UNIT 3 FUNCTIONAL UNITS AND

OPERATIONAL ASPECTS
Structure
3.0 Learning Outcomes
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Creating Structural Units of an Organisation
3.2.1 Functional Elements of Management
3.2.2 Organising as an Element of Management
3.2.3 Characteristics in Use for Division of Activities
3.2.4 Principles of Organising a Structural Pattern

3.3 Functional Units of a Library

3.3.1 Collection Building
3.3.2 Technical Processing
3.3.3 Stock Maintenance
3.3.4 Reader Services
3.3.5 Office Management

3.4 Organisational Charts

3.5 Summary
3.6 Answers to Self Check Exercises
3.7 Keywords
3.8 References and Further Reading

3.0 LEARNING OUTCOMES

After reading this Unit, you will be able to:
 discuss the functional elements of management;
 explain that creating functional units of any organisation is a management activity;
 highlight organising as an element of management;
 describe about organising principles and organisational structure;
 discuss that organising principles are for the creation of functional units of an
organisation such as library;
 identify the structural relationships of the organisation from its organisational chart;
and
 explain that future libraries would be fully automated and offer versatile services to
users.

3.1 INTRODUCTION
This Unit discusses the functional units of libraries and their operations and explains to
you the elements of management and the organising principles. This Unit also explains
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the characteristics in use for the division of library activities into functional units. The Functional Units and
Operational Aspects
creation of the functional units of an organisation is also referred to as the creation of an
organisational structure in management parlance. In addition, it discusses important
organising principles in management and their role in the management of functional
operations relating to collection building of a library, technical processing operations of
the collection, stock maintenance and related works, readers’ services and their sub-
functions. Furthermore, the Unit explains with illustrations the organisational structure
of a library and the inter-relationship between functional units.
Library automation implies the use of computers, networks to offer services based on
library’s own resources as well as on the resources of other libraries. Library automation
also implies managing housekeeping operations and readers’ services from different
workstations. This Unit illustrates that the basic elements of organising in management
will, however, remain applicable despite changes that may take place in the functional
operations and services of automated libraries.

3.2 CREATING STRUCTURAL UNITS OF AN

ORGANISATION
For any activity to be performed well, we have to split it into smaller units to achieve
efficiency and success. For example, when we organise a birthday party at home, we
have to take into account a number of factors. The number of guests to be invited,
birthday cake to be purchased, eatable items to be prepared at home or obtained from
a caterer, time to start the function and the duration of the party, spreading out the
dishes in appropriate containers attractively on the dining table for self service with all
the accessories, plan and obtain return gifts and so on. Depending upon the number of
guests invited, the work has to be organised to share the work among the hosts to take
care that each function is successfully executed. The objective is that the guests should
enjoy the function and go fully satisfied. Even for managing smaller functions, we have
to plan and organise the activities, split them into smaller functional units for achieving
the desired result. It can be easily understood from the above example that creating and
organising functional units, in accordance with the principles of organisational
management is one of the most important functions of an organisation. Creating functional
units facilitates designing a functional structure of an organisation for better management
and to execute all its functions with proper coordination.

3.2.1 Functional Elements of Management

Management is about determining the goals and objectives of an organisation, setting
its targets to be achieved over a given period, deciding means, using the resources of an
organisation optimally to achieve its set goals, objectives and targets. It means that we
can define management elements (functions) by the work that managers do. There are
seven management elements that organisations must observe. These are:
 Planning is a course of action in advance to realise them.
 Organising is creating a functional structure for the organisation, allocating the
different functions to groups of persons of the various units of the organisation to
achieve the set goals and objectives.
 Staffing refers to the function of manning the organisational structure through proper
recruitment, selection, training and development of persons for the different positions
created in the organisation.
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Libraries: Basics and Contexts  Directing is concerned with providing leadership through guiding, instructing,
communicating, supervising, motivating and inspiring persons at different levels in
the organisation to achieve the set goals, objectives and targets.
 Coordinating/Controlling means bringing harmony in different activities and functions
to achieve organisational goals efficiently.
 Reporting is keeping all concerned with the organisation well-informed about the
performance of the organisation.
 Budgeting relates to management of finance and accounts which are the life blood
of an organisation.
Points to Remember
 POSDCoRB is an acronym for seven functional elements of management.

 Planning is setting goals and objectives of an organisation.

 Organising is providing a structural framework for an organisation.

 Staffing is the provision of human resources for an organisation.

 Directing is providing leadership.

 Coordinating/Controlling is to establish harmonious functioning of an organisation.

 Reporting is preparing periodical reports of the performance of the organisation

to keep every concerned person of the organisation informed.
 Budgeting deals with the financial resources and allocation for different activities
of an organisation monitored and accounted.
Self Check Exercise
Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below.
ii) Check your answers with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
1) What is POSDCoRB?
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2) Match column A with Column B
Column A Column B
a) Planning i) Functional structure
b) Organising ii) Performance reports
c) Staffing iii) Deals with finance
d) Directing iv) Setting goals and objectives
e) Coordinating/Controlling v) Human resources
f) Reporting vi) Harmonious performance
g) Budgeting vii) Leadership
36
3) State if the following statements are True or False: Functional Units and
Operational Aspects
a) Management is for using all the resources of an organisation optimally.
b) Planning is concerned only with the targets to be achieved for an organisation.
c) Staffing is the provision of getting the right human resources for an organisation.
d) Directing is concerned only with maintaining discipline of staff in an
organisation.
e) Coordinating/controlling is to bring harmony in an organisation for its smooth
performance.

