To what extent does a corporate information unit impact upon the company in which it is based?

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the extent to which the impact of the information unit (IU) is felt within the parent organisation.

The paper opted for mixed methods approach combining two survey methods: a quantitative questionnaire with a follow‐up set of qualitative interviews.

The IU was felt to have an impact; however, the definition of impact was very difficult to pin down. There is a need to promote the work of the IU.

Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may not be replicable. Additionally, there is a risk of researcher bias.

The paper could be used to help study impact in other special libraries.

This paper seems to be unique in studying the impact of a corporate library using this approach. It will be of use to other corporate librarians and possibly those looking at mixed methods.