scholarly journals Learning from Pandemic Mode to Create a Sustainable Digital Future

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim M. Thompson ◽  
Amanda Reed
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Public Crisis ◽  
Practical Evaluation ◽  
Evaluative Processes

Public libraries are known as places for information, communication, and gathering, but what happens when a pandemic restricts social contact? In the years 2020 and 2021, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, libraries worldwide revised services and explored new ways to provide information and support to communities—primarily through digital services. This conceptual analytical paper responds to this approach by suggesting the use of a tripartite information access and digital inclusion model that can be used for evaluative processes related to ensuring ongoing physical, intellectual, and social access to public library services during a public crisis shutdown. We provide an overview of some of the new and altered services provided within the case of the Richland Library system in South Carolina, USA, and then discuss these changes using the tripartite model as a means to illustrate how this theoretical model can be employed for practical evaluation and decision-making.

Redeploying public librarians to the front-lines: prioritizing digital inclusion

2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 370-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhan A. Stevenson ◽  
Caleb Domsy
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Librarians ◽  
Public Librarian

Purpose This paper aims to draw attention to the quiet, if inadvertent, disappearance of the front-line public librarian, as libraries make difficult organizational choices in the struggle to survive the relentless pressures to cut costs on one side while supporting a market ethos of customer service on the other. Design/methodology/approach Informed by the preliminary findings of a pan-Canadian study of labour in large urban public libraries and a review of professional and academic literatures dealing with contemporary service trends, four models/proposals [(1) participative, (2) community-led, (3) managerial/leadership and (4) digital inclusion] are critically reviewed with respect to their positioning of the front-line professional librarian. Findings The paper concludes with an argument in favor of one of these proposals because it supports the relevance of public librarians in service to their communities while remaining true to the democratic aspirations of this vital public service within our increasingly complex information societies. Research limitations/implications The implication of this work is that by drawing our attention to the contradictions inherent within contemporary and popular library initiatives, the disconnect between formal education and professional practice is highlighted, thus providing a foundation for new empirical research into the changing nature of waged work (professional and non-professional) in public libraries. Practical implications Failure to situate the professional public librarian strategically and unambiguously within the rapidly evolving roles of the public library has implications for LIS educators, employers and, as significantly, current and future students. Social implications Despite the high rates of connectivity among Western nations and the increasing sophistication of their populations, the digital divide persists among a growing urban and rural underclass. Building, maintaining and promoting a strong and accessible municipal information infrastructure, one could argue, is what public librarianship is all about. Originality/value This paper’s identification and critical review of the four dominant service models proposed for the present public library represents the first time that these literatures have been assembled together and critically interrogated for their implications for the work of public librarians. Given the importance of the question “what is the future role of the public library”, a critical analysis of the key contenders is a necessary exercise, as is shifting the subject of the conversation away from the customer and onto the professional public librarian.

scholarly journals Between digital inclusion and social equality: The role of public libraries in Newcastle upon Tyne

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (123) ◽  
pp. 69-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Laura Ruiu ◽  
Massimo Ragnedda
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Equality ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods ◽  
The One ◽  
Newcastle Upon Tyne

This paper is based on findings obtained from a qualitative research on the role of public library service in reducing digital inequalities in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Newcastle upon Tyne. Semi-structured interviews with four libraries’ staff members, direct observation during ordinary activities and events organised by libraries aimed to explore both the role played by public libraries in reducing digital inequalities and the current challenges that these actors face to promote digital and social equality. On the one hand, it identifies positive impacts produced by the public libraries through digital education and digital infrastructures on disadvantaged neighbourhoods; on the other, it identifies some barriers experienced by public library authorities in providing such services.

scholarly journals Homelessness and the Ethics of Information Access

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corina Bardoff
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Body Odor ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Strong Body

Many public libraries have rules against strong body odor, bringing large amounts of luggage into the library, sleeping, and bathing in restrooms. These rules disproportionately affect library patrons who are experiencing homelessness. This paper reviews recent literature that considers legal and social justice perspectives on homelessness and libraries, as well as the policies of four urban public library systems. Though these rules may be legal and are widely used, people without homes have no other access to information. This paper concludes that blocking their access conflicts with the mission of public libraries to provide information to all.This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in The Serials Librarian on 18/12/2015, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0361526X.2015.1099590.

scholarly journals An elephant in the room?

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Hackett
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Skills

Despite its recognised role in education, lifelong learning and active citizenship, the term information literacy (IL) is rarely used in the context of public libraries. At a time when public libraries are operating in an environment of financial austerity and are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the value of their role in UK society, this paper presents the findings of a small-scale research project examining the narratives surrounding public libraries and IL. Through a qualitative text analysis, a picture is built up of the roles of public libraries as presented by government, professional organisations and charitable organisations. This analysis shows that IL is not a concept explicitly associated with public libraries; that the government’s focus is on public libraries’ role in delivering digital inclusion while at the same time depicting a largely passive role for libraries and diminished role for professional library staff; and that while current library advocacy supports this digital role, it does not effectively address the deeper need for transferrable information skills. Based on this analysis, this paper recommends greater collaboration between academic research, higher education, and the public library sector, with a view to fostering a better understanding of IL and its potential to create a wider, more educationally-focussed role for public libraries and their staff.

Changes in Customer Behavior

2011 ◽  
pp. 230-236
Author(s):  
R. Wright Rix
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Public Library ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Research Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
Customer Preferences ◽  
Online Tools

Today’s library customers exhibit a decreasing tendency to regard the public library as the primary local repository of research information. The rise of the Internet is at the root of this and many other changes that have taken place in public libraries during the past twenty years. Customer preferences have shifted away from print tools in favor of the simplest available online tools. A pervasive user expectation is that information access should be free, easy, and immediate. Information literacy issues continue to occupy a growing portion of librarians’ time. As customer needs and expectations evolve, so must the library’s services and products.

