Originally drafted by the Reference Services Committee; adopted by the Library in January 1981

Any personal assistance provided to users in pursuit of information can be considered a public service. The main goals for public service personnel are:

• to facilitate access to information contained in the Library's collections and in other collections potentially accessible to users, and
• to provide -- to the extent that limited resources and other constraints make possible -- service to all users on the basis of need.

Elements of library service that are of critical importance in achieving these goals are:

• Staffing public service points with personnel committed to excellence in quality of service and who are qualified to provide guidance to library users;
• Promotion of facilities and services available to library users;
• Provision of formal and informal library instruction and wide distribution of library orientation materials to aid users in fully utilizing library resources;
• Consistent application of circulation policies designed to optimize access to the collections while insuring their security;
• Staff awareness of resources beyond those at UC Berkeley which can be made available to users through resource-sharing programs.