scholarly journals Methods for demonstrating the value of public libraries in the UK: a literature review

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (109) ◽  
pp. 3-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Rooney-Browne
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Evaluation Methodologies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
The Uk

This paper summarises the findings of a report commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals' (CILIP) Library and Information Research Group (LIRG) to produce a comprehensive review of existing quantitative and qualitative evaluation methodologies for demonstrating the value of public libraries in the United Kingdom (UK). A thorough literature review of existing research was carried out and an investigation into best practices for evaluating impact was conducted. A wide range of journals and books published within the fields of library and information science and social research have been consulted. Relevant White Papers and Reviews; such as those published by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC); the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), the Department of Culture, Sport and Media (DCMS); and the American Library Association (ALA) have been analysed. Additional online searches helped to identify models of best practice; and the most up to date methods currently in use for measuring value outside of the UK. During the early stages of the literature review it became clear that a limited amount of research has been carried out in the UK field of public library valuation. Although academic researchers at Loughborough, Sheffield and Strathclyde University have published various journal articles and reports on this topic there is a lack of evidence that local authorities have been implementing the methodologies that the academics have recommended. Although it is possible that some local authorities may be working in isolation to implement bespoke evaluation methodologies it has been difficult to uncover examples of best practice in the UK. Therefore, as the literature review progressed the author expanded beyond the UK public library sector, and into the broader areas of economics, sociology and psychology. This enabled a more thorough understanding of the increase in evaluations, incentives, benchmarking, objective setting, accountability; and social and economic auditing. It is anticipated that the findings of this research will help the sector to develop more appropriate models for demonstrating the value of public libraries in the 21st century. The original report was compiled in June 2010.

scholarly journals Interlending and resource sharing in UK public libraries: A mixed methods study

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Wakeling ◽  
Sophie Rutter ◽  
Briony Birdi ◽  
Stephen Pinfield
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Resource Sharing ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
The Public ◽  
Library Funding ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents the results of a mixed methods study of interlending and resource sharing in UK public libraries, based on the results of a survey distributed to both senior library managers and interlending staff, and in-depth follow-up interviews with 20 respondents. We present an analysis of perspectives towards rates of interlending, the rationales and strategies for providing the service, the perceived value for money offered by various interlending schemes, the impact of the current digital environment, and views on the future of interlending in the UK. Our findings suggest that while interlending services are undoubtedly threatened by the drastic cuts to public library funding, and that demand for the service is more generally in decline, resource sharing is viewed by some as a potential means of mitigating the effects of increasingly limited acquisitions budgets, and ensuring the public library system continues to provide access to a wide range of resources for its users.

Culture wars, libraries and the BBC

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Usherwood ◽  
Margaret Usherwood
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Culture War ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Editorial Bias ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
The Uk

PurposePublic libraries and public service broadcasters are threatened by political developments in the UK and USA. They are targets in a divisive culture war waged by ideological organisations that disseminate misleading and false information about social and political matters on line, on screen and in print. The purpose of this paper is to alert information professionals to this issue and suggests that, although they should not engage in this war, they must be prepared to use their professional expertise to identify and correct unreliable material. Further, they should cooperate with other true information organisations to expose the fallacious sources that endanger democracy.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analysed material from academic texts and papers, professional journals, serious contemporary journalism, political manifestoes, Internet blogs and items from the BBC sound archive to illustrate the history, size and nature of the problem and to suggest how it might be dealt with. This documentary analysis was based on the belief that information professionals are not the only people examining and concerned about this issue. It therefore included material from a wide range of other disciplines, including psychology, medicine and politics.FindingsThere is evidence that populist movements from the political right dislike information organisations and have historically, through misinformation and misrepresentation, persuaded working class citizens that they are being exploited by an elite. Public libraries and the BBC are highly trusted organisations, but much of the British public goes to sources it trusts least, such as tabloid newspapers, for information on politics and society. Librarians and BBC broadcasters demonstrated their value during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they need to engage with other professional groups to fully understand what is happening and counteract the threats it presents to our democracy.Originality/valueThe paper deals with a significant current issue that needs to be considered urgently by practitioners, academics and policy makers. It includes practical examples and suggestions demonstrating how information workers have and can help their users identify and use trusted and accurate information sources and perhaps be made aware of editorial bias.

