Joelle E. Pitts - Library Services for Online Patrons

Stefanie Buck

Joelle E. Pitts

Joelle E. Pitts

Jason M. Coleman

Natalie Haber

Elaine Sullo

Karla Aleman

Laura Bonella

Laura Bonella

Adam Wathen

Since the advent of the Internet in the mid-1990s, the role and value of library services and resources has been brought into question. Discussions around relevancy, technological aptitude, and the need to serve an increasingly online user base have been front and center at library conferences and other professional gatherings for more than two decades. Yet, libraries are still here, largely because they have found ways to serve their patrons in the digital age. They are not only relevant but are also necessary as information is proliferated at exponential rates.

There are few agreed-upon or official guidelines for serving online library users, and those that exist shift frequently as technology progresses and users adapt. This book is intended to be a manual for librarians who work with users learning, studying, connecting, and researching online. Though public services librarians have the most obvious interaction with these users, this book will also be helpful to other staff who manage electronic access and services. We focus on ways to build library services and resources using the principles of universal design, as well as how to cater to the specific needs of online users. We also address how to effectively reach out and market to the online population, and how to collaborate with organizational stakeholders who work directly with or for them. As a result, librarians who work with online users will have a practical blueprint to follow in implementing or improving their services and marketing.

This manual offers 10 chapters that each address an aspect of online librarianship. The first three provide a foundation for those that follow. relates to inclusive design, or the intentional consideration of users with a variety of abilities and circumstances.

offer an in-depth treatment of three cornerstones of public services for online users: reference, instruction, and embedded librarianship.

examines how librarians can advocate for their online users especially with regard to access and provides a template for planning.

provides a discussion of public library practices in discovery, content, and programming for online users.

Each chapter in this volume is written by a librarian with in-depth practical expertise in serving online users. The chapters are also augmented with practical case studies from a variety of libraries. Each area could be (or in many cases already is) an entire volume in itself. This manual, therefore, is not meant to examine every facet and angle of online librarianship in detail. Rather, it is aimed at providing a practical, cohesive starting point for librarians hoping to have a broader and more holistic view of how to serve online users.

Throughout the book, we have been very careful in our use of the words online and distance . Although some librarians use those terms interchangeably, we do not. For us, the word online refers to resources and services that are accessed or delivered through the Internet. In the context of library users, online means those users who are interacting with the library through the Internet. The term online refers to the mode of access rather than the location of access. Indeed, many online users are situated in physical library buildings. he term distance , in contrast, refers to locations that are geographically separated from our library buildings. In the context of users, the word distance refers to individuals who are unable to, or prefer not to, visit our physical library locations.

Stefanie Buck

When you work with online or distance patrons, you may find that you are full of ideas about how to serve them, but before you dive in and start creating online tutorials and services, it is best to take a step back and take stock of the situation. Taking stock means getting to know what resources are available to you, understanding policies and procedures, identifying what services are available to online learners, and knowing who your partners are. In this chapter, we will look at some of the questions you should ask in order to gain a better understanding of your situation. We will look at partners and stakeholders, tools and technology, collections, and policies. Some of these topics, such as conducting a needs assessment of your population, will be covered in more depth in later chapters. Because each situation is different, this chapter is made up in large part of questions to ask so that you have a good understanding of your environment. The answers to these questions will help you develop your plan for what you want to accomplish.

While there may be few librarians in your organization who focus on online patrons, chances are there are other librarians in your state or region who would be willing to share what has and has not worked for them. One good place to begin is by reading about the experiences of others. Some of their situations may provide guidance for your work. A few articles listed in the References to help you get started include Cannady, Fagerheim, Williams, and Steiners Diving into Distance Learning Librarianship: Tips and Advice for New and Seasoned Professionals (2013); Corbett and Browns The Roles That Librarians and Libraries Play in Distance Education Settings (2015); Holloways Outreach to Distance Students: A Case Study of a New Distance Librarian (2011); Huwilers Library Services for Distance Students: Opportunities and Challenges (2015); and Marcums Embracing Change: Adapting and Evolving Your Distance Learning Library Services to Meet the New ACRL Distance Learning Library Services Standards (2016).