USE MADE OF PUBLIC REFERENCE LIBRARIES: A SURVEY OF PERSONAL USERS AND TELEPHONE, TELEX, AND POSTAL INQUIRIES
| Date | 01 February 1967 |
| Published date | 01 February 1967 |
| Pages | 131-145 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb026426 |
| Author | D.W.G. CLEMENTS |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
USE MADE OF PUBLIC REFERENCE LIBRARIES:
A SURVEY OF PERSONAL USERS AND TELEPHONE,
TELEX, AND POSTAL INQUIRIES
D.
W. G. CLEMENTS
Office for Scientific and
Technical
Information
An account is given of a survey carried out by OSTI in May-June 1966
on the use made of thirty-three public reference libraries in England,
Scotland, and Wales, covering both personal visitors and telephone,
Telex, and postal inquiries. The results include the more important factual
information collected and show the large extent to which public refer-
ence libraries are used as a source of technical and commercial informa-
tion by a wide range of
users,
especially in local industry, commerce, and
public services.
INTRODUCTION
THE FUNCTIONS of the Office for Scientific and Technical Information
include 'encouraging the establishment of
a
comprehensive, efficient, and
flexible library network for science and technology...'. To fulfil this func-
tion it is necessary to have satisfactory factual data on the use of libraries
and the part they play in the scientific and technical information network.
This paper
sets
out
the
main results of
a
survey carried out on the part played
by public reference libraries in this network. The thirty-three libraries that
participated were chosen, after consultation with the Library Association,
to give a wide coverage of the various types of public reference libraries
(including all the largest) providing a technical and/or commercial service.
The survey was conducted by means of two questionnaires, one for per-
sons entering reference departments and one for telephone, Telex, and
postal inquiries, the questionnaires being made final after a pilot survey.
The main survey was carried out for one week in each library from
23
May
up to 25 June 1966.* Two-thirds of the libraries carried out the survey
during the week commencing 23 May and accounted for approximately
80%
of the questionnaires analysed. The response rate was high in the case
of personal visits, well over
75%
in most libraries, and about 26,000 forms
were
analysed.
For telephone, Telex, and postal inquiries about
3,000
forms,
well over a 90% response rate, were analysed.
* One library carried out the survey for only two days which, however, were typical days
and gave a large sample of inquiries.
131
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