ESRC Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 657-698
Author(s):  
Simeon J. Yates ◽  
Jordana Blejmar
Keyword(s):  
Social Research ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Us ◽  
Levels Of Automation ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Technological World ◽  
Ways Of Being

Two workshops were part of the final steps in the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) commissioned Ways of Being in a Digital Age project that is the basis for this Handbook. The ESRC project team coordinated one with the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (ESRC-DSTL) Workshop, “The automation of future roles”; and one with the US National Science Foundation (ESRC-NSF) Workshop, “Changing work, changing lives in the new technological world.” Both workshops sought to explore the key future social science research questions arising for ever greater levels of automation, use of artificial intelligence, and the augmentation of human activity. Participants represented a wide range of disciplinary, professional, government, and nonprofit expertise. This chapter summarizes the separate and then integrated results. First, it summarizes the central social and economic context, the method and project context, and some basic definitional issues. It then identifies 11 priority areas needing further research work that emerged from the intense interactions, discussions, debates, clustering analyses, and integration activities during and after the two workshops. Throughout, it summarizes how subcategories of issues within each cluster relate to central issues (e.g., from users to global to methods) and levels of impacts (from wider social to community and organizational to individual experiences and understandings). Subsections briefly describe each of these 11 areas and their cross-cutting issues and levels. Finally, it provides a detailed Appendix of all the areas, subareas, and their specific questions.

scholarly journals Ask Live! UK public libraries and virtual collaboration

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (86) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Berube
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Virtual Collaboration ◽  
Virtual Reference ◽  
Digital Reference ◽  
Reference Service ◽  
The Uk

Ask A Librarian, the UK public library digital reference service, has been piloting LSSI's Virtual Reference Toolkit. The pilot, managed by Ask administrator Co-East, went live to public users in May 2003 and will continue through September 2003. The pilot objectives include not only an evaluation of the software and support offered by LSSI, but also the eventual integration of the chat component with the main web-form service, and the implications for uptake and sustainability. This article combines a report of the largely positive initial findings of the pilot with an overview of digital reference service and UK public libraries.

scholarly journals Propaganda, Censorship, and Book Drives: The Newark Public Library in World War I

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
George Robb
Keyword(s):  
World War I ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
World War ◽  
Reading Material ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
War Effort ◽  
Women Librarians

This article examines the activities of the Newark Public Library during World War I as a means of highlighting the significant role American libraries played in promoting the nation’s war effort. During the war public libraries were usually the most important information centers in their communities. They distributed books, pamphlets, and posters in support of a wide range of government initiatives, they organized war-related exhibits and classes, and they collected vast amounts of reading material for libraries at military camps. Newark’s chief librarians, John Cotton Dana and Beatrice Winser, oversaw many such patriotic initiatives, but they also became involved in more controversial campaigns to employ women librarians at military camps and to resist wartime calls for censorship of unpatriotic literature.

scholarly journals Diagnosis and management of bile acid diarrhoea: a survey of UK expert opinion and practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 358-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian R F Walters ◽  
Ramesh Arasaradnam ◽  
H Jervoise N Andreyev ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Bile Acid ◽  
Expert Opinion ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Diagnosis And Management ◽  
Bile Acid Malabsorption ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Uk

ObjectiveBile acid diarrhoea (BAD), which includes bile acid malabsorption, causes a variety of digestive symptoms. Diagnostic rates and management vary considerably. We conducted a survey of current practice to review expert opinion and provide guidance on diagnosis and management.Design/methodAn online survey was conducted of clinical members of the UK Bile Acid Related Diarrhoea Network, who had all published research on BAD (n=21). Most were National Health Service consultants who had diagnosed over 50 patients with the condition.ResultsThe preferred terminology was to use BAD, with primary and secondary to classify causes. A wide range of presenting symptoms and associated conditions were recognised. SeHCAT (tauroselcholic acid) was the preferred diagnostic test, and 50% of respondents thought general practitioners should have access to this. Patients who met the Rome IV diagnostic criteria for functional diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with predominant diarrhoea or postcholecystectomy diarrhoea were usually investigated by SeHCAT, which was used sometimes in other types of IBS. Treatment with a bile acid sequestrant was offered to patients with low SeHCAT values, with expected response rates >70% in the most severe. Colestyramine was the usual sequestrant, starting between 2 g and 8 g daily; colesevelam was an alternative. In patients who had an incomplete response, increasing the dose, changing to an alternative sequestrant, use of loperamide and a low fat diet were suggested. Recommendations for follow-up and to improve the overall patient experience were made.ConclusionThis expert survey indicates current best practice in the diagnosis and management of BAD.

