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1.
Summary

Front-line library staff members often encounter “problem patrons” —those patrons who put others in fear for their own physical security, whether or not that fear is ultimately justified. This article identifies the risks and suggests some precautions, including: defusing anger at the service points through improved interpersonal communication techniques and staff training, drafting policies and procedures to help guide staff as they deal with incidents, and improving the security of library buildings. Legal issues surrounding library security also are examined.  相似文献   

2.
《The Reference Librarian》2013,54(75-76):45-54
Summary

Difficult patrons have been considered primarily from the perspective of the problem behaviours they present in libraries. Many have attempted to define the problem patron and to provide advice and develop guidelines for frontline public service staff. To understand the difficult patron in academic libraries we need to answer three questions-How well do we know our patrons? Do we unwittingly create difficult patrons through our failure to appreciate their needs? Do we regard patrons as difficult because the way they use libraries and conduct their information research does not match our idea of how it should be done? The answers to these questions suggest that we need to reconceptualize both our patrons and the services we provide. Library staff need to see difficult patrons not as problems but as challenges to the service ideas and standards we hold. A paradigm shift is necessary if we are to reconstruct our beliefs about our patrons, their information seeking behaviours, and the services we provide to meet their needs. Some strategies for developing the skills of library staff to work effectively with difficult patrons are presented.  相似文献   

3.
《The Reference Librarian》2013,54(75-76):217-233
Summary

Half the battle of dealing with a difficult patron is changing one's own perspective. This paper uses core Zen Buddhist ideas and viewpoints to discuss ways of dealing with difficult patrons. The basics of Zen Buddhism are explained and Zen concepts such as Openness, Mindfulness, Compassion and Beginner's Mind are applied to problem solving within the context of library public service. The paper also explores the difference between “difficult” and “problem” patrons in order to help readers determine when a Zen perspective is useful.  相似文献   

4.
《The Reference Librarian》2013,54(75-76):33-43
Summary

Failure to engage an historical perspective can lead to exaggeration of the novelty of the “problem patron” phenomenon in libraries. In fact, from the institutions' earliest years, there were significant levels of fear that British public libraries would be abused by their intended users. This paper examines the experience of the problem patron in British public libraries in the years 1850-1919, and the definitions and solutions suggested by supporters and staff of these libraries. Contemporary sources are used to suggest that some observations about this period may have continued relevance for present discussions of the “problem patron.”  相似文献   

5.
ABSTRACT

Predictions about the end of libraries point to a real crisis, but assign the wrong cause. Libraries will not be displaced by technology like Google, but can be undermined by librarians’ own reactions to patron demand for Google-like experiences. Librarians can respond with a “weak model” that prioritizes the satisfaction of patrons, or a “strong model” that recognizes higher values rooted in the status of librarianship as a profession. Although recent trends favor the dominance of the weak model, only by embracing the strong model can librarians survive the challenges that threaten libraries.  相似文献   

6.
《The Reference Librarian》2013,54(75-76):55-66
Summary

Faculty members depend on the resources and services provided by the libraries to teach, satisfy the curricular needs of the students, and conduct their research. Students need the library for many reasons, among which are to complete their assignments and to expand on what faculty covers in class. The patron/librarian relationship in the academic library is not always perfect. Issues which students and faculty face in the academic library environment are completely different from those in the public library. Identifying the characteristics of the difficult or problem patron in academia is a little more difficult than in the public library. Are what librarians face when dealing with faculty and students more issue-related than just dealing with problem patrons? The authors will identify, from the librarians' perspectives, some of these often called difficult patron issues and offer solutions to try and preempt these issues before they become problems.  相似文献   

