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QUANTUM2 HIGHLIGHTS- August 2003
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You are receiving Quantum2 Highlights because you subscribed to the Dialog Quantum2 Information Professional mailing list. Subscribe/unsubscribe information can be found at the bottom of this message.

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In This Issue of Quantum2 Highlights

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UPCOMING QUANTUM2 SESSIONS
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Quantum2 Sessions will be conducted at the following Dialog Updates

To register for any of these events, please visit http://www.dialog.com/events/update/

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Quantum2 Sessions will be conducted at the following SLA Events

If a registration link is not provided above, please contact your local chapter program chair.

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QUANTUM2 WEB SESSIONS
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Registration for Web sessions announced previously are filling quickly. Below please find a reminder of the schedule and registration information.

For more information and to register, please visit: http://scientific.thomson.com/quantum/training/workshops/

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QUANTUM2 FORUM TIP
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Our discussion forum is moving along and topics other than competitive intelligence have been posted. We would like to keep our forum active, and invite you to make your views known. Remember, sharing will help us all learn.  Make this forum truly a benefit for you.

TIP: As a default, forum members must subscribe to new discussion threads when they are started, in order to receive notification of new postings.  However, it is possible to change this default in order to receive notification for new messages for all Quantum2 topics.  You can subscribe to the entire category using the customization feature by following these steps:

 

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SURVEY RESULTS
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We would like to thank all of the Quantum2  members who completed our survey in the second quarter of this year.  At this time, we would like to share highlights of the survey results with you.

The purpose of the survey was to explore the assertion that many LIS graduates lack the business competencies necessary to succeed at the strategic level of the organization by analyzing:

The research methodology involved quantitative surveys of the Dialog Quantum2 membership and Graduate Education Program (GEP) faculty contacts with Dialog accounts. The GEP is open to LIS institutions worldwide and is available at no charge for educational instruction in database structure and retrieval.

In addition to the surveys, three sample interviews were conducted, one with an industry professional and the others with members of LIS faculty. Other methodology applied included Web research into names and descriptions of courses offered by LIS programs for purposes of analyzing how and whether course content purports to meet the needs of practitioners. Finally, supporting references from the literature were used as appropriate to corroborate the premise for the research and the results. 

Findings indicated that while faculty understands the trends and issues in the industry and believes their programs are addressing the requisite skills, practitioners remain unconvinced that graduates gain the required skills during course instruction. Additionally, changes made over the last eight years in LIS curriculum to address these needs have not totally accomplished the objective of adequately preparing graduates for immediate absorption into the workforce.

The three primary recommendations suggested as possible solutions to the identified problems are to:

This paper was presented at the joint conference of EUCLID and ALISE held in Potsdam, Germany at the end of July. There were 60 faculty members from Europe, North America and Australia in attendance.  One attendee commented that while the results presented were distressing to hear, it was a message that needed to be delivered. The full paper will be published as conference proceedings.  Meanwhile, you may review the survey results at:

Quantum2 Member Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/Report.asp?U=20144374848
GEP Faculty Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/Report.asp?U=21593525739

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GETTING TO KNOW...YOUR QUANTUM2 COACHES
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This month, our featured Quantum2 Coach is Pat Currie Blume located in Ohio, USA.

How long have you worked for Dialog?
Just over nine years.

How did you come to join Dialog?
After 15 years as a corporate librarian in a variety of industries, I was ready for a change. Dialog ran an ad for a sales rep in my local paper, and I answered it! The rest has been a beautiful relationship!

What are your key responsibilities?
As an account manager in the Corporate sector of Dialog Sales, I work to strengthen Dialog's relationship with key customers in Ohio, Michigan and Western Pennsylvania. I introduce them to new products and services and to new contract options, and try to find synergies between their needs and our offerings.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
I love talking about Dialog to information professionals and end-users alike! I especially enjoy visiting all the different special libraries that our customers operate.

What is the most challenging aspect of your work?
Trying not to be away from home on business for more than two nights at a time and keeping up with how technology changes the way customers use our products.

How do you balance work and personal life?
See above! Achieving this balance can be challenging since I work out of my home. That means the work can always be there if you let it. I try to make sure I get in as much time with my husband as possible -- skiing, playing golf, collecting wine and traveling. He owns his own business, so it's twice as challenging for us. I also have three cats who serve as "office assistants," and that helps keep things "real."

What did you want to be, growing up?
Either an airline stewardess (they were called stewardesses back then!) or a veterinarian.

What three words would you use to describe yourself today?
Irreverent, curious, and loyal.

What are your plans for the future?
I keep hoping I'll get smarter as I get older, but that doesn't seem to be happening so I'll settle for breaking 90 on the golf course.

As always, your suggestions for workshop topics are always welcome and encouraged. If you know a friend or colleague who would benefit from Quantum2, please encourage him or her to sign up today a http://scientific.thomson.com/quantum/.

Best regards,
Betty Jo Hibberd
Manager, Information Professional Development
Dialog


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