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Library Users: Introduction, User Groups and Information Needs

Introduction

  • The primary objective of any library, irrespective of its type or size, is to meet the information requirements of its users. All the activities of a library, from selection of resources to their organization, storage and dissemination are carried out keeping in view the users՚ requirements.
  • User satisfaction becomes the ultimate goal of any library. Libraries, therefore, need to assess their services to ensure that the best use is being made of the available resources. They need to find out, if the services provided are appropriate to the needs of the users, reaching the target group and user՚s opinion about the services. For this, libraries regularly carry out user studies.

User Groups and Information Needs

  • Special library, attached to an R&D organization, serves personnel engaged in research and development activities and a public library serves the local residents of a region. Thus, each library serves a specific user group.
  • Each user group needs information for some purpose or other. Information needs vary from person to person. Table shows Information needs of user groups and purpose for which they need information.
User Groups and Information Needs User Groups and Information Needs
User GroupInformation Needs and Purpose
StudentsStudy, project work, general interest
TeachersTeaching and research
ResearchersR&D information in specific disciplines
ProfessionalsTechnical information to pursue careers
Planners, Policy MakersInformation to frame policies and take decisions
Managers, businesspeopleProduct information, market trends and regulatory information
Communicators, intermediariesInformation to create awareness in masses about new processes, products, etc.
Technicians, supervisors, and paraprofessionals in industry, businessTechnical and problem-solving information
General publicVocation related information, general interest information
  • of all the user groups, researchers are the most extensive users of library resources and services. They need information to keep up to date, to find new areas of research, to avoid duplication of research and to solve problem.
  • A large number of user surveys have been conducted to ascertain information needs of all categories of library users including common man. On basis of these surveys.

we can identify four types of information user needs, namely,

  • Current Information Need,
  • Exhaustive Information Need,
  • Everyday Information Need, and
  • Catching up Information Need.

Information needs usually vary from person to person. Besides this, a user may have varied needs at different point of time.

  • When users need latest developments in their areas of interest on regular basis, the need is known as current information need.
  • When user wants to have complete and detailed information on a particular topic, the need is known as exhaustive information need.

This type of information need is usually required by researchers.

  • Everyday information need is for specific information required by users in their day-to-day activities. The need is generally for factual information normally available in standard reference books.
  • Catching-up information need arises when a user, not conversant with a particular subject field, requires an account of overall development of that subject in short and compact form.

User Studies

Libraries periodically conduct user studies to ascertain the needs and opinion of the users.

The user studies also help the libraries to:

  • assess the information needs of the users,
  • know unfulfilled information needs,
  • find out the use of library resources and services,
  • know users՚ opinion about the library collection, staff, and services, and
  • Ascertain need for new services.

User Studies – Methods

Libraries use various methods to carry out user studies. These methods are direct and indirect methods. Direct methods are based on establishing contact with the users and active involvement of the users under study. While, indirect methods are based on library՚s own analysis of its records and other sources, without the involvement of the users under study.