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1.
Citizens' use of the public library in their local community is explored, focusing on social activities and how the libraries function as meeting places. The findings are important because of the need for meeting places across cultural, ethnic, generational, and social lines in a complex multicultural and digitized society. How library visitors use the library space and services, so that the overall societal goals of the library and the local community are obtained, is still rarely examined. An in-depth observational study was conducted in three library branches of Oslo, combined with interviews with patrons to establish the context and purpose of their library activities and to which life spheres they are linked. The research used concepts from social theory. The overall finding is that the public library use is very diverse. Patrons move easily between high and low intensive activities and float between life spheres and roles—student, family member, friend, neighbor, and citizen. The library is a complex arena. It is a public realm, in the sense that most of the visitors are strangers to each other; most of the individual uses belong to a private realm, and the library's community activities constitute it as a parochial realm. In the library, users are exposed to the plurality of the community and learn about otherness. People are not categorized by profession or as being unemployed, a patient or a client, but are all library users. This quality of the library contributes to social inclusion.  相似文献   

2.
This study reviewed library websites at Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to learn more about the services they provide to unaffiliated patrons and how they share this information. This review demonstrated that websites at land-grant libraries affirmed unaffiliated patrons' building access privileges at slightly higher rates and circulation privileges at lower rates than non-land-grant APLUs. Data also revealed that requirements and fees for library privileges varied across APLU libraries as a whole. This research is a first step in identifying how libraries at land-grants and non-land-grant APLUs compare to one another and to different types of institutions in the services they provide to unaffiliated patrons. It also continues the discussion of whether libraries, especially those at land-grant colleges and universities, have an obligation to open their spaces and collections to unaffiliated patrons.  相似文献   

3.
This article reports on the results of a study that examined public library website adherence to senior-friendly website guidelines. A total of 104 public library websites (N = 104) were analyzed. Compliance with Internet design accessibility principles recommended for older adult Internet users was analyzed, and the findings suggest that current public library website practices may be problematic. As a result, public library websites offering resources and services may present potential accessibility challenges to older adults. Recommendations relevant to public libraries for enhancing library websites and online content are presented.  相似文献   

4.
Background:Prior to 2020, library orientation for first-year medical students at Weill Cornell Medicine took the form of an on-site treasure hunt competition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the orientation for the MD class of 2024 was shifted to an all-virtual format. This shift mandated a full redesign of the library orientation.Case Presentation:The Samuel J. Wood Library sought to preserve the excitement and fun of the treasure hunt in the new virtual format. The competition was redesigned as a Zoom meeting using breakout rooms, with library faculty and staff serving as team facilitators. Tasks were rewritten, shifting the focus from the library''s physical spaces to its virtual services and online resources. The redesigned orientation was evaluated using two data sources: a postsession survey of student participants and a debriefing of the library employees who participated. Student evaluations were positive, while the faculty and staff provided numerous suggestions for improving future virtual orientations.Conclusions:A successful virtual library orientation requires careful preparation, including testing the competition tasks, full rehearsal with library facilitators, and a thoughtful approach to technology and logistics. We have chosen to share the materials we developed for other academic health sciences libraries that may wish to take a similar approach to their own virtual orientations.  相似文献   

5.
An innovative experiment to develop and evaluate a public library computer training program to teach older adults to access and use high-quality Internet health information involved a productive collaboration among public libraries, the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and a Library and Information Science (LIS) academic program at a state university. One hundred and thirty-one older adults aged 54–89 participated in the study between September 2007 and July 2008. Key findings include: a) participants had overwhelmingly positive perceptions of the training program; b) after learning about two NIH websites (http://nihseniorhealth.gov and http://medlineplus.gov) from the training, many participants started using these online resources to find high-quality health and medical information and, further, to guide their decision making regarding a health- or medically-related matter; and c) computer anxiety significantly decreased (p < .001) while computer interest and efficacy significantly increased (p = .001 and p < .001, respectively) from pre- to post-training, suggesting statistically significant improvements in computer attitudes between pre- and post-training. The findings have implications for public libraries, LIS academic programs, and other organizations interested in providing similar programs in their communities.  相似文献   

