Focussing on the customers and graduate outcomes at the University of Queensland library

This rapidly changing information environment also raises two significant issues for information professionals. These are:

1. awareness raising, and maintenance of awareness and interest, amongst present and potential customers for information products and services, in a systematic and consistent way, and

2. the creation and maintenance of relationship based marketing, rather than a transaction based marketing approach.

This paper discusses various other techniques that have been used by the University of Queensland Library to assess the customers' information needs and wants. The techniques have included course evaluation forms, surveys, focus groups and comments received from physical and virtual suggestion boxes. The data gathered has been used in the planning and implementation of customised information skills training programs and web pages to suit the needs of the Library's various customer groups. The results of the surveys and focus groups have also been used to develop a proposal for a university wide policy for the integration of information management competencies into courses and curricula. The information gathered, and the proposal, relate particularly to the one of the University of Queensland's Graduate outcomes -- "INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: the ability to collect, analyse and organise information." The political, cultural, organisational and pedagogic implications of such a policy at a large university pose many challenges and are discussed in this paper.