The Library Catalogue as Social Space by Laurel Tarulli

Author:Laurel Tarulli
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781598846300
Publisher: ABC-CLIO
Published: 2012-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

OPENING DOORS

Readers’ advisory service can be defined as those services that do the following:

1. Help readers understand what they like

2. Assist them in finding more of what they like

3. Deepen their appreciation of their reading

4. Support them in sharing their reading with others

In the past, we have focused on delivering these services from within our library’s buildings. Today and tomorrow, the future of these services lies in delivering them where our readers are, and that is in our catalogue and on our website.

Recently, I was visiting a library in California. It is a beautiful facility, well positioned on a rolling hill with lots of windows and views of the Pacific. It was built in the 1990s at a cost of $10 million. Walking through the front doors of this jewel of a facility, the first thing I see is a series of self-check machines. Immediately to the left of these machines is a bookshelf with sets of books with rubber bands around them and a user’s last name. It is very convenient for a reader to park, walk into the library, get their books, and leave. They can do this without going further than 15 feet inside this $10 million facility.

While this is undoubtedly a timesaving, valuable, and appreciated service for many users, what these users are missing is the opportunity to learn more about the library’s extensive collections; the wealth of programs, services, and events that are available to them; and the depth and breadth of the staff’s expertise. Our profession cannot afford for our users to be unaware of all that we can provide for them. We need to ensure that whatever channel our readers use to access us, they are provided not only with opportunities to locate the authors and titles they already know about but also with opportunities that open the world of books to them. Our readers need to see the library as a place of discovery and transformation where they learn about new authors and titles, deepen their understanding and appreciation of their reading, and have opportunities to share their experiences with others. The door to richer reading experiences can no longer require walking through a library’s doors. It needs to be available through every pathway used by our readers—including our catalogue.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.