Scientific management and service of book open-shelf lending
Open-shelf lending has become the dominant service mode of university libraries, which is the embodiment of modern management means and "face-to-face" service mode, and at the same time improves the circulation rate and utilization rate of documents. However, in the process of open-shelf borrowing, there are still some problems that need to be solved urgently, such as disordered shelves, theft and book damage. In order to solve the above problems, what aspects should we carry out and improve management? Combined with my own practical work, I would like to talk about some understandings.
First, the advantages of open-shelf lending services
1. Give readers the freedom to acquire knowledge.
Open-shelf service has narrowed the distance between readers and books, and the freedom and space for readers to choose books have greatly increased. In the face of a rich collection of books, readers read widely and realize their needs more quickly and accurately. People's demand for knowledge is infinite, and it is the greatest respect for readers' demand to let readers decide their own knowledge demand.
2. Improve the utilization rate of books in the collection.
Open-shelf borrowing simplifies the borrowing procedures, effectively overcomes the blindness and rejection of borrowing, and enables some boring books to circulate. It avoids the phenomenon that readers can't borrow books and library books can't be lent out in closed-shelf lending, and reduces the rejection rate of books. Expand the scope of readers' search choices. When readers can't find urgently needed books, they can also replace them with related books, which reduces the rejection rate.
3. Improve the labor efficiency of managers.
Open-shelf lending frees managers from their busy work in the library and puts more energy into effective work such as reading guidance, introducing collections and answering questions for readers, which makes readers feel happy and satisfied, thus improving work efficiency.
Second, the disadvantages of open-shelf lending service
1. Chaos
Shelf disorder is the most common problem in the process of open-shelf borrowing, and its reasons come from two aspects:
(1) from readers. After the new readers enter the library, they are curious about the novelty, touch the east and look at the west, and then throw them away at will after browsing, resulting in a large area of books lying around. Some readers choose books and throw them in when they return to the shelf, resulting in a series of disorderly shelves. Other readers hide their favorite books in the humble mezzanine, which makes these books "dead books" on the bookshelf but can't be found, resulting in messy mezzanine.
(2) Management is not in place. The stack room lacks plane distribution map and classification table; Bookshelf logo is not eye-catching, book layout is unreasonable, readers take a long time to get and read books, and it is easy to put them on other bookshelves. The adoption of overhead arrangement of books has affected the enthusiasm and accuracy of readers to return books to their original places. The staff of the stacks lack a sense of responsibility, do not complete and return the shelves in time, do not patrol the stacks or patrol the stacks less often, and neglect management, resulting in disorderly shelves.
Step 2 destroy
Open-shelf borrowing causes a lot of book damage for many reasons, mainly including:
(1) Natural factors. First of all, the circulation of open-shelf lending is large, books are frequently taken off the shelf and returned to the shelf, and the friction between books and between books and shelves increases the natural damage rate of books. Secondly, the binding quality of books is poor, and some new books have fallen off the page before they are put into circulation. Thirdly, the natural wear and tear of books, such as peeling, page dropping, call number and bar code, also increase accordingly, which are normal and inevitable phenomena.
(2) Human factors. Open-shelf lending allows many readers to choose directly from the warehouse, with high extraction frequency and high breakage rate. Individual readers lack the consciousness of caring for books, and turn, insert, throw and plug books at will, resulting in the surface damage of books, and even peeling and page dropping. Some readers find the information they need, and don't copy it after borrowing it, but take the method of tearing the page and opening the skylight.
fail
After open-shelf lending, the loss rate of books is higher than that of closed-shelf lending, and it is still difficult to eliminate even if a monitor is equipped. Readers steal books for different reasons. Some readers think books are too expensive or difficult to buy. Some readers feel that some contents in books and periodicals are valuable; Some readers intend to retaliate for stealing books after being punished for violating the rules; Some readers know that stealing books is against public morality, but they do the same when they see others stealing books. In short, due to the low ideological awareness of individual readers, influenced by the idea that "stealing books is not stealing", some collection resources are lost, which affects the normal borrowing of libraries.
