The Library...Views and Use of...Answer these Questions Please!!

[masmdu]

I have to do a paper for a Library/Information Studies class and I need an interviewee.
And, instead of doing it face to face I thought about the wonderful mix of folks here at DU. Sorry, but NO LIBRARIANS (or people who have studied about libraries)please.

The assignment is to get an idea about what people know about libraries and how they work.

I'd reeeeally appreciate anybody taking the time to answer these few questions that I need to use in my paper.

If you are of the mind to help (Thanks) then please answer them *ALL* and include your *SEX* and approx. *AGE*. Also, feel free to give as short or as detailed an answer as you'd like but please give an answer for each question. (please no "n/a")

And a BIG Thanks for all who help.

Mark

(I'll post the questions here. Hopefully, they don't need clarification but I'll be in and out throughout the day to check. )


Age:
Sex:
Locaton (NE, South, West Coast, etc):

Questions:
• Background:
1. What library do you use most often?
2. What kind of library is it?
3. How often do you use it?

• Library collection:
4. Who decides what materials will be in the library?

• Library services:
5. What services are offered by the library to its users?
6. What will the library do for you?
7. What can you ask for?
8. What can’t the library staff do for you?
9. What kinds of help will they give you?

• Library staffing:
10. What kind of staff does a library have?
11. How do they learn their jobs?
12. How do they get into library work?

•Library value:
13. How important is it to you personally to have access to a library and why?
14. How important is it for your community?
15. What alternatives do you use to find information?

16. What aspects of the library do you consider positive / negative?

17. What would you like to be able to find more of at the library?
18. What services would you like to see offered or strengthened?
19. What library services do you think are unnecessary?

[Bertha Venation]

1. answers

Age: 41
Gender: F

Questions:

• Background:

1. What library do you use most often? county public
2. What kind of library is it? Vague question. It's a county public library. It is small.
3. How often do you use it? Usually every three weeks (go back for more when last time's books are due)

• Library collection:

4. Who decides what materials will be in the library? I don't know. I imagine a board of county librarians. Don't know if the county commissioners get involved & ban anything. Of course, that's strictly a lie-beral's :tinfoilhat: point of view. ;)

• Library services:

5. What services are offered by the library to its users? Books, audio & video, computers, 'net terminals, a copier . . . beyond that, I don't know. I think there are summer reading programs w/ incentives for kids.
6. What will the library do for you? Hold books; wait list; renew books; bring books from other branches
7. What can you ask for? Ha. I can ask for anything. Doesn't mean I'll get it.
8. What can’t the library staff do for you? no answer
9. What kinds of help will they give you? no answer (but probably anything w/in the context of a common library)

• Library staffing:

10. What kind of staff does a library have? Low-paid part-time (including the librarian), or voluntary
11. How do they learn their jobs? I wouldn't know.
12. How do they get into library work? I wouldn't know.

•Library value:

13. How important is it to you personally to have access to a library and why? Extremely. Free access to all sorts of materials, to everyone in the community, is vital to a community's education & growth. Moreover it's impractical for me to purchase all the books I want to read. I'd have to start my own library.
14. How important is it for your community? I don't know, but they're always quite busy, and their web site is full of great info & services.
15. What alternatives do you use to find information? the internet; the law library at work
16. What aspects of the library do you consider positive/negative? no answer
17. What would you like to be able to find more of at the library? World-class biographies & histories -- as opposed to what's on the shelves now, many of which seem as if they were chosen by the cover
18. What services would you like to see offered or strengthened? no answer
19. What library services do you think are unnecessary? None. Every service offered at my library is important to this community.

[masmdu]

2. Thanks Very Much! Any others...?

I really appreciate the help. Let me know if I can return the favor.
Mark

[masmdu]

3. Kick...Anybody else?...(Please remember to give and Answer for *ALL* Q's

Thanks

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Ok-answers from Arkansas

Sex: F
Age: 53
1. A regiional library for a county (I live in rural Arkansas)
2. A county library in a county seat.
3. Since working two jobs, maybe once every two months. Before that, I used it about once every two weeks.

4.The library's board of directors, as far as I know.

5.Computer access, periodicals/newspapers, reference (librarians will help with this, too), children's library, genealogy library, videos, extensive hardback book collection varying from cookbooks to building/carpentry, crafts, survival, as well as fiction and other non-fiction.

6. Librarians will look up information in out of area telephone directories. They will order books/other materials through inter library loan. They will help individuals find specific books.

7. Just about anything. I've had help finding information on grant writing and on genealogy.

8. They can't let me check out books. You see, I live in another county, just work in this one; to get a library card would mean shelling out more money than I can afford right now.

9. Help in finding information via reference materials, help in locating files/CDs in the genealogy library, help with folks who haven't been online.

