Communication patterns at the public service desks of the UPLB Library

Date

11-1976

Abstract

A survey of communication patterns at the five service desks of the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) Main Library was done to identify the various clients who inquired at these desks, to determine the content of their inquiries, and the mode or channel used in making these inquiries; to delineate the flow and duration of communication at the public service desks, and to ascertain whether each inquiry was completed or not.

Of the 8,804 readers admitted during the 14-day study period (April 19-30, May 8-9, 1976, Summer Session), 522 clients or 5.9 percent inquired at the public service desks manned by 24 desk assistants. A major proportion or 78.4 percent of these 522 clients were UPLB clients while the rest were non-UPLB clients. A majority of the UPLB clients were both undergraduate and graduate students. On the average, 37 clients were served at the public service desks per day. The Circulation loan desks recorded the most number of clients (155 clients or 29.7% of 522 clients) while the Serials Extension loan desk the least (49 clients or 9.4%). The average hourly frequency of clients on a daily basis showed Tuesdays registering the highest average of 6.03 clients per hour while Saturdays showed the least average of 3.2 clients per hour.

Content analysis of messages showed the predominance of directional/locational type with 349 messages (64.6%) out of the total 540 messages received from 522 clients. This message type was followed by those on the library regulation/general information with 101 messages (18.7%) and the other category with 66 messages (12.2%). Message types of low frequency were 10 messages on search (1.9%), eight messages on ready reference (1.5%), four messages on library instruction (0.7%), and two messages on readers' advisory (0.4%). No messages of the research type was received. Only 56 messages were classified as difficult.

Direct personal contact or face-to-face, was the mode or channel used by 502 clients (96.2%). The mediated channel (telephone and intercom) was used by only 20 clients (3.8%).

A total of 487 messages (90.2%) was completed right at the public service desks, with the short dyadic communication flow: client - desk assistant - client while 42 (7.8%) were completed after being referred to other library staff. Of the messages that were not completed, seven (1.3%) were not referred while four (0.7%) were referred. For all 46 referred messages, 25 different communication flows were noted. It was also found that the public service desk assistants initially consulted with their peers more than with their superiors on almost 4:1 ratio.

The modal negotiation time for the messages was one-to-two minutes as most of these messages were of the easy directional/locational type.

Document Type

Master Thesis (Limited)

Degree

Master of Science in Development Communication

College

Graduate School (GS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Virginia PB. Samonte

Committee Member

Ursula G. Picache, Ely D. Gomez

Language

English, Filipino

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 995 1976 D45 B37

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