Information Scotland The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland ISSN 1743-5471 Issue contents | Journal contents | About the online edition of the journal October 2003 Volume 1 (5)

Special libraries

More Than a Librarian

Dawn Bellamy describes how she tries to keep at the cutting edge in her dual-role job with an oil company.

I am currently working for Instant Library Ltd, a library and information services company which, in one of its many roles, provides data management services for a number of oil companies. I work for Instant Library as part of a team of staff within Total E&P UK PLC, based in Aberdeen.

Total E&P UK PLC is one of the major oil and gas operators in the North Sea, and is a subsidiary of one of the largest oil and gas groups in the world - the Total Group. Within Total E&P UK PLC I perform the dual role of Document Controller and Librarian for both the Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Department and the Procurement Department. I have held a position in Total since July 2002 following my graduation from The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen

I have learned so much from my time here. My job is both challenging and rewarding, and my efforts to enhance the services provided to the departments have been well received. I hope to pass on the lessons that I have learned, not only for the new graduate in her/his first professional post, but also in the hope that these general principles will be useful to those of you in the Library and Information Services population in general. From my experience members of our profession all suffer very much from the same ailments - shrinking margins within which to work and higher expectations on what we must provide. I believe we must raise our professional profile and increase the user's satisfaction with an effective Library and Information Service.

I must state here that I operate in an environment where the management appreciates the benefits of an effectively managed Information Service. As part of the Instant Library team, I am backed up by a solid support framework of experience, advice and guidance. I am also currently working towards my CILIP Charter within the Instant Library chartership program - I am just about to go on my first external training course.

Safety, Health and Environment

At first glance, safety and the environment (SHE) would not seem the most important or interesting of subjects. However, certainly in this company, I have found it to be of the highest importance, and actually an engaging and dynamic area.

SHE is of primary importance to the TOTAL Group. The UK subsidiary SHE Policy states that:
"TOTAL E&P UK PLC is committed to conduct its business without causing harm to people, with care for the environment and respecting the principles of sustainable development."

A good SHE performance can enhance a company's reputation and, when combined with a sound economic performance, help maintain the support of stakeholders and the parent Group, and satisfy regulatory authorities in order to safeguard future investment.

In support of SHE responsibilities, an effective Information Service, both in terms of published and company information, is an extremely valuable resource. The SHE department has invested in both a library service and extensive document control systems in electronic and hard copy formats. My job entails the effective management and dissemination of information from these avenues and improving the quality of the Information Service wherever practicable. I would list my main accomplishments to date as:

• Taking ownership of, and managing information systems and services within the department
• A complete review of information structure, provision and dissemination
• Effective archive management
• Development of an intranet site
• Development and implementation of an interim system to manage the transfer to a new Document Management System
• Management of the transfer to a new Document Management System
• Raising awareness of the importance of effective document control

While I feel I have achieved a great deal so far, these projects are still very much work in progress. With the implementation of the new Document Management System, a very powerful tool, I feel a great deal more can be achieved.

Procurement

Within the Procurement department I perform a much more traditional document control role - the caretakership of company information - primarily contracts and purchasing type information. Information needs to be retrieved quickly and as easily as possible in response to queries from within and outside the company. I work extensively to improve this system. The implementation of a more library-type Information Services is a growing concern within this department, and I am working towards this goal with members of the department to achieve a useful service.

I would list my main accomplishments to date as:

• Effective archive management
• Various improvements with regard to transferring over to the new Document Management System
• Liaison with the department regarding the development of Information Services provision
• Raising awareness of the importance of effective document control

Again this is very much work in progress, and I hope that with the implementation of the new Document Management System, the pace and numbers of improvements will rapidly increase.

Tips and suggestions - what worked for me ...

Instant Response: An instant response to a query, especially when sent remotely (eg email or telephone message), is an excellent way to tell your customer that they are important to you, even if the response is "I am working on it". Face-to-face is also a good way to respond where possible; it is a more effective way to clarify and expand the query and it allows the librarian and the customer to bounce ideas off each other.

Diversity, Innovation and Continuous Improvement: Diversity, Innovation and Continuous Improvement are very much linked. No service should be static, and this is doubly true in the business and special library sector.

The librarian is expected to adapt to the business while the Library Service is expected to be as innovative as any other department. A wide range of relevant services should be made available to the customer together with suggestions for improvements. Meanwhile you should continue to provide and improve on your successful core. You should set targets and promote their achievement as well as the new services you are providing. Last, but by no means least, make sure your clients know about the baseline services you provide. This can be achieved by, for example, running training courses and awareness sessions.

Cooperation and Collaboration: Cooperation and collaboration are essential ingredients in maintaining and developing appropriate and useful products. Cooperation can either be with a representative of a group or the group itself. I find that cooperation with the group or team, or a number of people who represent its differing interests is most effective. It allows you to get a better understanding of the group's needs and it also allows them to bounce ideas off each other - what may work some members of the group may not work for the others. In this instance, you may want to talk with these people separately

Collaboration can be both informal and formal - setting up meetings, with an agenda, to suggest and develop new services, products, authorising, buying, etc. Formal collaboration can also mean carrying out customer satisfaction surveys and setting goals to improve on the service provided, where necessary. Informal collaboration means getting your customer involved, for example, testing of a new product. Informal cooperation may also involve listening to suggestions and advising on small improvements to services and systems, etc. Formal and informal cooperation and collaboration is essentially about communicating with one's customers.

Communication: It is communication that is the essence of a successful service. If your customer does not know about you and what you do, all the instant responses, innovation and continuous improvement in the world will do no good.

A good way of communicating and canvassing for ideas on how to serve your customers more effectively is to attend meetings and to network with your customers. For example, I attend the monthly meeting of the SHE department, and while I may not understand all the terminology it keeps me up to speed with current events and I may even sometimes be able to add to the discussion. I have also given a number of presentations at the monthly meeting, for example, showing my progress to date and the programme of work for the coming year, tutorials on systems, etc.

Ideally you should be located close to your customer to demonstrate a visible presence and to learn more about your customer and their needs. I am located within the departments I serve, spending the morning in the SHE department and the afternoon in the Procurement department. An Intranet or Internet site is also a good idea - it is a good forum for communicating services and products. Even being seen and showing interest and enthusiasm can help you to communicate the service you provide and encourage liaison with your customer.

Conclusion

I have tried to give you an insight into the principles and practicalities of the provision of the Information and Library Services to departments within Total E&P UK. I will continue to communicate and cooperate with my assigned departments providing them with an innovative and useful service together with relevant products in a timely manner. I hope that you may find my experiences and theories useful.

Dawn Bellamy is Document Controller/Librarian with Total E&P UK PLC, as part of a service provided by Instant Library Ltd.

Information Scotland Vol. 1 (5) October 2003

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