Different Strokes for Different Folks:Strategies in Promoting Library Services toInternational Customers—A Case Study

摘要

In just under a decade, the University of Queensland moved from having vir-tually no international students to over 6,000 international students from 125 countries now studying at the University. This growth is the result of strategic and systematic marketing by the University on its reputation as one of the leading teaching and research-intensive universities in Australia and internationally. One of the key reasons for this success has been the invaluable access that international students have to meet their information needs provided by the first class services, resources and facilities at the innovative and award-win-ning University of Queensland Library. This paper looks at how the Library provides and promotes its products and services to the University's interna-tional students and the integral role it plays in the internationalisation activi-ties within the University. The University of Queensland Library offers special products, services and staff support to the international students and these are regularly measured in biennial user surveys for continuous improvement and verified in testimonial outcomes. Library staff represent and participate in the University's international committees, liaise with key international associations and present at International Education conferences. Strategies used to create awareness and promote the above products and services include publications, presentations, websites, displays and exhibitions, tours and talks, liaison activities with academics, and building relationships with units within the University. The Library has also been successful in marketing its professional exper-tise to its international colleagues in the region. These include advice and con-sultancy, visits and tours, work experience and internship training programs. The Library offers a unique professional internship training program covering all manner of topics of interest and importance to library professionals in the region. This internship training program has now attracted professional participants from Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Fiji, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia with its innovative and practical approaches to current and challenging issues that face library management personnel in the 21st century.