3.2.2 Organising as an Element of Management

We have noted in the Sub-section 3.2.1, ‘organising’ is about creating a functional
structure for the organisation, allocating the different functions to groups of persons of
the various units of the organisation to achieve the goals and objectives. We shall elaborate
it further in this section.
Organising, in a general sense, means systematic arrangement of activities. As a process
of management, it is essentially related to dividing and subdividing and grouping of
activities. If many persons are involved in the activities of an organisation, it is imperative
to determine the role of each person and the group as a whole to attain the goals and
objectives of the organisation. Even if it is a one-man organisation, it is necessary for
the person to divide the work to apportion time to each units of work. So organising is
to determine what work is needed to be done and by whom and what materials,
machinery, equipment and other resources are to be used, assigning those tasks to
individuals and arranging those individuals in a decision-making framework (organisational
structure). The organising as a function management requires undertaking several tasks
such as (i) determination of the activities to be performed, (ii) creation of departments,
divisions, sections, units, positions, etc. and (iii) establishing relationships among the
various parts of an organisation. The purpose is to create a framework (organisational
structure) for the performance of the activities of the organisation in a systematic manner.
This framework of division of work and establishing formal relationships between them
is known as the organisational structure of the organisation. Such a framework
(organisational structure) is also very much necessary for a library. The organisational
structure of a library would comprise the following, depending upon the size of the
library and its scale of operations:
 the number of departments, divisions, sections, units, etc.;
 the function of each of the above and their relationships;
 duties, responsibilities, authority and accountability of each; and
 the channels of communication, that is, the path through which information/
instructions travel from one position to another and from one level to another.
It is obvious, in a small organisation where only a few persons are involved, an elaborate
provision for the organisational structure may not be necessary, although the work may
have to be shared between persons who are involved in the activities. In larger
organisations where a large numbers of persons are working and operating, it is essential
to organise the work, dividing the work into smaller units and fixing duties and
responsibilities to every person and at every level. The nature of work, performing
techniques and time required to perform etc. are part of the work and job analysis to 37
Libraries: Basics and Contexts get the best out of the staff. We shall study in the next section, some of the characteristics
in use for dividing the activities of a large organisation and a few principles for the
creation of an organisational structure.
Points to Remember
 Organising - Systematic arrangement of activities by dividing and subdividing
and grouping.
 The purpose of organising is to apportion roles and responsibilities to Individuals/
groups of staff to attain the goals and objectives of the organisation.
 A framework is created for the activities which establish relationship between
various levels of persons working at different positions.
 An organisational structure of a library would show the number of departments,
divisions, sections, etc.; their functions, indicating the relationships, duties and
responsibility of staff; communication flow, etc.
Self Check Exercise
Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below.
ii) Check your answers with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
4) Why is organising necessary for an organisation?
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5) What is organising as an element of management?
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6) What does an organisation structure of a library indicate?
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7) Fill up the blanks with the appropriate word/phrase given in the brackets.
a) Organising is a ................................................... (functional element, financing
aspect, motivational aspect of management.
b) Division of the work of an organisation into units is to ...............................
(obtain maximum efficiency, maintain public relation, disbursement of salary).
c) Duties and responsibilities for work in an organisation is a function of
...................... (organising, budgeting, leadership).
8) Tick () if the following statements are correct; if not state the correct one.
a) Elaborate procedure for creating an organisational structure is not necessary
38 for smaller libraries.
 ................................................................................................................ Functional Units and
Operational Aspects
b) For large libraries also an organisational structure is not necessary.
................................................................................................................
c) An organisational structure does not show the relationships between the
different units.
................................................................................................................
d) Communications and instructions should flow smoothly among the
organisational units.
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3.2.3 Characteristics in Use for Division of Activities

