This paper argues that the function of educational programs is to convey a sense of reality and an understanding of the open-endedness of information needs and situations; only such a reality orientation can instill the necessary flexibility in information professionals for effectively managing change. There is a growing consensus among policymakers that knowledge, especially data and information in the scientific and high-technology domains, is an indispensable national resource for industrial planning and productivity. Such knowledge needs to be managed effectively like any other resource, and industrial information officers must deal with the ambiguities of information politics, and gradually convince policymakers and top-level managers of the national significance of the information infrastructure. Information Resource Management (IRM) is seen less as a specific professional role than as a new professional approach to rendering all information activities and products more central to national development. The paper includes discussions of the following topics: compelling trends; the impact of information technology; information resources management; information support for innovation; information policies; the use of research in industrial organizations; realities of the workplace; internal policies for information management; user needs and services; planning and assessment; information resources; systems and technology; professional responsibilities; skills and insights; and the IRM curriculum at Syracuse University. (THC)