21 Types of Library Services

 

1. INTRODUCTION

 

The public library is a social institution which makes available all kinds of knowledge and information to its users. The services of the public library are provided free and equally to every member of the society, irrespective of age, sex, religion, language, social, economic and educational status.

 

IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto defines public library as follows:-

 

“A public library is an organization established, supported and funded by the community, either through local, regional, or national government or through some form of community organization. It provides access to knowledge, information and works of imagination through range of resources and services and is equally available to all members of the community regardless of race, nationality, age, gender, religion, language, disability, economic and employment status and educational attainment.”

 

As is evident from the definition, public libraries serve a far wider range of people than do other kinds of libraries such as academic or special libraries (particularly research libraries). Academic libraries, such as school, college and university libraries, serve the students, teachers and researchers. While, special libraries or information centres, attached to research institutions, serve the research personnel of their parent institution. Whereas, public libraries aim to serve all members of a community including kids, children, young adults, and adults from all walk of life. To meet their diverse information requirements, these libraries therefore, develop their collection accordingly and provide wide range of services depending upon the age and literacy level of the members of the community they serve. They provide services to pre-school kids, children, young adults, adults and special groups. Special group includes people with disability (Blind or deaf), people in hospital or in prison etc.

 

Public libraries are basically service institutions. They not only acquire library material for each category of user, but actively promote its use by providing wide range of services. This module covers the types of services provided by public libraries.

 

2. PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES

 

Public libraries build their collection tailored to the needs of people they serve. The collection includes books and other materials that inform, educate and entertain. The other materials include magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, disc and cassette tape recordings, films and videos, photographs, micro reproductions, computerized databases, CD-ROMs, DVDs, paintings, musical scores, maps, etc. in addition, some libraries have large print- books and Braille books for users with impaired vision. With the advances in technology libraries have also started acquiring e-resources, such as e-books, e-journals, electronic databases etc.

 

In addition to building collection and making it available for use, present day libraries offer many forms of assistance to library users for their benefit. Such type of assistance can be broadly grouped as Reference and Information services. These services promote the use of library collection, connect the users with the library resources and meet the information requirement of the users.

Reference and Information services libraries provide can be broadly categorized into two groups:-

 

Responsive Service: The service that is provided in response to a specific request.

 

Anticipatory Service: The service that is provided in anticipation of user‟s need.

 

2.1 RESPONSIVE SERVICES

 

As the name indicates, responsive services are those services which libraries provide in response to the request from the user. These services are also known as passive services, as these services are provided, when there is any request from the user. Libraries receive requests from users in many ways such as in person, over the telephone, through correspondence, via e-mail or online. On receiving the request, the library provides the desired service. The following library services come under responsive information services:-

 

  • Lending service
  • Reservation of Documents
  • User Assistance
  • Reference Service
  1. Short Range Reference Service
  2. Long Range Reference Service
  • Literature Search and Compiling a Bibliography
  • Photocopy Service
  • Referral Service

 

2.1.1 LENDING SERVICE

 

This service is concerned with lending of books and other library material to the registered members of the library for a specific period of time. For this each library follows particular issue system for lending the books to the users and receiving them back from the users. This service is also known as circulation service. Most of the public libraries offer this service, though rules and regulations of this service may differ from library to library. In some libraries issue and return of the books are handled manually. In some libraries this service is computerized.

 

For example British Library, Mumbai branch (named „my library‟) is fully computerized and provides online library service. Members can search the OPAC from home or office, choose the book and get it delivered to the place of their choice by courier. The library also offers facility to download e-books from its collection of over 70,000 e-books. (www.mylibrary.britishcouncil.org/)

 

2.1.2 RESERVATION OF DOCUMENTS

 

Reservation of documents is one of the important services of the libraries. In this service, the library makes provision to reserve a book in user‟s name, when the required book is already issued to someone else and not available in the library. Whenever the book is received back, the library informs the user in whose name the book is reserved. All public libraries offer this service.

