Dissertations / Theses: 'Public libraries'

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Nicholls, Matthew. "Roman public libraries." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2005. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:b13e1d31-e076-4923-b147-5074d7f85770.

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This thesis aims to investigate the development and functions of public libraries in Rome and the Roman world. After a preface with maps of libraries in Rome, Section I discusses the precursors for public library provision in the private book collections of Republican Rome, and their transfer into the public domain with the first public libraries of Asinius Pollio and Augustus. Section II contains three 'case studies' of public libraries' different roles. The Augustan library programme is used in Ch.II.l to examine the role of imperial public libraries in literary life and the connections between Rome's libraries and those of Alexandria. Chapter II.2 concentrates on the libraries of Trajan's Forum to explore the intersection of imperial public libraries and monumental public architecture. This chapter responds to an important recent article by arguing for the continued identification of the Forum's libraries with twin brick buildings at its northern end, and suggests a series of correspondences between these libraries and its other monumental components. The conclusions of this chapter are important when considering the public libraries of the wider empire, several of which seem to have been inspired by the Trajanic libraries. Chapter II.3 considers imperial public libraries and leisure by looking at the evidence for libraries within bath-house complexes, concluding that their presence there is consistent with the archaeological and epigraphic evidence and fits in well with what we know of the intellectual and cultural life of these structures. Section III examines various aspects of the practical function of Roman public libraries: their contents (books and archives), division into Latin and Greek sections, provisions for shelving and cataloguing, staff, usership, architectural form, decoration, and housing of works of art. The picture that emerges is of carefully designed and functional buildings intended to sustain public, monumental, and practical functions. Section IV uses a variety of texts to examine the way in which libraries were viewed and used. Ch. IV. 1 discusses the evidence for use of libraries by scholars and authors such as Gellius, Galen, Josephus, and Apuleius. Ch. IV.2 examines parallels between library collections and compendious encyclopaedic elements within Roman literature and considers how library collections came to be canon-forming institutions and vehicles for the expression of imperial approval or disapproval towards authors. The channels through which this imperial influence flowed are investigated in Ch. IV.3, which looks at the directors and staff of the public libraries of Rome. The final section (V) of the thesis concerns public libraries outside the city of Rome. Provincial libraries provide a useful case study in 'Romanisation': they reveal a range of influences and are shown to embody local, personal, and metropolitan imperial identities. There follows a brief conclusion, and a bibliography. There are also five appendices of numismatic and epigraphic material discussed in the text. This material has not been adequately or completely gathered elsewhere and is intended to assist the reader; where appropriate it includes illustrations, transcriptions, and translations.

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Hilliard, William. "Stockholm's Public Libraries: Essential Public Spaces." Thesis, KTH, Urbana och regionala studier, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-298443.

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Public libraries are too often overlooked within the planning field. They reflect the cities in which they are situated and reveal the complex societal processes that take place there. Neoliberalism directly impacts the function of the public library and, as a result of leaving urban dwellers with fewer and fewer public alternatives, multiplies and modifies the demands made of it. Through semi structured interviews with professionals within the Stockholm library system, this research contributes to the planning field’s understanding of the public library as a public space and explores the way it is perceived as social, inclusive, and democratic. The interviews are analysed through a conceptual framework that combines literature from the field of urban planning with that of the library and information sciences, drawing additionally on variegated concepts of neoliberalism. The results suggest that the public library is considered by those professionally involved to be an inclusive and multicultural meeting place, which, with the support of librarians, promotes democratic principles through the largely expectation-free welcoming of patrons. Further analysis reveals neoliberal processes to be considered a threat to these characteristics and that this, alongside issues of equality and inclusivity, charges the library as a political space. The research posits the public library an indicator of wider societal processes and encourages planners, as well as other civic practitioners, to better exploit its underutilised informative and practical potential.

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Koo, Wah-hung, and 顧華紅. "Job motivation of assistant librarians in Hong Kong Public Libraries." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2010. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B46773460.

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Magnussen, Amanda, and n/a. "The development of virtual libraries in Commonwealth libraries in Australia." University of Canberra. Information Management & Tourism, 2002. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060829.130944.

