Reader service is one of the
most important divisions of any type of library. In fact, they can be seen as
the public relations of any given library. The reader service serves as an
interface between the library resources and its users. Here, the library users’
come in contact with the library resources and services provided. The users are
privilege to personally accessed the resources and sometimes make a request to
the librarian. The librarians
occasionally need to interrogate the users in order to actually ascertain their
needs so as to render assistance according to the users’ need.
The objective of the reader
service is to provide assistance for effective, efficient and easier retrieval
of the library resources. These efforts are geared towards ensuring conscious
utilization of the library resources and its facilities. Some of the resources
in the readers’ service are placed under open access while others are in the
closed access. The open access is a free access that is generally open to users
without any form of restriction and allowing them to consults the resources
with little or no assistance of the librarians. While the resource in the
closed access on the other hand can only be accessed based on the request of
the users to the librarian who can provide the service because of the
restriction placed on them.
The
readers’ service includes:
Circulation
section is saddle with the responsibility of performing various
functions such as: reservations, borrowing, returns, renewal, photocopy, inter-library
loan e.t.c.
The
reference section provides (quick reference service, research,
current awareness, counseling, personal development service e.t.c).
Serial/periodical
section houses materials such as journals, magazines, monographs,
Research reports, Bulletin, Annual reports, newspaper e.t.c.
The
Reserve section is a closed access area; there is restriction
placed on the users by not allowing them to have direct contact with the
resources without the consent of the librarian. The resources in this section
can only be used based on the request of users to librarian in that section. These
resources are highly on demand and are limited in number of copies.
·
Generally, the following are some of the
functions of the readers’ service:
·
Conducting orientation/user education
for new users.
·
Registration of new library users.
·
Charging and discharging of books
(Borrowing, Returns and Renewal e.t.c).
·
Keeping statistics of daily users and
resources consulted.
·
Provide easy access to library
materials for library patrons by introducing them to manual and online public
access catalogue (OPAC).
·
Shelving and shelf reading of library materials.
·
Current awareness services (CAS) i.e
email alert, compiles bibliographies on various subjects e.t.c.
·
Selective dissemination information
services (SDI).
·
Gives instruction and assistance on the use of
internet, online public access catalog (OPAC), CD-ROM and other multi-media and
web-based facilities.