 

In Delhi Public library and Connemara Public Library, members can reserve a book online on the website of the library. (http://www.connemerapubliclibrarychennai.com/)

 

2.1.3 USER ASSISTANCE

 

General information is sought by the user, who visits the library for the first time. Such readers need directional guidance in the use of library such as general layout of the library, location of the newspapers and magazine display racks, location of the textbook and reference books, availability of card catalogue or computer terminal for searching the library collection, etc. To such user‟s assistance or instructions are provided in the use of library, including location of materials, use of catalogue, use of computer to access information and use of basic reference sources. Assistance is also provided in identifying library material needed to find answers to questions.

 

Some libraries conduct „user orientation‟ programmes to familiarize the users with the library, its collection, general rules and regulation, lending and borrowing facilities, and services, etc. American library in Delhi provides orientation of library resources and services to the individuals or groups on request.

 

2.1.4 REFERENCE SERVICE

 

Reference service is personal service which is provided in response to the request from the users. Request may be for locating answers to fact finding questions, literature search for solving a research problem, for compiling a bibliography or for general help. Though informal help to the users in the use of libraries has been provided by the libraries since long, the concept of organized reference service can be traced back to the end of 19th century in public libraries in USA. In 1876, at the conference of American Library Association, Samuel S. Green, Librarian of Worcester, Massachusetts, Free Public Library presented a paper titled „Personal relations between librarians and readers‟. He emphasized that furnishing readers with catalogue and reference tools was not sufficient and he insisted that „interpreting these instruments to public by personal guidance must follow.‟ By the end of 19th century and early 20th century the concept of reference service was gradually accepted and implemented by the libraries. The leading advocates of this concept along with Samuel S. Green were W. F. Poole, Justin Winsor and Melvil Dewey. Kaplan wrote that by “1893, the theory of reference service [had] been thoroughly and generally accepted by American librarians”. In 1883, the first full time reference librarian position was established at Boston Public Library and in 1891 the term „reference work‟ appeared for the first time in Library Journal.

 

The emergence of reference service changed the role of a library from mere storehouse of knowledge to that of an educational institution and role of a librarian from mere custodian of recorded knowledge to that of a facilitator or promoter of the use of knowledge for the benefit of the library users.

 

Growth and subsequent development of reference service was based mainly on four objectives, namely i) to assist the library users, ii) to develop role of a library as an educational institution, iii) to help users to make best selection from the universe of recorded knowledge, and iv) to justify the existence of library by demonstrating its use to the authorities who provided financial support. At present all major public libraries have a reference department managed by a reference librarian. Basic services under this category are short range reference service (ready reference service) and long range reference service.

 

2.1.4.1 READY REFERENCE OR SHORT RANGE REFERENCE SERVICE

 

This service is concerned with providing answers to fact finding questions, like what, where, when, who and why type. Questions such as who invented telescope? , What is the area and population of Iceland? , What is the name of the highest mountain in the world? , Where is the world longest river located? , When was the Second World War started? Answers to such types of questions can be easily searched in standard reference tools like dictionaries, encyclopedias, yearbooks, almanacs, directories etc. The time required to answer such queries is also short ranging from a few minutes to half an hour. That is why this service is known as short range reference service or ready reference service. In public libraries most of the questions belong to this category.

A study of reference study in 18 public libraries in Connecticut, U.S.A. during 1972, showed that more than two-thirds of the questions were completed in less than five minutes, with the biggest number in 3 to 5 minute range (34.5%) followed by one to two minutes (29.1%). It was further observed that 75% of the questions were asked in person and 23% by telephone. History and biography were the most frequently asked subject areas and library catalogue and nonfiction circulating collection the most frequently used sources. http://www.

The situation at present is different, as recent technological change is revolutionizing library reference services. The rapid growth in access to internet has created an opportunity for public libraries to provide reference services to remote users.