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This research examines the development of virtual libraries in Commonwealth libraries in Australia in 1998-1999. The background to the study lies in some of the current issues in the information sector, and government responses to those issues. The study begins by considering the nature of the Australian Commonwealth Government, reviewing what government libraries are and whom they serve, and examining the future trends expected to affect Commonwealth libraries. The current state of virtual library research is then reviewed, and the need for research in the Commonwealth library sector examined. The author reviews the virtual library concept as expressed in the literature in the field, determines what a virtual library is, and gives consideration to why virtual libraries are being developed. The issues that affect and are affected by virtual library development are then examined. Based on this, a model of virtual libraries is formulated, along with a brief consideration of the possible application, importance and problems associated with each element of the model. The research design and methods that were used to gather information for this study are then outlined, along with the inherent limitations of the research model. Following this, the findings from a survey of virtual library development in Commonwealth libraries are discussed. The author then conducts some analysis of these responses, and makes comparisons between different Commonwealth library responses, as well as comparisons with virtual library studies conducted in American and Australian academic libraries. The research concludes by attempting to reach some conclusions about Commonwealth virtual library development and the validity of the proposed model of virtual libraries. Flowing from this, recommendations are made for further research in this field.

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Goodall, Deborah Lynne. "Research activities in public libraries." Thesis, Northumbria University, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.367475.

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This thesis focuses on the relationship between public libraries, that is, those library services provided by local authorities under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act for use by the general public, and research conducted in such services by professional library staff - 'practitioner-researchers'- within the local government context. The aims of the study are: • To examine the relationships between local authorities, public library services, and research activities. • To review and evaluate contemporary research activities in public library services carried out by practitioner-researchers. • To identify and investigate the use of particular research methods and techniques used by practitioner-researchers. • To analyse, and provide a clear understanding of, limitations in current practice. Chapter One introduces the study and states the parameters and constraints of the research. The time period covered by this thesis is from the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act until April 1998. Chapter Two argues that as local government moves from a traditional model of service provision to a model of activities in support of strategic policy objectives, more attention will need to be given to 'deep' research in order to address cross-cutting issues. Chapter Three reviews the public library research scene from three perspectives, historical, thematic and current, and demonstrates the emergence of a more coherent approach with co-ordination and funding at a national level. It also shows that research methods remain undeveloped in the public library service as a whole. Research activity is largely confined to simpler issues of service development and does not extend to research addressing the impact of the service. Chapter Four outlines and explains the methodology used for the fieldwork. It demonstrates the rigour incorporated in the naturalistic inquiry approach, verifies the sample, and describes the process of data analysis. Chapter Five examines current practice in public library services through a series of twenty interviews with Chief Librarians. An overview of the findings is followed by a more detailed analysis which draws from the qualitative data. The analysis is set in context, making links with the earlier literature reviews. The closing section broadens the discussion to consider the influence of research on policy. Chapter Six synthesises the themes of the thesis. A description of the new agenda, and an analysis of its implications for research and organisational structures, enables a reconsideration of the rationale for research in local government. It is argued that simply demonstrating the relevance of the service is not enough; the real contribution of research must be in terms of policy development. Approaches to research, and in particular research methods, are reviewed to assess their suitability and a way forward is identified.

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Hörning, Beate. "Volunteering in US public libraries." Doctoral thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philosophische Fakultät I, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.18452/17600.

