Library User Metaphors and Services

This new series presents and discusses new and innovative approaches used by professionals in library and information practice worldwide. The authors are chosen to provide critical analysis of issues and to present solutions to selected challenges in libraries and related fields, including information management and industry, and education of information professionals. The book series strives to present practical solutions that can be applied in institutions worldwide. It thereby contributes significantly to improvements in the field.

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How do library professionals talk about and refer to library users, and how is this significant? In recent decades, the library profession has conceived of users in at least five different ways, viewing them alternatively as citizens, clients, customers, guests, or partners. This book argues that these user metaphors crucially inform librarians' interactions with the public, and, by extension, determine the quality and content of the services received. The ultimate aim of this book is to provide library professionals with insights and tools for avoiding common pitfalls associated with false or professionally inadequate conceptions of library users.