Models explaining the perceived outcomes of public libraries

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 640-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pertti Vakkari
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Multivariate Techniques ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
Source Of Information

Purpose – The benefits of public libraries as perceived by adults in everyday activities, in cultural activities and in career are modeled by multivariate techniques. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The survey data are based on a representative sample of 1,000 Finnish adults ranging from 15 to 79 years. The perceived benefits were modeled by linear regression analysis and by path analysis. Findings – The models explain 27-32 percent of the variation in the three benefit types observed. The role and the explanatory power of the factors included in the models vary to a certain extent between the benefit types. Research limitations/implications – The results are generalizable at least to small, wealthy welfare states with a well-developed public library system. Practical implications – It seems that the public library functions relatively more as a source of information for everyday activities in older age groups, whereas more as a source of information for career in younger age groups. The public library should profile its services accordingly. Originality/value – This is first study to model the factors associated with the benefits adults derive by using the public library in the major areas of life.

Reading literacy practices among retirees in Kenya: why and how public libraries matter to them

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 119-131
Author(s):  
Peter Mose ◽  
Everlyn Mose
Keyword(s):  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Reading Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Collection Data ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Reading Activities ◽  
Source Of Information

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to establish reading practices among retirees and to what extent public libraries in Kenya are a source of information and knowledge to them.Design/methodology/approachThis was a qualitative study whose research questions were; what are retirees' reading practices? why do retirees engage in the reading practices they engage in? and to what extent do retirees use the public library for their reading practices? Purposive and snowballing were used as sampling techniques and interview was used for data collection. Data were analysed thematically.FindingsThe findings were that retirees' reading practices are fragmentary and erratic; retirees mainly engage in reading practices for spiritual reasons and for access of current information; and that retirees do not use the services of the public library for their reading activities.Research limitations/implicationsThe research sample is 16 subjects who might not represent features of the whole population. The findings are, however, an index to what the situation might be.Originality/valueThe findings are the result of actual qualitative research.

Immaterial labour, public librarians, and third-generation public libraries

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 186-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhan A Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Future ◽  
Public Librarians ◽  
Policy Arena ◽  
Blind Spots

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to draw attention to one specific upper-level government policy document in which a discourse of perpetual innovation and customer service is promoted, and the kinds of questions such discursive interventions raise for the future of work in public libraries; and second, to demonstrate the explanatory potential of the concept of immaterial labour for questions relating to emerging labour processes in libraries. The concepts of “prosumer” and Web 2.0 are included as discursive resources of relevance to any discussion of immaterial labour. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a critical discourse analysis of a public policy visioning document for public libraries in Ontario, Canada, with reflections on related literatures. Findings – The concept of immaterial labour provides an additional analytic tool suitable for questions of relevance to public librarians and library scholars. Within the government text under review which deals specifically with the future of the public library to 2020, the identity of the public librarian is alarmingly absent. Conversely, the library patron as a producer and consumer is privileged. Research limitations/implications – Failure to attend to the broader policy arena within which the public library resides creates dangerous blind spots for public library professionals, educators and researchers. Practical implications – This paper demonstrates the value of a discourse analysis for uncovering the ideological dimensions of policy documents, while simultaneously modelling the method using the kind of policy text commonly produced in governments around the world. Social implications – This paper shows how failure to attend to the broader policy arena within which the public library resides creates dangerous blind spots for the public library community. Originality/value – This paper contextualizes the immaterial and volunteer labour of the public library user as producer/consumer in the context of the future of the frontline professional and waged librarian.

Democracy, digitisation and public libraries

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Skøtt
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
National Library ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Media Types

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate what democratic challenges the digitisation of the public libraries in Denmark has entailed. Using the concepts from a national library professional strategy from 2012, an analysis of 9 librarians’ experiences with digital dissemination in practice is conducted. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a part of a larger research project called “If digitisation is the answer, then what was the question?”. This sub study builds on the semi-structured interviews with library staff members, case-descriptions of two central providers of digital public library materials, as well as literature studies of missions, vision and strategies from different public library policy institutions. To frame the study, a literature review has been conducted. Findings The author detects the presence of several incompatible conditions in digital dissemination. These conditions are predominantly of an organisational nature, potentially containing major consequences for citizens’ free and equal access to information, knowledge and culture. Among other things, the Danish public libraries risk substantiating an already existing and problematic polarisation between technologically capable and incapacitated groups of people. Originality/value The digital transformation of society has only just begun. Therefore, it is important to examine the consequences of the transition to digital media types for central cultural institution such as the public libraries. The present study is an early and minor contribution to the illumination of a process requiring many more and large-scale studies.