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Im Mittelpunkt der Arbeit steht das soziale Phänomen Volunteering in der sozialen Institution Public Library mit konkretem Bezug auf die Gegebenheiten in den USA. Die Behandlung des Themas erfolgt auf der Basis von Quellen sowie den Ergebnissen einer qualitativen Untersuchung. Zunächst werden die historischen Hintergründe von Volunteering und Philanthropie in den Vereinigten Staaten sowie die Entwicklungsgeschichte der US Public Libraries beschrieben und diskutiert. Zwischen beiden Phänomenen werden Zusammenhänge aufgezeigt. In diesem Kontext wird auch die Rolle Andrew Carnegies herausgearbeitet. Des Weiteren werden der gegenwärtige Stand der Freiwilligenforschung mit den Schwerpunkten Motivation und Volunteer-Management sowie das Wirken von Volunteers in US Public Libraries unter politischen, soziologischen und administrativen Gesichtspunkten erörtert. In Auswertung der qualitativen Untersuchung, die eine Kombination aus Feldforschung und problemzentrierten Interviews – durchgeführt in insgesamt 31 Public Libraries in elf US-Bundesstaaten – darstellt, werden eine Reihe von Erkenntnissen gewonnen, die unter anderem Rückschlüsse auf die Bibliotheksspezifik von Volunteering – insbesondere in Hinsicht auf die Motivation zur Freiwilligenarbeit sowie dem Volunteer-Management – ermöglichen.
This thesis describes the social phenomenon of volunteering in the public library as a social institution, focused on the situation in the United States of America. The paper is based on a literature review and on findings of a qualitative study. After discussing the history of volunteering, philanthropy, the American public library, and Andrew Carnegie’s role, there will be a review on research on volunteerism. Thereby, the focus is laid upon aspects of volunteer motivation as well as volunteer management in the US in general and particular in libraries. Furthermore, a compilation and interpretation of library volunteer coordinators’ materials, manuals, and reports will be presented. The results of the qualitative study which is based on a combination of field research and problem-centered interviews – held in 31 public libraries in eleven US states – will be discussed in detail. Among others, the results lead to the conclusion that – especially concerning several motivational and management aspects – public library volunteering is quite specific in comparison to volunteer work in other facilities and institutions.

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Mansfield, Peter Gerald, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "Public libraries in Ballarat: 1851-1900." Deakin University. School of Australian and International Studies, 2000. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20051202.084508.

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This thesis analyses the development of the Ballarat East Free Library (1859), the Ballarat Mechanics Institute Library (1859) and the City of Ballaarat Free Library (1878) within the broader context of public librarianship in Victoria between 1851-1900. Mechanics Institute libraries and free libraries represent the major derivatives of a nineteenth-century library model that emphasised the pursuit of lifelong learning, private reading and the enjoyment of genteel recreational facilities. The circumstances that led to the formation of an Institute and a free library in Ballarat in, 1,859 provide a unique opportunity to analyse the public library model for two reasons. These libraries were established in a remarkable goldfield city that enjoyed a number of economic and cultural advantages and secondly, the Ballarat Mechanics Institute Library and the Ballarat East Free Library experienced such spectacular growth that by 1880 they were two of the largest public libraries in Australia. However, it is argued that this growth cycle could not be sustained due to a combination of factors including low membership levels, limited funding for recurrent expenditure purposes, and heightened dissatisfaction with the book collections. Libraries began to stagnate in the late-1880s and the magnitude of this collapse in Ballarat, and throughout the colony, was subsequently confirmed with the publication of a national survey of Australian libraries in 1935. The Munn-Pitt report found that public libraries had provided a better service in 1880 than at any other time in the next six decades. Four conclusions are drawn in this comparative analysis of the Ballarat Mechanics Institute Library, the Ballarat East Free Library, and to a lesser extent, the City of Ballaarat Free Library, between 1851-1900. Firstly, is it shown that the literature places considerable emphasis on the formation of public libraries but is far less critical of the long-term viability of the public library model as it evolved in Ballarat and throughout the colony in the nineteenth century. Secondly, whilst Ballarat and its library committees benefited from the city's prosperity and the entrepreneurial zeal of its pioneers, these same library committees were unable to overcome the structural flaws in the public library model or to dispel the widespread belief that libraries were elitist organisations. As a consequence, membership of the major libraries in Ballarat never exceeded 4% of the total population. Thirdly, it is acknowledged that an absence of records relating to book borrowing habits by individuals limits is a limiting factor, but this problem has been addressed, in part, by undertaking a comparative analysis of collection development policies, invoices, lists of popular authors and books, public comment and the book borrowing patterns of a number of comparable libraries in central Victoria. These resources provide a number of insights into the reading habits of library patrons in Ballarat in the late-nineteenth century. Finally, this thesis focuses on the management policies and practices of each library committee in Ballarat in order to move beyond the traditional explanation for the demise of nineteenth-century libraries and to propose an alternative explanation for the stagnation of public libraries in Ballarat in the mid-1880s. The traditional explanation for the demise of colonial libraries was the sudden reduction in government funding in the 1890s, whereas this thesis argues that a combination of factors, including the unresolved tensions with regard to libraries collection development policies, committee and municipal rivalry, and increasing conservatism, had already damaged the credibility of Ballarats libraries by the mid-1880s. It is argued that the intense rivalry between library committees resulted in an unnecessary duplication of services and an inadequate membership base. It is also argued that the increasingly conservative, un-cooperative and uninviting attitudes of these library committees discouraged patronage and as a direct consequence, membership and daily visitor rates of the free and Institute libraries in Ballarat plummeted by 80% between 1880-1900.

