Children's in-library use of computers in an urban public library |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Information Studies, The Florida State University, 246 Louis Shores Building, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2100, USA;2. The Saint Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA;1. Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden;2. Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden;3. Department of Design, Interior Architecture and Visual Communication, Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm, Sweden;4. Department of Machine Design, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden;5. Department of Media Technology and Interaction Design, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden;6. Ateljé Gabriel Kanulf, Göteborg, Sweden;7. Ateljé Andrejs Ljunggren, Stockholm, Sweden;1. Kedge Business School, 680 cours de la libération, 33405 Talence, France;2. Holder of the Business in a Connected World Chair Kedge Business School, 680 cours de la libération, 33405 Talence, France |
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| Abstract: | This article describes children's use of networked technology in three branches of an urban public library. Direct observations of their use of computers and data gathered from brief interviews with them were recorded using personal digital assistants (PDAs). Findings suggest that (1) the largest proportion of children's use of computers is for access to games, (2) use of computers for communication purposes (e.g., chat, e-mail, and word processing) is minimal, and (3) repeat use of the computers varies by branch. Grade level analysis reveals that middle school students access games less than elementary students do at two branches and that middle school students use the computers more than elementary students do for communication purposes. Overall, girls and boys use games, chat, and e-mail in comparable proportions. In other categories of use, there are gender differences but no consistent pattern emerges across branches. This investigation provides a first view of children's unmediated use of technology in the public library, their reasons for using library computers, and provides baseline data for assessing the outcomes of technology programs and services developed by the library to serve the needs of this user group. |
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