Study Visit Checklist

Study Visit Checklist for Students 

Goals and users 

• What are the purposes for which the library exists? 

• What is the nature of the community/organisation served? 

• What are the information needs of that community/organisation? 

• What role does the community/organisation play in determining, directing and contributing to the library’s services? 

The collection 

• What is the focus of the collection? What subject areas does it cover? 

• Is there a collection development policy? 

• What media are held, e.g. print, audio visual, CD-ROM, online? 

• Which are the predominant media and why? 

• Has information technology brought about major changes in the way in which information is stored and disseminated? 

• How are materials selected? 

• Is the collection weeded? For what purpose? 

• What strategies are in place to ensure the physical preservation of the collection (including electronic sources)? 

Staff 

• What professional, technical and support staff does the library have? What roles do they play in fulfilling the purposes of the library? 

• What professional development is provided for, or expected of, staff? 

• What flexibility is allowed in staffing to better meet the needs of staff and users? 

Reference services 

• What reference services are provided for users? How are these services provided? 

• What user education is provided? 

• What use is made of the Internet in reference work?

Network infrastructure 

• Which integrated library management system is used? Why is this system in use? 

• What electronic networks operate between the library and its user group? 

• To what extent does the library depend on network access and availability? 

• Does the library provide information and services through a web page or pages to users? What information and services are provided? Has this access significantly extended its user group? 

• Does the library have an information technology plan? 

Technical services 

• What is the perceived function of the catalogue? 

• What standards and services are employed in cataloguing? 

• What access is provided to materials which are not catalogued? 

• Does the library develop and maintain any indexes, classification schemes or subject heading lists of its own? 

• Are metadata standards being used in the cataloguing of online resources? 

Budget 

• What are the library’s sources of funding? 

• What is the level of funding (if not confidential)? 

• How are these funds committed? 

• To what extent do users pay directly for services which they use? 

Promotion 

• How does the library promote and market its services to its potential users? 

Physical environment 

• How suitable are the library’s location, accessibility, size, layout and physical facilities to the fulfilling of its purposes?