Service Policies In Libraries

In Uduak Enang, Mercy Ukpanah and Mercy Ebong. Rudiments of Library and Information Science

Abstract

The core of a library's operations is the efficient provision of library services. These services are provided in accordance with the operational policies that direct them. Libraries must make sure that their on-site and remote clients receive fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory service delivery if they are to fulfil their original mandate of meeting the information needs of their immediate and extended cormnunities; and only if the library has created and adopted fonnal, written library service policies will this be possible. Written policies are crucial because they give the library's operations a legal foundation and act as a barrier to accusations that the institution or its employees are acting against their mission or the law. (ALA,2023) In support of the stated premise, this chapter explores the concept of library services, service policy, and the importance of service policy in libraries and presents an overview of library services which are accompanied by sample policy statements, challenges of implementing service policy and benefits of service policy in libraries.