. The operation of stationary and other supplies is also his duty.
Operators Managers.
The day running of the computer system is the work of operation manager. He allocates time to various programmes. Arrangers for repair and maintenance of the computer when necessary. Allocates works to the computer operation and data preparation staff. The operation of stationary and other supplies is also his duty.
Systems analyst.
A system analyst is a person/ individual who perform system analysis during any or of the lifecycle phases of a business information system.
Computer system analyst not only analyses business information system problems but also synthesis new system to solve those problem or to meet other information needs.
In doing so the systems analyst works not only with computers, but also must often manage other information resources available to the business.
Computer Operations.
Computer operations keep the computers running by providing papers to the computers, type and read instructions from the system and produce the computer log. This is a record of all records run on the computer.
Data Operations Staff.
These are data entry terminals, which keep the computer running.
Computer Technicians.
Are staff skilled in the repair and maintenance of computers and their peripheral devices e.g. printers, keyboarded. They also offer logistical support in use of hardware devices like the central terminals.
File Librarian (Media Librarian)
All magnetic tapes and discs in data centers are care for file librarians.
Editors.
An editor prepares manuscripts for publication. The preparation involves making corrections on the manuscripts. Such corrections are ensured that facts are correct, the writings are legible, consistency in language, accuracy of grammer,clarity and style and legality of ideas, and propriety i.e. correctness of social and morals as articulated by author.
Author.
Without an author, publishers would not have raw material (manuscript) for what they publish. An author is the creator of intellectual work. Ideas that a creator (author) has are developed and communicated in form of writing,singing,drawing etc.
OTHER PERSONNEL ASSOCIATED WITH AUTHORSHIP.
Illustrator.
An illustrator draws pictures, diagrams, etc. for elucidating texts.
Translator.
Texts written or explained in languages that are not known to intended users are translated. For example, Ngugi wa Thiongo who now writes in his mothers tongue, Kikuyu, has his books translated into various languages, English, Kiswahili, etc.
Compiler.
This is the person who collects or edits material from various sources or more authors and arranges for publication.
Designers.
A designer looks at details such as size of page, kind and size of typefaces, the width of margins, arrangement of chapter headings, page numbering, plan of illustrations and tables kind of paper used and type of cover. A well – designed book should be attractive to potential buyers, such that the buyers decide to buy it.
Printer.
A printer receives manuscripts from a publisher composes it, prints and binds the finished work. Book design, which includes type arrangement, page layout, ink colors and selection of paper, is also the work of a printer.
Sales personnel.
These are the staff that informs the purchases about new titles. They include sales representatives who move round given information institutions such as schools, colleges, bookshops, etc. about the new pollution. After securing order, other sales personnel are involved. Such are like accountants who handle payment mattere, warehouses managers who ensure packaging of only ordered titles.
MEDIA CENTRES.
These are centers are organizations that use radios, television or newspapers for discriminating information. In Kenya we have Kenya Broadcasting corporation ( KBC ) for both radio and television,kenya Television Network .( KTN ) for television, Nation Newspaper, standard for daily newspapers, among others. Different types of personnel work in media centers.
Reporters.
Reporters are the field personnel who gather information as it is created. They do it by taking notes, taking photographs, interviewing people found at points where information is being collected. A correspondent has the same meaning with a reporter.
Editors.
These are the persons responsible for the contents of newspaper, journal or periodical and sometimes its publication.
Producers.
The producers are equivalent of editors in determining what goes on air from a radio or television station.
Broadcasters/Telecasters.
Broadcasters are the people whose voice heard in a radio reading or commentating Telecasters.
Information Officers.
These are senior reporters who assign duties to reporters. The duties include the functions to be covered what to collect news or etc. Information officers are in the Kenyan context civil servants in charge of the news gathered agency, the Kenya news agency.
Curators.
These are building or rooms where regalia are kept and usually shown to the public because of the scientific, historical and artistic interest. The persons who manage museums are known as Curators. Curators superintend activities is a museum.
Bookshop Attendants/Assistants.
Book – shops are stores where books are sold. Their proprietors or employees manage them. Assistants are employed to assist in serving customers.
INFORMATION ANALYSIS CENTRES.
These are highly specialized information centers whose main function is to collect information. Researchers, decision and policymakers, administrators managers politicians, legislators, gricultuindustrialists, businessmen, etc. use collected information.
Personnel manning such as centers vary from professionals in different fields. The specialization depends on the information being dealt with. They could as varied from librarians, scientists, police (security intelligence) to clerical officers.
INFORMATION EVALUATION CENTRES.
The validity of information derived from experiments is evaluated in Information Evaluation Centres.Examples information to be evaluated is data collected by clerical officers, staticians etc. in the National Bureau of statistics. They collect information in the field like population statistics which is later complied and evaluated at the headquarters. Researchers in research stations carry out experiments which they evaluate. Research stations are such as those run by Kenya Agricultural research institutes. KARI, Kenya medical research institute (KEMRI), ETC.
INFORMATION REFERRAL CENTRES.
These are organizations, which refer (direct) researchers for information and data to appropriate sources such as libraries, documentation centres, etc. They are manned by appropriately skill personnel able to know where required information can be fund.
OTHER INFORMATION PERSONNEL.
Community Social Workers
These are people who have specified training skills and engage in providing welfare services. The purposes of their work (social work) are:
- To enhance the problem solving and coping capacities of people.
- To link people with systems that provides them with resourses, services and opportunities.
- To promote the effective and humane operation of these systems.
- To contribute to the development and improvement of social policy. Brieland Domand.Leta B. Costing and Charles R. Atherton Contemporary Social Welfare. New York: megraw hill Book Company, 1980.
In Kenya various welfare services in various places and to various people e.g. in Nyumbarib children home there are social workers who are engaged in activities that assist the orphaned children whose parents have died as a results of HIV Aids disease. They provide services such as counseling and help in providing basic needs to the children. This helps the children fell wanted and no different to the other general society.
Agricultural extension officers
- They provide advisory information to farmers on various issues.
- Good farming methods.
- The best pesticides available.
- Ways of increasing yields etc.
Public/District Health Officer.
Duties of a public health officer are universally more or less the same. In Kenya some of the duties include.
- Ensuring that the health standards in districts are met.
- In cases of diseases both human and animal he reports to the government and relevant health bodies for appropriate health measures are taken including provision of the appropriate drugs and immunization.
- He/She monitors the state of health in hospitals and provisions and reports to the appropriate bodies incase health conditions in such places are health wise unfit for human habitation/living.
- In cases of outbreak of harmful pest as locusts which destroy vegetation and crop the public health officer is supposed to indentify the report to the government and health organization to take appropriate prevention measure such as providing and spraying insecticides to curb the hazard. In short the health officer main in his/her area of jurisdiction.
- The following are some of the duties of county health officers as outline by the US legislature state.
- To exercise subject to the subject to the subject of the county board of health in accordance with the health laws of start general supervision over the sanitary interest of the country and should he discover any cause of the disease or the existence of any condition detrimental to the health of the people he shall so for authorized compel the removal or abatement exist. He shall report the fact to the county board health adding such recommendation as to special action as he may deem proper.
- He shall make personal and through investigation of the first case or early case of any diseases suspected of being or known
To visit all jails whether county or municipal and make careful investigation as respect the drinking water food ,clothing , and bedding supplied to prisoners and as to the ventilation air space heating and bathing facilities drainage etc. when the supplies are found to be inadequate in quantity or deficient in quality or any of said condition, in sanitary, the county officer shall make in writing a report therefore to the judge of probate and county commission ,shall carry out whatever recommendation are made by county health officer.