10. This library has a fairly large one. Whenever I've gone in, there appears to be at least half a dozen librarians.

11. I assume they went to college and got a degree in library science, or started as a library volunteer and worked their way into a paying position. I'm not sure how many people I see at the library are volunteers and how many are paid; there's no distinctive badge or anything to let one know.

12. I assume through an interest in the library. As I stated in 11, I believe some started as volunteers. There is a bulletin board that posts information about volunteer positions and how to help the library by donations, etc.

13. It is very important. I have done genealogical research for over a quarter century, and a majority of my information has come from records housed in county courthouses and county libraries. The libraries are often the only repository for local histories and local genealogical society's periodicals. Even though we now have the internet, much of the earlier materials have not been posted anywhere online, and going to a library is the only place where you can find it.

14. The county library I frequent is always busy. During the summer, droves of kids come to various library programs. Many people around here homeschool their children, and the library is an important resource. People interested in writing grants for non-profits have valuable resources there. And I think I explained the importance of the genelogical section of the library in 13.

15. My alternative to the library is the internet.

16. Positive: access to so much information.
Negative: Noise and high traffic during some times of the year.

17. I'd like to find more about the world's religions. Like most libraries, the one I frequent only has a Wahhabist version of the Qur'an, courtesy of Saudi Arabia, and no books of Rumi, nothing on Guru Nanuk, nothing on other religions, but a lot of fundamentalist books, including one on 'cults' (I was mad because my Sufi Order wasn't listed, but the Unitarians, my mother's church, was!). I'd also like to see more computer stations (there are only 6) and more big city newspapers. It would be nice to see Mother Jones magazine in the periodical section as well.

18. I'd like to see more help with those starting to use computers. This would speed up computer usage time a lot.

19. I can't think of one that isn't necessary for someone.



Hope this helped you with your homework

[masmdu]

5. Wonderful!...I just love DU.

Much appreciated. Thank you.
M

[skygazer]

6. I'm a library junkie

Age: 43
Sex: F
Locaton (NE, South, West Coast, etc): West Coast

Questions:
• Background: some college, history nut
1. What library do you use most often? town public library
2. What kind of library is it? public
3. How often do you use it? weekly

• Library collection:
4. Who decides what materials will be in the library? not sure, I think there's a board of directors.

• Library services:
5. What services are offered by the library to its users? Internet access, Internet workshops, inter library lending
6. What will the library do for you? not sure what you mean
7. What can you ask for? can request certain books or materials
8. What can’t the library staff do for you? not sure
9. What kinds of help will they give you? help finding things, help with research

• Library staffing:
10. What kind of staff does a library have? a number of volunteers and a few full timers
11. How do they learn their jobs? i think some have degress in library skills
12. How do they get into library work? no idea
•Library value:
13. How important is it to you personally to have access to a library and why? very important - I'd go broke if I had to buy all the books I read
14. How important is it for your community? seems very busy, I'd say quite important
15. What alternatives do you use to find information? Internet, bookstores

16. What aspects of the library do you consider positive / negative? I think it's all positive, we need more of them, especially in poorer areas

17. What would you like to be able to find more of at the library? non fiction books
18. What services would you like to see offered or strengthened? bookmobile services and outreach, perhaps home service for seniors
19. What library services do you think are unnecessary? none

[mairceridwen]

7. hope this helps

Age: 29
Sex: F

Questions:
• Background:
1. What library do you use most often?
Emory University Libraries (Mostly the general library, occasionally the Law library)
2. What kind of library is it?
Research type library with a big tech center, lots of computers, and a nice archive
3. How often do you use it?
At least 1-2 a week for computer/tech stuff, for research I tend to use it in the last 6-8 weeks of the semester...but for just looking up books and articles, every week.


• Library collection:
4. Who decides what materials will be in the library?
I know that the library staff fields requests from professors and researchers on campus. I don't now if there is an acqusitions team that decides on those or what. I know that librararians from various disciplines purchase books, but I don't know how the process works.

• Library services:
5. What services are offered by the library to its users?
Tech support, reference staff, research staff from various disciplines, achive staff can answer specific questions, they also offer library specific training on EndNote, building personal databases and so forth. There is printing, copying, and internet access. Interlibrary loan.

6. What will the library do for you?
It's been my experience that the library will do just about anything short of writing the paper for you. As a grad student, I work with 2 specific librarians (women's studies and AfAm studies) that have sat with me and helped me find things I wouldn't have found on my own.

7. What can you ask for?
We can ask for help finding just about anything, either a physical book or assistance with the databases. You can get some help with projects just short of writing it. Help with the machines for microfiche and stuff like that too.

8. What can’t the library staff do for you?
They don't really do any honing, they help you find sources but they leave you to decide how helpful or not helpful a particular source can be, but they'll answer questions that help you make that decision.

