Personal Information Management

Electronic mail, personal organizers, voice mail, all were introduced as time-saving devices designed to promote an easier and more efficient workplace. Yet many professionals find that making effective use of these new forms of communication technology can become a time-consuming task. In this handbook written for the office of the 21st century, Barbara Etzel and Peter J. Thomas provide guidance for those struggling to manage the growing volume of mail, memos, e-mail messages, and electronic documents that arrives daily. Personal Information Management details the skills professionals need to process this information, save time, and work more effectively. Etzel and Thomas present common organizational difficulties and enumerate concrete techniques for overcoming them. They guide the reader through a variety of computer software and hardware products, paper-based information products, and personal time management techniques, helping the reader to develop and individually-tailored Personal Information Management Strategy.Technologies covered include accounting and business software, word processors, databases, personal organizers, e-mail programs, tracking and storage packages, personal digital assistants, CD-Roms, computer backup devices, scanning device, voice mail, cellular phones, beepers, and fax machines, to name only a few. including an appendix listing the names and addresses of companies that Produce information technologies, Personal Information Technologies is essential reading for anyone suffering from information overload. Designed to be adaptable to emerging technologies, the techniques they provide will be applicable regardless for what the information age brings next.

Barbara Etzel is proprietor of a management consulting business in Chicago that helps professionals manage their personal information and work more efficiently. Peter J. Thomas is Professor of Information Management and has written a number of books on information technology, including The Social Dimensions of Human-Computer Interfaces.