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Reference Lec 5

The document discusses different types of information users including general users, special users, handicapped users, non-reading users, and non-literate users. General users use the library for expanding general knowledge or pleasure. Special users advance knowledge in their subject disciplines. Handicapped users include those with physical or intellectual disabilities. Non-reading users utilize non-reading library services. Non-literate users cannot read or write and want to improve literacy.

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17 views

Reference Lec 5

The document discusses different types of information users including general users, special users, handicapped users, non-reading users, and non-literate users. General users use the library for expanding general knowledge or pleasure. Special users advance knowledge in their subject disciplines. Handicapped users include those with physical or intellectual disabilities. Non-reading users utilize non-reading library services. Non-literate users cannot read or write and want to improve literacy.

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Information

LECTURE 5
Who is an Information User?
The term user is all-embracing. It is used broadly to include all those who avail
themselves of the service offered by a library. The term referred to all categories
of people who are beneficiaries of library products and services. Various terms
such as client, reader, customer, etc, may be used to describe the information
user.
Therefore the information user is a person who is actively seeking access to
knowledge/information and who when successful, obtains and uses the
knowledge/information. User can be grouped by subject/discipline or by the
type of activities. Whittaker’s categorization can be further expanded as follows:
general group, special users, handicapped users, non-literate users and non-
reading users
types
1.General users;
These are clients who use the library with the main purpose of expanding their
general knowledge or who read for pleasure. They really do not have any specific
subject in mind. They read newspapers, magazine, and both fiction and non-fiction
books. These include: pensioners, children and young adults. This group also
include the users of internet facilities in libraries.
2 Special Users
They often use the library purposely to advance knowledge in their subject
disciplines. They are usually interested in subject fields in which they are working
or studying. They include pupils and student researcher and lecturer, who are
usually involved in the advancement of knowledge. Professionals who are
executors and implementers of policies and also, policy makers and planners who
formulates policies. The users in these categories are literate.
types
3.Handicapped users
These are users of the library that are handicapped in one form or the other.
They are disabled, either physically or intellectually. The physically handicapped
are those users who have one disability or the other, like those who use wheel
chairs, those who are visually-impaired or hearing-impaired and those that
cannot physically get to the library for one reason or the other, like hospital
patients and prisoners. The intellectually handicapped are those that are
mentally retarded. Deaf and blind users, crippled users, hospital patients,
prisoners etc, are categorised as handicapped users.
types
4 Non-reading users
These are users who make use of library services other than reading, such as
borrowing tapes, videocassettes, audiocassettes, films, projectors, renting the hall
for one thing or the other.
5 Non-literate users
These are users who cannot read and write in any language, and those that are
barely literate. They want to use the library to improve their literacy skills or even
acquire reading skills. Artisans, farmers and many rural people fall into this category.
In Africa, they constitute the largest proportion of information users. This group of
clients is often in need of information for social, economic and political
development. This group also seeks health information.

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