Subscribe in a readerDec
21
Members Only
Filed Under Libraries, Podcasts | 3 Comments
The 10 Things are over (do I hear people cheering in the background) and I’ve been catching up with my podcast feeds. One of my favorite podcasts is Thinking Out Loud with George Needham and Joan Frye Williams. I heard them speak at ALA last year and thought they really do a good job raising and discussing some important library issues.
Their most recent podcast addresses the question of what we should call people who use the library. Do we call them patrons, users, customers, or something else? I usually use the term “patrons,” only because I don’t like the sound and connotation of “users” and “customers,” but I realize that a lot of people don’t like “patrons” either. Joan and George offer “member” as an alternative name and liken it to when people become members of Costco or American Express. When you get a card anywhere, you’re called a member of whatever group or organization is issuing that card.
So what do you think? If you work at a library, what should we call the wonderful (mostly) people whom we serve? If you don’t work at a library (i.e., you’re a “civilian”), what would you like to be referred to?
Patron, Customer, User, Member, Constituent, Human, Man, Woman, Person, Living Being…or something else?
And more importantly? Do you still have your Members Only jacket in your closet?
Polls
Loading ...