scholarly journals Research activities in public libraries-findings from fieldwork: Facts and methods

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (71) ◽  
pp. 15-23
Author(s):  
Deborah Goodall
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Library Research ◽  
The Social

Reports current research activities in public library services drawing from a series of interviews with 20 chief librarians. Findings reinforce earlier perceptions and findings about public library research activities. Of particular concern is the fact that research activity and method is largely confined to'simpler' issues of operational service development and does not extend to 'harder' research addressing the social and economic impact of the service. To assess trustworthiness and make best use of the data the interview transcripts are analysed using three techniques: initial data analysis by coding down, dilemma analysis, and intensive analysis carried out using the constant comparative method. Concludes that the restricted research capacity within the public library sector may endanger the realisation of its strategic potential.

scholarly journals Convite à emancipação à luz da mediação da informação makerspace e inovações no contexto da biblioteca pública

2021 ◽  
pp. 71-85
Author(s):  
Mariana Rodrigues Gomes de Mello ◽  
Everton da Silva Camillo ◽  
Leda Maria Araújo ◽  
Fabiana Sala ◽  
Rosemari Pereira dos Santos Alves
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Number Of Publications

The public library brings with itself the social dimension, which creates a space for training and social change. However, society requires innovations and libraries are part of this context. Thus, this work is justified by understanding the role that public libraries have for society. It lacks spaces for access to innovative technologies and information mediation actions. To make the research feasible, the research problem consists on the following question: to what extent do the investigations on public libraries aim at increasing innovation and makerspaces to reinforce their social function? Then, the aim of this study is to ascertain the number of publications in scientific journals that relate innovation and the makerspace in the emancipatory context of public libraries. Methodologically, it was drawn a qualitative and quantitative exploratory research. An exploratory search was carried out in databases considering papers pusblished by authors dealing with the themes, as well as in the abstracts of papers in journals and proceedings in the databases Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) and the Base de Dados Referenciais de Artigos de Periódicos em Ciência da Informação (BRAPCI). Findings reveal that it lacks the relationship between public libraries, makerspace and information mediation, concomitantly, in investigations in the area of Information Science between the years 2009 and 2019.

scholarly journals Our Future, Our Skills: Using Evidence to Drive Practice in Public Libraries

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Gillian Hallam ◽  
Robyn Ellard
Keyword(s):  
Staff Development ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
High Response Rate ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Skills Gap ◽  
The Public ◽  
Research Activities

Abstract Objective – The public library sector’s future prosperity is contingent upon a well-trained, experienced, and valued workforce. In a collaborative initiative, State Library Victoria (SLV) and the Public Libraries Victoria Network (PLVN) commissioned an in-depth research study to examine the skills requirements of staff across the State. The Our Future, Our Skills project sought to identify the range of skills used by public library staff today, to anticipate the range of skills that would be needed in five years’ time, and to present a skills gap analysis to inform future training and development strategies. Methods – The project encompassed qualitative and quantitative research activities: literature review and environmental scan, stakeholder interviews, focus groups and a workforce skills audit. The research populations were staff (Individual survey) and managers (Management survey) employed in 47 library services, including metropolitan, outer metropolitan and regional library services in Victoria. Results – The high response rate (45%) reflected the relevance of the study, with 1,334 individual and 77 management respondents. The data captured their views related to the value of their skillsets, both now and in five years’ time, and the perceived levels of confidence using their skills. The sector now has a bank of baseline evidence which has contributed to a meaningful analysis of the anticipated skills gaps. Conclusions – This paper focuses on the critical importance of implementing evidence-based practice in public libraries. In an interactive workshop, managers determined the skills priorities at both the local and sectoral levels to inform staff development programs and recruitment activities. A collaborative SLV/PLVN project workgroup will implement the report’s recommendations with a state-wide workforce development plan rolled out during 2015-17. This plan will include a training matrix designed to bridge the skills gap, with a focus on evaluation strategies to monitor progress towards objectives. The paper provides insights into the different ways in which the project workgroup is using research evidence to drive practice.