The process of grouping related work into manageable units is known as
departmentalisation. The purpose of departmentalisation is to contribute to the optimal
efficiency and effective utilisation of organisational resources. This division of work is
done not only at the top level but also done further down in the hierarchy, depending
upon the nature of work at different levels.
There are quite a few characteristics to divide and group of activities of an organisation.
But the characteristics chosen for the division must be such that they are relevant to the
purpose and produce the desired results.
For library management, the most common characteristic/basis for departmentalisation
is ‘function’. Almost every library uses this criterion which divides it into functional
departments such as acquisition, processing, reader’s services, stock maintenance,
circulation, information and documentation services, etc. Each of these functional units
may have to be further divided depending upon the volume and variety. However,
public libraries usually apply ‘users’ as the basis for departmentalisation. Separate services
for children, students, physically handicapped, blind, extension services, etc. are some
of the characteristics for division. Academic libraries use broad subjects groups as
criteria of division such as sciences, social sciences and humanities. Again each of the
broad functional units may have to be further divided into smaller units, e.g. acquisition
of books, serial acquisition and control, reference and bibliographic services, etc. Some
libraries also get organised on the basis of the material they serve such as books,
periodicals, microforms, maps, machine readable forms and others with further divisions.
No single or a single set of criteria, however, is found to be workable in all situations or
for all libraries. Hence, libraries have been using varying combinations of these to produce
a hybrid structure.
The point to be noted here is that every library, small or large, has to be performing
variety of activities. In smaller libraries, the work allotment will be between a few persons;
but in large libraries, the activities will have to be performed by a number of persons. In
smaller organisations, the distribution of work is comparatively simple. But in larger
libraries, the division of work will have to be very carefully worked out with the application
of principles and procedures.
The purpose and the principle for division of activities into smaller or viable units, is to
group different activities into homogenous units. For performing the functions of these
groups of work, persons with different skills, techniques, qualifications and experience
are required. The interrelationships among them is also important for smooth flow of
work; for instance, the acquisition and technical processing of books may have to
planned properly, so that there is hardly any delay in making them available to users. In 39
Libraries: Basics and Contexts other words, there should be minimum delay from the time books are received in the
library and the time they are made available for use to the readers. Similarly there are
many other groups of activities which fall into a sequence whose smooth flow is highly
desirable, the time factor being most important.
The choice of characteristics for division of work, in small or large libraries, will depend
upon their own requirements and convenience for ease of operation and should primarily
serve the purpose of division.
Points to Remember
 The characteristics chosen for division must be relevant to the purpose to obtain
desired results.
 The purpose of departmentalisation is to ensure optimal efficiency and effective
use of organisational resources.
 The different types of libraries may choose characteristics appropriate to their
purpose of division.
 No single or a single set of criteria is found workable for all situations in a library.

Self Check Exercise

Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below.
ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
9) What are the functional units of a library using function as a characteristic?
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10) Match Column A with Column B with reference to their division of activities:
Column A Column B
a) College libraries i) By research projects
b) Public libraries ii) By products/services
c) Industrial libraries iii) By export and import
d) Research libraries iv) By users
e) Toy trade libraries v) By functions
11) Fill up the blanks with appropriate words/phrases given the brackets:
a) School libraries may organise their units according to ..........................
(functions, services, students of different classes).
b) University libraries, organising by subjects may divide their subject units by
.............................. (documents, user services, functions).
c) A branch library of a public library would divide its units according to
40
.......................... (users, functions, services).
 d) A textile research library may find it useful to divide its services on the basis Functional Units and
Operational Aspects
............................... (the kind of textile fibre such as cotton, synthetic or
wool, user categories, trade).

3.2.4 Principles of Organising a Structural Pattern

The principles listed and explained below are broad guidelines that help an organisation
function effectively and smoothly.
Unity of Objectives: The organisational structure should facilitate the contribution of
individuals to the attainment of organisation’s objectives, assuming that it has spelt out
the objectives unambiguously.
Principle of Efficiency: The objectives of the organisation must be accomplished
with minimum cost and undesirable waste and effort. The organisational structure should
enable the organisation to function efficiently.
Principle of Balance: There should be a reasonable balance in the sizes of various
departments, divisions, etc., between centralisation and decentralisation, between span
of control and the number of levels and among all type of features such as human,
technical and financial.
Unity of Direction: There should be one objective and one plan for a group of activities
having the same objective in a given period of time. Unity of direction facilitates unification
and coordination of activities at every level.
Span of Control: There should a limit to the number of subordinates reporting to a
higher official. This is necessary to ensure proper communication and control of work
accomplished by everyone.
Scalar Principle: There should be a final authority in every organisation. The authority
and responsibility should go together. This means when a responsibility for work is
given to a person, the person also have the authority to enforce control and discipline.
Unity of Command: Each person should be answerable to only one person, i.e.
immediate superior. This means that each employee should have only one boss.
Delegation of Authority and Responsibility: The process of delegation of authority
should take into consideration the results expected, the tasks assigned, the degree of
delegation required to accomplish the tasks and the responsibility to be fixed. We have
already mentioned, under scalar principle that the authority and responsibility should go
together.
Separation of Line and Staff Positions: Line positions are those that are in a hierarchical
chain in an organisation. Line activities are those that are directly involved in the fulfilment
of tasks assigned to a person who comes under the line. A person who comes in the line
is answerable to his superior in the line. On the other hand, staff activities are those that
provide advice, support and service to persons in the line positions. These persons do
not have any command authority or responsibility.
Centralisation versus Decentralisation: Centralisation is the degree to which
authority is retained by higher level officers within an organisation rather than delegated
to lower level persons. In decentralisation on the other hand, the authority is distributed
to lower level positions so that decision making is possible at other levels also. But
there cannot be any final answer that can be given to this aspect of management. There
are pros and cons to both sides. There should be a balance between the two, depending
41
Libraries: Basics and Contexts upon the nature of decision making that should be conducive to the set objectives and
goals of the organisation.
Coordination and Integration: Coordination is the process of linking several activities
to achieve a functional whole. Integration is the unified control of a number of successive
or similar operations. Both these principles provide for unified functions ensuring the
achievements of the set goals, objectives and targets.
It should be necessary to reiterate that all these principles would apply only when the
scale of operations is quite large. Smaller libraries would find these principles useful to
know, although there may not be any necessity to apply them. These principles of
structural organisation are to be studied in conjunction with staffing.
Points to Remember
 The principles of organising a structural pattern are meant to ensure a smooth
and effective functioning of the organisation.
 All the principles given are of value and importance; some are indispensable like
principles of responsibility and authority, line and staff positions, coordination
and integration.
 These principles would apply when the scale of operation is large as in libraries
of universities, large research institutions or industrial undertakings.
Self Check Exercise
Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below.
ii) Check your answers with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
12) List the principles for managing a structural pattern for an organisation. Explain
any one of them.
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13) Match columns A with Column B
Column A Column B
1) Principle of efficiency i) Hierarchical chain
2) Scalar principle ii) Minimum cost
3) Centralisation iii) Unified control
4) Integration iv) Authority and responsibility
5) Line and staff positions v) Undivided authority
14) State if the following statements are True or False
a) There is no difference between line and staff positions.
b) The authority and responsibility should always go together.
c) The centralisation of authority is always desirable.

