PHILOSOPHY, NATURE, PURPOSE, SERVICE AND CHALLENGE OF ASPECIAL LIBRARIES.

Ayotunde Badaru November, 2012

By: Ayotunde Badaru (seun_ayotunde@yahoo.com) Follow: www.scribd.com/ayotunde_badaru badaru-ayotunde@blogspot.com For More information of Library and Information Science

Introduction Special libraries are unique libraries that cater for the information needs of its parent body which can be an organization, institute such as a research institute or even an individual. Therefore, special unlike other libraries is tailored to suit the needs of is parent body in its collections, activities and services. A special library therefore, is obligated to identify the needs of its parent body and fill the gap for further development of the organization. This term paper looks at special libraries from varying angles such as its services, challenges, philosophy, purpose and historical development.

Philosophy of Special Libraries The philosophy of special libraries bases for the services offered by special libraries. It can serve as the driving force and what guides and determines how the special library operates and provides services to patrons. Maximum service provision is a philosophy that is peculiar to special libraries. Maximum service provision ensures that patrons are actually satisfied with the information provided. Librarians in special libraries take time to search through documents, periodicals and other information sources to extract information

suitable for their clients needs; this is maximum service provision. This philosophy is supported by the limited number of patrons the special library serves giving librarians the opportunity to focus on specific individuals and ensure that they get what they want, in good time of course! The maximum service provision philosophy gives a great deal of contrast between special libraries and other types of libraries. For example, a patron can walk into a special library and demand for specific information which the librarian can leave his/her position to browse through materials and help extract that information, librarians in academic libraries may not afford to do that due to the highly amount of users in the library. Some patrons even have their usual information need which is already known to the librarian.

Nature of Special Libraries The nature of special libraries focuses its characteristics, qualities or attributes. The nature of special libraries are interconnected as one quality leads to another and then another. Special libraries have monopolistic collections (information materials). Special libraries acquire books, periodicals and electronic materials on one field of study or based on the policies of its parent body or organization. For example, the law library at the University of Ilorin acquires, organizes and disseminates materials only based on or relating to law, so also are medical libraries and research institute libraries. The monopolistic collection of the special library leads to it having a unique set of user. Different fields of study exist, meaning that information people seek rests heavily on their field of study or interest. The special library therefore, only serves individuals with compatible interest with the librarys collection; this constitutes a unique set of users. Patrons therefore, visit the library for different needs but are one under a broad subject. User therefore usually consists of researchers, staff of the organization the library is located and other potential patrons interested in field the special library offers.

The uniqueness of users in the special library environment leads to a limited number of patrons. Patrons served by a special library are limited in number due to uniqueness of their interest which many other patrons arent interested in. Special libraries owned by organizations are many used only staff of that organization or researchers in an institute. The limited number of patrons is as a result of the location of special libraries; which is another nature of special libraries. Special libraries are located in organizations that usually dont allow non-staff to use it information materials. So also special libraries in schools are located in the particular faculty or department it is meant to serve and is closely supervised. The management of special libraries also usually consists of a small set of people or sometimes just one person is in charge. An organization can have a librarian who will be in charge of the special library in that organization. Special library are usually small. Organizations and research institutes dedicate a limited amount of funds which will just be enough for their information needs at the moment and do not for volumes and volumes of books and periodicals which in turn makes the special small in size and collection as compared to academic or public libraries. Reading spaces and offices also provided are based on number of staff in an organization and since the special library as limited management; offices for managers and directors are not many as compared to other types of libraries. Special libraries also are prone budget cuts, and sometimes complete neglect as the purchase of the collections depend on profits and special allocations by its management. Special libraries are fragile. Special libraries are neglected once an urgent information needs has been met and is seen as a financial burden in times of collection purchases and acquisition, which leads to a moribund special library.

Purpose of Special Libraries The purpose of a library in general is to satisfy the information need for individual of its immediate community and the larger world. The special library being a type

of library inevitably shares this broad purpose. But specifically, the special library has its purpose due its nature, location characteristics and philosophy. The special library was established in its parent body to satisfy the information needs of that organization for the acquisition of the business objective. The special librarys purpose is firstly to serve its parent body as this determines its relevance. The special library is also established to extract information only suitable to a required field of information or based on the policies of its management unlike other libraries. New innovations and ideas that are suitable to the activities of the parent body for a special library is paramount to the continuous relevance of the parent body to the society and therefore should be the library should keep its parent body abreast of new developments. For research institutes, the continuous provision of periodicals which are valuable sources of information for research constitutes the purpose for special libraries. Periodicals due to their nature provide current information for research and therefore it is the duty of the special library to provide these periodicals. The purpose of special libraries will definitely vary depending on what its parent body expects from its existence and the activities its parent body is engaged in which determines the field of study the special library focuses on. However, the broad objective or purpose of the special library as mentioned earlier is to satisfy the information needs of its immediate community and the world in general as with every other kind of library.

