scholarly journals An Inspector Calls

2018 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-99
Author(s):  
Lorne Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Inspection Method ◽  
The Great Depression ◽  
New Public ◽  
Rural Libraries ◽  
The First World War ◽  
Adults And Children

Angus McGill Mowat was an inspirational voice for public library work during the Great Depression. In 1937, after he became Inspector of Public Libraries in the Ontario Department of Education, he helped revive spirits and raise service ambitions in smaller rural libraries. Building on the “modern library” concept popularized after the First World War, he re-energized trustees, librarians, and library workers with hundreds of visits to promote local efforts before 1939. His inspections encompassed the advisement of trustees on management and financial processes; the promotion of librarianship and staff training; the improvement of collections and services for adults and children; the reorganization of functional building space; the formation of county systems; and support for new public school curriculum reading reforms. Although warfare interrupted his work, Mowat’s wide-ranging inspection method brought renewed optimism and laid the groundwork for genuine progress in the provincial public library system after 1945.

scholarly journals Kulttuurilaitoksesta valintataloksi – yleisen kirjastolaitoksen institutionaaliset tehtävämäärittelyt ja niiden kehitys Suomen itsenäisyyden aikana

2017 ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Jarmo Saarti ◽  
Pirjo Tuomi
Keyword(s):  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Market Place ◽  
The Public ◽  
Library System ◽  
Public Role ◽  
New Public

From civic educator to a market place - the institutional definitions of the public libraries’ tasks and its development during the Finnish independence The development of the Finnish public library system can be divided into four phases. During the first two, the Swedish reign and the period of the Autonomy, the library was mainly for the upper classes and for the academic use. The trend to strengthen the library as a key actor in the educational system of the newborn independent Finland meant that the public library became an institution. This started to break down from the 1990’s onward with the implementation of the new public management techniques and with the integration of the library system as one of the key players in the information society development. The paper discusses the role of the Finnish library system in the system of the fictional literature and analyses the changes that have happened during the Finnish history. Keywords: public libraries, policies, institutional role, public role

scholarly journals Joint-use Libraries: Co-operation Between Public Libraries and School Libraries in Theory and Practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lourense H. Das
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
School Library ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Local Area ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
New Public ◽  
Local Politicians

Exploitation of school libraries by public libraries is strongly promoted by (local) politicians and decision makers. In the Netherlands this is influenced by a reform in the educational system in the 1990’s and the reconsideration of public libraries in the local area. The school library has become a marketing target. Public libraries and school libraries have varying roles. These roles are not similar but complimentary. Key factors for successful co-operation are the recognition of the role of the school library in the educational process and the competencies of the school librarian. As an example of a cooperation process, the establishment of a joint-use library in the brand new public library branch in the new district Ypenburg, will be described.

scholarly journals Revisiting the Carnegie Public Library built form: the design and early history of three Illinois Carnegie Library buildings

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-115
Author(s):  
Alistair Black ◽  
Oriel Prizeman
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Built Form ◽  
The First World War ◽  
Park Ridge ◽  
History Of ◽  
First World ◽  
Library Buildings

Despite the challenges involved in re-cycling older library buildings, it is important not to underestimate the value of extant Carnegie libraries, which in many places are among the most celebrated and cherished structures in the community. Any tendency to underestimate the possibilities for extant Carnegie library buildings can be reduced by revisiting their original designs and challenging popular impressions that are based on unwarranted retrospective history. Case studies of three Illinois Carnegie libraries are presented: Decatur (opened 1903), Paxton (opened 1904), and Park Ridge (opened 1913). These case studies are followed by a positive interpretation of the built form of the three libraries studied, by drawing on recent accounts of the material culture of Carnegie public libraries in the decades immediately prior to the First World War, as well as by referring to contemporary policy on architectural control by Carnegie's office and critical reporting in the later stage of the Carnegie programme on its successes and failures.

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.