42
 d) The coordination is the process of linking several activities to achieve a Functional Units and
Operational Aspects
functional whole.
e) Each person should never be answerable to only one person.

3.3 FUNCTIONAL UNITS OF A LIBRARY

In the following sections, we shall deal specifically with work operations of functional
units of libraries and their organisational structure. The main functions of every library
are collection building i.e. acquisition, technical processing (classification and cataloguing),
stock maintenance (arrangement and display of the collections in the stacks with proper
arrangement of books, of reference books in the reference room and in reading rooms
and other sections of the library where books are required/consulted/browsed), readers
services (circulation, reading room services, reference and bibliographic services, etc.)
and office management. We shall deal only with the major operations involved in each
of these functional units. There are, however, a number of technical as well as routine
work involved in each of these major functions, most of which will have to be learnt on
the job.

3.3.1 Collection Building

This function of a library is one of the most important activities. The quality of the
collection and its services, indeed, determines the reputation of the library as a quality
service centre. The collection building is based on the book selection policy of the
library which always is related to and should reflect its users’ requirements. Setting up
policies of all these activities and standard operational procedures are always the
responsibilities of the top management.
 All libraries, except the public library, have a parent organisation whose activities
are to be supported by the library serving it.
 All academic libraries should serve the students, teachers and others who are
directly connected with learning processes.
 Special libraries have their own users, depending upon the nature of activities the
parent body performs.
 Research libraries should support all the researchers working on subject fields in
which they conduct research.
 Industrial undertakings and business houses use their library for supporting their
production of goods and services, their marketing and other related activities.
 Other types of special libraries have their own users to serve.
 Public libraries may not have well-defined users like as academic and special
libraries do have. Their collection building activities are based upon a complex of
requirements by the community they serve.
Guided by the book selection policy of libraries, the functional operation of collection
building is based upon three major methods of acquisitions, viz. purchase, exchange
and gifts. For most libraries, however, purchase is the main method for acquisition.
The acquisition of serials is an intricate task which is always undertaken as an annual
function. In university and special libraries this task is of great importance and significance.
This is a complex function. There are a number of routines in the acquisition process:
43
Libraries: Basics and Contexts the control of receipts of issues of periodicals; sending of reminders for non-receipts;
and such others are not elaborated here.
The operational tasks involved in a purchase are: (i) Preparation of indents of documents;
(ii) identifying and selecting suppliers who offer maximum price discounts without
impairing quality of service; (iii) placing orders; (iv) receipts of books; (v) checking
them with the suppliers invoice and library’s indent for accuracy; (vi) accessioning them;
(vii) passing of the bills, etc. For each of these operations, there are a number of routine
jobs involved and utmost care should be taken to perform these routines systematically
and without errors, lest serious problems may arise at a later stage.
Similarly with reference to acquisition through exchange, this again must be based on a
policy for exchange. What is to be exchanged, with whom, in what manner, all these are
policy decisions of higher authorities, keeping in view the actual requirements of the
library. If this is another method of acquisition in addition to purchase, the routines
involved for the purpose should be performed with care and accuracy.
Now let us discuss acquisition through gifts. The library should not allow it to be a
dumping ground for unwanted books by donors, simply because the items are gifted.
Small libraries are quite often tempted to acquire gifts without any relevance to their
actual requirements which later on create problems of space, weeding out and others.
The policies of the higher authorities, of course, would set the policy conditions for
accepting gifts. The acquisition unit would be a functional unit under a higher level
division. Depending upon the quantity of work, experienced professional persons would
be posted to this unit. The organisational charts given in the next section of this unit
would make clear the hierarchical and horizontal structures at which this unit functions.
Self Check Exercise
Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below.
ii) Check your answers with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
15) What are operational tasks involved in the purchase of books for a library?
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16) Give short answers to the following questions.
a) State the three methods of acquisition
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b) State five operational routines involved in acquisition through purchase.
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c) State why acquisition through gifts need careful decision.
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17) Give one technical term/phrases for the following processes. Functional Units and
Operational Aspects
a) Purchasing, obtaining through exchange or gifts of documents.___________
b) Classification, cataloguing, indexing.___________________
c) Turning pages of books without reading._________________
d) Free entry to stack room._________________

