Perceptions of self-service technology in the small, rural public library of New Zealand: Self-issue @ Selwyn Library – a case study

<p>Self-service technologies are prevalent in our society, and libraries are no exception. The general consensus emerging from the literature outlines the main benefits of self-service implementation: namely resource saving and enhanced customer services. However a more negative view emphasises potential challenges such as cost, staff and customer resistance, as well technical difficulties, not to mention the “dehumanizing of the library”. Much of this current research has tended to focus on the experiences of larger urban libraries with correspondingly large budgets and economies of scale. To address an apparent gap in the literature, this paper aimed to find out how well self-service is accepted in the small, rural public library of New Zealand by conducting a case study on one technology at one library: self-issue at Selwyn Library. A threefold approach was taken: first the statistics were analysed to give a picture of what was happening in terms of self-issue usage; second, staff were interviewed to get their insights and viewpoints; third, customers, both users and non-users of self-issue, were surveyed for their perspectives. The study concluded that self-issue did have a place within the small rural New Zealand public library context. Though some barriers existed there was a section of library customers who embraced it and staff were positive about the potential benefits self-issue could effect. The context also meant that there was a degree of flexibility that may be unavailable to larger institutions. The dual characteristics of not having expensive security systems to integrate with coupled with close customer relationships, allowed smaller libraries to try their own self-issue systems without exorbitant expenditure. The study’s main limitation is that it is based on the experiences and data from one library which has only had self-issue for just over a year, and the particular situation that exists there may not be applicable to other libraries.</p>

Perceptions of self-service technology in the small, rural public library of New Zealand: Self-issue @ Selwyn Library – a case study

<p>Self-service technologies are prevalent in our society, and libraries are no exception. The general consensus emerging from the literature outlines the main benefits of self-service implementation: namely resource saving and enhanced customer services. However a more negative view emphasises potential challenges such as cost, staff and customer resistance, as well technical difficulties, not to mention the “dehumanizing of the library”. Much of this current research has tended to focus on the experiences of larger urban libraries with correspondingly large budgets and economies of scale. To address an apparent gap in the literature, this paper aimed to find out how well self-service is accepted in the small, rural public library of New Zealand by conducting a case study on one technology at one library: self-issue at Selwyn Library. A threefold approach was taken: first the statistics were analysed to give a picture of what was happening in terms of self-issue usage; second, staff were interviewed to get their insights and viewpoints; third, customers, both users and non-users of self-issue, were surveyed for their perspectives. The study concluded that self-issue did have a place within the small rural New Zealand public library context. Though some barriers existed there was a section of library customers who embraced it and staff were positive about the potential benefits self-issue could effect. The context also meant that there was a degree of flexibility that may be unavailable to larger institutions. The dual characteristics of not having expensive security systems to integrate with coupled with close customer relationships, allowed smaller libraries to try their own self-issue systems without exorbitant expenditure. The study’s main limitation is that it is based on the experiences and data from one library which has only had self-issue for just over a year, and the particular situation that exists there may not be applicable to other libraries.</p>

Services for Preschool Children in School Libraries: A Call to Action

The quality of learning environments and interactions in the first years of life set the stage for school success and have lasting impacts on mental and physical health and wellbeing across the lifespan, and even life expectancy (Wong, Odom, Hume, Cox, Fettig, et al, 2014; Reynolds et al., 2011). Libraries are positioned to provide rich learning opportunities for young children and their caregivers (Institute of Museum and Library Services, 2013, 2015; Urban Libraries Council, 2007). Library programs for young children, offered in nearly all public libraries in the United States support school readiness and educate parents about meaningful ways to interact with their children (Becker, 2012; Burger & Landerholm, 1991; Cahill, Joo, & Campana, 2019; Campana et al., 2016; de Vries, 2008; McKechnie, 2006; Mills et al., 2018; Smardo, 1984; Williams, 1998), but it is unclear what, if any, programs are offered for young children and their families through school libraries.

The Maker Movement and Learning in School Libraries

Makerspaces and making activities are proliferating in school libraries. The practitioner literature is replete with books (Preddy, 2013b), blog posts (Hamilton, 2012a, 2012b), conference papers (Houston, 2013), and articles (Buerkett, 2014; Canino-Fluit, 2014; Craddock, 2015; Daley &amp; Child, 2015; Graves, 2014; Houston, 2013; Kurti, Kurti, &amp; Fleming, 2014a, 2014b; Loertscher, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2015; Moorefield-Lang, 2015a, 2015b; Preddy, 2013a; Range &amp; Schmidt, 2014; Thompson, 2014) describing how school librarians can leverage the “Maker Movement” to increase engagement, enhance inquiry-driven learning, and build community in their school libraries. While this abundance of practitioner literature indicates that there is a bottom-up demand for information about how to make the most of school library makerspaces, there is also a top-down push for creating these spaces for learning. This emphasis is evident in President Obama’s Educate to Innovate program (“Educate to Innovate,” n.d.) and its collaboration with the Maker Education Initiative, the Institute of Museum and Library Services Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums program (Association of Science-Technology Centers &amp; Urban Libraries Council, 2014), and the Young Adult Library Services Association’s creation of a Making in the Library Toolkit (Young Adult Library Services Association, 2014). In one survey of youth-oriented makerspaces, 39% of respondents indicated that their makerspaces were located in schools (Peppler, Maltese, Keune, Chang, &amp; Regalla, 2015a). Litts (2015) points out that, while there is both popular demand and institutional support for makerspaces, “Researchers and practitioners are co-opting making as a learning activity without fully understanding the communities and cultures in which [it is] practiced” (p. 54). An emerging body of empirical literature has begun to address this disconnect; this literature review and the proposed study contribute to this body of literature by investigating whether school library makerspaces are rooted in the community and culture of the larger Maker Movement.

