Getting to know your library and librarian

Introduction
Libraries range from those confined to an intimate room with a single member
of staff to large, split-site collections being used by thousands of people.
Whatever the type, the researcher needs to be able to find what is required
efficiently. This demands an ability to use the facilities for scrutinizing the
holdings and to locate the items required. It is necessary to know the services
on offer and where to go or who to turn to for help.
A library by any other name
Since the mid-1980s there has been a move away from the traditional term
‘library’ in an attempt to reflect the other services and resources that these
centres now offer. Some provide combined library and ICT (information and
communication technology) services. Many libraries have abandoned the
word and adopted terms such as:
• Learning resource centre
• Information service
• Learning centre

Orientation
Library staff may provide a personal tour of the building(s). An alternative may
be a virtual tour, for example, using a video presentation. Whatever the
method, it is advisable to become familiar with the building and collections of
any library of which one is expecting to make repeated use.
Some libraries operate on multiple sites and users should find out about the
method of movement of stock between the sites, the collections and the services
offered by each site. There may be differences in opening times and in the
specialisms of the staff as well as the collections.
Libraries vary in their provision of ICT resources and workstations. It may be
necessary to log on using a network username and password: some may have
computers with Internet access that are available to anyone. Some will provide
laptop zones or wireless networking for use with personal portable computers.
These are all issues that a visitor to a library may need to consider in order to
make best use of the resources on offer.
Some university libraries provide a quiet section of the library with networked
computers for the sole use of researchers. This has the advantage of
being separated from the noise and bustle of the open access computers.

The emphasis of the collection
Although many libraries contain eclectic collections covering all or most subject
areas in a variety of depths, many focus their collections on particular
areas, defined by their users’ interests. ‘Libraries, we must never forget, are
selections, defined by what they exclude’ (MacColl 2006). There are those that
build up archive collections and those that focus solely on current interests.