Over decades Karen’s consultancy and professional development role has impacted many sectors and subjects, from business, marketing and company research to health information. She has a degree in biological sciences from the University of Birmingham and worked as a microbiologist before joining Wellcome as an information scientist. She then spent 10 years in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry before moving to the international management consultancy group Strategic Planning Associates. In 1989, she set up RBA (Rhodes Blakeman Associates) Information Services and went on to become a leading figure in the use of the web and social media as research tools.
During the years when the Internet Libraries International (ILI) conference was held in London, Karen often took the stage to present the latest developments in online search tools, strategies, and technologies. She also served as an instructor for WebSearch Academy, an ILI pre-conference workshop. Her work on information quality and commitment to the absolute importance of information quality, currency, integrity and provenance is of note. Throughout her generous knowledge sharing, she was not averse to criticizing existing search tools when they fell short.
When an active member of AIIP (Association of Independent Information Professionals), Karen helped expand the association's international presence. At CILIP, her active involvement, both as a Councillor and an Honorary Fellow, also raised the profile of the information community. Her contribution to the UKeiG management committee in a range of roles from Chair to Honorary Treasurer, has been extensive and helped shape the professional development portfolio the Group offers today.
Chris Armstrong, retired information consultant and Hazel Hall, Emeritus Professor, Edinburgh Napier University submitted the nomination.
The UKeiG judging panel congratulated Karen on her significant contribution to the profession. It is a timely award when the critical appraisal of retrieved search outputs, the need to identify robust, transparent and trustworthy information, is increasingly important.
Her interest in search technology has not waned. When notified that she won the Jason Farraday Award, she commented, "Now, more than ever, we need the skills to help us identify AI-generated “hallucinations” and disinformation in our professional and personal lives. With appreciation, many thanks.'
For more information on the Jason Farradane Award and Karen Blakeman, click here.