Numeracy Programming at Major Canadian Urban Libraries: An Exploratory Study

The Government of Canada identifies numeracy as a foundational skill for work, learning, and life. Libraries have historically been champions of literacy; however, the role of libraries in developing numeracy skills is understudied. Specifically, there is a critical gap in studying numeracy programs offered by public libraries. This exploratory study examines the state of numeracy programming at five major urban public libraries in Canada (Calgary Public Library, Edmonton Public Library, Bibliothèques de Montréal, Ottawa Public Library, and Toronto Public Library) to understand the types and varieties of numeracy programs that they offer. The frequency of programs, the intended age range, and the program content are the main foci of this paper. The researchers examined 1166 program listings by scraping programming information from the five libraries’ websites. The data was collected for the second week of December 2015 and relied on programming descriptions from libraries' websites. Results showed that a total of 65 programs (5.6% of total programs) covered numeracy related skills. Overall, the options to learn about numeracy concepts were very limited at all of the libraries in the sample. Calgary offered the highest number of children-focused numeracy programs, while Toronto offered the greatest number of adult-focused numeracy programs. “Math/mathematics” was the most common term used to describe numeracy-related programs. This exploratory study underscores the need for greater investigation of numeracy programming in public libraries.

The Provision of Mobile Services in US Urban Libraries

To determine the present situation regarding services provided to mobile users in US urban libraries, the authors surveyed 138 Urban Libraries Council members utilizing a combination of mobile visits, content analysis, and librarian interviews. The results show that nearly 95% of these libraries have at least one mobile website, mobile catalog, or mobile app. The libraries actively applied new approaches to meet each local community’s remote-access needs via new technologies, including app download links, mobile reference services, scan ISBN, location navigation, and mobile printing. Mobile services that libraries provide today are timely, convenient, and universally applicable.

An Exploratory Study of Four Urban Community Libraries in Nampula City, Mozambique: Do They Satisfy Community Informational Needs?

This exploratory study describes the characteristics of four independent urban community libraries in Nampula city, located in northern Mozambique, East Africa. In a country where public library services are inadequately equipped to address the educational, informational and cultural needs of its citizens, the emergence of urban community libraries in the city indicates that the population is seeking better alternative sources of information. The study profiles four urban libraries to identify their role in the communities they serve and determine whether they conform to

How are we doing in tribal libraries?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the operation and management as well as the activities of tribal libraries in general, providing insights and implications in five areas: general operations and management, staffing and human resource management, financial operations, service and program management, and technology-related activities, using Oglala Lakota College (OLC) Library as a case study. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses information visualization techniques to create visual displays of report data collected from OLC Library. Visualizations were created using Tableau software to provide a quantitative, analytical, and evidence-based view of how tribal libraries operate and are managed. Findings Tribal populations can be well served despite limited funding and staff resources, providing academic and public library services on par with urban libraries. Research limitations/implications Drawing a story from the data proved to be difficult because a bias had been created by the legal service area that most tables of the state data set used to compare reported data. How tribal libraries translate value also posed another challenge. Because the research was conducted in a single tribal library, further research in different, expanded settings and contexts is suggested. Originality/value This study is one of the first to investigate tribal library activities by exploring report data and quantitatively using information visualization techniques.

The role of influence in city and public library partnerships: an exploratory study

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to discuss whether interpersonal influence impacts the success of information technology support jointly managed by public libraries and their corresponding city departments. By exploring various management models of the information technology departments serving Canada's urban public libraries, the role of interpersonal influence in these partnerships is described. Design/methodology/approach – A two-part survey was administered to all Canadian urban libraries to explore which management models exist and to determine current issues. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with exemplary sites. The survey data were used to rank dependence levels of public libraries on their corresponding cities. Using Cialdini's framework of influence, a thematic analysis was conducted on the interview data to note the presence or absence of each principle. Findings – Most Canadian urban public libraries rely on their corresponding cities for a small number of IT-related services; 25 percent have somewhat or highly integrated departmental partnerships. Interpersonal influence, particularly the principles of “authority” and “liking” are important factors in these partnerships. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to Canadian urban public libraries and explores a single service. It builds on previous studies exploring the role of influence and public libraries, and indicates the utility of further research of city and public library partnerships. Practical implications – The findings may help inform the development of Library Service Level Agreements and other shared policy documents. Originality/value – This is the first study to explore shared management models and the role of influence at the municipal level in Canadian public libraries.