The document discusses communication in libraries. It notes that communication is carried out through both verbal and non-verbal channels and is vital for efficiency. The library needs communication between staff and clients to achieve its goals of serving users. There are two levels of communication in libraries - staff communication and client/staff communication. Effective communication is important as it allows for the exchange of information between individuals and throughout the organization.

2. •Communication is a social activity. It is carried out in various ways in
everyday life knowingly and unknowingly.
•Communication is carried out through verbal and non-verbal
channels. All organizations and institutions have particular goals.
•Communication is of vital importance, and failure to communicate
will give rise to inefficiency and lack of direction.

3. •The library as an organization is geared toward serving the users.
The library needs a way to make meaning and understanding
between the clientele and the staff of the library, in order to achieve
desired results.
•Information Technology can be used across the organization as a
tool to “shift the emphasis from control of information to sharing it”.

4. Library Communication
Library communication is carried out within the library and in some cases
between libraries. In communicating, meaning and understanding between the
people involved has to be established. Communication in the library has two
distinct levels:
• Staff communication
• Client/ Staff communication

5. Staff Communication
 Library staff is generally the primary clientele for systems offices.
Communication among the staff of the library has an effect on the way of the
library is managed. Communication must flow upward and horizontally across
the organization just as much as it flows downward.
Clientele/Staff Communication
 The clientele of the library need communication to achieve desired information-
seeking goals. Communication is an exchange of information; it takes two or
more to exchange information. So when a user visits the library in search of
information resources, and is helped by a reference librarian, communication
takes place.

6. Importance of Communication
 No organizational function can be successfully carried out without
successful communication. Without effective flowing from the top of the
administrative hierarchy to the bottom, from the university librarian or
director to the other managers and to other staff, things will not work
properly.

7. With so much communication technology at our fingertips, it is difficult
to believe that there are any communication problems in any business
today. In the course of a busy workday, the importance of good
communication can be something that can be easily forgotten.

8. Some Functions:
 Use of Telephone
While phoning someone is still a good practice, it isn’t always the
best mode of communication for every situation. Using the
telephone is good for setting up meetings or discussing items for
which there is a quick resolution. It is generally not a good venue to
tell an employee that they made a mistake on their last assignment.
Save that discussion for a one-on-one meeting.

9. Some Functions:
 Writing an E-mail
Email is a fast and convenient way of communicating with colleagues and
employees provided you follow a few guidelines. Use email for only disseminating
factual information. If you are writing anything that could be misinterpreted, it is
best to address that face-to-face.

10. Some Functions:
 Having Meetings
Meetings can help bring employees and colleagues together and make them
feel part of the company. It also helps to keep everyone apprised of what is
happening in the company. It is probably the best way to communicate all
important company business and ensure that everyone hears it. It is important to
encourage open communication in the meetings, so that employees feel that they
are heard and that what they say matters.

11. Some Functions:
 Try One-on-One Communication
With so many different modes of communication today, one-on-one
communication often gets forgotten. It is so much easier to shoot someone an
email or leave them a voicemail, but there are times when good old-fashioned
face-to-face communication is still the best way to speak with a colleague or an
employee. Many people do not feel comfortable bringing up their concerns or
problems at a meeting.

12. Some Functions:
 Listening
Listening is probably the most glossed over, yet most important piece of the of
communication puzzle. Without the listening portion, any other piece cannot fully
succeed. Employees and colleagues need to know that their input is being heard.

13. In today’s highly technological society where everyone can do and access
everything from their computer or cell phone, the importance of good
communication cannot be stressed strongly enough. Using the appropriate mode
of communication for different situations will make everything flow easier, and
help make your users feel that they are important and valued staff of your
company.

14. Internet
•The first and oldest primary use of the Internet is communication with other people.
Web
•The second is an informational tool, a way of storing and retrieving of information.
Most of this communication has been done asynchronously, meaning that it takes place
at different times and different place for different people.
Communication is initiated, sent, stored, and then accessed later. This is similar to
writing a letter and sending it through standard postal mail.

15. E- Mail
•The oldest and mostly widely used feature of the Internet is electronic mail,
Which we all know as E-mail – “an Electronic Mailbox that will store messages until the
user request delivery.
Other Tools:
 Instant Messaging
• most common from synchronous communication, conversing at the same time.
 Blogs, Wikis and other Web 2.0 tools
• have increasingly enhanced communication between and among students, teachers,
and classroom.

16. Online office suites,
•such as Google Docs, Zoho and Microsoft Office complete this area with the ability for
students to collaborate and communicate at a distance with a web based application