This thing called the information lifecycle isn’t exactly a topic for cocktail party chatter. Well, perhaps if the cocktail party is attended by some Access Sciences employees or MLIS students. But otherwise? I’m not so sure it would capture the imagination of very many everyday folks. But here I am writing about it today…because? OK, you've probably established by now that I’m a nerd, and I just spent my Sunday afternoon managing the lifecycle of my home information. (I love that disposition part. A little too much, according to some members of my family, who have periodically discovered that some documents they thought were worth keeping got taken out to the shredder.) But the information lifecycle was on my mind before my Sunday afternoon organizing-fest.

This past week was the Houston ARMA Chapter’s Spring Conference. The week before was a Houston area OpenText user group event. And there was a Sharepoint event recently thrown into the mix, too. What amazing programs! The presentations were powerful and the speakers delivered impactful messages that helped a host of participants. There were some topics on Web2.0, collaboration, retention management, technology, and many more. But every presentation and discussion had something in common: The information lifecycle.

What do we need to do to know what information we have? To know whether it is transient, for collaboration, a usable template, or a record? And why are these designations so important? And if they are so important, why do so many organizations have a hard time doing anything about it?

I'm not writing today with any answers. I’m hoping you’ll offer one or two this week when you find some time. Won’t you help me count the ways that the information lifecycle impacts us and can be managed effectively?