We recognise that effective communication is essential in order to provide good customer service and to fulfil our Standards of Service. The Communication Policy explains how we stay in touch with you, what we aim to achieve through our communications, and how we actively listen and respond to your feedback. 

1. Communication Purpose

We provide you with a range of information. Broadly speaking our communication approaches fall under the following categories: 

• To inform: we provide up to date and transparent information to you about our services (e.g. opening hours, loan entitlements), our policies (e.g. Library Borrowers’ Policy), our resources (e.g. ebooks and ejournals) and our procedures (e.g. inter-library loan procedures). 

• To notify: we provide you with notifications/reminders when your requested books are available for collection or when your books have been recalled. 

• To respond: we respond to queries received from you face-to-face, by email, by phone, and via social media outlets, within agreed timeframes. 

• To consult with you. 

2. Methods of Communication

We communicate with you through a variety of appropriate channels and mechanisms, in ways which meet individual needs and preferences. These currently include: 

Customer Service Desks	Library Chatbot	Surveys
Email	Library Guides	Telephone Calls
Facebook	Library Help	Tik Tok
Guides, leaflets, flyers	Library News	Tours
Instagram	Library Webpages	Training Sessions
Intranet	Microsoft Teams	X
Letters	Plasma Screens	User Experience Exercises
Liaison Meetings	Pop-up Libraries	YouTube

 
These methods will be reviewed regularly and advances in communication channels will be adapted where appropriate. 

3. Communication Principles

To ensure effective communication with you, we aim to embody the following principles: 

• Our communication will be clear and concise in order to deliver our message succinctly. 

• We aim to use plain English and develop an acceptable glossary of Library terms so our communication is easily understood. 

• We will deliver timely communication that is relevant to you at your point of need and ensure that agreed Standards of Service targets are met. 

• We will reply promptly to all your queries, ensuring that agreed Standards of Service targets are met. 

• We will adopt a flexible communication approach, delivering our messages in a variety of ways that meet your needs and preferences. 

• We use standard templates for letters and emails to ensure our communications are clear and consistent.  

4. Internal Communication

We will also ensure that our internal communication is effective. We will do this by: 

• Setting an Out of Office email to alert colleagues to our absence from work. 

• Recording an appropriate voicemail to allow colleagues to leave a message and to redirect colleagues to an alternative colleague/department if we are unavailable. 

• Encouraging staff to offer feedback on our communication methods and information provision. 

• Contributing to a regular Library Team Brief. 

• Holding regular Library Staff updates throughout the year. 

• Effectively utilising Microsoft Teams as a staff update and communication tool. 

5. Policy Evaluation

Our Communication Policy is kept up to date with an annual review. 

We will also review any of our policies that impact on our Communication Policy, for example our Social Media Policy and the Website Development Strategy, detailed below. 

6. Evaluating our Communication

In order to ensure the effectiveness of our communication, we will regularly evaluate our communication approach by: 

• Seeking customer feedback (both formal and informal) on our communication and information provision. 

• Making changes to our communication methods or principles where necessary. 

• Regularly reviewing and updating all information content to ensure accuracy and currency. 

• Gathering and analysing usage statistics across our communication channels where possible. We will use these statistics to inform our policy and decision-making regarding communication and information provision by the Library (Table 1 summarises the channels and media we currently use to communicate with our customers and, where possible, how we can gather evidence of use). 

• Listening to and responding to customer suggestions regarding our communication and information provision. 

Table 1.  

Medium	Channel	One to one	One to many	One-or two-way	How measured?	Mainly used for
Customer Service Desks	in person	yes		two	manually	providing help and advice
Email	electronic	yes	yes	two	manually	reliably reaching individuals or groups
Facebook	social media	yes	yes	two	system	news and updates
Guides, leaflets, flyers	print		yes	one	manually	subject, database and service information
Instagram	social media	yes	yes	two	system	news and updates
Intranet	web		yes	one	system	library services and contact details
Letters	print	yes		two	manually	personal communication
Liaison meetings	in person		yes	two	n/a	presenting library updates
Library ChatBot	web	yes		two	system	providing help and advice
Library Guides	web		yes	two	system	subject specific information
Library Help	web		yes	two	system	FAQs and queries
Library News	web		yes	two	system	news about resources and events
Library webpages	web		yes	two	system	library services and contact details
Microsoft Teams	electronic	yes	yes	two	n/a	communication tool
Plasma screens	electronic		yes	one	n/a	current events and statuses
Pop-up library	in person		yes	two	manually	providing help and advice
Surveys	electronic		yes	two	system	eliciting feedback
Telephone calls	in person	yes		two	manually	providing help and advice
Tik Tok	electronic	yes	yes	two	system	news and updates
Tours	in person	yes	yes	two	manually	providing orientation
Training sessions	in person	yes	yes	two	manually	giving instruction
X	social media	yes	yes	two	system	news and updates
User Experience Exercises	in person	yes	yes	two	manually	gathering customer feedback
YouTube	web		yes	one	system	instructional guides

Library Social Media Group – Social Media Strategy 

Introduction 

The purpose of this document to record how social media is being exploited by The Library. It does not include information on the legal and acceptable use aspects of social media because there are institutional guides and policies on these issues.  

