Communication with customers: a statistical miscellany of a special library

Abstract

It is often said that libraries routinely generate lots of statistics, but rarely collect, process and utilise them for improvement and better management. One of the ways of establishing effective communication with library users is to prominently announce and display colourful statistical charts containing feedback message and brief observation/finding on various aspects of use and user interactions with the library as well as general informative statistics on diverse subjects. On an experimental basis, A3-size colour charts generated and printed for the purpose were periodically displayed one at a time on circulation counter of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) Library during 2002. This incidentally also served another purpose of drawing attention of users on important issues and keeping them engaged for few minutes when they are in waiting line at the counter. Highly compressed statistical data of the library and its users are collected, processed, designed and developed into charts on a PPT document with brief message highlighting the inference. This presentation is a compilation of selected such charts called "Statistical Miscellany of a Special Library". Encouraged by this experiment, number of flip charts of similar nature providing tips for effective use of library and information services including OPAC, Digital Library, the Internet, etc. were also designed, developed and displayed subsequently. In addition, these PPT documents come handy for incorporating into regular user-orientation programmes.