Quantum² Highlights
A newsletter of the Dialog leadership development program for information professionals

Dear Quantum² Member...
Happy New Year! We hope you're all looking forward to an exceptional year in 2007. And with the New Year, our Quantum² topic returns to a favorite theme: proving the worth of information professionals.

InfoStar of the Month:
Kelley Martin

While advances in search technology are making it easier for end users to find information on their own, they do still need guidance in finding what they need. InfoStar Kelley Martin, a law librarian with Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox, a leading intellectual property law firm based in Washington D.C., is maximizing the opportunities this presents in the delivery of information services.

Kelley encourages all users at the firm to access the library services directly from their desktops. This was a large undertaking for the library, as it required training of all users. Now when the firm hires new employees, they are trained and given desktop access to online services.

"Providing our users with desktop access has made them more efficient," said Kelley. "Our users are working with cutting edge technology. Having them draft their own search strings and perform searches themselves allows for more precise data retrieval."

Kelley was recently honored for her leadership in single-handedly managing the information needs of her organization and empowering her broad audience to use strategic electronic resources on desktops through the firm.

To read more, visit http://scientific.thomson.com/quantum/infostars/gallery/

Quantum² Topic of the Month
New Year Resolutions

Have you heard? According to US News & World Report, December 18, 2006, one of the 25 "Best Careers for 2007" is librarian. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/061218/18career.intro.htm

I'm sure this comes as no surprise to you. You've moved from 'coping' with the advent of the Web to embracing technology with open arms. After all, who chooses and organizes the information for the intranet? And who helps 'Everyman' tame that wave of information threatening to swamp him with info-overload after a random "Google" search? Or, as James Billington, the 13th Librarian of Congress, puts it, "[You]… are the intermediaries who will help connect people to the information they need." http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/061218/18librarian.expert.htm

The question is, despite this swing of the public pendulum, lauding the worth of the information professional, how can you make sure that the bottom-line thinking of your stakeholders includes recognition of that value? Using the Quantum² framework as our reference, here are a few questions for you to answer.

Are you comfortable with the following strategic professional activities?

• Do you use your research into environmental analysis for your organization as an opportunity to understand how these influences affect the concerns of senior management and then make sure your stakeholders know you know?
  
  
• Have you analyzed the knowledge culture? Does top management recognize and value knowledge sharing? Is information seen as an integral part or component of company's products and services? How does the organization compare with best practices for knowledge management in your industry?
  
  
• When determining the perception your customers have of the information center do you consider what role the information center is seen to have? What is the impression conjured up when "librarian" or "information specialist" is mentioned? What's your "market share"? Are potential customers going elsewhere for information?
  
  
• Are you taking the time to manage your professional relationships? Often this is the most ignored activity, but possible the most important because it builds your credibility and reinforces the benefits you bring to the organization.
  
  
• Have you identified the sponsors in the organization to communicate your vision for developing the information service offering? This is necessary for management buy-in as you must think more broadly than just your own manager.

After examining your strategic professional activities, let's look at the things you do on a day-to-day basis that exhibit your business competencies.

• When was the last time you conducted a needs assessment or information audit? Are you sure the services you provide make a difference? Remember, resources are limited, and you must always be phasing out less essential services to make way for those of higher value.
  
  
• Do you have a marketing plan? Are you constantly thinking of ways to better market your services? Do you have an elevator speech? Or are you always in the "I-need-to-get-that-started" stage? Marketing is not a "now and then, when I get around to it"—at least, not if you want to be sure your senior management knows your value.
  
  
• And how about the actual performance of services? Do you have metrics in place to measure where you stand from your customer's perspective? Do you consistently seek feedback? How do you use that information to inform your services and further support your value?

When you've finished analyzing your current activities, a logical next step would be to use your findings to create some New Year resolutions to help shape the view of the information professional within your organization.