Information skills development at Dialog

Abstract

The Information Professional Development (IPD) programme at Dialog, the pioneer electronic information retrieval technology and a business of the Thomson Corporation, employs a four-part strategy to assist its customers by providing them with indispensable information, insight and solutions to help them make better decisions faster, to enhance that relationship as a long-term goal, and to promote Dialog’s position as a worldwide information provider. The strategy involves: the Graduate Education Programme, to provide information professionals with awareness of Dialog while they are studying for their professional degree; the Professional Association Relationship Management scheme, to build peer relationships with a wide range of special library and corporate information professionals through participation in professional organizations; the Quantum² Leadership Development Programme, to help information professionals develop the leadership skills to empower them to develop innovative information services; and the Customer Advisory Board, to build relationships with top customers. The four elements of the IPD strategy are described in detail, with indications as to how they fit into the overall operation of Dialog. The articles concludes that the IPD programmes, together with other relationship-building efforts, have been successful in enabling the company to build lifelong relationships in the information professional community through a team of information professionals who have the central aim of helping information professionals to succeed in their organizations.