Influence of Information Literacy Competencies on Users of the Saulsville Public Library, South Africa

Mousaion ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rexwhite Tega Enakrire ◽  
Isaac Mpho Mothiba
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Information Discovery ◽  
Information Literacy Competencies

Information literacy competencies indicate the ability of an individual to apply a certain search strategy of information discovery, to understand its design, to value judgement, and to use it in various contents and contexts. The influence of information literacy competencies plays an important role in enabling information users to meet their information needs and prepares them for lifelong learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of information literacy competencies of users in the Saulsville public library, South Africa. The rationale was a lack of awareness and the inability of the users to find their information needs based on the task and decision at hand. The descriptive survey design adopted for this study made use of a questionnaire to collect data from 1 120 registered members of the Saulsville library. Of the 1 120 registered users being the population for the study, the authors purposively used 10 per cent (112 members) of the population as sample size. The findings revealed that users of the Saulsville public library had limited awareness and competencies of information literacy. The users were exposed to some form of library orientation and the use of library resources during their visit to the library. The findings further indicated that the users’ information literacy competencies were affirmed through the quality of information obtained and the satisfaction of library services rendered by library staff. The study recommends the acquisition of new technologies that could enhance users’ interactive information literacy training in public libraries and formal education settings.  

Understanding the Roles of Public Libraries in (Inter)National Development: Lessons from India

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit K Pyati
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
National Development ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Information Policy ◽  
Library Development ◽  
State Actors

This paper focuses on the roles of public libraries in overall plans and schemes for Indian national development, focusing on issues of power and representation. The roles of state and non-state actors in Indian public library development are explored within the context of larger international information policy and development debates.Cet article porte sur les rôles des bibliothèques publiques dans les plans et les schémas globaux du développement national de l'Inde, et plus précisément sur les enjeux de pouvoir et de représentation. Seront explorés les rôles de l'état et des autres intervenants dans le développement des bibliothèques publiques indiennes dans le contexte de politiques d'information plus vastes et des débats sur le développement. 

A people's palace opens: the new Library of Birmingham

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 65-67
Author(s):  
Mike Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Interior Design ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
New Public ◽  
Official Opening

Purpose – The purpose of this report is to provide an account of the UK's new public library of Birmingham. Design/methodology/approach – Details the construction, exterior and interior design, contents and location, including special collections, and describes the official opening. Findings – A large public library building which moves away from old conceptions of libraries, accommodating a variety of functions in a striking and accessible building. Originality/value – Provides a description of the new Library of Birmingham, the largest public library in Europe.

Reversing the gaze on race, social justice, and inclusion in public librarianship

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Amber Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Structural Racism ◽  
The Public ◽  
Race And Class ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Historical Times ◽  
Diversity Studies

While contemporary revisionist narratives frame the public library as a benevolent and neutral community resource, it has existed for over two centuries and has a deeply shaded past. Particularly, public libraries played key roles in projects tied to the industrialist mission of states and the education of select social groups during key historical times. In no uncertain terms, these were inherently racist and colonial projects in which libraries helped proffer socially constructed and politically motivated ideas of race and class. This work draws on relevant and important work in anti-oppression studies, Black studies, critical diversity studies, and Critical Race Theory (CRT) to trouble contemporary revisionist perspectives in public librarianship to show how they further entrench monocultural normativity and structural racism. It also draws on scholarship in anti-racism studies to reimagine possibilities for public librarianship that genuinely reflect its core values of equity and justice.

Public libraries digital services and sustainability issues

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 34-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Michnik
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Digital Services ◽  
Local Politicians ◽  
Physical Spaces ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how Swedish local politicians perceive the impact of public library digital services on public libraries and to discuss how this can affect the sustainable development of public libraries. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with local politicians from 19 different Swedish municipalities. Data were treated to qualitative content analysis and discussed based on the concept of sustainable organization. Findings – According to local politicians, public library digital services may affect public libraries through changes to libraries’ physical spaces, librarians’ tasks and competencies and libraries’ economic situations. Based on these findings, public library digital services can both strengthen and weaken public library sustainability through, for example, increased access and expenditures, the latter of which may threaten public library sustainability. Research limitations/implications – Interviews did not focus specifically on the politicians’ views on public library digital services but dealt generally with their views on public libraries. To identify reasons for variations in views on this topic, follow-up interviews should be done. Data on views from public library managers would also be of use to determine the degree to which they are shared with local politicians. Originality/value – When sustainability and public libraries are discussed, the focus is generally on the library’s contribution to a sustainable society. Here, the focus is instead on the sustainability of the public library itself.

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