Page 36 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Unit 2: Reference Services

characteristics shared by public libraries. The first is that they are generally supported by taxes Notes
(usually local, though any level of government can and may contribute); they are governed by
a board to serve the public interest; they are open to all and every community member can
access the collection; they are entirely voluntary in that no one is ever forced to use the services
provided; and public libraries provide basic services without charge.
Public libraries exist in many countries across the world and are often considered an essential
part of having an educated and literate population. Public libraries are distinct from research
libraries, school libraries, and other special libraries in that their mandate is to serve the general
public’s information needs (rather than the needs of a particular school, institution, or research
population). Public Libraries also provide free services such as preschool story times to encourage
early literacy, quiet study and work areas for students and professionals, or book clubs to
encourage appreciation of literature in adults. Public libraries typically allow users to take
books and other materials off the premises temporarily; they also have non-circulating reference
collections and provide computer and Internet access to patrons.

2.4.2 Academic Libraries

An academic library is a library that is attached to an academic institution above the secondary
level, serving the teaching and research needs of students and staff. These libraries serve two
complementary purposes: to support the school’s curriculum, and to support the research of the
university faculty and students.

The support of teaching requires material for class readings and for student papers. In the past,
the material for class readings, intended to supplement lectures as prescribed by the instructor,
has been called reserves. In the period before electronic resources became available, the reserves
were supplied as actual books or as photocopies of appropriate journal articles.

Notes Traditionally, one copy of a book was made available for each 10 students — this is
practical for large classes only if paperback copies are available, and the books reused
from term to term.

Academic libraries must decide what focus they take in collecting materials since no single
library can supply everything. Librarians examine the needs of students and instructors, as well
as the priorities of the college or university when deciding what to focus on. When there are
particular areas of specialization in academic libraries these are often referred to as niche
collections. These collections are often the basis of a special collection department and may
include original papers, artwork, and artefacts written or created by a single author or about a
specific subject.
2.4.3 Special Libraries

A special library is a term for a library that is neither an academic, school, public or national
library. Special libraries include corporate libraries, law libraries, medical libraries, museum
libraries, news libraries, and non-profit libraries. These libraries are not usually open to the
general public, though many are available to specific elements of the public or scheduled
appointments. Special libraries are also sometimes known as information centres. They are
generally staffed by librarians, although many librarians employed in special libraries are
specialists in the library’s field rather than generally trained librarians, and often are not required
to have advanced degrees in specifically library-related field due to the specialized content and
clientele of the library.

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