Information Architecture can be defined as the creation of structures, systems, and principles of information organization which allow others to find, use and understand information. Just as the architecture of a building involves creating the underlying foundation upon which the entire building rests, so too does the architecture of information involve creating a set of underlying structures and principles from which information can be organized, accessed, and ultimately understood. To put it simply, the task of the Information Architect is to make information understandable.
The first to appreciate the parallels between building architecture and information architecture was noted architect, graphic designer, and writer Richard Saul Wurman as early as the 1960's. Today, Information Architecture most often refers to the organization of information on the World Wide Web. A quick search on Monster.com using the term "information architect" demonstrates how in demand Information Architects are at Internet companies. The disorganized and unstandardized state of the World Wide Web cries out for the structure, organization, and clarity an IA professional can provide.
In their 1998 book "Information Architecture for the World Wide Web", Louis Rosenfeld & Peter Morville of Argus Associates write that the role of the information architect is to (p. 11):
• clarify the site mission and vision
• determine what content and functionality the site will contain
• specify how users will find information on the site
• define site organization, navigation, labelling, and search systems
• map out how the site will accommodate change and growth
Although librarians themselves, Rosenfeld and Morville certainly don't think that librarians are the only ones who can make excellent Information Architects - far from it. The authors mention that those with graphic design, journalism, usability engineering, marketing, and computer science backgrounds may also make fine candidates. But even more important than disciplinary background is the ability and willingness to be creative, "to think outside the lines, to come up with new approaches to designing information systems" (p. 18). Thus it's not so much your background and training in librarianship that might make you right for the job, but rather your attitude, ability to be creative, and willingness to apply your skills in new ways: "forward-looking librarians (recently described as cybrarians) see that their expertise applies in new arenas unrelated to providing access to printed information stored in traditional libraries. So librarianship is an important discipline to turn to for information architecture expertise" (p. 17).
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