3.3.2 Technical Processing

Classification, cataloguing and preparation of books for their access on the shelves in
the stacks are the major operations performed in this functional unit. The classification
systems to be used for the purpose, the cataloguing code to be followed, etc. are to be
carefully decided. The professional persons perform these tasks with their education,
training and experience. They set up appropriate routines for the actual operations of
these functions. They maintain the right authority files for subject classification, subject
headings, personal and corporate authors, names of institutions, etc. Sometimes work
manuals are prepared for guidance and consistency in the tasks of classification and
cataloguing.
The most important output of this library unit is the library catalogue which is the actual
aid for access to the collections of the library. The professional tasks, such as classification
of documents, preparation of catalogue entries, providing subject headings, filing
catalogue cards are extremely important for the consultation by users and for reference
and retrieval services offered by the functional unit of reader’s services.
Most libraries have catalogue cabinets in which the catalogue cards that carry data are
filed systematically, for search and retrieval. Here again, there are a number of routines
such as preparation of appropriate guide cards on the catalogue cabinets, filing of cards,
etc. to be performed which have to be carried out without errors. In some libraries,
illustrative charts are displayed close to the catalogue cabinet, showing search procedures
to find out books by an author, a title or subjects.
The preparation of books and other documents involve routines like collation, writing
accession numbers and call numbers on specific pages, pasting book pockets and issue
slips, etc. for circulation. Although these are simple routines, they should be done
accurately and neatly with an artistic sense.

3.3.3 Stock Maintenance

The stock of the collection built up thoughtfully and carefully should be shelved
systematically on the shelves of the stacks, for easy location and replacement, for
browsing in open access libraries, etc. The shelf display of books is usually based on
the priority of use of the collection. This means that books that are often sought after
should be at the entrance of the stack room.
Constant attention has to be given to shelf rectification to avoid wrong shelving which
would many times result in books, not being able to be located when on demand.
Wrong shelving of books, in fact, is as good as books being lost. Stack room guides
and appropriate sketches of the arrangement of shelves in stack room(s) should be
displayed for easy location of books and replacement. These routines are simple but
must be given full attention.
Reference books are displayed selectively with proper shelf guides in reading and
reference rooms for consultation. Books may also be stacked selectively in other sections
of the library like the technical processing unit for ease of consultation and reference
which would be very often necessary for professional work. 45
Libraries: Basics and Contexts Current issues of periodicals are displayed selectively, in the special periodical room
for reference and study. The back numbers of current years’ titles are also stacked
conveniently along with latest issues of titles. Binding and preservation are other activities
which may be under this functional unit. Binding of periodicals, books and other types
of documents and preservation of books from insect attacks and unfavourable weather
conditions are necessary to avoid damages to them. For the purpose of stock verification,
shelf cards carrying data of books are maintained. In many libraries nowadays, stock
verification is not done as an annual feature, but random checks of certain sections of
the collections may be done as often as possible.
Points to Remember
 Acquisition function of a library is a strategic function as the reputation of a library
depends on the quality of its collection.
 An acquisition policy determines the quality of a library’s collection.

 Acquisition is generally done by purchase, exchange or gifts.

 Serials acquisition and control are very important tasks and very intricate in
operation as it varies very substantially from acquisition of books and other
documents.
 There are systematic rules and procedures to guide the entire process of
acquisition.
 Technical processing constitutes classification and cataloguing of all library
documents.
 Standard systems of classification and codes for cataloguing are used for the
purpose.
 Systematic shelving of books is essential for browsing in open access libraries,
identifying a particular item and replacing it.
Self Check Exercise
Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below.
ii) Check your answers with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
18) Fill up the blanks with appropriate words/phrases given in the brackets.
a) Classification is identifying the subject contents of documents and assigning
class numbers according to a .......................................... (Standard system
of classification, broad categories of subjects, keywords)
b) Cataloguing is descriptions of documents using a .......................................
(Standard code of cataloguing, just writing the title of the document).
c) A classified catalogue is a .............................................. (two-part catalogue
of a library, single alphabetical file of entries, random arrangement of entries).
d) Shelf arrangement of documents in stacks serves ......................................
(easy location and replacement, stock checking, random access).
e) Shelf cards are maintained for ................................................. (Stock
checking, serving as another catalogue, routine purpose).
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19) Match Column A with Column B Functional Units and
Operational Aspects
Column A Column B
1) Classification i) List of readings on a particular subject
2) Keywords ii) Stack room
3) Open access iii) Cataloguing
4) Document description iv) Subject indexing
5) Bibliography v) Identifying subject contents

