Know your library : user orientation

Sridhar, M. S. Know your library : user orientation., 2006 (Unpublished) [Guide/Manual]

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English abstract

In a recent longitudinal comparative study of card catalogue and OPAC of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) Library, it was sadly noted that despite automation and meticulously developing, updating and maintaining nine databases on OPAC, almost doubling the number of registered members, collection and use of documents over the same period, use of OPAC has not much increased compared to use of card catalogue. It is often speculated that there is substantial decline in general reading habit and use of libraries over a generation. Promoting the use of OPAC (and multiple databases on them) through user education/ orientation instruction programmes was felt again and again. After all, OPAC, like card catalogue, continue to be one of the many means by which users discover bibliographic references of their potential interest. Having faced such a situation, gearing up user education/ orientation programmes particularly to new users and younger generation is much desired. The purpose of user education is to make the end user searching as easy and as comfortable as possible, to minimise waiting time at the terminal and to avoid resorting to time consuming trial and error mode. Some of the new technologies are pretty easy to use but few can be effectively used without training. The need for training can be ascertained from the signs of novice users sitting in front of the terminal with lots of beeps, moving back and forth or from menu to menu and long periods of inactivity as well as the need expressed by users themselves. In addition to extensive one-to-one assistance by professional staff and flip charts, new user induction and orientation programmes have been launched with visual animated presentation as well as lecture and discussion. Regular user orientation entitled "Know your library" consists of lecture cum demonstration on using various services followed by a local tour in small groups and distribution of informative brochure “Know your library” and “library user manual”. In the introduction, the presentation highlights the necessity of consumption skills among users, levels of user education and types of information covered in the presentation, a brief look at significant information-behaviour of engineers, display of selected parts of classification scheme followed by the library and finally the digital content and the non-book material collection of the library. Keeping aside common self-explanatory aspects of OPAC, Digital Library and the Internet, the presentation focused on features generally not known to users. Feedbacks from earlier studies on card catalogue and OPAC were also kept in mind. A series of A3-size colour charts with tips for effective use of OPAC, Internet, Digital Library, on-line and other information services were periodically designed and displayed at important places.

Item type:	Guide/Manual
Keywords:	user education, user orientation, library user manual, know your library
Subjects:	C. Users, literacy and reading. > CD. User training, promotion, activities, education.
Depositing user:	Dr. M S Sridhar
Date deposited:	24 Apr 2007
Last modified:	02 Oct 2014 12:07
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/10760/9320

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