Libraries Are for Users!
Why are we here? For our users!
What are the sure signs that you work in a public library?
• You have too much to do.
• You have too little time to do it.
• You were the first to check out the latest book on stress.
• Yesterday you heard yourself saying, "How can I get my work done with all these people interrupting?"
And you still love what you do!
Users: Who? What? Where?
Who uses the library? What services are important to your users? What is the mix of generations and diversity in your community? Users of different ages and cultures have different needs and ideas about the library. Visit some of the links on this page to become more familiar with the amazing diversity of library users!
Who is online?
Where are users when they access your services? The 2007 Digital Future Project Report found that more than three-quarters of Americans are Internet users. 77.6 percent of Americans age 12 and older go online. More than two-thirds of Americans (68.1 percent) use the Internet at home, a substantial increase from the 46.9 in 2000.
What do users expect online?
43 percent of Internet users who are members of online communities say that they “feel as strongly” about their virtual community as they do about their real-world communities. Only half of users (55.2 percent) say that most or all of the information online is reliable and accurate. Libraries online help provide reliable information to users who access a library web site, take advantage of library webcasts and blogs, or participate in gaming projects that teach information literacy, or are active in virtual spaces such as Library Island in Second Life, an online virtual community.
Rights of Users
It's not always easy to remember that users, those "interruptions" interfering with your "real" work, are the reason we're all here. Understanding the need for fair and equitable treatment of users and consideration of user rights and needs is essential for anyone employed in a public library. Become familiar with the Library Bill of Rights, the American Library Association Code of Ethics, and the Intellectual Freedom Statements from ALA or the Intellectual Freedom Policy Statement from OLC.
Will you need to smile all the time and tell people to have a nice day? Will you require a complete personality transplant? Probably not! Common courtesy and a sincere desire to be of service will do it!
In today's library environment, your involvement with users may not even be face-to-face. Telephone, fax, email, Internet, chat, instant messaging, virtual reference systems, webcasts, blogs, and interaction through Ohio's library networks may connect you to users you never see, around Ohio and even around the World! However you make contact, respect the rights and needs of your library users.
What Now?
Some interactions with users are dictated by library policies and practices. Other interactions may be covered by Ohio law. The next page deals with law concerning confidentiality of patron records.
Complete the Activity, try the Explore section, and then go on to the next page: Confidentiality.
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