3.3.4 Readers Services

Reader’ services are related to a number of services offered by the library. These are
offered to put the collection into full use. Reading rooms meant exclusively for serious
study for long hours, facilities for offering personal reference service, facilities for making
available current titles of periodicals and select titles of books, etc. in their study rooms
comprise some of the readers’ services. The other services that libraries offer include:
 Circulation service – Practically all libraries offer circulation services except a few
who offer only reference and consultation services at their premises. Lending and
borrowing services are regular features. A number of routines are involved in
circulation work. Records of books borrowed by different groups of members
are kept in most libraries whose analysis at times provides valuable information as
to the pattern of library use or such other information that could be useful to
improve the book selection process.
 Reference services offer a variety of assistance to readers. It may be related to
answering specific questions during personal visits or through telephones or letters,
helping readers in the use of the library and so on.
 Bibliographic and literature search services may be anticipatory or responsive.
Special bibliographic lists on any topic of interest to users are often prepared in
anticipation or in response to users’ requests.
 There are a number of specialised services offered by academic and special libraries,
depending upon the requirements of users. Some of these services are Current
Awareness Service (CAS), indexing and abstracting services and highly
sophisticated services like SDI (Selective Dissemination of Information). The
different aspects of these services can be learnt from the other units of your course.
 Another important service offered by university and special libraries, information
institutions, etc. is the user education programme which gives users of different
categories, a good exposure to modern ICT-based information systems, services
and facilities with their increasing complexities and sophistication.
 Provision for photocopying services is a common feature of most libraries.
Photocopying machines are kept at strategic points for this service given at a cost.
 Computer services for searching the library catalogue and Internet searching facilities
are offered in automated libraries.
 Many university and special libraries have printing facilities to bring out their own
publications like library bulletins, in-house indexing and abstracting services and
others.
All these services are operated by a functional unit such as Readers Services Division.
The interrelationships between this unit and other functional units can be well understood 47
Libraries: Basics and Contexts from the organisational charts that gives a vivid picture of the library’s organisational
management structure.
Self Check Exercise
Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below.
ii) Check your answers with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
20) List the services offered for users through the reader’s services unit.
........................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................
21) Match Column A with Column B
Column A Column B
a) Special study rooms i) Photocopying services
b) Literature search ii) Selective dissemination of information
c) Charging/discharging iii) For research scholars
d) Special information services iv) Providing literature on a given subject
e) Reprographic services v) Lending services
22) Tick () the correct answer of the following; if incorrect state the correct answer.
a) Photocopying services are common facilities in most libraries.
................................................................................................................
b) Organisational charts do not indicate any relationship of structure of an
organisation.
................................................................................................................
c) Selective dissemination of information (SDI) is offered in all libraries.
................................................................................................................
d) Bibliographic and literature search services may be anticipatory or responsive.
................................................................................................................
e) Internet services are offered in all libraries.
................................................................................................................
Points to Remember
 The functional units of a library are acquisition, technical processing, stack
maintenance, reading room facilities, reference, bibliographic and information
services, photocopying services, etc.
 Acquisition is meant for collection building of a library. It is the most important
function since the good quality collections give a reputation to the library.
 Technical processing is meant for organising the collection systematically for use.
 Stack maintenance is stocking the library collection in an organised manner for
easy location and replacement.
 User services include a number of services for use of the collection and attending
personally to user requirements.
 Reprographic services are photocopying services.
48
3.3.5 Office Management Functional Units and
Operational Aspects
 Every organisation usually has administrative and finance units that take care of the
general maintenance of the physical premises, management of office requirements
like the purchase of stationery and equipment, human resources, watch and ward,
finance and accounts. These units are under the control of administrative and finance
officers respectively supported by section officers and assistants. They directly
report to the chief manager of the organisation.
 A library committee is always constituted by the organisation with internal members
and one or more external members to advice the top management in policy matters
and in establishing professional standards and norms.
 There is an increasing trend towards automation of library activities today. This
naturally introduces a number of organisational changes. All housekeeping
operations invariably are integrated and centralised while the service points are
decentralised. However, whatever may be the eventual organisational changes of
a library, the principles and process of organisation will still be valid. In this Unit,
we are presenting only the conventional library practices.
 Organisational charts also will obviously be different for an automated library as
against the charts given in the next section.
Activity I
Visit a university or a special library and note its functional units. Prepare an
organisational chart for the library, indicating the relationships between the various
units. Make use of the hints provided under the section on “Answers to Self Check
Exercises”.
Highlights
User studies, user education and information literacy are the efforts to put library and
information resources to effective use, as users constitute the focal point of service in a
library. Every activity has to hinge upon user satisfaction and should meet their
requirements in any business endeavour. While user studies relate to the study of users’
needs and requirements in different contexts and environments which are, indeed, as
complex and intricate as customer studies in business. User education in recent decades
is shifting to accentuate on educating learners at all levels to pick up skills in accessing,
obtaining, evaluating and using information effectively.
Emphasising on the full exploitation of library and information resources, various formal
educational or instructional programmes have been offered during the last 50+ years by
libraries and information institutions as part of user education. Initially user initiation
programmes comprised library tours, introducing the users to facilities provided by the
library such as the library catalogue, reference rooms with display of reference books,
etc. supported by printed pamphlets, guides and such others.
Now that tools and techniques of using library and information resources have become
more complex, specific educational or instructional programmes are organised to get
users more familiar with the skills needed for searching references in indexing and
abstracting services, compilation of bibliographies using literature search techniques
and such others, in addition to audio-visual aids to get a total view of many types of
research and reference sources. Rapid developments in information and communication
technologies (ICT) and their applications in library and information systems have brought
about a paradigm shift (i.e. decisive and important ways of changes in library and 49
Libraries: Basics and Contexts information services) in information systems. These have been reflected through stand-
alone libraries and information institutions getting transformed into automated libraries
and networks; availability of information via Internet and a host of other facilities with
advancing ICT.
These in turn have radically changed the library and information environment. User
education programmes are in fact fast moving towards ‘information literacy’, a
comparatively new concept that is being very actively discussed in national and
international forums today. Information literacy is being considered as a basic skill and
a learning process that should be included as an integral part of educational curricula at
all levels of education and also that such a skill needs to be developed in lay persons for
their own pursuit of vocations or other activities.
A report of the Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (IL) of the American
Library Association (1989) defines IL as “the ability to recognise when information is
needed and to have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed
information” and highlighted IL as a skill essential for lifelong learning and production of
an informed and prosperous citizenry. In 2005, at an international conference held in
Prague, organised by the American National Forum, co-sponsored by UNESCO and
IFLA, a proclamation was issued underscoring the importance of information literacy
as a basic fundamental human right and lifelong learning skill. Interestingly, information
literacy rose to national consciousness in the US with President Barack Obama’s
Proclamation designating October 2009 as National Information Literacy Awareness
Month. In India also, at different professional forums, the concept of information
literacy is being discussed at length and a body of literature on this topic is growing
rapidly. Positive actions are to ensue in the near future. It is important to note that all
these ideas of use and users of information are in total conformity with the Fundamental
Laws of Library Science of Ranganathan.

