Naming them--patrons, users or members?
From PLN
Naming them--patrons, users or members?
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The PLN Challenge, October 2008
- edited by Walt Crawford, published October 6, 2008
What do you call those within your community who (a) use your library or (b) support your library? (Those are two overlapping but usually not identical circles.)
- “Patrons” has been a standard term for decades—but some people find it too, um, patronizing.
- “Customers” appeals to some marketing-oriented types—but some people find it too commercial and misleading.
- “Users” works for circle (a)—but some people don’t like the drug overtones, and it does nothing for the vital group within (b) who don’t actually use the library.
- “Community” encompasses (a) and (b)—but also includes that portion of the community that just doesn’t give a hoot.
Joan Frye Williams has suggested “Members”—and maybe she has a fine suggestion.
So here’s the challenge:
What would you prefer to call those who use or support your library—and why?
Note “would you prefer,” not necessarily “what does your library call”—change is possible.
Three leaders start out with three different responses. What's your preferred term?
Sara Weissman, Morris County Library
Morris County Library has...and will have...patrons. These people support us with their tax dollars, in effect their patronage.
Customers? ridiculous. Members? No, there is no membership fee.
Our slogan is "your tax dollars at work." And the people who come through our doors are patrons, whom we are proud to serve.
Pamela Snelson, Franklin & Marshall College
When talking about the Library, I use the term "community" to refer to faculty, students and staff at F&M. An example would be "... available to the F&M community." I like it because it is inclusive--of those who have used the Library, are using the Library and might someday use the Library. However I do call an individual a "user" rather than a "patron" or a "customer" when I need to talk about someone who has actually engaged with the library.
Brett Bonfield, Collingswood Public Library
- What do you call those within your community who (a) use your library...
Neighbors. My colleagues and I work for our neighbors. (Note: they're not staff, and they're certainly not my staff. They're my colleagues.)
They're my neighbors because I live in Collingswood, almost all of my colleagues live in Collingswood (a couple live in adjoining towns), and the people who make use of their library live here or work here or own property here. Collingswood is a small town, about 14,000 people, and people here know and like each other. It was recognized as the Kindest Town in New Jersey for two years in a row recently, and we're small enough that our school district doesn't own any school buses; all of the students can walk to school. So I work for my neighbors.
- (b) support your library?
Friends. It eliminates confusion. We have a fantastic Friends group that has its own 501(c)(3) designation. Almost all donations to the Library go through the Friends.
A note on PLN Challenges
Starting this month, we're inviting a dozen PLN users to respond to the PLN Challenge in advance. We'll select a different dozen each month, with no followup; you won't see more than one invitation in the next four years. If (when) you get an invitation, we hope you'll respond...and we're always delighted to see additional signed responses to any PLN Challenge, at the bottom of the article or on the talk page.
The first invitation didn't yield responses--but every PLN challenge is a challenge to you, the PLN users. Have an opinion or a different answer? Let us know--here, on the talk page, or by email.
Related articles
- Library approval ratings - The LLN Peer Panel ponders approval of libraries by the people who use and support them.
- From awareness to funding - Two sets of notes on the OCLC report.
- Does success justify funding? - Jamie LaRue considers issues raised by the OCLC report and the situation in Douglas County.
- Telling the library story - The March 2008 LLN Peer Panel
- The storied library - One way of approaching the library story