 

2.1.4.2 DIGITAL REFERENCE SERVICE

 

Digital reference, also called virtual reference service is gaining wide popularity in public libraries. Virtual reference service is reference service initiated electronically, often in real time, when users employ computers and other internet technology to communicate with reference staff, without being physically present. Communication channels used frequently in virtual reference are chat, videoconferencing, and voice over IP, co-browsing, e-Mail or Instant Messaging. Many libraries have created answer archives and links to answers to “Frequently Asked Questions” referred as FAQ. These are designed to anticipate user‟s queries and help users to find information independently, using library‟s website. Many libraries provide this service on standalone basis.

 

2.1.4.3 COOPERATIVE DIGITAL REFERENCE SERVICE

 

Some libraries provide virtual reference service on collaborative basis to ease the impact of software cost and staffing for extended hours. On an international level, Library of Congress and OCLC (Online Computer Library Center), Ohio launched Collaborative Virtual Reference Service (CDRS) using „Question Point‟ software, as a pilot project in the year 2000. Question Point is complete reference management system, integrating chat, email and chat Widget. It can be used as standalone system by individual library or by collaborating libraries for providing virtual reference service. At present hundreds of public, school, college and medical libraries around the globe are offering collaborative 24/7 virtual reference service using Qestion Point. The software supports multilingual reference transactions. It has Questions and Answers knowledge database that is carefully reviewed and maintained by cooperative contributors. http://www.oclc.org/questionpoint/ There are several benefits associated with collaboration. The first one is to offer virtual reference service on time share basis. Each library contributes only specified „global coverage‟ hours per week. With this option, the users are immensely benefitted by getting virtual reference service round the clock from anywhere, any time on 24/7 basis and on all the days. Second benefit is automatic building of a database of questions and answers, thus providing re-use possibilities, and option for self service by users.

 

2.1.4.4 WEB BASED REFERENCE SERVICE

 

A number of Web based reference and information services are available free of charge or on small fee basis. Some of them are as follows:-

 

Ask an ipl2 Librarian Service

 

„Ask an ipl2 Librarian Service‟ is web based reference service offered by ipl2 site. One can ask a question by using one of the question forms i.e. „for adults‟ or „for kids under 13‟ and submit the question. The answer is sent by e-mail to the requester. Thousands of students and library and information professionals are involved in answering reference questions for „Ask an ipl2 Librarian Service‟. Ipl2 also has „FAQ List and their answers.

 

The website “ipl2: Information you can trust was launched” in January 2010 by merging the resources from Internet Public Library (IPL) and Librarian‟s Internet Index (LII) websites. Ipl2 site is hosted by Drexel University‟s College of Information Science and Technology. A consortium of colleges and universities with programs in library and information science are involved in designing, building, creating and maintaining the ipl2 collection.

 

http://www.ipl2.org/

 

Reference desk

 

The site provides links to range of reference material.

 

http://www.referencedesk.org/

 

Information Please

 

Info please is part of family education network. The site provides access to range of reference material like dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, etc. as well as information about various states of United States of America.

http://www.infoplease.com/

 

2.1.4.5 FUTURE OF READY REFERENCE SERVICE

 

It has been observed that over the year‟s reference and information services have moved away from attending users at reference desk in the library to the users located remotely. In addition, print resources are being replaced by electronic resources for providing reference and information services. Now, professionals are looking for the answers to “how these changes are going to impact ready reference service in future?”

 

A study was conducted by Denise Agosto and his team and they observed that virtual reference and information services and reference and information services in general, have changed greatly due to the influence of the electronic information explosion and of steady stream of new information technologies as well.

 

They observed six major changes have emerged relating to the current and future state of virtual and face-to-face reference service as follows.