Services of Special Libraries The services provided by the special library are limited due to its nature, but its services are maximum and more detailed. Special libraries are usually situated in organizations, research institutes and owned by individuals interested in peculiar field of study, this makes the collection of special libraries limited to a particular field study; ultimately its services are monopolistic. In addition to this, the increased demand for information, special libraries have to respond to the increased immediate needs of their patrons which widen the scope of the special library services from traditional services to specialized ones.

A special library in the delivery of services is proactive. Special libraries do not wait for patrons; rather they approach patrons with information. This proactive delivery of services leads the special library to implement individual profiling of its patrons. Individual profiling is a special service offered by the special library which requires the library to collect information about a patron such as e-mail address, phone number, and information interest of the patron. Individual profiling is a maximum service that underlines the proactive nature of the special library; patrons are contacted based on their profile to inform them of the availability of new arrivals in the librarys collection. Individual profiling requires constant assessment of the clients needs, which is another maximum service of special libraries. The constant assessment of clients needs requires observation information materials used by the patrons which is a service that emphasizes the value of the special library to its immediate patrons. Another service offered by special libraries which goes in line with its nature is offering collections in a particular field of study which encourages specialization. Collections in special libraries either based on the policy of its parent body or on the discretion of the owner are limited to information materials in a particular field of study. These collections provide a wide array of information on a specific field of study exposing the user quality information of that field of study. This kind of environment encourages specialization. Researchers also find the special library to be an integral part of their research process. This is due to the fact that research which usually based on specific field of study can easily be undertaken if quality materials that provide the various views of authors are available. The special through its vast resources a field of study provides excellent research services to researchers in particular field of study. Due to monopoly of the special librarys collections, the special library can acquire quality materials on specific field of study and serve its patrons maximally for research and any other information needs.

Challenges of Special Libraries The world has fast changing in every aspect, which has added more challenges to different professions around the world. Special libraries are not left out in these fast changing challenges as it is continuously confronted by technological, informational and economic factors. Some of the challenges facing special libraries lead to one another. The library and information science profession has over the years lacked highly trained professionals, as young adults are not interested in studying the profession due to stereotyping. Young adults are of the opinion that librarians work only in the library and cannot function any where else. Business organizations in addition to the problem employ non L.I.S. professionals to handle their information needs due to the fact that they think that librarians should only work in the library. According to Holt (2007), learning is the first duty of LIS professionals; learning is important to the development LIS professionals to succeed the older ones. Muller in his study of challenges of special libraries in South Africa, recommended that junior staff be assisted to attend professional conferences and workshops that allow them to network with other colleagues in the field and share ideas, according to him, conferences and workshops allow them to escape from the work environment which avoids complacency. Attendance of conferences and workshops would also be a great avenue for junior staff to turn professional as various ideas shared will improve their ability. One of the four major professional competencies outlined by the SLA is the ability to apply information technologies and tools. Librarians in special libraries have to adapt to new technology to ensure that their libraries remain relevant and is not left behind in infrastructure. However, the purchase of information technology tools poses a challenge to special libraries especially in Africa. The purchase and maintenance of computers and internet service is the major challenge. Muller in his study of challenges facing special libraries in South Africa quoted Govender, (2006) noted that South Africa has the most expensive internet service in the world

without a corresponding quality in connection and service. Patrons however, would prefer that their information needs be provided for online as it is easier and much faster without having to visit the four walls of the library, this makes the special library without information technology tools to be irrelevant in the information world. This leads to the challenge of neglect and ultimately lack of funds. Special libraries around the world have experienced cuts in budgets, downsizing of staff due to neglect from parent body and government agencies. Parent bodies of special libraries and government agencies have the belief that there are important issues which require a larger percentage of allocation of funds other than the library. The problem of neglect leads to lack of funds. The lack of finances can be seen as the most common challenge facing special libraries, as finances is the key to quality collection development which satisfies the information needs of their patrons and ultimately determines the relevance of the special libraries. Finances are vital to the survival of the special libraries as they provide special (maximum) services to patrons which require additional costs. Coping with these challenges, special libraries have to ensure they remain relevant to their parent organizations which is another challenge. The advent of the internet and its ability to provide unlimited and free information may devalue the special library and its services but proper understanding of the information needs of their parent organizations and community, the special library can satisfy special needs that the internet being a jungle of varying types of information cannot. Special libraries will continue to be an integral part of their parent organization, the community and the general society, but these challenges form barriers to the continuous relevance of the special library and will require special libraries to step up its game to serving its purpose.

Conclusion Despite the challenges facing special libraries all over the world its importance cannot be overemphasized as its collection would ultimately be a knowledge base for progress and development in the organization. It is also evident that special libraries are no longer bound by physical buildings and the common librarian

stereotype but now a virtual knowledge dissemination institution that provides for the information needs of its client.

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References Govender, D. 2006. Telkom: Internet costs. Carte Blanche transcript, 9 April. Retrieved from: www.informedlibrarian.com/guestForum.cfm?FILE=gf0704.html Holt, G. 2007. May you live in interesting times? Informed Librarian Online. April. Retrieved from www.informedlibrarian.com/guestForum.cfm?FILE=gf0704.html. Muller, B. Challenges facing special libraries in South Africa. Gordon Institute of Business Science, Johannesburg.