7.
《The Reference Librarian》2013,54(65):137-159
Summary

As technology races forward, public library OPACs have established a barrier to access. Computer literacy is required of the patron to access the collection through the OPAC. This barrier may be addressed with more active service. Rather than the librarian at the reference desk waiting to be asked, go to the patron. But will the patron accept? This study looks at who did accept and how often. Patrons heading towards the OPAC were greeted by an individual and offered assistance. Conducted at the Guilderland Public Library, a suburb of Albany, NY, in the fall of 1996, this study compares the responses of these patrons grouped by sex and approximate age. In 20 hours over five consecutive days, 189 patrons were recorded. Additionally the study touches upon other factors such as sex, race, dress, and more effective wording for the approach and offer.  相似文献   

8.
ABSTRACT

Improving library technologies allow patrons greater autonomy. One such technology, self-checkout kiosks, puts patrons in virtual control over their circulation experience. Whereas previously patrons had to approach circulation staff to check out, now this can be done privately. The impact self-checkout has on the circulation of potentially embarrassing or controversial materials is unknown. In this study, select lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and non-LGBT materials at Central Michigan University's Park Library were anonymously tracked for one academic year to determine if they circulated via self-check or the traditional circulation desk. LGBT materials circulated twenty percent more via self-check, indicating that patrons appreciated the machines' privacy.  相似文献   

9.
Help Yourself     
《The Reference Librarian》2013,54(75-76):253-263
Summary

One of the biggest challenges in libraries today is how to empower front-line employees to be able to deal with the unique problems and people that society unloads on us daily. Some of these problems, like staff morale, are with us all the time. Others, such as developing workable policies and procedures and dealing with problem patrons, are like housework, done for the moment but never complete. A third category consists of the rare event that threatens the lives or wellbeing of library employees and users-issues of personal safety in the workplace.

This article will discuss, from the perspective of two veteran staff of the Auraria Library, the need for clear communication, up to date policies and procedures, and effective training. Although every problem cannot be solved or every situation diffused, it is best to empower employees to know what to do for all the “what ifs” that may arise.  相似文献   

10.
《The Reference Librarian》2013,54(75-76):245-252
Summary

This paper proposes that encounters with problem patrons and reader rage will continue to increase. In order for the library and its staff to survive they must adhere to some basic ideas including acknowledging that a problem exists, creating a code of conduct, hiring and training staff for the task, and providing them ways to deal with the problems and the stress.  相似文献   

11.
ABSTRACT

For as long as libraries have charged fines for books returned after their due dates, this familiar practice has excited comment and controversy. Fines are thought by many to deter patrons from keeping materials too long. However, others believe there is little persuasive evidence that fines are more effective at minimizing overdues than are reminder notices. Further, some critics contend charging fines is unethical, especially in public or school libraries, and the meager results are not worth the harmful public relations fines incur. The authors experimented with an alternative approach using positive reinforcement.  相似文献   

12.
《The Reference Librarian》2013,54(75-76):163-172
Summary

Emerging technologies continue to offer librarians new opportunities to improve user services. Comment and query links on some library web pages are absorbing a significant share of the customer service workload previously handled by traditional reference desks. Fa miliar types of patron problems of course continue to crop up at the “vir tual reference desk.” New and different aspects of patron problems also appear. Originating with the experiences of a research university li brary's web group in dealing with incoming user messages, this study examines the challenges as well as advantages of dealing with “problem patron” phenomena in a virtual environment.  相似文献   

13.
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14.
Abstract

Many public libraries are offering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programing to their patrons. Using data from a national survey of public library professionals, the current study examined the growing STEM movement by measuring “STEM-readiness” and through the lens of Diffusion of Innovations Theory. Results indicate that most libraries are ready to implement STEM programing. Characteristics of STEM-ready libraries included serving more patrons, having more space, and engaging more often with STEM programing. Such findings suggest that public libraries that have access to resources are more likely to be STEM-ready; whereas, those with fewer resources may need additional support.  相似文献   