We use the following channels which are administered by the Social Media Group: 

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/QUBLibrary 

• Google Places - http://goo.gl/maps/M6AHd 

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/qublibrary/  

• Library News - https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/InformationServices/TheLibrary/News/ 

• Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@qublibrary   

• X - https://x.com/QUBLibrary 

• YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/QUBLibrary 

Rationale 

Social media has been adopted as a communication tool to: 

• Inform you about news and developments. 

• Promote services and resources. 

• Assist you in using the Library. 

• Gather feedback about the Library. 

• Engage with you. 

Content Topics 

We have developed a calendar of events and topics to guide the campaigns throughout each year. 

Integration 

Several steps have been taken to integrate social media with other forms of communication within the Library, for example: 

• Details about our social media accounts can be added to individual email signatures. 

• Induction documentation for new students includes details about our social media accounts. 

• Social media buttons are included on the homepage of our website under the banner of ‘Connect with @QUBLibrary’. 

Management 

A group of staff is required to ensure that core areas of the Library are represented and that the accounts are covered during core hours. Members of the Social Media Group manage the service during the day. Comments coming through during evening hours or over the weekend are picked up when the service is next managed (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm). 

All members of the Social Media Group can schedule posts on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok. Posts can be scheduled using Hootsuite Pro. Requests for posts are also filtered to the Social Media Group from the various Special Interest Groups and Task and Finish Groups operating within the Library. 

Metrics 

We can retrieve metrics about the various social media accounts, and individual posts / campaigns as and when requested. 

Website Development Strategy 

The Library website is a key communication channel for providing information about Library services and resources. It should enable users to easily find answers to general enquiries and navigate content efficiently, without unnecessary barriers, distractions, or obstacles.  The website is managed and developed by the Library Website Group. 

Website Aim 

The aim of the website is to be an accessible, dynamic, reliable and secure information resource for our registered and potential customers, and any interested party who wishes to understand the Library. 

Content 

The content of the site, within the CMS templates available, will cover the full range of services, e.g.: 

• Library Search, including links to all electronic resources and with clear instructions on the various services associated with it. 

• The various services and collections included within QUB Library. 

• Information on library branches and their locations. 

• Circulation services, including borrowing, requesting, interbranch and interlibrary loan services. 

• Help and advice including FAQs and Library ChatBot. 

• Links to Subject Guides containing subject specific information. 

• Contact details of relevant staff and service areas. 

• Research support details and contacts. 

• Library guides to key services. 

• Feedback options. 

• Access to the Library’s Mission Statement, Customer Charter and Standards of Service. 

• Library News. 

• Access to personal library accounts. 

The website uses plain English and strives to be effective and concise in its approach. Content is provided in such a way that the meaning is clear and accessible to all. Fonts and spacing are consistent and regulated.  The Website Group is guided by the QUB Brand Guidelines in its approach to text, imagery and logos. 

Content Maintenance: 

• Items reported for updates by colleagues or following feedback from customers will be actioned within 5 working days. 

• Links will be monitored regularly and repaired or removed within 5 working days. 

• Advance notice will be given, where reasonably possible, when planned maintenance and downtime occurs. 

• The upkeep of the site and all content will be reviewed on a regular basis throughout the year. 

• The Library Website Group receives bi-weekly reports from Site Improve which provides information on site accessibility compliance and improvements are actioned appropriately. 

Metrics 

The Website Group has access to Google Analytics 4 for the Library webpages which is used to inform decisions on making changes or improvements. 

Future 

The Library website will continue to be reviewed, maintained, and developed to ensure that it remains an effective communication tool and information resource for customers. The website is flexible, and content can be easily amended or updated.  Usage analytics and customer feedback will be collated by the Library Website Group in order to make informed changes to the website and create a positive experience for all. New technologies will be incorporated where appropriate, and we will collaborate with colleagues as required. 

Reviewed December 2025