 

  • The convergence of multiple modes of reference.
  • The burgeoning range of information sources
  • Reference as collaborative process
  • Reference in the library 2.0 mode
  • The shift from librarian- as-searcher to librarian-as-evaluator
  • The possible demise of ready reference

 

It is observed that queries received by reference staff through different modes, viz. by post, through e-mail, online, Instant Messaging and face-to-face are converging and considered as one and the same. On the other hand, reference staff is required to develop skills to handle computer based services as well as multitasking ability to handle these queries simultaneously received through different modes. Another trend observed is that libraries are collaborating in order to provide virtual reference service to their users on 24/7 basis. It is also observed that services provided via Internet encourages information seekers to interact with the librarians and at times these users provide useful information for others, by creating blogs, adding to library collaborative blogs, reviewing material on the library websites and answering questions. This shows that users have become more adept in finding answers to fact finding questions and they are relying on librarian for providing support for research type of queries and for evaluating the information retrieved. These trends “…indicate a continued shift away from a linear reference process in which the librarian is the information provider and the user is information receiver, to a more interactive, collaborative reference model, in which reference librarian and the reference user both play the roles of information seeker, information receiver, and information creator. As these roles continue to evolve, the challenge will be to design and implement technologies that can support and enhance them.” (Agosto, 2009).

 

Most of the studies show that while ready reference service may be on the decline or may be extinct in other types of libraries, but the future of reference service in public libraries is bright. As a public library deals with far too many people on day-to-day basis who need help in getting information and they lack the resources to pay for it directly. Trends in public library reference service are leading towards more professional service with higher standards of performance, more technological developments to back up better services to the users. (Geraldine B. King).

 

2.1.4.6 LONG RANGE REFERENCE SERVICE

 

In long range reference service, information is searched in several sources like printed sources, electronic sources, and some time organizations or informal sources are also consulted to provide required information. This service is generally provided to a specialist who is seeking information for research work or for delivering a lecture or for solving a particular problem. The request may come from a professor, a business executive, a government official, a decision maker, or R& D personnel. Information sought may be too specialized in nature, it may be too recent, it may be too old or it may be in another language. Information sought may involve an opinion or point of view on a particular topic, or user may require different views of a particular problem or a topic. Sometimes information sought may be too recent in nature for which informal sources may be consulted like experts in the field, sometimes information sought may be in foreign language sources for which translation service is to be arranged, or sometimes information sought may require search in periodicals or databases. Immediate answers cannot be provided for such type of queries and depending upon the query, it may take a few hours to a week‟s time to provide information. That is why this service is known as long range reference service. In ready reference service facts or data is provided, while in long range reference service documents, periodicals, or reports containing information are provided. Sometimes information selected from various sources is analyzed, evaluated, synthesized and repackaged to suit the information requirement of the user. Though public libraries provide ready reference service as well as long range reference service, but they receive ready reference types of questions far more than the long range reference type of questions. Long range reference service is more common in special libraries.

 

2.1.5 LITERATURE SEARCH AND COMPILING A BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

Another very important service offered by public libraries is to compile subject bibliographies on request. This service helps the user to know about previously published literature on the topic of his interest. A subject bibliography is a list of documents on a particular subject. The list may be selective or comprehensive depending upon the requirement of the user. The list is arranged by some order. Each entry in the subject bibliography provides bibliographical details of the document, so that the original can be identified and traced. For example an entry for a book contains following information:- Name(s) of author(s), title of the book, publisher and date of publication. An entry for journal article contains name(s) of the author(s), article title, journal title, volume number, issue number, year of publication, and page numbers where the particular article appeared.

 

2.1.6 PHOTOCOPY SERVICE

 

Public libraries use photocopier to give copies of the documents (parts of books or journal articles) to the users on demand.

 

2.1.7 REFERRAL SERVICE

 

When the required information is either not available in the library or it is not within the purview of a public library, then users are directed to the sources where they would find the desired information. This service is called referral service. Referral service does not provide users with the document or information needed by them, but direct them to the sources of information where required information will be available. The sources may be either a document, or an organization or an individual. In referral service the sources may vary from recorded sources of information to informal sources like individuals, specialists and experts from other organizations.

