Getting to Know Your Non‐Users

For an in‐house library, getting to know one′s non‐users can be as important as getting to know one′s user. Non‐users are not necessarily anti‐library. Non‐users may receive information from their immediate subordinates, rather than retrieve and evaluate it themselves. Factory workers may find little to help them in the academic literature. Some advanced researchers may keep up to date with developments in their field through conferences, committees and journals they take directly. There are non‐users who have their own access to databases either by direct subscription or through professional institutions or research associations. There are non‐users who might be able to use the librarian′s skills in non‐traditional library roles. By finding out why people are not using the library, we can find out if there are ways in which we can provide a service to them, and we may find ways of improving the service we offer to all our users.