Perceptions of unaffiliated users in academic libraries and other issues associated with this user group.

by Keller, Margaret S

This study describes a questionnaire survey of seven university libraries across the country. The study was conducted to determine the perceptions of librarians in regards to unaffiliated users, and how well librarians understand the policies at their institutions. The results show that while affiliated patrons are seen most in instructional sessions and at the reference desk, there is no dominating area of interaction with unaffiliated patrons. And despite the multitude of opinions surrounding how unaffiliated users are and should be treated compared to those associated with an institution, librarians still show a strong desire to treat all patrons as fairly as possible.