 

2.2 ANTICIPATORY SERVICES

 

These services are provided by the libraries in anticipation of the demands of the library users. These services are also called active information services. These services in public libraries are provided keeping in view the key missions of public libraries as per UNESCO Public Library Manifesto, which relate to information literacy, education and culture. Following are the key missions which form the core of active library services in the public libraries:-

    1. Creating and strengthening reading habits in children from an early age;

 

2. Supporting both individual and self conducted education as well as formal education at all levels;

 

3. Providing opportunities for personal creative development;

 

4. Stimulating the imagination and creativity of children and young people;

 

5.Promoting awareness of cultural heritage, appreciation of the arts, scientific achievements and innovations;

 

6. Providing access to cultural expressions of all performing arts;

 

7.Fostering inter-cultural dialogue and favoring cultural diversity;

 

8. Supporting the oral tradition;

 

9. Ensuring access for citizens to all sorts of community information;

 

10.Providing adequate information services to local enterprises, associations, and interest groups;

 

11. Facilitating the development of information and computer literacy skills; and

 

12. Supporting and participating in literary activities and programmes for all age groups and initiating such activities if necessary.

 

As is obvious from the above listed mission statement, public libraries are required to provide services to all categories  of  people including pre-school  kids  and families,  school  children, young adults and  adults. In addition, public libraries are required to extend their services to special group of people, like people with disability (Blind or deaf), people in hospital or in prison, etc.

 

Moreover, the services to be provided by the library should meet informational, educational, recreational and cultural needs of the above mentioned user community.

 

2.2.1 SERVICES FOR CHILDREN

 

Public library provides opportunities for children to develop interest in books and inculcate reading habit at an early stage. For pre-school kids, library organizes events like pre-school story time or family story time where stories, rhymes, songs and hands on crafts are shared with children and their parents. For  school  going children the library conducts user  orientation programmes  with the help of  teachers to encourage students to use library to supplement their studies. Library organizes  film shows, lectures and competitions for children to encourage cultural interest in school going children. Library also provides Internet access and hands on training in the use of online resources.

 

For example British Council Public Library (My library) has setup a website for children to learn English.

 

„Learn English Kids‟ has lots of free online games, songs, stories and activities for children to have fun and

learn English too.

 

2.2.2 SERVICES FOR YOUNG ADULTS

 

Young adult between childhood and adulthood develop as individual member of the society with their own culture and interest. Materials such as popular novels, books and television series, music, videotapes, teenage magazines, posters, latest films, computer games, etc. reflect the interest of such user group. So, public libraries should acquire such material including electronic information resources.

 

Delhi Public Library (DPL) and Connemera Public Library provide free Internet Access Service to the readers. DPL has 20 such workstations each in Central library and Sarojini Nagar Library and 15 workstations in Patel Nagar Library. DPL operates gramophone records, audio/video cassettes lending service for its registered members. These comprise classical, instrumental and light music, bhajans, ghazals, film songs etc. Readers can also use this facility in the library through headphones/computer accessories. DVD corner has also been setup in 7 libraries of DPL. Members can view CDs and DVDs comprising films, music, and other multimedia resources and get them issued for home viewing.

 

Public libraries support lifelong learning, by consistently working with schools and other educational institutions to help students with their formal education at all levels. In addition, libraries provide study facilities for students who have inadequate access to these facilities at home. For example DPL South Zone library provides „Reader Room Service‟ for students who are specially preparing for competitive exams. Here they can bring their own books and notes etc. to study in the cool and conducive environment of the library. (http://www.dpl.gov.in/)

 

 

2.2.3 SERVICES FOR ADULTS

 

Adults comprise people from all walks of life. Their information requirements vary depending upon their employment, educational status and personal interest. Public libraries offer wide range of materials, programmes and services to this user community. The services offered include

 

  • Meeting their information Needs;
  • Supporting formal and informal education;
  • Creating environment for pursuing recreational, cultural and literary activities;
  • Facilitating and helping them to use leisure time in most conducive learning environment;
  • Providing services to community groups and access to community information;
  • Rendering Services to Special User Groups

 

The above list by no means is exhaustive. Services and activities of public libraries are continuously revised based on the changing needs of the community they serve.