3.4 ORGANISATIONAL CHARTS

An example of an Organisational Chart is given Figure 3.1. Just note the organisational
structure and the relationships between the functional units. It is a useful visual aid that
shows the horizontal and vertical structure of an organisation. Such charts are graphic
representation of the organisational structure, indicating the span of control, horizontal
and vertical positions, relationships between lines, staff positions, flow of authority and
responsibility, communication channels and such others. Lines of authority are usually
represented on organisational charts by unbroken lines whereas broken lines indicate
staff positions and doted lines show the staff functions like relationships between statutory
committees of the organisation. The points that should be noted in the chart are:
 Combination of division criterion for structuring;
 Horizontal and vertical positions;
 Span control;
 Flows of authority and responsibility;
 Functional and coordination points;
 The way these aspects are represented in the charts;
 The advisory role of the Library Committee.

50
 Functional Units and
Chief Librarian Operational Aspects

Office Management Advisory Committee

Technical Services Reader services

Circulation

Reading room
Acquisition Classification Routine Stack room
Cataloguing Processing Maintenance Reference service

Bibliography

Photocopying

Other

Fig. 3.1: Organisational Chart of a Small General Library

The use of computers and their networks have widened the scope of library services.

3.5 SUMMARY
 In this Unit, we have dealt with the necessity to provide a structural framework for
an organisation to facilitate systematic performance of all its tasks, indicating the
relationship with each of the tasks.
 Organising is an element of management, the other elements being planning, staffing,
directing, coordinating and budgeting.
 Organising is dividing all the activities and functions of an organisation into smaller
units, enabling proper execution of the tasks. The organisational framework is a
structure that shows the relationships of all the functional units.
 In fact all the activities and functions of a library comprise an integrated system;
each one is linked to the other. Characteristics for division are chosen in such a
way that they serve the purpose of division. A number of principles are there for
effective management. Only a few of them are explained briefly.
 The major operational functions of a library namely Collection Building, Technical
Processing, Stock Maintenance, Readers Services with their related routines are
explained in some detail.

