On one level, Information Strategy in Practice by Elizabeth Orna is a handbook on how to create an "information strategy." On another, it is a commentary on changing information roles and responsibilities in organizations. The main theme is aimed at information professionals (usually librarians) who want to learn the nuts and bolts of how to conduct an "information audit," how to develop an "information policy," and how to create an "information strategy." The subtext - that information management is everyone's responsibility - is a more radical (and interesting) message.

In this review, we look at how the author describes the process of arriving at an "information strategy," what is the organizational context for this work, and who will benefit from the book.

What's an "information strategy?"
An "information strategy" as defined by the author is an action plan for managing and applying an organization's information resources and supporting its essential knowledge base (the people who contribute and use information to achieve the organization's objectives). The emphasis is on a specific problem, function, or department — not the entire enterprise. For example, a strategy might be aimed at capturing knowledge that is transferred informally among employees or making an information system more efficient, less error-prone, and more accessible.

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