Public libraries and the social web: a review and analysis of the existing literature

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Namjoo Choi ◽  
Lindsey M. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Social Web ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
General Acceptance ◽  
Literature Searches ◽  
The Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to update Carlsson (2015), which examined the research on public libraries and the social web published from 2006 to 2012, and it also intends to go beyond Carlsson (2015) by including six additional variables. Design/methodology/approach Literature searches were performed against Web of Science Core Collection and EBSCOhost databases. By adapting Carlsson’s (2015) three level key phrase searches, which were then complemented by chain searching, a total of 60 articles were identified and analyzed. Findings In comparison to Carlsson (2015), this study shows that the recent research, published between 2012 and 2018, leans toward a more general acceptance of the social web’s usage to improve the services provided by public libraries; that the public library is rarely premised to be in a state of crisis; and that the social web is mostly perceived as having a complementary relationship with librarianship and library services. The findings from analyzing the six additional variables are also presented. Research limitations/implications The findings from this study provide LIS professionals a greater understanding of where the research stands on the topic at present, and this study also identifies gaps in the literature to offer insight into the areas where future research can be directed. Originality/value Given the continued popularity of social web usage among public libraries, this study examines the literature published on the social web in the public library context between 2012 and 2018 and offers implications and future research suggestions.

A review exploring the facets of the value of public libraries

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 354-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl Stenstrom ◽  
Natalie Cole ◽  
Rachel Hanson
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Local Resources ◽  
A Value ◽  
The Social ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
The Many

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss a review of the literature on the value of public libraries and propose a preliminary value framework for the public library based on the results. The review was conducted and the framework was developed as part of a larger ongoing project exploring the value of California’s public libraries. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a literature review of approximately 130 international, national and local resources from 1998 to 2018. Findings were developed through an analysis and synthesis of the works as they relate to public libraries. Findings The themes that emerged from the exploration of studies fell into three intersecting categories: support for personal advancement; support for vulnerable populations; and support for community development. A wide variety of quantitative and qualitative methods have been employed in this area of research. Among the many ways to discuss value, the most appropriate for the user will always depend on the context for which the concept of value is being defined. Practical implications Practitioners may find the various definitions of value useful when sharing information about public libraries with decision makers and other stakeholder audiences and when designing service models and outcomes. Originality/value The authors believe this paper is the first to identify the emergence of a value framework for the public library based on a literature review exploring both the social and financial value of public libraries.

scholarly journals How do public librarians constitute information literacy?

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 473-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Demasson ◽  
Helen Partridge ◽  
Christine Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social World ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Phenomenographic Study ◽  
Public Librarians ◽  
New Evidence

The public library has historically been entrusted with the design and delivery of services and programmes aimed at supporting the information literacy needs of the community-at-large. However, despite that central role little research has been devoted to understanding the ways in which public librarians, the conduit between the programme and the public, constitute the very concept (information literacy) they are delivering. This study has sought to redress that inequity by way of a phenomenographic study into the ways in which public librarians constitute information literacy. Data was collected via 20 semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with public librarians working in Queensland, Australia. The study revealed that the respondents constituted information literacy in four ways, as: intellectual process, technical skills, navigating the social world and gaining the desired result. Those findings and the attending study will help to provide a new evidence base that assists in the design and delivery of activities supporting future information literacy endeavors in the nation’s public libraries.

scholarly journals La proximidad y lo digital en la lectura pública: en El Fondo, una biblioteca de la ciudad

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Sequeiros
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Reading Practices ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Diverse Community

In several countries, public libraries have been disinvested and their services have been depreciated. Catalan public libraries report increases in the supply of reading services and equipment. The public library of El Fondo, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, was analyzed to understand how reading policies and the digital were concretized and delivered to a cultural and linguistic diverse community. We observed the reading practices, we interviewed local professionals as well supervision members of the libraries networks of the Barcelona region. Distinctive features included an orientation towards reading as a proximity public service, measures aimed at the local social inequalities as well as questioning the adequacy of the digital solutions to the social and cultural context.