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Conrad, Kathryn M. "Public Libraries as Publishers: Critical Opportunity." Michigan Publishing, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/623638.

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Libraries have a long and distinguished history of publishing, since their earliest days. Traditionally libraries published to expose their collections through bibliographies, facsimiles, and catalogs. While the Internet has made discovery and dissemination of library holdings easier than ever before, digital publishing technologies have also unlocked compelling new purposes for library publishing, including through Open Access publishing initiatives. The self-publishing explosion and availability of self-publishing tools and services geared to libraries have heralded new opportunities for libraries, especially public libraries, to engage their communities in new ways. By supporting self-publishing initiative in their communities, public libraries can promote standards of quality in self-publishing, provide unique opportunities to engage underserved populations, and become true archives of their communities.

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Cochenour, John J. "The educational role of Oklahoma public libraries." Full-text version available from OU Domain via ProQuest Digital Dissertations, 1990. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/26457309.html.

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Robinson, Katherine. "An everyday public? : placing public libraries in London and Berlin." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2014. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3090/.

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This thesis is a study of three public libraries, two in the Berlin district of Wedding, and one in Thornton Heath, south London. In these neighbourhoods with high levels of ethnic diversity, poverty and transience, the libraries offer a ‘window’ onto their localities, spaces in which local concerns, ideas and practices of contemporary multicultural urban life are played out. Through ethnographic fieldwork in two European cities, this thesis reflects on the particularity of the library as a local institution, and the ways in which larger political concerns emerge in these institutions. In interviews with library staff and in participatory work with library users, I trace how forms of social need and competency, questions of social difference and social justice, and pervasive concerns with demonstrations of value are spoken and unspoken in each site. In considering institutional narratives from library staff alongside the voices of library users, multiple interests and needs are made audible, and the library emerges as a space where expectations and priorities must be negotiated on a daily basis. The thesis explores the library as offering forms of public life and visibility to groups for whom ‘publicness’ is not a given: young children, older women, and teenagers. It argues for the library as an important interstitial space, a place ‘between’ the public life of the street and other forms of public participation, and as a site of social mediation. At the same time, it demonstrates the contingency of public space, the tensions around its use, and points where the library comes up against the limits of its institutional capacity. This thesis contributes to the sociology of public life, public space and public goods, exploring these issues through a highly visible yet under-researched institution, ‘placing’ this discussion within a nuanced account of the city neighbourhoods in which the research is located.

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McKendry, Jean Marie. "Reading the landscape of public libraries as place : experiences of homeless men in public libraries in Vancouver, BC." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/44505.

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Some homeless men are very frequent public library users, but are rarely asked by librarians for their opinions about libraries. Semi-structured individual interviews of 23 homeless men investigated how they used libraries and explored their understanding of the library as a place in downtown Vancouver, BC. Despite not being eligible for regular library membership privileges, often due to simply not having an address, 14 participants were still very frequent Central Library users. Homelessness is a high risk lifestyle and 4 participants who purposely avoided street danger in the Downtown Eastside found a safer niche within the Central Library, while 15 participants purposely chose to physically distance themselves from the stigma of homelessness and mostly kept to themselves while they were at the Central Library, which was often daily from opening until closing. Public space in libraries is especially valuable to homeless people who have no private space of their own. Amenities such as washrooms, comfortable seating and access to the Internet, which are not as freely available elsewhere as they are at libraries, made the Central Library the preferred library among all participants. Just like many of the other library users at the Central Library, participants enjoyed very ordinary library experiences, such as reading for pleasure, learning, playing online games, searching the Internet and sending and receiving emails, and some of the most frequent users created a new social identity for themselves as library users, which is far more socially acceptable than the stigmatized social identity of homelessness. Being a frequent library user gave some participants a routine and stability and the anonymity of being an ordinary library user at the Central Library gave participants an opportunity to be treated respectfully by other library users. Seventeen participants believed that using public libraries had greatly improved their lives and used libraries as transition spaces to improve their circumstances. Some participants who were frequent library users said they would like to have their own library membership for the Central Library, perhaps as much to give them a sense of belonging in their own community as for borrowing library materials.

