Library Users and Usage

Kirubanithi.P,
Sr.Librarian & Information officer,
Raja.M.C,
Librarian,
Aravind Eye Care System,
Madurai.

INTRODUCTION:

Library is a dynamic place with variety of activities for users; It is a gate way of knowledge for users group. It provides access to information through sharing and disseminating of resources that are being built up constantly. Librarians play a vital role in promoting the use of Library by supplying the information to the users.

Determining the needs of users is absolutely essential to the management of library which is meant to provide services to user group. The librarian continuously appraise the needs of users that the library can obtain and make available what the users need.

Computer based access libraries are providing Digital information services. Library facilitates the users to have access through terminals for electronic resources.

WHO is the library user?

  1. Ophthalmologists

  2. Eye Care Managers

  3. Para medical staff

  4. Faculty members

  5. Project students

  6. Volunteers

  7. Research students

  8. Trainees in both ophthalmic and management

  9. and other Administrative staff

Usage of Library

In Medical field, Libraries are having really very effective users. Usage of library depends up on the users. Users statistics gives the library usage Librarians update their knowledge which helps in providing informative service to the users. Specifically the users access the Books, Journals, CDs, Videos, Thesis and other allied resources.

Users and their usage:

Basic science books and National journals are identified by the beginners at the advice of teachers and seniors. Apart from this, senior librarians also coordinate with users in identifying some essential books and other resources.

Medical officers can identify the vital, standard, most relevant subject books, and international journals. Besides, they are looking for some other resources like CDs, Videos and non books like government publications and Magazine in their research activities include publishing articles in National Journals with help of medical consultants and others. So they expect information officer support for these purposes also and also for Web based search.

When Medical consultants and Eye care managers are attain top level ophthalmic position, they involve themselves in research activities and concentrate on their publication. Some of the Eye care managers and consultants are interested in doing the case studies and long term studies for publishing the article in International Journals. Eye care managers are in need of comprehensive population based studies and analyzing the data and develop the quality reports and finally publish the article based on their reports.

In this task both consultants and Eye care Managers expect relevant information (quality) from resource centers.

Library services for users:

Libraries develop its local archives and maintain the resources through evolving online library environment, so as to do their service effectively.

Librarians also participate in the users research activities by observing and responding their queries and interact with them for giving appropriate information to users.

In the Indexed Bibliography details of text book and journals are maintained using International Standards library software (ISIS) and accessed in Greenstone for providing the prompt service and save the users valuable time.

  1. Build better, more useful, and more useable online collections and services;

  2. Gather and analyze information that reveal how and why library use is changing;

  3. Build user support services that are effective and appropriate in evolving online library environments.

The digital information environment has drastically changed the way that Faculty and students access information offered by Academic libraries. Several digital information usage studies in recent years have focused on standardized usage counts.

Library serves digitally

Library software

GSDL (Greenstone digital Library) a digital software for libraries helps in web based access. It enables users to access full text of articles (PDF) or (HTML). Also provides MS office document and Images.

Online: Comprehensive search engine

Eye care Web Pages (Journals, Books and other resources)

Medicine index (PUBMED)

Google, Yahoo

Intranet

Intranet is one of the powerful tools for providing effective services to library users. Librarians update all the library resources via Intranet which facilitates the information to the users within the organization.

Other services

  1. Specialist libraries these provide web-based collections containing clinical and non-clinical Information on the major health priority areas

  2. Clinical information and summaries of evidence to support clinical practice

  3. Bibliographic databases and contents tables to support research often linked to a Document Delivery service or full content access

  4. Collections of full-text e-journals and e-books

  5. Current Awareness Services (CAS) & Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI)

  6. Providing Research based Services.

Users and their Resources

Most of the users are expecting journals articles and updated edition of particular subject. Update editions only focuses the innovative information, technology growth and current data. Medical consultants and Eye care managers update their knowledge through online where they can accumulate relevant information for their research studies.

Eye Care Managers also update their skills in ophthalmology through online. Most of the Eye Care Managers want to enhance their research activities in eye care. So they also need updated information like visionless population and cataract surgical rate and coverage through online as well as information centers.

Para Medicals are looking for only their journals (not clinical) and relevant books.

Conclusion:

Library is a Resource Bank for the users for enhancing their knowledge with up-to-date information. The up-to-date information are collected and shared by the Resource Center Personnel. The users also share their knowledge to develop the resources in the Resource centers via Resource persons. Librarians not only give support, but also motivate the users for attaining the goal of purifying the nonconsumtus.So Library serves as a stepping stone for the users and thereby provide hands in uplifting the Organization.