15.
Abstract

Despite major, ongoing changes in the profession and in library school curricula, the basic principles of librarianship can and should always be applied, regardless of medium or situation. However, patrons have changed the ways they prefer to search for and access information. This means that librarians must both update their understanding of these principles and find ways to apply them more proactively. One effective response is to design and market library Web pages as preferred gateways to electronic information and instruction. Librarians can transform Web pages into “one-stop-shopping information portals” for users, providing not only information, but also instruction in how to find and evaluate information. Applying Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science to Web page designis a useful way to determine iflibrarians are providing the kind of Web pages their patrons need.  相似文献   

16.
《图书馆管理杂志》2012,52(8):716-730
ABSTRACT

Medical libraries continue to face the challenge of demonstrating relevance and value in hard economic times. Job titles such as “embedded librarians,” “clinical medical librarian,” and “informationist” have become more common as medical libraries strive to meet patrons at the point of need within a natural workflow. This article provides an overview of such positions, including necessary skills and expertise, added value, administrative challenges, and a discussion of evaluation.  相似文献   

17.
ABSTRACT

As staffing models evolve for academic library service points, online chat reference services require strategic analysis to improve efficiency and effectiveness. This paper will examine the perception of chat reference before and after staffing changes from faculty librarians, staff, and graduate assistants to non-MLIS library professionals and graduate assistants at Florida State University’s a large, public research university library. Our survey explores satisfaction levels and perception of both patrons and library personnel before and after the staffing change.

Our analysis of 197 patron survey results determined that patrons are equally satisfied with non-librarian provision of chat reference services and found chat interactions to be comparable in quality and timeliness to chats staffed by librarians. Our research into staffer survey results revealed a slight decrease in satisfaction with operation of the service, notably in terms of confidence after the staffing transition even though this was not reflected in the patron satisfaction levels. This assessment indicates that library workers are equally as competent in staffing chat reference services as librarians from patron perspectives. As academic libraries continue to measure the value of staffing service desks with librarians, this study will provide relevant insight into how patrons and staffers are affected by changes in staffing models.  相似文献   

18.
《The Reference Librarian》2013,54(83-84):57-70
SUMMARY

Reference librarians are expected to interact effectively with a variety of clientele and are taught skills such as approachability, showing interest, and verbal and non-verbal cues. Librarians who have a knack for interpersonal skills do very well both at the reference desk and interacting with their co-workers. An area that is rarely addressed in the literature (or in library school) is that of educating librarians about how to establish professional, collegial relationships with one another. It is assumed that if a reference librarian can interact well with patrons, in a professional manner, he or she will be able to successfully “fit into” almost any reference department. This article discusses the importance of interpersonal skills within the Reference Department and ideas for improving these skills to enhance co-worker relations.  相似文献   

19.
ABSTRACT

How do academic library users search for scholarly information? While there are many possible ways, research from several scholarly fields offers a useful perspective; studies from social psychology, economics, and library and information science suggest that users will often favor “low-effort” information-seeking approaches. Though many academic librarians undoubtedly advocate efficient information-seeking strategies, we argue that development of a more systematic and coordinated low-effort approach would be beneficial. Accordingly, this article offers an organized “toolkit” of low-effort information-seeking strategies suitable for self-use by library patrons or inclusion in library instruction programs.  相似文献   

20.
ABSTRACT

At a large university library, helping patrons use a full text database such as LEXIS-NEXIS places pressure on reference staff because the service is complex. Staff cannot give the proper attention to patrons because activity at the reference desk can limit the time spent with each individual. Full-text services require more instruction and reference help than electronic bibliographic databases, but patrons often come for assistance just before the assignment is due. To relieve such pressure, librarians at Penn State's Pattee Library developed Just-in-Time demonstrations to help patrons learn how to use LEXIS-NEXIS when they need it. The Justin-Time demonstrations provide a weekly alternative which relieves the “I need it now” pressure by providing instruction on a weekly basis. These demonstrations have been well received by patrons and staff.  相似文献   

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