Discussion of problem patrons in libraries focuses on how businesses handle customer complaints, namely regarding them as opportunities to improve customer service and satisfaction. Suggests libraries need to provide channels for patrons to make complaints, follow up on them, and train staff to deal with user dissatisfaction. (Author/LRW)

Reviews the literature on reference service, particularly the reference interview, from 1876 to the 1970s and summarizes some research techniques used to investigate the reference encounter. Studies of reference clients are then briefly reviewed, and concerns of reference librarians regarding the level of assistance and the library-client…

Presents a practical approach to the delivery of library and information services to mentally ill patrons using a disability model based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Sources from psychological and sociological literature as well as library sources are discussed. (Author/LRW)

Discusses some approaches to meeting the needs of disabled students in academic libraries in keeping with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Highlights include types of disabilities, including visual, mobility, and hearing impairments; obstacles found in libraries, including poor communication; and possible remedies. (LRW)

Identifies some of the distinguishing characteristics of business information and examines their impact on reference transactions. Topics include characteristics of business patrons; question negotiation; dealing with patrons' expectations; helping patrons devise a search strategy; understanding search results; requisite skills for business…

Discusses the librarian's intermediary role in the dissemination of information. The user's information-seeking process, reference negotiation, and bibliographic instruction are also considered, and an overview of this theme issue is provided. (LRW)

Reference services for disabled students include traditional directional and informational assistance as well as physical assistance. Providing this service takes planning, commitment, and funding on the part of librarians and library administration. A staff development program should be offered to increase awareness of disabled users' needs. (17…

Offers suggestions for dealing with angry patrons in the library. Tips on diffusing the person's anger during the encounter are provided as well as short- and long-term suggestions for dealing with the library staffperson's feelings are included. Ways in which library administrators can assist their employees in dealing with angry patrons are also…

Discusses trends in library reference services, focusing on the needs of the individual user. Highlights include the effects of CD-ROM; the growth of online systems; tiered reference service structures; roving reference librarians; going out to users; user studies; and bibliographic instruction. (LRW)

Discusses the history of problem patrons in libraries and explains various types of problem patrons and their identifying behavior. Highlights include senior citizens; technology-created problems, such as users with cell phones; eccentric behavior; non-compliance with library rules; harassment; intentional bad behavior such as theft; and problems…

Considers trends in measurement and evaluation of reference service and summarizes research findings on the importance of reference work, library clientele, reference questions, duties of the reference librarians, and the effectiveness of reference service. Measures for the organization and performance of reference work, the adequacy of reference…

Suggests that nonusers of academic libraries should be identified and studied because they are part of the same three groups they expect to attract: faculty, staff, and students. The results of the application of lifestyles research to public library user groups are reviewed, and their implications for academic library reference services are…

Investigates how psychotherapists define, cope with, and treat difficult patients. Explains the psychology of difficult clients, techniques psychologists use in working with them, and how these might be utilized by librarians, and emphasizes the importance of seeing difficult clients as a means of personal growth. (Author/LRW)

Identifies difficult patron issues in academic libraries from the librarians' perspectives and offers solutions to try and prevent them from becoming problems. Topics include labeling academic library users; eliminating sources of conflict between faculty and library staff; and conflicts between students and library staff. (Author/LRW)

Discusses approaches to reference services in academic libraries in light of new technologies and emphasizes the need to maintain the personal element, based on experiences at Northeastern State University (Oklahoma). Topics include roving librarians; desktop video conferencing; Internet media and the World Wide Web; and remote users. (LRW)