Hello everyone,
I have been struck recently by the accounts of library colleagues, of user consultation exercises ‘gone wrong.’ Either users have not participated, despite their avowed eagerness to contribute to library services, or they have called for resources and services that, once introduced, have not actually been used.
I was wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences of user consultation exercises or initiatives that have not paid off, and not benefited either libraries or users? As library professionals, how did you respond to this problem, and overcome it? Or have you simply been left feeling jaded about the whole process of involving users in the planning of library services?
My intention is to present people’s views on this subject in the form of a 1500-word article for CILIP Update. If the response rate is good, I might then undertake a formal research project, to be submitted to a library research journal.
Please feel free to be candid! Unless anyone particularly wants their name to appear in print, all responses will be anonymised, and identifiable references to specific libraries and organisations removed. Anyone whom I quote will, of course, have approval of the article before I submit it for publication.
Many thanks,
Richard Fallis
(I currently work in the Saltire Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University)
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