3.6 ANSWERS TO SELF CHECK EXERCISES

1) POSDCoRB is the acronym for the seven elements of management. The expansion
is Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, Controlling/Coordinating and Budgeting,
All the bold letters of the first elements constitute the acronym.
2) a) iv; b) i; c) v; d) vii; e) vi; f) ii; g) iii
3) a) True; b) False; c) True; d) False; e) True
51
Libraries: Basics and Contexts 4) Organising being a structural framework for an organisation facilitates performance
of all its tasks which are integrated and interrelated.
5) Organising, in a general sense, means systematic arrangements of activities. As a
process of management, it is essentially related to dividing and subdividing and
grouping of activities. Organising is basic to determine the work to be done by the
employees of an organisation to use materials, machinery, equipment and the other
resources optimally.
6) The organisation structure of a library comprises, depending upon the size of the
library and its scale of operations,
 the number of departments, divisions, sections, units, etc.;
 the function of each of the above and their relationships;
 duties, responsibilities, authority and accountability of each;
 the channels of communication, that is, the path through which information
travels from one position to another and from one level to another.
7) a) Functional element; b) obtain maximum efficiency; c) organising
8) a) Incorrect smaller libraries also require functional division but may be run by a
few persons only; b) Incorrect. For large libraries, functional division is very
necessary to apportion duties and responsibilities; c) Incorrect. An organisational
structure shows hierarchical and horizontal relationship; d) Correct.
9) Almost every library uses function as a characteristic of division which divides it
into functional departments such as acquisition, processing, reference services,
bibliographic services, stock maintenance, circulation, information and
documentation services, etc.
10) a) v; b) iv; c) ii; d) i; e) iii
11) a) Students of different classes; b) functions; c) Users; d) trade
12) The principles for organising are: principles of unity of objective, efficiency, balance,
unity of direction, span of control, scalar principle, unity of command, delegation
of authority and responsibility, line and staff position , centralisation versus
decentralisation, as well as coordination and integration. Scalar principle: There
should be a final authority in every organisation.
Authority and responsibility should go together. This means when a responsibility
for work is given to a person, the person also will have the authority to enforce
control and eliminate discord among the employees. Authority and responsibility
also should flow from the top management downwards in a clear unbroken line.
13) 1) ii; 2) iv; 3) v; 4) iii; 5) i6
14) a) False b) True c) False d) True e) False
15) The operational tasks involved in a purchase are: (i) preparation of indents of
documents; (ii) identifying and selecting suppliers who offer maximum price
discounts without impairing quality of service; (ii) placing orders (iv) receipts of
books; (v) checking them with the suppliers invoice and library’s indent for accuracy;
(vi) accessioning them; (vii) passing of the bills, etc.

52
16) a) Purchase, Exchange and Gift; b) (i) Preparation of indents of documents Functional Units and
Operational Aspects
(ii) Identifying and selecting suppliers who offer maximum price discounts without
impairing quality of service (iii) Placing orders (iv) Receipts of books (v) Checking
them with the suppliers invoice and library’s indent for accuracy; c) Unsolicited
gifts create problems of space, weeding and maintenance
17) a) Acquisition; b)Technical processing; c) Browsing; d) Open access
18) a) Standard system of classification; b) Standard code of cataloguing; c) Two-
part catalogue of a library; d) Easy location and replacement; e) Stock checking
19) 1) v; 2) iv; 3) ii; 4) iii; 5) i
20) Generally readers’ services include: (i) General reading rooms for long hours of
study. (ii) Special reading room/s for current periodicals. (iii) Microfilming facility.
(iv) Computer facility. (v) Reference service. (vi) Documentation and Information
services. (vii) Reprographic services and such others. Large university libraries,
research libraries of very big research complexes and such others may have many
additional services like printing and publications, selective dissemination of
information, computer services providing facilities using Internet, etc.
21) a) iii; b) iv; c) v; d) ii; e) i
22) a) Correct; b) Incorrect - Organisational charts display the vertical and horizontal
relationships; c) Incorrect - SDI is a service available only in research libraries; d)
Correct; e) Incorrect. Internet services are available only in automated libraries.
23) Hints to the only exercise on Activity: Use the organisational chart given in section
on organisational charts and the chart of the library you visit, prepared by the
library. Take the help of the Unit 2 of Block 1 of IGNOU course material
BLIS-02.

3.7 KEYWORDS
Accountability : Being answerable for the result of one’s action.
Authority : The right to decide, to direct others to take action,
or to perform duties in achieving organisational
goals.
Browsing : Read casually select pages of books to find out
its contents.
Collation : Checking the pages, figures, illustrations, etc. are
in proper order on books.
Coordination : Process of linking several activities to achieve
desired result.
Delegation : Process of assigning responsibility along with the
needed formal authority.
Departmentalisation : Grouping related work activities into manageable
units.
Hierarchy : A hierarchy represents a series of positions at
vertical level, some of which have more authority
than others. 53
Libraries: Basics and Contexts Horizontal Positions : Positions at the same level in an organisation.
Line Positions : Positions at the hierarchical level of an
organisation forming a chain.
Open Access : Free access to books displayed on shelves.
Organising : It is essentially related to dividing and subdividing
activities of an organisation and grouping them.
Scalar Principle : A ladder-like structure for an organisation.
Shelf Rectification : The process of placing wrongly shelved books
in their correct location.
Span of Control : A convenient and optimal number of subordinates
to a person having a supervisory position in an
organisation.
Staff Position : Person(s) appointed for advising or guiding line
persons any professional work who have no
authority to control.
Stock Verification : Checking the stocks of books periodically.

3.8 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

Indira Gandhi National Open University. Library and Society. BLIS-01, Block 1.
Unit 2. New Delhi: IGNOU, 1999. Print.
Mittal, R.L. Library Administration: Theory and Practice. 5th ed. New Delhi:
Metropolitan Book, 1983. Print.
Ranganathan,S.R. Library Manual for Library Authorities, Librarians and Library
Workers. 2nd ed. Bangalore: Sarda Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science,
1994. Print.
---. Library Administration. Bangalore: Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library
Science, 1959. Print.

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