Revisiting the High John experiment through a contemporary lens

2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062199643
Author(s):  
Laurier L. Cress
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Disadvantaged Communities

In 1967, the University of Maryland’s School of Library and Information Services created a public library in Prince George’s County, Maryland, named the High John Experiment, to give Librarianship and Information Science students experience serving disadvantaged communities and to discover new methods to better serve these communities. From the creation of High John to the present day, University of Maryland publications and unaffiliated works credit High John as a groundbreaking experiment that propelled interests in diversity and inclusion in public libraries. High John’s creators published a 73 paged report for the United States’ Office of Education, accompanied by published articles, that confirms a violation of ethics toward the community High John served. The community was not involved in the implementation or planning of the library and many of the services and materials the library offered were based on prejudiced assumptions instead of community input or research. Although High John garnered supporters, the validity and ethicality behind High John’s intent and methods were called into question during the experiment. The controversy led to debates within the field that resulted in conversations about Librarianship and Information Science pedagogy and appropriate methods in outreach and community engagement for disadvantaged communities. Now that the passionately fueled debates on High John have ceased, the experiment is a distant memory. Although this experiment led to debates about diversity, inclusion, and equity in information access within the United States, this experiment is relevant to information readers on a global scale. Because Librarianship and Information Science has a history rooted in elitism and oppression worldwide, High John warrants further exposure and examination from a diverse pool of contemporary perspectives. Through the application of modern community outreach and engagement practices, this article builds on a critical historical analysis of the experiment and argues High John failed in its mission and violated the community’s trust that it purported to serve.

scholarly journals An elephant in the room?

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Diana Hackett
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Skills

Despite its recognised role in education, lifelong learning and active citizenship, the term information literacy (IL) is rarely used in the context of public libraries. At a time when public libraries are operating in an environment of financial austerity and are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the value of their role in UK society, this paper presents the findings of a small-scale research project examining the narratives surrounding public libraries and IL. Through a qualitative text analysis, a picture is built up of the roles of public libraries as presented by government, professional organisations and charitable organisations. This analysis shows that IL is not a concept explicitly associated with public libraries; that the government’s focus is on public libraries’ role in delivering digital inclusion while at the same time depicting a largely passive role for libraries and diminished role for professional library staff; and that while current library advocacy supports this digital role, it does not effectively address the deeper need for transferrable information skills. Based on this analysis, this paper recommends greater collaboration between academic research, higher education, and the public library sector, with a view to fostering a better understanding of IL and its potential to create a wider, more educationally-focussed role for public libraries and their staff.

A comparative study of public libraries’ contribution to digital inclusion in Korea and the United States

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Younghee Noh
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
The United States ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Related Services ◽  
The Public ◽  
Systems Perspective

This research was designed to measure the level of contribution public libraries in Korea have made to digital inclusion in their communities. To that end, the study compared the degree of contribution to digital inclusion by Korean libraries with that by US libraries. Specifically, the following domains of digital inclusion were assessed: (1) information technologies and infrastructures that can be utilized by the users, as well as (2) digital literacy campaigns and programs that promoted digital integration (helping people to use technologies and library programs and know about other resources and events provided by libraries). Public libraries in Korea were surveyed using a questionnaire developed by the Institute of Museum and Library Service in the United States – FY2011 Public Library Survey, revised for the Korean context. From a systems perspective, Korean public library computers and Internet infrastructure surpassed those of their counterparts in the United States in terms of quality but the diversity of technologies, equipment, and technology-related services and the proportion of technology-related services provided were higher in the United States. In terms of educational content, libraries in both countries informed the public about diverse subjects but US libraries offered more, and more diverse, services than Korean. Library staff were responsible for running programs in the United States, whereas these were provided through collaboration with external organizations in Korea.

scholarly journals Rural Public Libraries and Digital Inclusion: Issues and Challenges

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Real ◽  
John Carlo Bertot ◽  
Paul T. Jaeger
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Technological Infrastructure ◽  
The Public ◽  
Technology Service ◽  
Rural Libraries ◽  
Funding Mechanisms ◽  
Library Technology

Rural public libraries have been relatively understudied when compared to public libraries as a whole. Data are available to show that rural libraries lag behind their urban and suburban counterparts in technology service offerings, but the full meaning and impact of such disparities is unclear. The authors combine data from the Public Library Technology and Access Study with data from smaller studies to provide greater insight to these issues. By filtering these data through the Digital Inclusion framework, it becomes clear that disparities between rural and non-rural libraries are not merely a problem of weaker technological infrastructure. Instead, rural libraries cannot reach their full customer service potential because of lower staffing (but not lower staff dedication) and funding mechanisms that rely primarily on local monies. The authors suggest possible solutions to these disparities, while also discussing the barriers that must be overcome before such solutions can be implemented.

The potential of continuous library and information education within the context of the Model Standard of Public Library

2017 ◽  
pp. 83-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galina Kuzichkina ◽  
Alexander Mazuritsky
Keyword(s):  
Professional Education ◽  
Reference Point ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Single System ◽  
Library And Information Education

The authors discuss the problems of library and information education. The lack of a single system of life-long education in the library industry is stressed. The Model Standard of Public Libraries as a reference point for education reinvention is analyzed. The main vectors of public libraries activities defined in the Model Standard are considered, along with the desirable professional competences. The ratio of the libraries’ main tasks and functionalities and the professional education is examined.

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