CHANGING PATTERNS OF CIRCULATION SERVICES IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Abstract

The study traces, through the historical and survey methods, the evolution in function and staff of the university library circulation department in this century. It ascertains its current status and examines a number of potentially causal factors in this transformation, as recently as the mid-1920's, there was very little administrative or functional distinction between the circulation and reference departments. Often, both services were provided from the same desk and frequently from within the same department, With the demand for increasingly specialized information service and the geometric increase in book circulation, these two departments tended to become separated, nevertheless’,’ a notable ambiguity in function remained, especially in the information service area. Early job analyses and classifications reveal a number of reader, service functions within the circulation department: interlibrary loan,' assistance to readers in the case of the card catalog’, library instruction, and others. Highly professional qualifications were specified for circulation personnel.