In Part 1, devoted to essential principles of information services (IS), I made an attempt to consider the IS organization taking into account different users’ needs and library resources. Today’s meditation will be devoted to principles, a library should follow. Here are they are:
differentiation
dialogue
visuality and obviousness
systematicity
Strange as it may seem, but all the above mentioned principles are true for education. That is any teacher or tutor should follow them in her/his work. Really, a teacher (librarian) communicates with students (patrons), explains or informs something, ask and answer different questions. In this case the main either librarian’s or teacher’s purpose is to provide some information to students or patrons, help them to get some skills.
The differentiation principle is based on individual psychological features, that distinguish one person from another and are related to successful implementing of this or that activity. With reference to libraries this may mean the following: every patron is unique, all patrons are different! For someone you will have to spell out chapter and verse how to search OPAC, for one patron it will be enough to demonstrate once the foundations of information retrieval; someone get information on the air, for another you’ll have to explain once and again; some patrons prefer to read a printed book, another – its e-version, someone is an IT-guru, someone cannot tell word from excel. A librarian must find out all these little nuances, and suggest the most efficient search strategy. This is where we need the dialogue principle, that implies equality in patron-librarian communication. So the patrons are not only allowed to ask questions, but also to give some advice or to suggest an idea. The librarians may not only answer questions, but to advise a particular information resources, clear up patron’s needs and interests, specify the inquiry, find out whether the recommended information was useful, and so on. Why not to make a compliment or wish good luck at exams. :)
So that the patron could find the information himself or to better understand librarian’s explanations, so that a patron has a complete image of search strategies – the design of collections, catalogues, library web-site must be visually and intuitively understandable.
The systematic principle is based on the following. First, all types of IS in a library must constitute a single system of interconnected and interrelated elements. If your library provides ILL, it is great when a link to ILL form is placed in a corporate OPAC, so that a patron could easily get a book from another library. And second, if you are going to introduce a new service, be sure to think everything over and consider all pros and cons. And don’t give up immediately as something goes wrong. Try to organize your services as easy and comfortable to use and don’t leave your patrons all alone in the great ocean of information. If you provide wireless access to the internet for you patrons – there should be a person to help to “tune up” a laptop, if your library subscribes to different databases, there should be a person to help patrons to search information there.
And so on, and so forth... I think each of you can give your own examples.
Showing posts with label library patrons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library patrons. Show all posts
Friday, May 11, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Information Services : Part 1.
A little earlier I posted a link to my presentation called "New forms of information service". I think it is high time to discuss two issues: what information services are and how libraries with different levels of technical equipment can organise them So, basically information services consist of 3 main points, and libraries should
1. Provide information services to the patrons
2. Provide access to information
3. Satisfy patrons' needs in information
Libraries should form the amount of services and resources considering different patrons' needs. The whole variety of patrons' needs can be generally divided into three main groups. Now let's try to think how can we develop service realisation and information access to meet patrons' needs.
THE FIRST NEED - open access to different kinds of information in different forms and on different media.
In other words, a patron may need textbooks, reference works, dissertations, reviews, biographies, etc. in different languages and publication date. They may need a printed original or a digital copy, they may want to watch a screen version of a book or listen to some audiobooks. A library must provide not only the resource itself, but an opportunity to read, watch, listen or study it. So, if a library possesses a nice collection of e-books or e-journals, to work with them there should be computers for patrons. If a library has audiobooks - it must have a couple of mp3-players or, at least, earphones. And so on...
THE SECOND NEED - means to convert information from on format to another.
It means that a user might need to digitilize a traditional printed resource. This can be executed at least in three ways - to scan, to photo, or to type on PC. So to cope with this task a library should have a good scanner, prosumer's digital camera and, of course, PCs for users to type their research works or other assignments.
And, on the contrary, a user might need to print a text or image - so, libraries need printers. I can't but mention photocopying, saving information on various portable data media, though they have already become a must in all libraries.
THE THIRD NEED - our patrons wherever they are want their questions to answered 24/7.
The first thing that comes to my mind regarding this issue is virtual reference, but not every library can find resources to manage such a great project. So I suggest more simple variants. Telephone reference - with great amounts of mobile phones and respectfully low call costs - this service will be in great demand. The patron doesn't need to go to the library to learn its working hours or to find out if the book she needs is in the library. She or he can call. A lot of problems can be solved this way.
If a library has its own website or a webpage - all the information may and must be published there, so that users that got used to search all kind of information via don't feel lost and helpless.
And for that category of patrons that doesn't like to use phones or computers, a library can make a kind of booklets, where all addresses, phone numbers, working hours and services should be noted.
.... to be continued
1. Provide information services to the patrons
2. Provide access to information
3. Satisfy patrons' needs in information
Libraries should form the amount of services and resources considering different patrons' needs. The whole variety of patrons' needs can be generally divided into three main groups. Now let's try to think how can we develop service realisation and information access to meet patrons' needs.
THE FIRST NEED - open access to different kinds of information in different forms and on different media.
In other words, a patron may need textbooks, reference works, dissertations, reviews, biographies, etc. in different languages and publication date. They may need a printed original or a digital copy, they may want to watch a screen version of a book or listen to some audiobooks. A library must provide not only the resource itself, but an opportunity to read, watch, listen or study it. So, if a library possesses a nice collection of e-books or e-journals, to work with them there should be computers for patrons. If a library has audiobooks - it must have a couple of mp3-players or, at least, earphones. And so on...
THE SECOND NEED - means to convert information from on format to another.
It means that a user might need to digitilize a traditional printed resource. This can be executed at least in three ways - to scan, to photo, or to type on PC. So to cope with this task a library should have a good scanner, prosumer's digital camera and, of course, PCs for users to type their research works or other assignments.
And, on the contrary, a user might need to print a text or image - so, libraries need printers. I can't but mention photocopying, saving information on various portable data media, though they have already become a must in all libraries.
THE THIRD NEED - our patrons wherever they are want their questions to answered 24/7.
The first thing that comes to my mind regarding this issue is virtual reference, but not every library can find resources to manage such a great project. So I suggest more simple variants. Telephone reference - with great amounts of mobile phones and respectfully low call costs - this service will be in great demand. The patron doesn't need to go to the library to learn its working hours or to find out if the book she needs is in the library. She or he can call. A lot of problems can be solved this way.
If a library has its own website or a webpage - all the information may and must be published there, so that users that got used to search all kind of information via don't feel lost and helpless.
And for that category of patrons that doesn't like to use phones or computers, a library can make a kind of booklets, where all addresses, phone numbers, working hours and services should be noted.
.... to be continued
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