Are we Meeting the Changing Expectations of our Users and Delivering the Right Services?
Purpose: To review how information seeking behaviour and the information environment has changed for users of Australian libraries – in particularly focusing on users of the Parliamentary library as an example of a research library. To then outline what our responses have been so far, how these have succeeded (or not) in meeting client needs and to suggest directions and the skills and partnerships needed to move to the next stage of service delivery (library 2.0 approaches).
Methods: A survey of the clients (primarily Senators and Members) of the Parliamentary Library will be conducted in March 2007, along with focus groups. The questions focus on the satisfaction with a range of reference/research and online services, how clients obtain and use information and where the library fits into their current information solutions. Bravely we are asking them how we compare with other information sources (including the internet and lobby groups) in terms of priority, trustworthiness and convenience.
The presentation will also report on the outcomes of focus groups of clients on the Parlinfo service (which provides access to Hansard, Library and other parliamentary data) undertaken in August/September 2006.
Results: The Parlinfo focus groups let to specifications for a tender for software to replace the current Parlinfo system including some significant knowledge management type services – at the conference I’ll be able to report on progress in implementing the new system I will also be able to report on the results of the survey and focus groups and our response.
Conclusions: Both the example of using client feedback to redevelop a specific service and the general feedback of how the library fits into Senators and Members “information spaces” will provide insights into how we should positions our selves. At the Parliamentary Library we have delivered fairly traditional reference services using new technology including RSS feeds, audio broadcasts, media services online and the catalogue online, this assessment will enable us to consider directions for developments for the future including positioning our services without out delivery systems, such as the senators and members portal.