Corporate libraries: Evolving as the electronic resources evolve

Marilynn DunkerIntellectual Property & Business information ServicesThe Procter & Gamble CompanyMarch 25, 2007

About the Procter & Gamble Company• Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA• Markets more than 250 brands which include

Tide, Pringles, Iams, Pantene, Crest, Mr. Clean, Folgers, Duracell, Braun Oral B, and Pampers

• Reaches 5 billion consumers in over 130 countries

• Employs more than 140,000 people in approximately 80 countries

• Visit www.pg.com to find out more

P&G’s Billion Dollar Brands

P&G Electronic Resources (1997)

• P&G Intranet was just getting started• Accessing the Internet required special

permission & a password• Electronic Resources were loaded locally

& available in Cincinnati via LAN – Global access was limited– Move to Intranet site access was started

• Resources continued to be hosted on in house servers

P&G Libraries & Information Searchers (1997)

• Libraries– Many physical libraries; low usage– High Cost

• Information Searchers– Strong expertise– Clients have limited access/awareness– Primarily physical-based– Semi-cohesive group

• No branding• Limited sharing of work among searchers across geographic

regions

P&G Virtual Library Project – The evolution begins 2000-

2001 Goals

•To make content and services available globally, regardless of time and location

•To support Company webification strategy

• Reduce physical libraries and provide cost savings

P&G Virtual Library: Ideal Vision• Staffed InfoDesk with a “follow the sun” model

– Ready to answer quick questions/training– Able to quickly pass on “out of scope” or in-depth

search requests

• Website providing all electronic resources needed to support the business– Self-service for basic questions leaving Information

Searchers free for higher value/more difficult requests.

– Training information on website accessed as need by end-users

P&G Virtual Library: Launch 2001• Virtual Library InfoWeb

– Access to databases, newsfeeds, electronic journals, training documents

• Virtual Library Infodesk– Available via chat, phone and e-mail– Provides on the spot assistance & quick answers– Funnels in-depth questions/searches to

appropriate group• Resources now available globally instead of

limited to those with access to physical library

P&G Virtual Library: the reality

• Infodesk staffed by global team during US business hours– InfoDesk interactions & staffing levels not high

enough to allow “follow the sun” model• Website issues

– Building awareness globally a challenge– Usability issues – some love website, some hate it– Despite a great variety of databases & e-journals,

people sometime is unhappy with the content choices

– Some say the don’t have time to do their own information searches

How else have the P&G libraries evolved?

• Changing the Collection• Evolving the organization• Changing the Searchers

Interactions• Establishing the Brand

Changing the collection Collection development required a

new mindset– Less emphasis on print collections

• Moved to more full-text, both e-journals and e-books.

– Focus on electronic resources evolved• Transitioned from CDs loaded in house to

databases hosted on the web• Had to be as easy to access in Venezuela

or China as in Cincinnati

– Dealt with the electronic resource “Pricing Model Challenge.”

Evolving the Organization

• Consolidation of over 20 physical libraries down to three global locations

• Name changes to more accurately our work– Business Information services to Business

Intelligence Services to Intellectual Property & Business Information Services (IPBIS)

• All information services brought under one umbrella – Virtual Library, Information Research, Records Management & Archives

Changing the Searchers’ InteractionsInformation Searchers took on a more global

mindset • No longer just working for the clients in primary

business unit & location– Contact with clients as likely to be e-mail only as it is

face to face– Phone call from Egypt answered in Italy, final search

done in Cincinnati

• Began working in more formal teams– First began working as subject teams ( chemistry,

engineering, business etc.) to support calls to Infodesk– Evolved to Global Business Teams which could provide:

• Better understanding of business priorities & needs• Greater expertise & a means for sharing it in technology

areas such as diapers, detergents or pharmaceuticals.

Establishing the Brand IPBIS is creating a brand that means

quality information services within P&G. – Developed logos for overall organization

& each service line• Used for communications, posters, etc.

– As part of branding, Information Research stepped up the visual quality of our output• Search report templates to provide a more

professional finish to already high quality searches.

• Training provide for “value added” touches• Reports posted to internal sites to increase

visibility & share the knowledge

The Evolution Continues…

• Improved Virtual Library website– More user friendly– Customizable, federated searching– Continuing to serve the needs of

the business as it grows & changes

• Exploring use of Blogs, Wikis, Social Networking in our corporate environment.