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Cowan, Barbara Mary. "Public libraries, training and the impact of information technology : a comparative study of public libraries in Canada and England." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 1998. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/14445/.

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Training is increasingly required as technology brings wide sweeping changes to the ways in which traditional library activities are administered. The purpose of this thesis was to collect and analyse information on training, on the use of information technology and the training given for it, and how the technology In use has Impacted on training in selected public libraries. Semi structured interviews formed the basis of the data collection on training in the English and Canadian libraries. While concentrating on the types of information technology introduced and hence what training is required, the researcher also uses examples from training programmes covering other issues, or relating to non automated situations, if this elucidates a specific point. Training has become a key activity in public libraries and the interview data establishes this hypothesis. The IT introduced and currently in use in public library systems determines the training offered which in tum impacts on the Individual staff member, the organisation and the library community as a whole. This demonstrates that the introduction of technology does modify the training required. The organisational structure flattens after technology is introduced; the role of middle managers undergoes significant changes while the blurring of job boundaries between different levels of staff dramatically alters the role of paraprofessionals. Other areas where significant changes are taking place include the need for a more highly educated and skilled workforce; whether deskilling has happened; the need for improved interpersonal skills; and the creation of new specialist positions. IT stresses a team not an individual approach and training needs to reflect this. Further it is demonstrated that using the technology itself for training is on the increase: CBT (Computer based training) can be used for a wide range of repetitive tasks, particularly those associated with the circulation desk and be used with simulations in management situations.

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Brunner, Paul J. "Public library services to senior patrons /." Full text available online, 2006. http://www.lib.rowan.edu/find/theses.

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Foudray, Rita Catherine Schoch. "An Investigation of Differences in Public Library Usage Patterns Between Gifted Adults and Members of the General Public." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1989. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc935588/.

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The purpose of this research was to isolate the variable giftedness in a pipulation and determine whether that variable could be used as a predictor of public library use. The analysis of data indicated that public library use was higher for the general public than for the gifted adults. There was less variation among the factors of age, level of education, and public library use for the gifted adults than for the general public. Books as a resource for information were mentioned by the general adults public more frequently than by the gifted adults. Friends were listed more often as an information resource by the gifted population than by the public. Gifted adults both read and owned more books than did the general public. There was no correlation between amount of reading and number of library visits in either sample. 35 of the general public has a Library Usage Index Value of less than 4, 97 of the gifted adults did. There was almost no difference between the first ten information sources listen by both samples.

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Venetis, Mary Jo O'Connor Brian C. "Identification of remote leadership patterns in academic and public libraries." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2008. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-9017.

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Kroe, Elaine, and S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics U. "Data File, Public Use: Public Libraries Survey: Fiscal Year 2001 (Revised)." U. S. Department of Education, NCES 2003â 398, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105908.

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The Public Libraries Survey is conducted annually by the National Center for Education Statistics through the Federal-State Cooperative System for Public Library Data. The data are collected by a network of state data coordinators appointed by the chief officers of state library agencies in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the outlying areas. Data are collected on population of legal service area, service outlets, public service hours, library materials, total circulation, circulation of children's materials, reference transactions, library visits, children's program attendance, electronic services and information, staff, operating income, operating expenditures, capital outlay, and more.

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Small, Cheryl R. "Librarians Leading Change| Informal Learning Spaces and the Interception of Public Libraries and STEAM." Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10975218.

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Public libraries throughout the United States are increasingly using technological platforms to provide information resources to students across socioeconomic environments. Advances in technology have affected the way in which we learn with the advent of online learning, e-learning and shared learning experiences that have become ever present in schools and libraries. How relevant is the public library in the initiatives that are directly related to the much-needed support of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM)? This study explores the public library as a free, public space for informal learning and the democratic ideals of success as it relates to science education, achievement, and national innovation. The purpose of this study was to determine the challenges that the public library experiences in the implementation of STEAM programs, strategies, and practices employed by the public library in managing the implementation, and how the public library measures success in the process. The questions explored are an (a) examination of best practices in developing strategies for implementation and the challenges that public libraries face as they relate to the implementation and development of STEAM programs, (b) the challenges that public libraries face as they relate to the implementation and development of informal learning programs focused on STEAM, (c) how public libraries measure success within informal learning programs related to STEAM, and (d) what lessons have been learned in the development of informal learning spaces focused on STEAM in the public library.