 

2.2.3.1 MEETING INFORMATION NEEDS

 

Everybody needs information for some purpose or other. Information needs vary from person to person. For example, students need information to supplement their text book studies and project work; teachers need information for teaching and research; professionals need information to pursue their careers efficiently; planners and policy makers need information to frame policies and plans as well as to take correct decisions; and researchers need information to keep up to date in their areas of research, to find out new areas of research, to avoid duplication of research effort and to solve any problem they encounter while carrying out research work. A large number of surveys have been conducted to find out information needs of all categories of library users including common man. These surveys in general have identified four types of information needs of users such as i) Current Information Need; ii) Exhaustive Information Need; iii) Everyday Information Need; and iv) Catching up Information Need. It is further observed that information needs vary from person to person and a particular person may have different need at different point of time.

 

Current Information Need: When library users need to keep themselves up-to-date with latest development in their areas of interest on regular basis, the need is known as current information need.

 

Exhaustive Information Need: When a library user wants to have information on particular topic as exhaustive as possible, the need is known as exhaustive information need. The researchers mainly have this type of need when they start work on their research or when they are reporting their research findings.

 

Everyday Information Need: This need is for a specific piece of information which users require, generally in their day-to-day work related activities. The need is generally for factual information, which is normally available in standard reference tools.

 

Catching-up Information Need: This need arises when a user, who is not conversant with a particular subject field, requires an account of overall development of that subject in short and most comprehensive form. This type of need is catching-up information need.

 

Public libraries cater to all the above mentioned information needs of user community they serve. To meet the current information needs, public libraries procure the material as per users needs and display the latest journals, books and other publications. Some libraries regularly bring out accession list as current awareness service.

 

To meet exhaustive information need, particularly for researchers, some public libraries provide access to propriety databases, where researcher can search and find the required information. For example, American Library in India provides access to online databases and CD-Rom databases with access to nearly 10,000 full text peer-reviewed journals for the registered members. The library subscribes to databases, such as Ebscohost, Proquest, Factiva, Lexis-Nexis, Jstor and Gale databases. http://www.newdelhi.usembassy.gov/americanlibrary.html/

 

To meet everyday information needs, public libraries acquire range of reference resources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, yearbooks, directories, almanacs, etc. Libraries and also provide personal assistance to the users to find answers to fact finding questions.

 

Libraries acquire state-of-the-art reports, annual reviews, etc. in different subject fields to meet catching up information need of their users and guide them to appropriate information sources.

 

2.2.3.2 SUPPORTING FORMAL AND INFORMAL EDUCATION

 

Public libraries support formal and informal education by working with schools and other educational institutions. Chicago Public Library through its „Teacher in The Library‟ program provides afterschool homework help by a professional teacher for the students and parents in the library environment. Teachers help students to focus, use appropriate learning strategies, and find the best resources for completing their homework assignment. Teachers also help parents to learn how to help their children at home with school assignments.

 

Public libraries provide range of materials on variety of topics which allow adults to pursue their interest and support their formal and informal education and facilitate lifelong learning. To support lifelong learning, some libraries provide self learning facilities for adults including computer based learning and audio and video based language learning materials, which users can use and learn at their own pace. Some libraries offer training programmes where users learn about computer basics, e-mail service, Internet and social networking, and searching e-resources. For example, Chicago Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library regularly offer such training programmes for their members. (http://www.chipublib.org/), (http://www.bklynpubliclibrary.org/)

 

Some public libraries provide material and facilities for the members to prepare for competitive exams for higher education and employment purposes. For example Connemera Public Library, Chennai makes available material and space for research scholars as well as for people preparing for civil services exams.

 

2.2.3.3 SUPPORTING RECREATIONAL, CULTURAL AND LITERARY ACTIVITIES

 

Public libraries in collaboration with the local organizations organize cultural programmes, arrange lectures, screen films, organize literary meets, and hold exhibitions to promote cultural and literary activities in the region. Such activities entertain as well as encourage artistic and cultural development in people of all ages.

 

For example Delhi Public Library is organizing group activities among the adult members of the Central Library for the development of individual talent and aptitude. At present, groups such as Drama, Music, Social Study, Literature Study, Music Coaching, Naturopathy and Homeopathy are functioning.

