Information Today
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| Information Today | |
|---|---|
| Name | Information Today |
| Type | Private |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | Richard K. Miller |
| Headquarters | Medford, New Jersey, United States |
| Products | Books, Magazines, Conferences, Databases |
| Industry | Publishing |
Information Today
Information Today is an American publishing and event company specializing in information science, library services, and technology-related content aimed at professionals. It produces books, periodicals, conferences, and digital products that serve specialists in librarianship, information management, and technology procurement. The company operates within a network of professional associations, academic institutions, and commercial vendors, influencing practice in libraries, archives, and corporate information centers.
Overview
Information Today's core activities span publishing, event production, and digital content delivery, positioning it among organizations that serve librarians, archivists, and information professionals. Its publications and conferences interact with institutions such as American Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries, Special Libraries Association, and Library of Congress, and it often reports on developments involving vendors like ProQuest, EBSCO Information Services, Ex Libris Group, and OCLC. The company’s audience includes staff from universities such as Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard University, and professionals affiliated with research centers like Brookings Institution and Pew Research Center.
History
Founded in 1980 by Richard K. Miller, the firm emerged during the rise of information retrieval technologies and the growth of online databases such as Dialog (online database), LexisNexis, and Westlaw. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s it expanded alongside developments at institutions including National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and corporate information centers at firms like IBM and Microsoft. The company adapted to the transition from print to digital as platforms from Google and Amazon (company) reshaped content discovery and distribution. In the 2000s it diversified offerings to integrate conference programming influenced by trends set by organizations such as IEEE and ACM, and continued collaborating with academic presses like Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.
Publications and Products
Information Today publishes trade magazines, monographs, and directories used by information professionals. Titles and series produced by the company have engaged subject matter covered by authors associated with institutions including University of Michigan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Johns Hopkins University. Its directories and reviews intersect with products from Clarivate, Scopus (Elsevier), and CrossRef. The firm’s books have addressed topics linked to standards and initiatives such as Dublin Core, Resource Description and Access, and the Open Archives Initiative, and have been cited in curricula at schools like Syracuse University School of Information Studies and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information.
Conferences and Events
Conferences curated by the company draw speakers and attendees from large organizations and consortia including National Information Standards Organization, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and Council on Library and Information Resources. Program themes have featured case studies from libraries at New York Public Library, British Library, and corporate knowledge-management teams from Google and Microsoft Research. Events partner with vendors such as ProQuest and EBSCO, and convene panels with representatives from funding bodies like Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Industry Impact and Reception
Industry observers and commentators in publications like Library Journal, College & Research Libraries, and Information Today (magazine)-adjacent reviews have noted the company's role in shaping practitioner discourse on digital repositories, discovery interfaces, and metadata practices. Academic citations appear in journals such as Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology and Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, and conference proceedings have informed implementations at institutions including Princeton University and University of Oxford. The company has been discussed in relation to commercial competitors and collaborators such as Wiley, Pearson plc, and SAGE Publishing.
Organizational Structure and Leadership
The organization has maintained an editorial and events team that liaises with advisory boards composed of library directors, academic researchers, and corporate product managers affiliated with groups like ALA Council, CORE (COnnecting REpositories) initiatives, and university library systems at Yale University and Duke University. Leadership has engaged with governance models seen in nonprofit associations including Society of American Archivists and for-profit strategies employed by media companies such as Reed Elsevier.
Controversies and Criticisms
Critiques of the company have emerged in the context of debates over commercialization of professional education, vendor influence at conferences, and access to published materials. Commentators from outlets such as Inside Higher Ed and Chronicle of Higher Education have highlighted tensions similar to those faced by publishers and event organizers when balancing sponsorship from firms like Elsevier and Clarivate with practitioner independence. Discussions have also referenced broader disputes involving licensing models championed by entities like Elsevier and open access advocates associated with Public Knowledge and SPARC.