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Wallace, Rick L., and Nakia J. Woodward. "Linking Libraries: An Analysis of a Consumer Health Partnership between Academic and Public Libraries." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/8726.

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Buchhofer, Beth. "New Jersey public library services for homeschoolers /." Full text available online, 2008. http://www.lib.rowan.edu/find/theses.

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Skarzynski, Janusz. "Assessing the impact of a public library's print collection: a case study of two public libraries in Cape Town." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29308.

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The purpose of these case studies was to explore the impact of a public library’s print collection on the community using the library. The motivation for this research is driven by three factors in the South African public library environment. Firstly, the huge investment in library print collections is not currently accounted for in any assessment of library performance, other than expenditure. Secondly, studies of the low levels of literacy and book ownership have established that the public libraries are potentially the only source of reading material for over fifty percent of the population. Thirdly, The Library and Information Services (LIS) Transformation Charter calls for more effective and meaningful performance measurement. The research design for this study was informed by the work of reading theorists. The methodology made use of the GLOs (Generic Learning Outcomes) developed and adopted by the United Kingdom Museums, Libraries and Archives Council as well as research into reading outcomes in public libraries. The study was undertaken within the framework of impact assessment as outlined in the ISO 16439 – Information and documentation – Methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries and the work of library assessment specialists, Markless and Streatfield. The research was conducted at two public libraries in two different communities of Cape Town. Questionnaires were distributed to fifty people at each site to collect quantitative data, with follow up interviews conducted with a smaller sample. The focus of the survey and interviews was the leisure reading activities of the participants. The results describe both the patterns of library use and reading behaviour, as well as the impact of using the print collection on the participants. While the results showed that taste in reading differed, in some respects, between communities, the participants all considered reading an important pastime. The reading experiences described by the participants in this study at the two libraries were similar, as were the benefits gained from leisure reading. This study mirrors the results of studies performed in the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom. Recommendations from this research are that the impact of the public libraries print collection on users, that primarily make use of the collection for leisure reading, is significant and should be documented as an important outcome of a library’s performance. Public libraries should focus efforts on providing leisure reading material, despite pressure to focus on literacy, skills development, youth programmes and other activities that are considered to produce more tangible outcomes. In order to uncover factors that make reading an activity of choice, further research needs to be conducted into what differentiates the serious leisure readers from those who do not engage in this pastime.

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Rutkauskienė, Ugnė. "Public libraries‘ social and economic impact on users." Doctoral thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2009. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2009~D_20091228_152902-38031.

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The object of the dissertation is the impact of public libraries on users. The research is aiming at answering the question what is the impact of library public access computing on users and how can we evaluate it. The objectives of the dissertation are solved in three parts. The first part discusses definitions of impact, theoretical models and frameworks of its assessment and reviews the literature on impact evaluation in librarianship, highlighting the similarities and differences of general impact assessment concept and its adoption in librarianship. The second part presents the methodology of empirical study including target groups, methods, sampling, data collection and analyses. The third part describes study results which are summarized in the conclusions. The annexes provide additional information on research methodology as well as the extended results and research instruments.
Disertacijos objektas yra viešųjų bibliotekų poveikis vartotojams. Moksliniu tyrimu yra sprendžiamas klausimas kokį poveikį vieša interneto prieiga per viešąsias bibliotekas daro vartotojams ir bendruomenėms ir kaip jis galėtų būti įvertinamas. Iškeltą problemą sprendžiantys uždaviniai įgyvendinami trijose disertacijos dalyse. Pirmojoje dalyje atskleidžiama poveikio samprata ir pristatomi jo vertinimo teoriniai modeliai bei apžvelgiami užsienio autorių bibliotekininkystės srityje atlikti poveikio vertinimo tyrimai, išryškinami panašumai ir skirtumai tarp bendrosios poveikio vertinimo teorijos ir jos taikymo bibliotekų poveikio vertinimui. Antrojoje dalyje pateikiama empirinio tyrimo metodologija: išsamiai pristatoma tyrimo metodika, pagrindžiamas metodų pasirinkimas, aptariamas tyrimo dizainas ir vykdymas bei išdavos. Trečiojoje dalyje pristatomi tyrimo rezultatai, kurie apibendrinami išvadose. Prieduose pateikiamas išplėstinis tyrimo metodikos taikymo aprašymas, pateikiami papildomi empirinio tyrimo duomenys ir jų rinkimo instrumentai.