 

The library also arranges book exhibitions, film shows, and science workshops, painting competitions, television programmes and lectures, to promote recreational, cultural and literary activities under its „Community Outreach Programme‟.

 

2.2.3.4 SERVICES TO COMMUNITY GROUPS

 

Public libraries study the information needs of local organizations; local government establishments and business community and provide appropriate services to them. At the same time public libraries collect information from these organizations for the use of general public. Such activities benefit all, local bodies, local community as well as the public library. This also provides an opportunity for public libraries to demonstrate their value to the local govt. establishment and funding institutions.

 

2.2.3.5 SERVICES TO SPECIAL USER GROUPS

 

Public libraries are required to provide services to those users, who are not able to use regular services of the library. Such user groups include people with some disability, people in the hospital or in the prison, or people who are housebound or are distantly located. For example, for visually handicapped people, library provides books and magazines in recorded format along with necessary playback equipment and also makes available material in Braille. For people in prison, hospital or located in distant areas, the library provide services at their place of location.

 

Delhi Public library provides Braille library service to visually handicapped people in the library premises and is also operating mobile library services for such people in 20 other institutions located in different areas of Delhi. Library also delivers the reading material by post.

 

DPL runs ten Resettlement Colony libraries for the benefit of weaker section of the society. The library provides reading as well as lending facility to these members. DPL also runs two community libraries in Lodhi Colony and Pragati Vihar.

 

Similarly, Connemera Public Library provides library services for police personnel, for hospitals, for state workers and remote settlers in the hills.

 

3. SUMMARY

 

Public libraries provide wide range of services to its diverse user community to meet their informational, educational, recreational and cultural needs. Services provided can be broadly categorized as responsive services and anticipatory services. Responsive services are provided in response to requests from the users. On the other hand, anticipatory services are provided in anticipation of users needs for information. Users‟ needs can be broadly categorized as current, exhaustive, everyday and catching up information needs. Public libraries strive to meet all these needs of user community. To support formal and informal education public libraries in collaboration with educational institutions, provide study material and reading facilities to the students. To support recreational, cultural and literary activities in the region, public libraries in collaboration with local organizations, organize cultural programmes, arrange lectures, screen films, organize literary meets and hold exhibitions. Such activities entertain, as well as encourage artistic and cultural development in people of all ages.

 

Public libraries also extend their services to special group of people, who are not able to use regular library services. Such user group includes people with some disability (such as blind, deaf or dumb), people in hospital, or in prison or people who are housebound or diversly located.

 

 

4. REFERENCES

 

  • Agosto, Denise E., Abels, Eileen g., Rozaklis, Lily and MacDonald, Craig. The future of reference and information services in a virtual world. Proceedings of American society for Information Science and Technology 46, no.1 (2009): 1-4.
  • Cassel, K A. Reference and Information Services in the 20th Century. London: Facet Publishing, 2006.
  • Forey, Mathew. Digital Reference Services. Vol II. New Delhi: Dominant Publishers and Distributors, 2003.
  • Kaplan, Louis. The Growth of Reference Service in the United States from 1876 to 1893. ACRL Monograph No. 2, Association of College and Reference Libraries, Chicago, 1952.
  • Katz, W A. Introduction to Reference Work: reference Services and Information Processes. Vol 2. New York:McGraw Hill, 1987.
  • King, Geraldine B. Current trends in reference service in public libraries.
  • http://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/ (Accessed the site on 20th July, 2013.)
  • Gill, Philip et al, ed. The Public Library Service: IFLA/UNESCO Guidelines for Development: Munchen: Saur, 2001, XVI, 116p. (IFLA Publication 97).
  • Thomas, J G. Reference Services in Libraries. In: Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Allen Kent et al, eds. 1978, Vol. 26, p. 210-226.
  • Vickers, Mary Lynn. Regional Reference Survey Report. North Branford. Conn. The Southern Connecticut library Council, 1973.

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