Third, the measures and ideas of scientific management
1. Reader lending management
(1) Strengthen publicity and education. In the eye-catching position of open-shelf stacks, readers' instructions and rules and regulations for open-shelf borrowing are posted. Strengthen the publicity and education for new readers before entering the library, publicize and introduce basic knowledge such as book classification, shelving, collection layout and retrieval methods to readers, and teach readers to master the correct borrowing methods. It is necessary to strengthen the publicity and reporting of new books in storage so that they can enter circulation as soon as possible. We should be good at publicizing library lending rules and regulations, and guard against stealing, tearing and doodling books.
(2) Instruct readers to use the "substitute book board". The so-called "substitute book board" is a kind of plate-like article temporarily placed on the bookshelf. The books on the shelf are arranged in strict accordance with the classification number. Using the book substitution board allows readers to put books back in their original places according to the classification number, so as not to cause confusion and affect other readers in finding books. Therefore, for open-shelf management, librarians must guide readers to use the "book substitute board" correctly.
(3) Strengthen reading guidance. Collection distribution sign is a prompt system of collection documents and a guide for readers to find books. Improve the library collection distribution identification system, set up a detailed identification scheme at the entrance of the library to indicate the distribution of all kinds of books; Marking detailed shelf labels on the shelves will make readers see at a glance and reduce blindness, which is convenient for readers and reduces the occurrence of damaged books. The responsibility system of first inquiry is implemented, so that every librarian has the consciousness of acting as a consultant, answers the questions raised by readers accurately at any time, and constantly improves the consulting service function.
(4) Pay attention to readers' feedback. Hold readers' forums at different levels regularly or irregularly to listen to readers' opinions and suggestions directly; Carry out a questionnaire survey to understand the dynamics of readers' needs, so as to improve and improve services in time, realize two-way communication in work and meet readers' needs as much as possible.
2. Improve the management system and formulate management measures.
Management system is the basic measure and means to ensure the normal operation of the library. In the case of possible disorder and loss, we should formulate and improve scientific and reasonable management methods and reward and punishment systems to regulate and restrain readers' behavior. Readers whose borrowing behavior is "anomie", such as taking, inserting and misplacing, should be corrected in time. In addition, other flexible and diverse management methods can be adopted: for example, installing anti-theft detectors at the entrances and exits of stacks; Establish a perfect query system; Equipped with advanced copying equipment; Peak-shifting loan; Special bookshelf display and color separation book labels. Take a multi-pronged approach to prevent the occurrence of disorder, damage and loss.
3. Staff management
(1) Enhance employees' sense of responsibility and improve professional ethics. Strengthen the education of employees' sense of responsibility, and require diligent hands and feet and diligent eyes. It is necessary to regularly check the shelves of books (warehouses) and put them on the shelves in a timely manner to ensure that the books are neatly placed and correctly classified, so as to reduce the occurrence of "disorderly shelves and hidden shelves". For new readers, we should actively introduce various rules, systems and borrowing methods. Staff should firmly establish the service consciousness of "readers first, readers first" and satisfy readers' thirst for knowledge to the greatest extent.
(2) Strengthen the cultural literacy and professional level of librarians. First of all, the librarian must master the professional knowledge of the library, have excellent professional skills, and be familiar with the types and shelves of books in the collection. Therefore, libraries should hold regular business skills training to improve their professional quality and provide convenient and efficient services for readers. Secondly, library staff need extensive reading, and it is best to have a certain understanding of the scientific research direction of our school in order to improve their service ability.
In a word, the ultimate goal of library work is to let readers make full use of all kinds of literature information resources, and open-shelf borrowing is one of the ways to achieve this goal. Librarians should constantly explore, summarize and innovate, carry forward their professionalism, pay attention to the changes of readers' needs, and formulate practical management and service measures to make open-shelf lending play a greater role.
References:
Yang Minghua. Chaos of open-shelf stacks and its countermeasures. Yunnan Library Quarterly, 1990, (4).
[2] the country loves the people. Analysis and countermeasures of illegal phenomenon of open-shelf borrowing in university libraries. Journal of Harbin Institute, 2005, (4).
[3] villi, Fan Yuehua. The Application of Ranganathan's Five Laws in the Circulation of University Libraries. University library work, 20 1 1, (2).