Information control in the virtual office: preparing intermediaries to facilitate information exchange in the home work environment

Provides the foundation for work accomplished by information professionals. As telework, or working regularly from home using telecommunications technology, is increasingly adopted in the workplace, employees are challenged to maintain the same level of connectivity in their network of information sources. Teleworkers experience a variety of changes in their work situations, as not only is their physical work location altered, but also their means of working changes. Examines ways in which library and information science professionals can facilitate teleworkers’ information access. The information environments of 20 teleworkers and 20 at‐office information professionals with similar jobs are discussed. Researchers have predicted a restructuring of organizations and of information into electronic formats to accommodate work done from home results and reveal that teleworkers still relied heavily on print sources of information. Teleworkers adopted specific strategies for ensuring availability of information in their at‐home work environments, including asking colleagues to send information to them at home. Suggests that library and information science professionals have a vital role to play in teleworkers’ interaction with information. Ways of training library and information science professionals are discussed.