Library Personnel, Users and User Education
What the exam tests
This domain covers staff categories, user needs, user education and information literacy. Questions ask you to plan an orientation, identify a staff level, or choose a user-education method.
Core rules and concepts
- Professional staff: hold a library science qualification and handle selection, classification, cataloguing, reference and management.
- Semi-professional staff: assist with processing, circulation and routine reference under supervision.
- Non-professional staff: handle shelving, physical maintenance, photocopying and clerical work.
- User studies: identify needs, information-seeking behaviour, satisfaction and barriers.
- User education methods: orientation, guided tour, library handbook, pathfinder, OPAC demonstration, bibliographic instruction and information literacy sessions.
- Information literacy: recognising an information need, locating, evaluating, using and communicating information ethically.
- Reference interview and confidentiality: respect the user's privacy and do not disclose borrowing or query details unnecessarily.
Worked example
New students arrive at a school library. A suitable plan is a short orientation, a guided tour of sections, a demonstration of issue and return, an OPAC or catalogue demonstration, a handbook with rules and opening hours, and a brief quiz. Reasoning: the plan combines awareness, practical skills and assessment, and it addresses new users' immediate needs.
Traps
User education is not merely publicity or display. A guided tour alone does not teach search skills. Do not assign professional selection and classification work to untrained staff. Do not confuse user education with user studies: education teaches users; studies investigate their needs.