The Foreign Service Journal, September 2003

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 47 nformation Resource Officers work with the public affairs sections at U.S. missions to develop the best possible mix of information services for the Information Resource Centers, whose goal is to advance U.S. inter- ests by increasing understanding of its policies among influential foreign nationals. In some countries, information delivery via the Internet is more prevalent than in the U.S.; in others, printed materials or resources on CD-ROM may be the most appropriate mechanism for disseminating informa- tion. Regardless of the environment, IROs know the poli- cy issues from the U.S. point of view and have the techni- cal tools to help the IRC staff develop timely information products and services. A Regional Base The typical IRO travels about 60 percent of the time, visiting the posts in his or her region. During an initial post visit, the IRO works with the public affairs section to create an annual IRC work plan. Subsequently, the IRO reviews progress and drafts recommendations for furthering the work. Recommendations might include: developing a new outreach product for getting information to a particular seg- ment of the host country public; acquiring a new desktop publishing application for “just-in-time” publishing of key policy documents in the host country language; or improv- ing the post’s contact management system. IRC staff training is a major component of every IRO visit. One facet of training involves information technolo- gy, whether in the form of new databases, new applica- tions, or development of new Web-based products and services, such as e-mail subscription services, chat rooms, or delivery of information to handheld wireless devices. The most important assistance IROs provide to IRC per- sonnel, however, is “contextual information.” For example, most countries have a highly codified and centralized legal system, so that finding all relevant legislation on a particu- F O C U S O N F S S P E C I A L I S T S IRO S : I NTO THE C YBER A GE B Y R UTH M ARA AND C YNTHIA B ORYS I I am the IRO based in Rome, covering 12 southern Europe posts from Lisbon to Ankara. As an information professional — a librarian in the cyber age — I bring the unique disciplines of library and information science to the support that I provide. During a post visit I might do any or all of the following: • Introduce IRC staff to new electronic resources and data- bases that can be used for both outreach and research pur- poses. IRC staff will use these resources to keep the embassy and audience members such as journalists, academics and government officials informed on important policy issues. • Review the embassy Web site to make sure it is current, user-friendly, and makes optimal use of International Information Programs products. • Advise IRC staff on ways to respond to reference requests, such as those dealing with congressional legislation. Some host country legislatures request this type of material as mod- els for their own laws. • Promote contacts with host country librarians. This could mean teaching them how to use U.S. government Web sites for research purposes or speaking on the role U.S. public libraries and other institutions play in supporting our civil society. • Support and advise posts seeking to develop an “American Corner” or other information outreach efforts. As an IRO I feel that my most important contribution is to work with the dedicated FSNs who staff our IRCs, making sure they have the training and resources necessary to support U.S. public diplomacy objectives. I have been an IRO specialist in the Foreign Service since 1994. Moving from the traditional libraries of the past to today’s electronic information environment has presented many challenges, but I appreciate the fact that the IROs and our IIP colleagues are helping lead our embassies into the cyber information age. Marge Melun’s previous postings include assignments in Washington and as regional IRO in Islamabad and Vienna. A Day in the Life of an IRO… By Marge Melun