Reader Services Policy

This policy describes the reader services the Library provides and how staff are expected to deliver them.

Introduction

The National Library of Australia is a major centre for scholarship and research. Its rich Australian and international collections support the pursuit of knowledge and creative endeavour. The Library exists to serve the information and research needs of all Australians and people from overseas researching Australian subjects.

Our aim is to enable people to access our services independently, whether in the Library or around Australia. A top priority for the Library is to make information easily available via the website so people can access our resources onsite or from elsewhere. Through the internet we provide a range of information including our catalogue and eResources , to help you find websites, indexes, full-text e-journals and subject guides on a range of topics.

Reader services and curatorial staff are available to provide assistance where necessary. Staff are knowledgeable about the collections and about the research process.

We aim to maintain a welcoming, equitable, impartial, consistent, convenient and enriching research environment. Feedback about Library services is sought regularly from users to ensure that their needs are being met.

How we serve our users

Through our reader services we aim to inform people about the National Library’s collections and assist people to find and get the information they require.

The public can use the Library’s collections in the Main Reading Room or any of the specialist reading rooms and consult the staff on duty. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email, letter, through an online enquiry form or through the AskNow online chat reference service. Contact details are available on the Library’s website www.nla.gov.au and in Library publications.

Internet access is available in the reading rooms for use in accordance with the Library’s Acceptable Use of Information and Communication Technology.

The National Library Service Charter and the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct underpin the style and standards of reader services at the Library.

The Service Charter states that our staff are dedicated to meeting the information needs of users and that users can expect quick, effective and courteous service; that 90% of items stored onsite will be delivered within 45 minutes; 90% of items requested from our offsite store will be delivered within 90 minutes of courier cut-off times; and 90% of offsite enquiries will be responded to within a week of receipt. More complex enquiries may take up to four weeks; most onsite and telephone enquiries will be responded to immediately.

We often exceed these standards aiming to answer the majority of short reference enquiries immediately and the remainder within 48 hours.

The National Library cultivates a climate of mutual respect and has a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of both its clients and staff.  Reference and reading room staff are expected to behave in a courteous and professional manner, and, likewise, users are asked to treat both library staff and other library users with respect. Reference and reading room staff work in a challenging and ever changing work environment so a collaborative and supportive approach to achieving our goals is vital.

The National Library Regulations define public access conditions and conduct on Library property and provide the authority for the direction of conduct. The regulations are available on the Library’s website.

Reference services

Staff provide assistance in using the Library, reference services, research interviews and reader education programs.

The following levels of service are indicated for the various categories of user enquiries received in person, by telephone, email, online enquiry forms, AskNow and fax/letter.

1. Directional enquiries

These can be answered immediately.

Examples include:

  • where are the toilets?
  • where do I access electoral rolls?
  • where is the Manuscripts Reading Room?

2. Assistance with the use of resources

This assistance includes “how to” questions and enquiries that might be answered by prepared sets of information.

Examples include:

  • welcoming and registering new users and giving basic guidance in how to use the catalogue, request, reserve, collect and return books and other collection material; and explaining opening hours and stack delivery times;
  • how to use the Library's PCs
  • how to register for wireless service connections
  • how to access electronic databases
  • how to photocopy and print from computers
  • how to use microform reader/printers
  • explaining functions and services of the special reading rooms
  • alerting people to the range of reader education options including the online tutorial and the regular program of talks and demonstrations of resources
  • basic copyright information
  • how to order copies of material
  • how to handle collection material
  • providing information about other collecting institutions.

3. Reference enquiries

Responses to reference enquiries require the formulation of a strategy to locate an answer and require the selection of resources.

(a) Short reference enquiries (taking up to15 minutes).

Answers to short enquiries can generally be found quickly online or from the print reference collection. The majority of enquiries received by the Library fall within this category.

Examples include:

  • providing collection holdings information or answering basic subject reference enquiries;
  • outlining a search strategy which may involve online and hardcopy resources or directing users to the relevant areas or staff, or to external agencies who might be able to assist with an answer.

(b) Extended reference enquiries (taking up to an hour).

Examples include:

  • assisting a user undertaking advanced research or locating an item in the Special Collections
  • a referral from AskNow or the telephone service to the email service
  • an e-mail enquiry where the response cannot be readily found online or in the print reference collection

If the request requires involved and exhaustive searches likely to extend beyond the one hour limit Reader Services staff may suggest the user seeks the services of a private fee based researcher. A list of ACT based researchers can be found on the Library’s web site.

If we cannot provide the information from our own resources, we refer users to relevant agencies.

4. Consultation or Research Interview (sessions of up to an hour)

Appointments may be made with a reference librarian or curator for a general introduction to the Library or an explanation about the Library’s resources for a particular topic or project. Appointments are available for individuals or groups and should be made in advance of the visit.

