Explanation
### Why this is right
A library is classified by the purpose it serves, so the reasoning must move from the people or institution it supports to the services it provides. Identifying the users first reveals their information needs; those needs can then be linked to the library’s functions to determine its type.
### The concept
A library’s **purpose** is the reason it exists and the users it is meant to serve. Those users may be a community, such as the public in a town, or an organization, such as a university. **Information needs** are the kinds of material or support those users require, such as school resources or research materials. **Library functions** are the services and activities the library carries out to meet those needs. Classifying by purpose means using this chain of users, needs, and functions, rather than judging a library only by its size or collection.
### The order
1. **Identify the organization or community served**: This establishes who the library exists to support.
2. **Identify the main information needs of that group**: The users’ needs follow from knowing who they are.
3. **Relate those needs to the library’s functions**: This shows how the library responds to its users.
4. **Classify the library type**: The type can be decided once its users, needs, and functions are understood.
### Terms
- **Information needs**: The materials or information a group requires for its activities, learning, or interests.
- **Library functions**: The services and activities a library provides to meet users’ needs.
- **Library type**: A category that describes a library according to its purpose and the users it serves.
### Remember
Work from users to needs, from needs to services, and only then name the library type.
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