6.
The outbreak of the global COVID -19 pandemic has affected all aspects of life, access to higher education has not been out of danger as evidenced by the enforcement of official closures, enforcement lockdown and social distancing rules by governments throughout the world. However, while the COVID-19 pandemic has presented the world with numerous socioeconomic challenges, it has also helped to spur creativity and information as evidenced by the responses of academic libraries that have seen a heighted use of digital platforms to support education, teaching and research. The study sought to establish how librarians in Zimbabwe responded to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the implications of the pandemic on library service delivery. A qualitative research was adopted for the study. Using snowballing, interviews were used to gather data beginning with the library association's branch leadership. The researchers ensured that the questions were aligned to the research objectives. The interview schedule included open and closed questions to enable participants to provide further details relating to the phenomenon under study. The participants were guaranteed their rights to consent, privacy and anonymity in the introduction of the interview schedule. An The study reveals that there has been an increase in the use online platforms for accessing information especially library's webpages, electronic books and journals. The use of library online resources from distance locations also rose following closure of campuses. Library patrons' perceptions towards electronic resources significantly improved as they realized that they were equally useful as the print. Findings from the study provide useful recommendation on how librarians can remodel their services to match new demands presented by the COVD-19 pandemic. The study provides a starting point upon which further research on the effect of COVID-19 or other similar pandemics have on library service delivery.  相似文献   

7.
This paper demonstrates how university students experienced and perceived inclusion in a public research university library context during COVID-19. Both quantitative (n = 3379) and qualitative data (n = 575) from the 2021 student survey were examined to explore students' library experiences and their perceptions of inclusion. The quantitative data revealed that students using both the physical and online library had the greatest sense of belonging, whereas students who never used any library resources had the least sense of belonging. The qualitative data further revealed that when students used the in-person library space they felt a sense of belonging, as well as feeling accepted and valued; on the other hand, it was hard for them to judge inclusion when they had not been in the library due to COVID-19. This finding suggests how academic libraries need to prepare for the hybrid environment (in-person and online) so that students using online resources and services feel connected to the library.  相似文献   

8.
The public library facility design literature identifies the importance of understanding patron wayfinding behavior and designing around it, and this research is a first step toward answering that call. Unobtrusive observation is conducted of library patrons' initial wayfinding behavior from the two entrances of a medium-sized public library in south Florida. Although more than 100 entry routes are observed during this study, less than a quarter of those routes are taken by over 75% of observed patrons as they enter the facility, indicating that certain entry routes are extremely popular. Library personnel can use geographic information systems (GIS) to map the most popular routes. Then they can use information about which entry routes are most popular to increase the level of wayfinding ease in the entry areas of the facility and to strategically market library materials and services along highly-trafficked entry routes.  相似文献   

9.
Previous information retrieval research has neglected examination of older adults' search behavior. The present study examined the online search performance and associated errors of 54 older adult users of a representative online library catalog system. Participants' error data were examined in the framework of Borgman's three layers of knowledge needed to perform online library catalog searching: (1) conceptual knowledge, (2) semantic knowledge, and (3) technical skills in executing the query. The results of older adults were consistent with findings of previous online library catalog studies with younger adults. Older adults experienced serious problems at all three knowledge layers but experienced their most severe difficulties with conceptual knowledge of how to search the online library catalog system (e.g., formulating queries, understanding and using keyword and Boolean searching, and understanding the contents of databases). The significance of these findings for older adults' use of online library catalogs will be discussed.  相似文献   

10.
This research revisited the conditions for establishing and funding public library systems in New York State Education Law and the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, examined public library systems' organizational mission statements, and analyzed the public library systems' 2007–2011 five-year Plans of Service and 2008–2009 annual reports. The study found that public library systems in New York State generally provide services following the instructions in the state law and regulations and in their mission statements, although there are wide-ranging variations of actual service activities among public library systems based on their organizational and demographic characteristics.  相似文献   

11.
Public support of library services must be targeted towards children because these services play a key role in their development. However, no prior research has investigated the value of public library services for children. Specifically, earlier studies evaluated the value of public libraries as a whole, without considering library services for different stakeholders. The fact that children are not autonomous economic agents is another problem to address. These barriers can be overcome by using the contingent valuation method with parents/caregivers as the subjects queried and children used as the objects in this study. Thus, the economic value of library services for children can be obtained to support managerial decisions on services specifically designed for children. More precisely, this study is unique in that it develops a contingent valuation methodology for estimating the value of children's library services based on adults' willingness to allocate a proportion of municipal budgets. Both users and non-users were surveyed to verify the proposed methodology empirically. The results show that the perceived effectiveness (ratio between perceived benefits and costs) of children's library services is 11.2 (11.2 units of benefits for each unit invested) in Czech public libraries compared with 4.3 for a library as a whole. This finding confirms the essential role of children's library services, implying that public libraries should offer a broader selection of children's books and other services. The study also shows that the value of children's library services depends on the age, education and economic structure of the adults queried. In addition, their satisfaction with library services is another important determinant, indicating that public libraries can influence the perceived benefits of children's library services.  相似文献   

