Understanding Librarians
Communication is the Issue
- 1st Edition - August 5, 2011
- Latest edition
- Author: Barbara Hull
- Language: English
Aimed at professionals and trainee professionals within the library and information service (LIS) fields, this book reminds the reader of the frequently ignored communication-gulf… Read more
Aimed at professionals and trainee professionals within the library and information service (LIS) fields, this book reminds the reader of the frequently ignored communication-gulf between the professional and the layman, and in particular the lack of true communication between LIS professionals and the user. It focuses especially on ‘non-standard’ users, such as non-native speakers or those with some disability. The author provides accessible examples of good practice, assesses their degree of success and suggests further ways to improve performance in information provision.
- Written by a “poacher turned gamekeeper” – an information professional who is also an experienced adult educator
- Jargon-free and accessible style of delivery
- Highlights the human aspects of using libraries, even if this is in a virtual environment
Practitioners and students of Library and Information Science
Dedication
List of tables
About the author and contributors
Chapter 1: Defining the problem
Chapter 2: What are libraries for?
Chapter 3: Images of librarians
Chapter 4: Psychological barriers
Chapter 5: Social class and lack of education as barriers
Chapter 6: Language as a barrier
Chapter 7: Lack of literacy numeracy skills as a barrier
Chapter 8: Information CommunicationTechnology as a barrier
Chapter 9: Disability as a barrier
Chapter 10: Clarity of purpose
Chapter 11: Evaluation the value of systematic research
Chapter 12: Librarians as reflective practitioners
Chapter 13: Staff development
Chapter 14: Self publicise
Chapter 15: Breaking down the library walls: responding to the needs of the Google generation
Chapter 16: Communication within partnerships at Deakin University Library: the liaison link
Chapter 17: Where are we now?
Index
"Hull provides a well-researched argument, which is anchored in evidence. While written mainly from an academic library perspective, the themes remain relevant to all libraries."—The Australian Library Journal
"Provides a comprehensive overview of the various barriers a library professional needs to keep in mind when dealing with customers."—The Australian Library Journal
"This easy-to-read and easy-to-understand book can be treated both as a starting point for further research and as a code of conduct for librarians, library managers, and library practitioners."—Journal of Librarianship and Information Science
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Published: August 5, 2011
- Language: English
BH
Barbara Hull
Dr Barbara Hull is the author of the British Library-commissioned report, Barriers to Libraries as agents of lifelong learning. Hull has published widely in both the information profession literature and to a wider audience, she has delivered numerous international conference papers on overcoming barriers to accessing libraries, a number having come by invitation. As a lifelong practitioner in Adult and Community Education, Hull focussed her PhD. research on the changes in the self-esteem of students from previous educational disadvantages. With 27 years’ experience in management of libraries in Special, College, Further and Higher Education, she has always had a special interest in empowering the end-user. For 13 years Hull was Social Sciences Librarian with special responsibility for library research at Teesside University, where she currently teaches English for Learning to Speakers of Other Languages.
Affiliations and expertise
Teesside University, UKRead Understanding Librarians on ScienceDirect