Examples include:

  • orientation for a visiting overseas academic
  • introduction to the Library for post-graduate student(s)
  • resources related to a project by an independent scholar
  • special interest group e.g. genealogy, local history
  • filming of collections

5. Services we do not provide

  • extensive research for clients,
  • lengthy family history research,
  • lengthy research for school or university assignments or theses;
  • searches for missing persons
  • answers to questions for quizzes or competitions
  • >medical or legal advice
  • lengthy searches of unindexed sources such as newspapers and periodicals
  • access to original materials such as manuscripts, maps and rare books if they are deemed to be too fragile to handle. Alternative sources or formats may be suggested
  • translation services (ad hoc assistance may be provided if staff with appropriate language skills area available)
  • valuations (readers are referred to published sources of auction price information).

Access restrictions

All responses to enquiries must be handled in accordance with:

  • the Copyright Act, 1968
  • the Archives Act,1983
  • the Privacy Act,1988
  • licence agreements covering the subscription electronic resources
  • donor defined access provisions specified for non–published materials
  • collection management policy for fragile materials

Guides and finding aids

A range of self-help resources are prepared by staff and made available in the reading rooms and via the website.

Examples include:

  • information sheets
  • finding aids for special collections
  • e-resources service (to find websites, indexes, full-text e-journals and subject guides on a range of topics)

Reader education program

Staff provide formal reader education sessions. For a schedule and more information about these sessions visit What’s On.

Examples include:

  • formal library orientation sessions for groups
  • catalogue and e-resource tutorials (including hands-on)
  • group and public talks highlighting aspects of the collections or services for the general public and specific group

Special services and facilities

1. Facilities for people with disabilities.

  • magnifying glasses in all reading rooms
  • adjustable magnifying lenses for the microform reader/printers
  • large computer screens with trackballs in the Main and Newspapers and Microforms Reading Rooms
  • an Aladdin Video enlarger in the Main Reading Room, which magnifies the images on a computer screen
  • JAWS screen reading software in the Main Reading Room Interview Room

2. Asian script material services

  • Asian Collections Reading Room staff offer services relating to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Indonesian script materials in hardcopy and online

3. Audio visual equipment

  • audio cassette, CD and compact disc players in the Main and Petherick Reading Rooms
  • video cassette player and DVD player in the Main Reading Room
  • headphones

4. Music Equipment

  • an upright piano in the Sound Recording Studio, Oral History Section
  • Sibelius music notation software, an electronic keyboard and headphones in the Petherick Reading Room

5. Copying

  • photocopiers black and white A4 and A3 are available in all reading rooms except Manuscripts, and the Map Reading Room has a plan copier.
  • microform reader/printers with scanning function in the Newspapers and Microforms and Maps Reading Rooms and microform readers in the Main Reading Room
  • printing facilities for public computers in all reading rooms
  • downloading facilities on public computers
  • readers own camera. Refer to Thinking of copying material from the National Library's Collections?

6. Other

  • light boxes in the Pictures and Maps Reading Rooms
  • stereoscope in the Maps Reading Room
  • easel in the Pictures Reading Room.

Fellowship and scholarship schemes

In-depth research into the collections is supported through the Harold White Fellowships for senior scholars, Norman McCann Summer Scholarships for young scholars, the National Library Japan Fellowship for research based on the Library’s Japanese collections, the National Folk Festival Fellowship for scholars of Australia’s folk culture and the National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA) Honorary Fellowships.

Help us serve you better

The National Library is committed to providing a high level of service in a welcoming and safe environment for both Library users and staff.  Everyone has the right to use the Library’s facilities and collections in safety and without being unnecessarily disturbed by others. In practice, this means

  • Treating other Library users and staff with courtesy and respect
  • Not engaging in noisy or disruptive behaviour that disturbs others
  • Handling collection items and Library property with appropriate care
  • Adhering to the Acceptable Use of Information and Communication Technology
  • Adhering to the National Library Regulations
  • Following advice and/or directions from Library staff

Improving Our Service

Evaluation of reader services and client feedback ensure that we match user expectations and help to keep up, or continuously improve, the quality of service.

The Library monitors adherence to the Service Charter standards closely and we undertake user satisfaction surveys regularly to ensure we identify and meet user expectations. We report findings and standards adherence in the Annual Report.

The Library welcomes feedback on its services. Contact Us provides an online form for feedback. Comments on reader Services may also be made via the telephone (02) 6262 1604, the AskNow exit survey or by completing on User feedback forms available in all reading rooms.

The Library hopes that users will find their visit to the Library a pleasant and rewarding experience. Visitors unsatisfied with their experience in any of our reading rooms, please notify a member of staff on duty in the first instance. Staff on duty can often resolve problems on the spot or refer the matter to someone who can. Visitors who believe they have cause for complaint which cannot be resolved by the staff on duty, can contact the relevant Reading Room manager or provide their feedback as advised above.

The Library monitors all formal compliments and complaints received, and actions taken in response, and reports this in the Annual Report.

April 2007

 

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