OBJECTIVES OF SERVICES
The objectives of a corporate or business library are to help the organization achieve its goals and meet the information and research needs of the people affiliated with the organization by providing high quality professional service in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible.
SERVICES PROVIDED
Some of the services a corporate libraries offer include: reference services, in-depth literature reviews, a print collection of books and periodical, interlibrary loan, and document delivery as well a full-text databases. Some libraries also have subject specialists who work on specific programs or projects. Some corporate libraries have or are developing a library Web page. Some libraries offer fee based research services to researchers working in the organization’s field. Some libraries also provide limited service to the general public, such as onsite research and reference (St Clair, Harrison, and Pellizzi).
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT
The collections of business libraries are usually small and only cover topics dealing with the line(s) business of the organization. "Many libraries are moving away from traditional collection development. preferring to work with customers in the concept of ‘proactive anticipation.’ Some libraries are purchasing fewer books because the emphasis has switched to document delivery and the purchase of special reports and other special publications more books" (St Clair, Harrison, and Pellizzi).
STAFFING MODEL
The staff is usually composed of one or two professional librarians; other workers are usually library assistants with no formal training in the field. For example, the staff of the library at Motorola Codex, a leading supplier of network products and integrated network solutions, consists of one professional librarian and two library assistants to operate two libraries: the headquarters library and a technical library nearby (LaRosa 58). Another example is the Wausau Insurance Company Library mentioned earlier. The staff of six includes a Manager, a Reference Services Specialist, both with MLS degrees, a Media Services Technician, a Media Services Coordinator and two Media Assistants. Wausau has a policy of hiring local people, most of whom have no formal library training, and offering open library positions to existing employees in the company. The company provides on the job training because the company feels that the ability to fit in with company culture is a better predictor of success on the job than formal library training (Annis 14).
ORGANIZATIONAL HIERARCHY
According to St Clair and Harrison, "Generally, specialized research libraries function as part of such units as the Information Research Division (in some cases headed by the chief information officer, in others headed by another senior manager). In some organizations, a high-level steering committee has oversight responsibility...for the library. In others, the library manager is part o f the corporate communications section and the research effort is seen as part of the organization’s overall communications work. In several organizations, the library manager reports to senior management."
FUNDING
In most corporations, the library is considered part of the overhead cost. According to Leslie Jacobs "In Outsells 2001 Information Survey 54% of respondents said their budgets were considered corporate overhead." According to St Clair and Harrison, in some companies part of the cost is considered overhead and the rest is charged to the users budgets based on their usage of library services, usually, in a ratio 85: 15. During a recession companies look for ways to cut costs. Cutting overhead often leads to the reduction, or in many, cases the elimination of library services in the corporation.
CLIENTELE SERVED
Generally, corporate library use is restricted to people affiliated with the organization, although at times the library may serve other groups as well. For example, the mission statement of the Wausau Insurance Company library states: "To provide business-related information resources and information retrieval and analysis services of the highest quality in a timely fashion at a reasonable cost to as many Wausau Insurance company employees and policyholders at possible" (Annis 13). According to St Clair and Harrison, "library clientele are very well educated, and they have high expectations for library and research services" (St Clair, Harrison, and Pellizzi). According to Gerald P. Miller, corporate clientele want information at a reasonable cost that is easy to find and credible, which can be shared easily with other members of the organization (Inter 389).
WEB PAGE EVALUATION
The Corporate Library
http://www.thecorporatelibrary.com/
The web site I chose to evaluate, the corporatelibrary.com, is a web site run by the Corporate Library LLC. According to the site "The Corporate Library is an independent investment research firm specializing in corporate governance and board effectiveness. The Corporate Library does not accept consulting or other special fees from the companies we rate." The site has links in the form of tabs running across the top of the page. Underneath these is another set of links arranged straight across the page. These are set against a blue background with white or yellow text. One the left side of the page is a search box, a cartoon, contact information and another set of links arranged in two categories: features and browse. Many of these links are the same as those at the top of the page, but arranged differently. Headings are shown against a blue background; menus are beige. In the middle near the top of the page is a blue banner with white text, "Our Products and Services." Under this is a list of current headlines. These headlines are blue text with a white background. The right column consists of a series of links in the form of boxes advertising the firm’s products and services.
Although I found this web site easy to navigate, I found the homepage cluttered. I was also disappointed not to see a link to a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs). In addition, I found having links down the left side of the page as well as at the top unnecessary.
TRENDS AND ISSUES
This is one of the trends in the periodical literature on special libraries. Many articles deal with the issue of the cost of library service and the rising demand for service and declining budgets. One solution often mentioned is outsourcing-the contracting out of certain library functions such as technical services. This allows the library manager to focus on the long-term goals of the library since time is no longer taken up with the tasks that have been outsourced.
According to Cynthia Lesky, some of the benefits of this strategy are: better service to the clientele since the library has more time, access to people outside the organization who have skills not found within the organization, and greater flexibility since the library only pays for the services it uses since demand may fluctuate.
Another strategy mentioned in the periodical literature to reduce the chances that the library will be cut or eliminated is marketing. Corporate librarians are urged to make sure library users and potential users are aware of the existence of the library and the services it offers. At Motorola Code, employees can obtain copies of tax forms from January through April. Another service the Motorola Codex library offered was assistance to employees who were laid off as the result of a downsizing. The library staff assisted former employees researching companies or answering questions about relocation expenses (LaRosa 58).
Another trend in business libraries, especially in the financial services and high tech sectors, is the emergence of the virtual library. The virtual library is one in which all the resources are available electronically. The goal is to make everything in the library available from the user’s desktop. According to Stratigos this leads to a dramatic increase in library use and the visibility of the library. As a result, the library’s cost per user decreases. Some libraries making the transition to the digital library expect to add staff to meet increased demand for document delivery and user training.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Annis, Rhonda. "Business Information that Informs Business." Library Mosiacs. March/April (1994): 12-15.
Jacobs, Leslie. "What does your budget say about your library? (Investment Maximum Results Budget.)" Information Outlook. June 2002 <http://web5.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/910/321/39600701w5/purl>.
LaRosa, Sharon M. "Marketing Slays the Downsizing Dragon." Information Today. March 1992: 58.
Lesky, Cynthia. "Selective outsourcing: a tool for leveraging the value of information the professional. (Out Sourcing as a Long Term Strategy)." Information Outlook. June 2003 <http://web5.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/910/321/39600701w5/purl>.
Miller, Gerald P. "Cataloging in the Corporate Setting." Special Libraries: a Cataloging Guide. Ed. Shelia Inter. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. 389-394.
St. Clair, Guy, Victoria Harrison, and Thomas A Pellizzi. "Toward World class knowledge services: emerging trends in Specialized Research Libraries Part One: The Management Perspective." Information Outlook. June 2003: 10-17. <http://web5.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/910/321/39600701w5/purl>.
Staatigos, Anthea and Robert Strouse "Industry Insights." Online. 2001: 25:2. <http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=5029357&db=aph>.