“What a Difference It Made to My Life”: “What a Difference It Made to My Life”: An Interview with an Australian Prison Library User

2021 ◽  
pp. 321-324
Keyword(s):  
Library User

scholarly journals The University of Iowa Libraries’ Undergraduate User Needs Assessment

1998 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 571-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo Clougherty ◽  
John Forys ◽  
Toby Lyles ◽  
Dorothy Persson ◽  
Christine Walters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
University Of Iowa ◽  
Resource Needs ◽  
The University ◽  
University Setting ◽  
Library User ◽  
Satisfaction With Services

The university community is not a static environment but, rather, one fraught with change and adjustment to change. How do academic libraries within a university setting effectively address the evolving service and resource needs of a diverse patron community? One method that has received increasing attention is the development and implementation of internal instruments specifically designed to assess user satisfaction with services and resources. This study assesses undergraduate resource and service needs, identifies librarywide unmet needs, and gives both library user and librarian an opportunity to engage in proactive dialogue.

Transforming library communication: from Gutenberg to Zuckerberg

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 247-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Einasto
Keyword(s):  
Information Search ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Social Institution ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Disciplinary Power ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library User

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse institutional and functional development of a library with the help of communication theories. The library as a social institution should have a quite strong position in today’s information society, but new ways of information search have made its position unstable. Thus, a library needs theoretical and cultural-political comprehension and reassessment. The paper tries to answer the questions as to how a library can satisfy the needs of modern society and which strategy of library communication will be in demand tomorrow. Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical background is represented by communication theories of Marshal McLuhan, Denis McQuail and Yuri Lotman, as well as Michel Foucault’s concepts of disciplinary power and governmentality. Findings – The analysis revealed that library–user communication is based primarily on power relations, where “access” is the main keyword. The article brought out differences in library communicative processes in the “Gutenberg Galaxy” and today’s global network society, “Zuckerberg Era”. The analysis showed that library–user relationship is shifting from disciplinary power and monologue to the governmentality and new communicative forms, dialogue and participation. Research limitations/implications – The study demonstrates the possibility of implication of communication theories for library functional analysis. The new studies investigating which methods and forms of communication do libraries use today, how are the elements of power relations transforming would be very useful for the understanding of the topic. Practical implications – The study proposes to libraries some ideas that may be useful for developing the library communication strategy. Originality/value – This study, based on the communicative approach, corresponds well to library phenomenon and nature, as well as allows for reflection on the role of libraries in the society of today and future.

Building digital collections in a public university library in Ghana: priority-setting and user needs assessment

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nesba Yaa Anima Adzobu
Keyword(s):  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Digital Library ◽  
Priority Setting ◽  
Digital Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Digital Collections ◽  
Content Type ◽  
User Communities ◽  
Library User

Purpose – Although user needs assessment is an intrinsic element of service quality delivery in digital libraries (DLs), not much has been written on this topic in the context of African universities. This is understandable as academic digital libraries in Africa are rather nascent. Even so, the most frequently-used needs assessment methods do not directly involve the users. This study aims to assess priority setting by academic library administrators and the needs of patrons of digital collections of a public university library in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – Analysis of official university documents and interviews with digital library patrons at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana were carried out between September, 2011 and January, 2012. Five research questions were asked: what are the current conditions of the UCC digital library project, the user communities and their needs, what are the priorities set by the university administrators and library leaders at the UCC and the state of technological readiness in place and what are needed by the UCCDL. Also, what is the extent of collaboration by interested parties in the UCCDL? Findings – Three general digital library user communities were identified, that is, UCCDL staff- this community was composed of experts in both digital library systems and content, characterized as heavy users of the existing systems, as knowledgeable about articulated (formalized) user needs, and able to devote short (usually less than two hours) amounts of time to individual's needs. Next, are scholars and other visitors to the UCCDL – this community was characterized as having high levels of domain expertise and knowledge of library systems. They are also able to devote large but specific amounts of time (days or weeks) to their individual information needs. Visitors/Prospective users- this community was characterized as having varied levels of domain expertise and low levels of library systems knowledge. They are able to devote only short periods of time to their information needs or explorations. These user communities are influenced by diverse preferences, experiences, and knowledge structures. Practical implications – Academic libraries are increasingly advocating local user studies as a way to provide the digital library services that are relevant to the culture and user population of the academic institution. Replicating digital library user studies at the local level can provide information for improving existing services or developing new ones. Originality/value – In African public universities, there is little earlier research on digital library user needs assessments or DL priority-setting by academic library administrators.

scholarly journals Library User Metaphors and Services : How Librarians Look at Their Users

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 69-71
Author(s):  
Åse Hedemark
Keyword(s):  
Library User

Carl Gustav Johannsen: Library User Metaphors and Services. How Librarians Look at Their Users. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, 2015, 182 s. Lektor Carl Gustav Johannsen har i boken Library User Metaphors and Services. How Librarians Look at Their Users (2015) beskrivit och problematiserat vilka begrepp som biblioteksprofessionella använder när de uttalar sig om sina användare.

scholarly journals The role of library user preferences in the willingness to read and pay for e-books: case of the Czech Republic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Stejskal ◽  
Petr Hajek ◽  
Viktor Prokop
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Public Library ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lump Sum ◽  
Library Users ◽  
A Charge ◽  
Library User

Purpose The study aims to analyse library user preferences in the willingness to read and pay for e-books, using a sample of both active readers (users of public library services) and non-users (the general population). Design/methodology/approach Two empirical surveys were conducted from August to November of 2019; the research sample consisted of 1,334 users from the Municipal Library of Prague and 1,101 non-users from the general Czech population. The research was focussed on e-book user preferences. The willingness to pay (WTP) for e-book services and the determinants that affect this willingness were also examined. Findings The results show the specific approach of Czech readers, whose main determinant of WTP is not the content, but the price and method of its payment (allocation). Some people prefer a cheaper annual lump sum, whereas others may prefer a charge of small regular fees. The decision to pay depends on their reading or payment habits. Originality/value This study also aims to clarify the demand for various types of digital media in Czech libraries and the preferred distribution models. Furthermore, the study determines the dependence of the preferences of library users in their WTP for e-books using different evaluation models. The originality of this study is in the evaluation of the determinants of WTP for e-books, which makes this study unique, and the findings should contribute to the expansion of existing knowledge in the field of information science.

An Aid for the Library User

1963 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 182-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion R. Wiemann, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Library User

UX Work in Libraries

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Houda El Mimouni ◽  
Jennifer Anderson ◽  
Nadaleen F Tempelman-Kluit ◽  
Alexandra Dolan-Mescal
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
University Of California ◽  
Library Services ◽  
New York University ◽  
New York Public Library ◽  
Library User

The application of UX expertise is beneficial in all the areas and aspects of library services and products. All what a librarian needs is an understanding of those principles and some tools with which to practice them. The goal of this chapter, therefore, is to provide a guide for librarians, whether they are specifically in charge of UX work at their library or aspire to integrate UX into their work on other library services and products. This chapter provides some theoretical background on the traditional goal of library user satisfaction and introduces UX as an approach that benefits libraries and their users. It gives an overview of popular UX methodologies and describes real-life UX in libraries through the stories from three librarians in their respective institutions: the New York Public Library, New York University, and University of California, Riverside.

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