Assessing Information Needs: Managing Transformative Library Services

✍ Scribed by Robert J. Grover, Roger C. Greer, John Agada

• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 225
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Knowing a community enables library and information professionals to prioritize the community's information needs and design appropriate services for them. Assessing Information Needs: Managing Transformative Library Services was written to provide the rationale for community analysis, a model for gathering community data, and a process for analyzing data and applying it to the management of an information agency. The book explains why information professionals should customize services, as well as the "how to" of collecting data. A model for gathering community information is described, applied, and demonstrated through a case study. The book then shows how such information is interpreted and used to plan information services that are transformative for individuals and groups in the case-study community, providing lessons that readers can use with their own institutions. Rooted in a philosophy of customer service, the method presented here is perfect for public, school, academic, and special libraries or other types of information agencies.

✦ Table of Contents

Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgments......Page 12
The Need for This Book......Page 14
Managing for Change......Page 15
Knowing Your Clientele......Page 16
Focus of the Book......Page 17
Overview of the Chapters......Page 18
Reference......Page 19
A Brief History of Library Services......Page 20
The Evolution of Library Services......Page 21
Emergence of a New Service Paradigm......Page 22
The Global Information Infrastructure......Page 25
The Role of Library and Information Professionals in the Information Infrastructure......Page 26
Current Changes in Society: Implicationsfor Information Services......Page 29
The Influence of Technology on Information Services......Page 30
References......Page 32
Suggested Reading on the History of Libraries......Page 33
Definitions......Page 34
Community Information and Knowledge Infrastructure......Page 36
Social Knowledge and Information Services......Page 40
Elements of a Community Knowledge Infrastructure......Page 41
The Relationship of Information Resourcesto Knowledge Systems......Page 43
Use as the Interface of Formal and Informal Knowledge Systems......Page 44
Implications for Assessing Information Needsand Customizing Information Services......Page 48
References......Page 50
The Service Cycle......Page 52
The Diagnostic Process in Information Services......Page 54
Component Parts of the CARI Model......Page 56
Adapting to Community Change......Page 61
Community Change Requires Understanding the Past and Present......Page 62
Social Science Theories Are Necessary for Effective Analysis of a Community......Page 63
The Science of the Information Professions......Page 64
Information Psychology......Page 65
The Sociology of Information......Page 66
Summary......Page 68
Reference......Page 69
Reader Studies......Page 70
Studies of Information Needs......Page 71
Environmental Scanning......Page 73
Community Analysis......Page 76
Information Use Studies......Page 77
The Use of Qualitative Research Methods and Intuition......Page 78
Written Questionnaires......Page 82
Interviews......Page 83
When Not to Use Surveys......Page 84
Summary......Page 85
References......Page 86
Definition of Individuals......Page 88
Behavioral Processes of Information Psychology......Page 90
Theory Supporting Information Psychology......Page 91
Library Registration Files......Page 92
Census Data......Page 93
Summary......Page 95
References......Page 96
Identifying Groups in a Community......Page 98
Sources of Information......Page 100
Examples of Groups......Page 101
Implications for Library and Information Services......Page 105
Reference......Page 106
Definition of Agencies......Page 108
Sources of Information......Page 109
Examples of Agencies......Page 110
Implications for Library and Information Services......Page 115
References......Page 116
Definition of Lifestyles......Page 118
Exploring Culture in a Community......Page 119
History......Page 120
Values......Page 121
Topographical Features......Page 122
Climate......Page 123
Leisure Activities......Page 124
Transportation and Traffic Patterns......Page 125
Communication......Page 126
Community-ness......Page 128
Economic Life......Page 130
Social Issues......Page 131
Summary......Page 132
References......Page 133
Organizing to Gather Data......Page 134
Organizing into Teams......Page 135
Collecting Data on Individuals, Groups, Agencies, and Lifestyles......Page 136
Library Resource Analysis......Page 139
Public Libraries......Page 142
Universities and Colleges......Page 143
Case Study......Page 144
The Workshop......Page 145
Summary......Page 148
References......Page 149
Individuals......Page 150
Case Study Results......Page 151
Groups......Page 155
Agencies......Page 161
Agencies Case Study......Page 162
Implications for Information Services......Page 163
Lifestyles Case Study......Page 164
Lifestyles Summary......Page 167
Map Case Study......Page 168
Shelf List Data Case Study......Page 170
A Review of the Community Analysis Process......Page 172
References......Page 173
Conceptualizing Information Services......Page 176
Functions of Information and Library Services......Page 177
Levels of Service......Page 186
Applying Data to Service Scenarios......Page 188
Summary......Page 192
References......Page 193
Today’s Business Environment......Page 194
Leading Change......Page 196
Implementing a System for Change......Page 197
The Challenge Ahead......Page 199
References......Page 200
Appendix A: Educational Attainment for the Six Communities......Page 202
Appendix B: Brighton Businesses by Category......Page 203
Appendix C: Brighton’s History......Page 204
Appendix D: Case Study Chronology......Page 206
Appendix E: Case Study Survey Questions......Page 208
Selected Bibliography......Page 210
B......Page 214
C......Page 215
D......Page 216
I......Page 217
K......Page 218
M......Page 219
S......Page 220
T......Page 221
Z......Page 222
About the Authors......Page 224