How Public Libraries are Keeping Pace with the Times: Core Services of Libraries in Informational World Cities

Libri ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Born ◽  
Maria Henkel ◽  
Agnes Mainka
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Knowledge Society ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Library Services ◽  
World Cities ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
The Times ◽  
Changing Role

Abstract In a survey of 31 informational world cities, we investigate the state of the art public library core services. For this study, we applied the core service catalog developed by (Mainka, A., S. Hartmann, L. Orszullok, I. Peters, A. Stallmann, and W. G. Stock. 2013. “Public Libraries in the Knowledge Society: Core Services of Libraries in Informational World Cities.” Libri 63 (4): 295–319. 10.1515/libri-2013-0024), counted the services offered by the libraries and compared findings with the results from 2013, allowing us to calculate a score for each library and rank them accordingly. An overall improvement of the range of services was observed, with North American libraries taking the top three positions in the ranking. To get a clearer picture of the challenges facing libraries today, personal interviews were also conducted with (chief) librarians, especially concerning developments such as maker spaces, increasing demand for information literacy instruction and the changing role of physical library space. The results presented in this paper highlight best practice examples of library services in prototypical cities of the knowledge society.

Impact and performance measurement in public library services in the UK

2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 96-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bill Macnaught
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
Keynote Address ◽  
Library Services ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Uk

The paper was presented as a response to Curtis's keynote address published immediately preceding. Bill Macnaught is Head of Cultural Development at Gateshead Council, UK, with responsibility for public libraries. He contextualised Curtis's statements, with reference to the Gateshead experience.

scholarly journals Management of acceptable use of computing facilities in the public library: avoiding a panoptic gaze?

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 572-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Gallagher ◽  
David McMenemy ◽  
Alan Poulter
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Power Relationships ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Features

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the language utilised in Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) in Scottish public libraries. Through this examination the paper aims to ascertain if power relationships between local authorities, public libraries and users are apparent. Finally, the paper aims to determine if Foucault’s theory of panopticism is relevant to public libraries in this context. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses all 32 of the AUPs used in Scottish public libraries, applying a Foucaldian discourse analysis to the content of the policies. Findings – By thorough examination of the literature the researchers were able to extract ten key features that ought to appear in an AUP. It was found that only one of 32 local authorities included information relating to all of these features. It was also found that one local authority contained as few as four of these key features. The median number of features included in the policies was seven. It was also found that power relationships are evident and can be perceived throughout the AUPs. By identifying the key Foucauldian themes of discipline, surveillance, knowledge, and power and resistance throughout the AUPs, the researchers were able to analyse and identify the existence of power relationships and consider the implications these could have on users and on the library services being provided. Research limitations/implications – The study examines one geographic region, and is only indicative of the region concerned. In addition the usage of the qualitative methodology utilised could be deemed to have elements of subjectivity. Practical implications – The study would be of benefit to researchers and professionals interested in issues around AUPs and surveillance of library users. Originality/value – The use of Foucaldian discourse analysis is limited in library and information science research, and this study helps fill this gap. It is the first study the researchers have found that critically examines a range of public library AUPs.

scholarly journals The Performance of Public Libraries in Negros Occidental, Philippines

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-138
Author(s):  
Ruvy M. Tuble ◽  
Ma. Johanna Ann R. Bayoneta
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Nation Building ◽  
Budget Allocation ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Standard Requirement ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Building Shape

This descriptive research examined the state of public libraries in Negros Occidental as to its compliance with RA 7743; its performance based on standard requirement; and implementation of greening practices to 31 administrators and 379 users. Findings revealed that most of the provisions of the law were not complied as indicated by the number of municipalities without libraries, the appointment of a non-professional librarian, and the inadequacy of budget allocation.  Likewise, assessors find their performance as good but distinctively rated IT facilities and services as poor. In the implementation of sustainable practices, administrators rated it great, while users find it to a moderate extent. The challenges encountered by assessors conveys a clear message that public libraries are striving to fulfill its philosophy of existence. Thus, broader knowledge and understanding of local authorities and the community of the vital role public library plays in nation-building shape its future. 

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