Public libraries and public primary school literacy: a Kenyan case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 689-701
Author(s):  
Peter Mose
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
School Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Library Staff ◽  
Teachers And Parents

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain how public libraries have been instrumental in early child school literacy teaching and learning. Most African public schools do not usually afford enough core textbooks and supplementary readers.Design/methodology/approachThis was a qualitative case study in Western Kenya amongst public library staff members, public primary school teachers and parents of library children clients. The following questions were addressed: What is the book situation in public primary schools in the study site? What school-type literacy-related services are offered by the sampled public library? and What are library staff members’, teachers’ and parents’ feelings about the public library services offered? Observations, interviews and document studies were used to collect data. Data were analysed thematically.FindingsPublic schools do not have enough core textbooks and the situation is worse for supplementary readers; the public library branch studied offers critical school-type literacies to school children both at the library building as well as at public schools registered with it; and library staff members, teachers, and parents express positive feelings about the services offered.Research limitations/implicationsThis was a case study whose findings might not apply to the larger situation and the study did not confirm actual literacy benefits of the library services amongst school children by, for instance, conducting literacy tests. The findings are, however, an index to the possible situation in the macro context.Practical implicationsThe relevant stakeholders should find ways of co-opting public libraries as associates of public schools in literacy teaching. This relationship is not straight forward in Kenya.Originality/valueThe findings reported are from original research.

A study of the evaluation of a library’s economic value based on the users’ and librarians’ perceptions

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-596
Author(s):  
Younghee Noh
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Job Creation ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Evaluation Index ◽  
Human Resources Development ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public

Purpose This study aims to develop an evaluation index to evaluate the economic value among the values of the library and also attempts to measure the economic value of the library by performing a survey of the librarians and users at public libraries. The results of this research would likely encourage the librarians to feel increasingly confident about the library, while students and users, in general, would also likely be able to realize the economic value and presence of the library in more perceptive ways, thereby contributing to the activation of the library. Design/methodology/approach This study pertains to the development of an evaluation index for assessing the economic value of the library and, to evaluate the economic value of the library, has derived a preliminary evaluation index by collectively gathering and analyzing the domestic and foreign papers on the value of the library in its first phase. The preliminary evaluation index derived was verified by conducting three phases of Delphi survey by selecting ten experts. The survey questionnaire was developed to measure the economic value based on the final evaluation index derived from this study, and the economic value was measured against the perceptions of librarians and users of the public library. Findings The economic value of the library was divided into the four categories of the local economy’s value enhancement, namely, connection with the local community, human resources development, job creation and investment value enhancement for the librarians and users surveyed for assessment purposes. Consequently, the area of connection with the local community turned out to be the highest at 4.15, followed by 4.02 of the investment value improvement, 3.58 for the local economy’s value improvement and 3.50 for the human resources development and job creation, respectively. Furthermore, the respondents demonstrated the highest level of consensus on average on how the resource sharing by libraries has helped to reduce the economic burden for the residents as a matter of social value for the public library while believing that the libraries deliver a high level of return on social investments. Originality/value There are not that many studies conducted on the economic influence or the value of public libraries in Korea, and they are merely referenced in part if and when referenced to the overall value of the library. Given that, the research that focuses only on the economic value of the library must be carried out. In this respect, this research has been quite meaningful. The evaluation index developed in this research is likely to become a basic tool that can be applied to public libraries, as well as other types of libraries. Furthermore, the evaluation index developed through this research could be applied to nonprofit organizations, such as libraries, and would likely have a social ripple effect as a research that evaluates and presents the economic value of libraries. Accordingly, in this research, we have analyzed the list presented by the American Library Association and domestic research results, and have also structured the core details and derived the preliminary economic value index. Finally, 4 evaluation areas, 7 evaluation items and 22 evaluation indicators have been developed through the Delphi survey through three phases.

scholarly journals Demographic Variables Are Associated with Differing Perceptions of a Broad Range of Public Library Benefits

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 180
Author(s):  
Sara Sharun
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Program Planning ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Demographic Differences ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
Perceived Outcomes

Objective – To determine the frequency and nature of perceived beneficial outcomes of public libraries on individuals, and to identify demographic differences in these perceived outcomes. Design – Self-administered, online questionnaire asking respondents to rate the frequency of benefits they received from public libraries in 22 areas of life including education, work, and business; everyday activities; and leisure activities. Setting – United States of America. Subjects – 1010 respondents from 49 states: 50% female, 76% white, 55% urban or suburban. Methods – Correspondence analysis was used to visualize relationships between demographic variables and perceived outcomes. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify structures among the outcomes and summarize data into three core dimensions: everyday activities and interests; reading and self-education; and work and formal education. Multiway ANOVAs were used to test the significance of demographic differences on perceived outcomes. Main Results – The most highly ranked areas of perceived benefits were reading fiction and non-fiction, self-education during leisure time, interest in history or society, and health. Outdoor activities, exercise, and sport ranked the lowest. Respondents in younger age groups reported benefits in “education and work,” as did ethnic minorities and people with lower household incomes. “Everyday life” benefits were reported by male, suburban, White, middle-income respondents. “Reading and self-education” benefits were reported by high-income, older age groups, White, and female respondents. Two demographic groups did not correspond to any benefit categories: those who did not graduate high school and those over age 65. Conclusion – There are significant differences among demographic groups in how the benefits of public libraries are perceived, and these demographic differences have implications for program planning, marketing, and outreach in public libraries. Specifically, libraries should work to increase and improve service to less-advantaged groups, including low-income earners and ethnic minorities, and make available more services and resources relevant to older people.