12.
《The Reference Librarian》2013,54(49-50):147-164
Older adults comprise a diverse clientele who require opportunities for lifelong learning and leisure. Reference librarians can adapt existing services to serve the majority of patrons over the age of fifty. Patience, sensitivity, and flexibility are essential to effective interviewing. Information about issues of concern to older adults, including family relationships, health, death and dying, housing, legal and financial affairs, and leisure activities, can be gathered from selected, readily available sources. Reader's advisory services, programming, and outreach activities should be focused to more effectively target older adult users. Adhering to common service philosophy based on lifelong learning and a commitment to provide equal service to all individuals will facilitate tailoring services to meet the needs of the older adult patron.  相似文献   

13.
Web 2.0 represents an emerging suite of applications that hold immense potential in enriching communication, enabling collaboration and fostering innovation. However, little work has been done hitherto to research Web 2.0 applications in library websites. This paper addresses the following three research questions: (a) To what extent are Web 2.0 applications prevalent in libraries?; (b) In what ways have Web 2.0 applications been used in libraries?; and (c) Does the presence of Web 2.0 applications enhance the quality of library websites? Divided equally between public and academic, 120 libraries' websites from North America, Europe and Asia were sampled and analyzed using a three-step content analysis method. The findings suggest that the order of popularity of Web 2.0 applications implemented in libraries is: blogs, RSS, instant messaging, social networking services, wikis, and social tagging applications. Also, libraries have recognized how different Web 2.0 applications can be used complementarily to increase the level of user engagement. Finally, the presence of Web 2.0 applications was found to be associated with the overall quality, and in particular, service quality of library websites. This paper concludes by highlighting implications for both librarians and scholars interested to delve deeper into the implementation of Web 2.0 applications.  相似文献   

14.
Abstract

In recent years, library outreach has become an increasingly important aspect of public services work. In order to expand capacity and engage patrons, libraries should consider expanding their library outreach programs to include the efforts and expertise of technical services personnel. In this article, librarians from Texas A&M University will share how public services librarians, cataloging experts, and preservation librarians collaborated to provide support for a student-led textbook lending library for student veterans. Through this collaboration, the library was able to develop new outreach opportunities that highlighted technical services expertise as well as lend support to an important campus effort to improve the affordability of college textbooks for veterans.  相似文献   

15.
Today, access to digital information is essential to patrons using public libraries, whether they have contact with computers at home, work or school or whether the public library is their only contact. In order to evaluate and ultimately enhance public library digital resources and services, it is critical for administrators, librarians and digital information architects to recognize the impact their current digital offerings have on users. This study utilizes a survey to gauge the perceptions of patrons who use digital resources and services in six urban New England public libraries as part of ongoing research into digital information access in public libraries in the United States from the perspective of users.  相似文献   

16.
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17.
This article presents results of a study of library-related posts on Yik Yak, a former social media app, and questions received via more traditional library-maintained virtual reference service platforms—namely, chat/instant messaging, SMS/text messaging, email, and LibAnswers' Query Spy—at College of Charleston's Addlestone Library. Based on an analysis of the results, suggestions are made for using social media tools similar to Yik Yak as a tool for interacting with patrons in academic library settings, specifically as a means to gather feedback about the library and to provide basic reference services.  相似文献   

18.
The State Information and Reference Center of the California State Library provides a number of special services for its partons. These services include compilation and distribution of publications such as Management Trends, a selective annotated bibliography focusing on current trends in business and management, and Special Topics, an irregular series focusing on topics of current interest such as childcare, biotechnology and illiteracy. Other services include providing patrons with direct access to the University of California's online catalog, and indirect access to hundreds of commercial databases. As a service to our very busy patrons, library staff will also gather and send library materials to the offices of patrons who request the service.  相似文献   

19.
The North Carolina Foreign Language Center is a centralized multilingual public library which serves all residents of North Carolina. Local library patrons have direct access to its materials and services. Residents elsewhere can borrow materials and use its reference capabilities via InterLibrary Loan. The NCFLC is funded by the North Carolina State Library using L.S.C.A. funds. The NCFLC can serve as a model for other states with a low population density of non‐English or limited‐English speaking people. By making foreign language resources available through one library, North Carolina provides a wide selection of such materials and can afford the services of a full‐time librarian to manage the collection.  相似文献   

20.
Veterans are a unique population that can be found in libraries across the United States. Libraries of all types are developing new approaches to the veterans in their patron populations in the wake of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This study identifies several common strategies that libraries, especially public and academic libraries, are employing to support their patrons who are veterans, as well as distinctions in strategy according to library type. It further explores whether libraries are relying upon library staff who are veterans when developing services and programming for patrons who are veterans.  相似文献   

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