9. What kinds of help will they give you?
See my answers to 6 & 7, I don't really know what else to say.

• Library staffing:
10. What kind of staff does a library have?
We have lots of different workers, work study students do a lot of admin. assistant type work and also man the circulation desks and do a lot of tech support. Then there is a full time staff of managers and other admin. The librarians have a Masters in Library science, but we also have some PhDs who got their training as a result of their archival research and so forth.
11. How do they learn their jobs?
Well work study attends a training seminar of some kind, same for admin assistants. I think some of the office managers have tranining and other industries. But the librarians and other research type people do grad work in Library Science or use the training they got in grad school studying something else.
12. How do they get into library work?
I assume that all the employers either apply directly to the school or in the case of librarians, work through networks established with schools and libraries

•Library value:
13. How important is it to you personally to have access to a library and why?
It is the single most important resource as a student.
14. How important is it for your community?
I'm not really certain what the status of The Library, as an institution, is in the community I live in since I am tied to the univeristy. It is my opinion that it should be one of the most important and I support a strong library culture...whatever that means.
15. What alternatives do you use to find information?
I purchase books. Use the internet...but there really is no "alternative"
16. What aspects of the library do you consider positive / negative?
I generally consider all aspects of the library to be positive. when they don't have the books I need, it's frustrating, but we have interlibrary loan. I don't really have anything negative...fines are kind of annoying, but they are my own fault. Our interlibrary loan system needs some work....the one at Ohio State was far superior

17. What would you like to be able to find more of at the library?
more books that I need for my stuff. otherwise, we're stocked.

18. What services would you like to see offered or strengthened?
I wouldn't mind having more classes offered on tech stuff. but as it is, they have several so i don't complain

19. What library services do you think are unnecessary?
It's not for me to say. I mean, I know what I need...but I don't know how much experience other people have or what their needs are. I don't want to take for granted that I was indoctrinated into library culture at a very young age and also that I've been attending/working at Universities and using their libraries for the past 12 years.

[LynzM]

8. Ok, will give it a shot

Age: 24
Sex: F
Location (NE, South, West Coast, etc): Indiana

Questions:
• Background:
1. What library do you use most often? Vigo County Public Library
2. What kind of library is it? County Public Library :)
3. How often do you use it? Between 3x/week and 1x/month, depends

• Library collection:
4. Who decides what materials will be in the library? No idea. There is a system to submit requests from library users for new materials, beyond that, I don't know.

• Library services:
5. What services are offered by the library to its users? Hrm... meeting place for groups, research help, some classes open to the public, inter-library loan, internet cafe, book sales.
6. What will the library do for you? That's open-ended. They will help you find information/materials, request new materials, transfer materials from other libraries, provide copying ability (paid), provide free internet access.
7. What can you ask for? see previous answer.
8. What can’t the library staff do for you? All sorts of things, fix my car, raise my child, sell me books. LOL, sorry, don't really know what that question is looking for.
9. What kinds of help will they give you? Help locating specific information or materials (research help), help using electronic resources.

• Library staffing:
10. What kind of staff does a library have? This one is paid staff, AFAIK, possibly some student volunteers.
11. How do they learn their jobs? I imagine some go to school for it to become true librarians, some are hired through newspaper etc., and trained on-the-job (desk staff, etc.)
12. How do they get into library work? Again, see previous answer.

•Library value:
13. How important is it to you personally to have access to a library and why? Quite important. Many books are things I will read but would not buy. The library gives me a chance to read it first and buy it later, if I want. It allows me access this way to books I'd never read, otherwise. It gives access to research materials I can't find online, and exposes me to books/ideas I might otherwise not run across. Many, many books for our daughter to explore!
14. How important is it for your community? Moderately important. Lots of groups hold meetings there, from school groups to moms' groups to ESL... it's a safe, comfortable place for them to meet.
15. What alternatives do you use to find information? Internet! This is usually my first choice, library second.

16. What aspects of the library do you consider positive / negative?
Positive: exposure to new materials, free video rental, more books than I could ever read!
Negative: Our library is not particularly aesthetically pleasing, to me. But that doesn't really affect my choice to use it or not. Just something I would change, were it up to me. I wish they had more books for very young children, but the selection for older toddlers is great.

17. What would you like to be able to find more of at the library? More board books for young kids, more DVDs!
18. What services would you like to see offered or strengthened? Possibly a used-book exchange.
19. What library services do you think are unnecessary? I don't know of any, really, since I'm not terribly familiar with everything it offers. I think if the services are still there, they probably are being utilized by somebody!

Probably not super-helpful answers, but I did it anyway! Hope your project goes well...

[masmdu]

9. Thanks to each and every one of you who helped me with this....!!!!

:)

[masmdu]

10. Kick for the evening crowd

Thanks