Is your role as information professional changing? Are you so busy providing a myriad of services that you have no time to strategize? Do you feel the need to move into more compelling roles to raise your profile within your organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, then Dialog's Quantum2 program can help you. The Quantum2 team recently sat down with us to talk about Quantum2 (http://quantum.dialog.com/) — who they are, what role the program plays, and how its services support the information professional in everything they do.
Q: To begin, can you explain what Quantum2 is and its mission?
A: Quantum2 is the Dialog leadership development program for information professionals. It was developed in recognition of the need for ongoing evolution of roles in the information professional community, and is offered in the spirit of mutual benefit. The program is designed to help information professionals expand their services and improve the flow of information within their organizations. It provides a wide array of hands-on training and resources. Our mission is to inspire information professionals to increase their visibility and value by sharing best practices, ideas and insights on how to do it.
Q: What is the history of the Quantum2 program?
A: In 1993, Dialog launched the first Quantum program, starting with posting ideas and tips and a job opportunity network. In 1994, the program evolved to include workshops presented at Dialog Updates. These early sessions provided tools and techniques to help information professionals promote their services to clients and develop their own skills for organizational effectiveness.
The concept of InfoStars was introduced in 1995. The idea was that InfoStars were to be information-professional role models who provide leadership through example to other Info Pros. In 2001, the entire program was reborn as Quantum2, merging the best of the previous program with new initiatives to demonstrate Dialog's continued support for information professionals. The newsletter was reintroduced as an electronic resource and Web conferencing enabled new ways to expand the workshop program. With ProQuest, the Quantum2 program continues to grow.
Q: Who makes up the Quantum2 team?
A: Quantum2 is a worldwide program so we have two directors, one for North America and the other for international clients. Besides a geographic area of responsibility, each director also focuses on specific activities of the program, for example, creating workshop sessions or writing the Quantum2 newsletter. Team members include training consultants in the United States, Europe and South Africa. These professionals conduct workshops at conferences, provide online training, create learning materials and develop continuing education courses.
Q: What activities support the mission of the Quantum2 program?
A: Quantum2 offers training and a number of other resources to support information professionals, including workshops, both online and at conferences and events around the world. For example, "Best Practices for Information Services: Achieving Operational Excellence" and "Analyzing Clients' Needs" are two sessions planned for the Special Libraries Association (SLA) in the United States, and a Web course "Strategic Planning for the Information Center" will be given in June and September.
Other resources consist of publications and articles, including the Quantum2 Highlights newsletter, podcasts of conversations on topics of interest to Info Pros, case studies, marketing and management tools to help promote the information center. The following examples illustrate the types of online workshops offered by the Quantum2 program. They are conducted in different time zones to accommodate all users worldwide. Note too the titles of papers from the Quantum2 leadership series.
Q: You mentioned InfoStars earlier. What is an InfoStar? How do InfoStars help other information professionals?
A: Quantum2 InfoStars are inspiring examples of creativity and innovation. They may be staff-level librarians who inspire their colleagues, information center managers who act as catalysts for change, or senior managers in the organization who champion and support the information center. Their stories provide insights into their professional achievements and leadership qualities, and enable them to serve as role models for others. Anyone who demonstrates the InfoStar characteristics can be nominated by a colleague. Two sets of InfoStars are announced each year.
The key characteristics we look for in identifying an InfoStar are:
Q: For a small team, you really accomplish a lot. For my final question: Why is your team's role so important to Dialog customers?
A: We recognize the information professional is facing change. We also know that no one solution fits all and no one solution stays the same. We are very proud of examples that customers have shared where Quantum2 helped them evolve professionally and gain support for change from their management. This is only possible because of the close relationships Dialog has formed with customers over time. There has been a great partnership between Dialog and the information professional community for more than 40 years. With Quantum2 we help them create the shared future.
Watch for interviews with other groups at Dialog in the coming months.