scholarly journals Public libraries as an infrastructure for a sustainable public sphere

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 773-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ragnar Audunson ◽  
Svanhild Aabø ◽  
Roger Blomgren ◽  
Sunniva Evjen ◽  
Henrik Jochumsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Digital World

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the shaping of public libraries as an infrastructure for a sustainable public sphere through a comprehensive literature review. Design/methodology/approach In order to capture the whole picture of this research field, we utilize comprehensive review methodology. The major research questions are: first, to what extent have research topics regarding libraries as public sphere institutions expanded and diversified? Which theoretical perspectives inform research? Second, which challenges and topics does the research focus upon, such as: social inclusion and equal access to information; digital inequalities; censorship and freedom of expression; and access to places and spaces with a democratic potential and the role of libraries in that respect? Third, what influence has social media exerted on libraries in the context of the expanding digital world? Findings The authors identified mainly four themes regarding the public library and public sphere, such as: the importance of public libraries by using Habermas’s theory; the function of meeting places within the public library and setting those places in the center of the library in order to enhance and encourage democracy; the relationship between social inclusion and public libraries and its functions in current society such as diminishing the digital divide; and the emerging electronic resources and arena of SNS in public libraries and utilizing them to reach citizens. Originality/value Capturing the recent history of this research field through comprehensive review is valuable.

scholarly journals Free and for all? A comparative study of programs with user fees in North American and Danish public libraries

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 103-115
Author(s):  
Noah Lenstra ◽  
Mia Høj Mathiasson
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
User Fees ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Cross National

PurposeAs a research topic within the field of LIS, programs in public libraries are underexplored, and the question of user fees for programs has not previously been addressed.Design/methodology/approachThis article compares data collected from two individually conducted studies of public library programs in North America and Denmark to enrich our understanding of user fees in relation to programs.FindingsThe comparative analysis shows both similarities and deviations regarding the levying of fees for library programs. While paying a fee to attend a program is rather normal in Denmark, it is more of a fringe idea in North America.Research limitations/implicationsBy exploring a previously understudied facet of contemporary public librarianship, this article opens up new avenues for inquiry regarding how the relative accessibility and availability of programs relate to theoretical discussions about programs as public library services.Practical implicationsThis article provides library managers with needed information about how to conceptualize the roles of programs as public library services.Social implicationsAs programming surges to the fore in contemporary public librarianship, the levying of user fees has social implications in terms of social equity and the public library ethos of free and equal access for all.Originality/valueThis article is the first study of user fees for public library programs, as well as among the first cross-national comparisons of programming as a dimension of public librarianship.

Multiple constituencies model in the identification of library effectiveness

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 645-665
Author(s):  
Susan A Henricks ◽  
Genevieve M. Henricks-Lepp
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
First Century ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Digital Collection ◽  
Multiple Constituencies

Purpose – Public libraries can benefit from understanding the perspectives of various stakeholders leading to the development of measures for decision making and competing for funding as well as demonstrating accountability. The purpose of this paper is to examine library effectiveness from the perspective of multiple stakeholders from a list of indicators pertinent to today and to determine which are most important to a constituency of a single library and any differences among the various constituencies. Design/methodology/approach – A survey that listed indicators of effectiveness for a public library was given to four stakeholder groups of a city library: employees, library board, library foundation members, and the public. Findings – Of the 51 indicators, 39 comprised eight dimensions of effectiveness under the labels of: user experience, facility, digital collection, social media and board, community use, employees, administration, and collection management. The number of statistically significant differences was greatest between the library board and the public as well as the employees and the public. Originality/value – Indicators of public library effectiveness have not been updated for the twenty-first century.

Understanding public libraries’ challenges, motivators, and perceptions toward the use of social media for marketing

2018 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Namjoo Choi ◽  
Soohyung Joo
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Library Marketing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify challenges and motivators to social media adoption for marketing purposes in public libraries and to investigate how these libraries perceive the importance of social media marketing. Design/methodology/approach A nation-wide online survey on public libraries in the USA was conducted to carry out this study, and a total number of 470 responses were used for data analysis. Findings This study determined a range of challenges and motivators to implementing social media for marketing in public libraries. The results also showed that public libraries perceive social media as an important tool for their library marketing and intend to increase their use. Practical implications The findings from this study can serve as a guideline for public libraries when employing social media for marketing purposes in their libraries. Originality/value This study assessed the current state of social media use for marketing in the public library context, a context that has been under-researched in the literature, from three perspectives: challenges, motivators, and perceptions.

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