The users of an organization are individuals who are part of the organization’s registry checklist. A library user is someone who uses the services, resources, or facilities provided by a library. This can include borrowing physical books, using digital resources like e-books and online databases, accessing study spaces, attending library programs, or seeking research assistance. Library users can be students, researchers, members of the general public, or registered library members, depending on the type of library (public, academic, special, etc.).
Additionally, users of the library may:
1. Those who include names in the library are users of that library;
2. Those who are members by subscription are the users of that library;
3. Those who have applied and obtained the permission of the proper authority are the users of the library;
4. Those who are known to the library staff can also be users.
User Requirements Description
First, the groups for whom these arrangements are to be made must be identified. Then, after knowing the needs of individuals or groups, those needs are recorded with the help of charts or signals. And this is called reader profile.
In simple words, it can be said that a particular reader has information about his resume, degree, interest, what he has studied in this library and what he wants to do. Besides, what he wants to know in a new way, etc. is called user profile.
User demand details:
User demand details can be formatted in different ways. It is an initial step in selective information service but very important. The reader’s needs are precisely recorded here. Usually this user profile is kept where any information service is provided. This is especially important in the case of special libraries. Two methods of maintaining user profiles are discussed here:
1.Manual Method
2. Online Method
1. Manual Method
User profiles are usually created in three ways in manual method
A.Using the printed form: A printed user profile form is a physical document used by libraries to collect and store information about their users. It typically includes fields for personal details such as name, address, phone number, and email, as well as sections for library card number and borrowing preferences. For example, a library user might fill out a printed form providing their name as “John Doe,” address as “123 Main St.,” and email as “john.doe@example.com” to register for membership. This form helps the library maintain records for lending, notifications, and personalized services.
B. By Creating Questionnaire: User profile can be maintained by creating questionnaire. Here it is possible to maintain the user profile by creating a questionnaire with the title of name, educational qualification, where you are employed, what position you are working in, when you joined and whether you have any publications.
C. By Compilation: Compilation involves gathering and organizing information in reports, bibliographies, etc. Profiles should be created here based on the user-provided information, organized by subject. Later, the information should be collected to address different user queries. Some of the information can be obtained from the library or information center, while the remainder should be gathered from various sources.
2) Online Method:
Storing user profiles in a library system involves organizing and managing user-related data such as contact details, borrowing history, preferences, and other essential information in an online/digital library system. Here are the key methods to store user profiles in libraries:
A) Relational Databases (SQL):
Relational databases are commonly used in libraries to store structured user profile data. They provide a way to organize users, their borrowing history, preferences, and interactions with the library in an efficient, structured manner using tables. The Users Table stores user information such as library card number, name, email, and contact details, keeps track of books the user has borrowed, due dates, return status, etc., and can be linked with other tables (e.g., borrowing history, fines, etc.) via foreign keys.
Example Technologies: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite.
B) NoSQL Databases:
NoSQL databases can be useful for libraries with large-scale user profiles where data structures are not rigid. NoSQL is flexible, scalable, and ideal for handling semi-structured or unstructured data, which may be more common in modern digital library systems. User profiles are stored as documents (JSON format) that contain flexible fields such as name, borrowing preferences, and borrowing history.
Example Technologies: MongoDB, Firebase Firestore, CouchDB.
C) Library Management Systems (LMS):
Libraries often use off-the-shelf library management systems (LMS) that already include modules to store and manage user profiles, borrowing history, fines, and other interactions with the library. This module has centralized user profile management, storing data such as contact information, borrowing privileges, library card information, and borrowing history and tied to track borrowing history, reservations, fines, and penalties.
Example LMS Platforms: Koha, Evergreen, Alma.
D) Key-Value Stores:
Key-value stores can be used to store user profiles in a simple, fast, and scalable way, especially for libraries handling large amounts of user data with straightforward lookups. Each user profile is stored as a key-value pair, where the key is the user ID or library card number and the value is the user’s profile in JSON format.
Example Technologies: Redis, Amazon DynamoDB.
E) Graph Databases:
For libraries with a focus on social features (e.g., recommendations, user relationships, reading clubs), graph databases are a great choice. They store user profiles as nodes and relationships between users (e.g., borrowing the same book, following the same topics) are represented as edges.
Example Technologies: Neo4j, ArangoDB, Amazon Neptune.
F) Cloud-Based Systems:
Cloud-based systems provide scalable, flexible, and often serverless environments for storing user profiles in libraries. These systems handle all infrastructure, scaling, and storage concerns.
Example Technologies: Firebase Authentication and Firestore, Amazon Cognito, Google Cloud Datastore.
Each method has its strengths and trade-offs. The best choice depends on your library’s specific needs, such as the scale of operations, security requirements, and the kind of user data interactions you aim to support.
Key Considerations for Storing User Profiles in Libraries:
1. Security: Protect user data by encrypting sensitive information (e.g., passwords, emails) and enforcing strong authentication mechanisms (e.g., OAuth, JWT).
2. Data Privacy: Ensure compliance with data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) when handling personal information.
to scaleConsider how many users the system will serve and choose a storage method that can scale with your library’s growth.
4. Data Retrieval: Consider how frequently user data will need to be accessed and whether the storage system can meet the library’s query performance needs.
5. Backup and Disaster Recovery: Implement backup strategies to protect user data in case of system failure or data corruption.
It is the librarian’s responsibility to maintain user profiles. Meanwhile, he has to keep his eyes and soul open from full-time engagement. The most important thing is to have a mindset of providing the highest level of customer service and give special importance to feedback. Recording the details of user needs makes it useful to assess them and makes it easier to arrange thousands of valuable materials in the library or information center to benefit the readers.