scholarly journals A atribulada criação da Biblioteca Pública de Braga e o seu arrojado bibliotecário limiano

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Sequeiros
Keyword(s):  
Cultural History ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Professional Life ◽  
The Public ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Creation

The creation of the Public Library of Braga, one of the first of the modern times in Portugal, and a brief sociobiography of Manoel Rodrigues da Silva Abreu, the first librarian, are here presented within the context of the social, economic, cultural and political power relations of the initial decades of the Library’s history.Some episodes of the creation and of the consolidation of the Library, as well as some episodes of the librarian’s professional life will be outlined to facilitate a wider reading. While building from specificity, the analysis and interpretation of this case enclose an explanatory capacity addressed at a wider framework, in what concerns both the history of public libraries in Braga, and the understanding of the cultural history of this period in Braga and in Portugal.

Public Libraries, Real Space and Social Change: Some Old and Some New Coincidences

1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor Haywood
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Real Space ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Importance

Public libraries grew out of a 19th century liberal tradition that favoured the enlightenment of the people. This is now threatened by changes in political and social priorities and the subordination of an ‘idealist’ society, which gives priority to a world of values, to a ‘sensate’ society, which locates its values in what can be experienced by the senses. As a result of this, of the wiring of society and of increasing pressures on time, the social importance and moral status of the public library have suffered, and human connectivity has suffered with it: people retreat to their homes and ‘drop out and log on’. Technology has both liberated us and brought new forms of enslavement. Public libraries, as perhaps the last great public space, could yet become agents for transforming a private and selfish technology into a public and benevolent one.

What threatens public libraries? The viewpoints of library directors in Sweden

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 426-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Michnik
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Library Directors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Local Decision ◽  
Local Decision Makers

Purpose – This article aims to identify threats perceived by Swedish public library directors as the most prominent. Design/methodology/approach – A web questionnaire was sent to public library directors in all of the Swedish municipalities. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings – The findings reveal that the main threat was considered to be the tension between the current activities of the public library and the expectations of the public, or of local decision makers. One reason for the lack of correspondence between activities and expectations is that public library managers regard the expectations on the public library as unrealistic. Another reason is that lack of resources prevent public library staff from meeting many of these expectations. Public libraries are thus prevented by both ideological and practical barriers in fulfilling expectations. Originality/value – A central issue in current public library research concerns how change in Western society affects public libraries. Many of these studies are either theoretical or based on interviews with politicians. Few researchers investigate how public library directors perceive the situation of public libraries today. Therefore, this article identifies perceptions made by public library directors.

scholarly journals The public sphere and Habermas: reflections on the current state of theory in public library research

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 251-258
Author(s):  
Håkon Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
The Public ◽  
Library Research ◽  
The Public Sphere

PurposeThis article addresses a recent debate in this journal between Buschman and Widdersheim and Koizumi on public libraries and public sphere theory in library and information science (LIS). The article moves beyond the debate as the debate has been too focused on the theories of Jürgen Habermas. In order to really understand the democratic mission of public libraries and how it is related to the public sphere, the author argues that LIS scholars need to look beyond Habermas' theories of the public sphere.Design/methodology/approachThis is a theoretical article that discusses different theories of the public sphere, and how they have been and can be applied in library and information science.FindingsThe author finds that a main disagreement between Buschman and Widdersheim and Koizumi is whether one can use the concept of a public sphere without doing it in a “traditional” Habermasian way. The answers put forward in this article, is that we can and should look beyond Habermas' work when seeking to understand the role of public libraries as public spheres.Originality/valueThe article puts forward theories that are not commonly used in LIS, and advocates for broadening the theoretical scope of LIS scholars studying the relations between public libraries and public spheres.

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