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Hung, Margaret. "English public libraries 1919-1975 : vocation and popularisation." Thesis, Leeds Beckett University, 2015. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.731654.

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This thesis examines how librarians' conception of the role of English public libraries changed between 1919 and 1975 and considers the influences that shaped this change. It describes how the Library Association and leading public librarians held fast to the Victorian ideal of public purpose in the inter-war period by resisting public demand for light, entertaining fiction and promoting instead the educational purpose of public libraries. This ideal held that public libraries were vehicles for democratisation by giving everyone access to the best of culture. This has been characterised by some critics as cultural paternalism born out of a sense of social superiority. In fact, our prosopography shows that senior public librarians who were active in the first half of the twentieth century were drawn mainly from lower middle class and working class backgrounds. Some were seeking merely to share the privileges that had enriched and extended their lives to people like themselves. The thesis also describes how the inter-war orthodoxy of self-improvement was challenged during the Second World War and its aftermath. An increase in the stock of light fiction was justified on the grounds that it was needed to sustain public morale during the war. Pressure for popularisation was reinforced by the post-war decline of social deference, the growing impact of consumerism, and the youth revolt and moral deregulation of the 1960s. A new equilibrium was reached in which increased attention was given to recreational demand (including for pop music), while still keeping faith with the inter-war ideals of self-improvement. A significant increase in the budgets of public libraries made this possible.

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Corbett, Anna. "Public Librarianship in Ireland. A Study of Public Libraries and Social Inclusion." Thesis, Uppsala University, Department of ALM, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-101806.

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Jamison, Jennifer Tabasso Terri Lee. "Public and school library collaboration in Atlantic and Cape May counties /." Full text available online, 2006. http://www.lib.rowan.edu/find/theses.

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Thomas, Lorensia Valerie. "The impact of reduced hours on public library services in Cape Town: The case of Eersterivier Public Library." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_6968_1210751242.

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The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of reduced hours on public library services in Cape Town through taking the Eersterivier Library, as a case study. The research problem comes from the author's personal experience as a librarian in the City of Cape Town whose library's usage seems to have increased since the reductions in hours in two neighbouring libraries, Melton Rose and Kuils River. The reductions in their hours are due to libraries losing staff and not being replaced.

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Chan, Karen. "Customer acceptance of technology in Hong Kong public libraries." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2009. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/843055/.

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The rapid development in technology and the huge funding in technological systems in Hong Kong Public Libraries have drawn the attention for researchers to conduct library technology research. While traditional research focuses on the technological development, it is found that there is lack of user-focused research. During the past ten years, public libraries in Hong Kong spent millions of dollars on the development of different technological systems. However, there is no proof that public library users have used them sufficiently. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting user acceptance of library technology in Hong Kong. Considering the reported underutilization of library technology and the importance of promoting them, this study aimed to provide better understanding of the different factors of user acceptance based on a well established theoretical foundation. This study integrated different technology acceptance models towards intention to use library technology in a public library environment. These models are prominent models used to explain the effects of users' internal beliefs and attitudes on their system usage behaviour. Fourteen variables are included in the proposed model in this study. This study employed a cross-sectional field study using a mixed research method which first included qualitative and then quantitative techniques. The study targeted public library users who have experience using library technology. The population of the study was public library users sampled in three major libraries and in three major districts in Hong Kong. Based on a sample of 462 public library users, the proposed integrated model was found to be strongly effective in explaining user acceptance of library technology. It also demonstrates the effects of external variables on behavioural intention through perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The results of the data analysis showed that perceived ease of use had a stronger effect on user acceptance than perceived usefulness, suggesting that user acceptance of library technology depends on the ease of using one system. Relevance, system reliability and perceived ease of use showed positive effects on perceived usefulness. Also, it was found that accessibility, domain knowledge and level of navigation showed positive effects on perceived ease of use while level of understanding of terminology did not. Moreover, the results indicated that user training has a significant effect on perceived usefulness but not on perceived ease of use. This calls for a need to re-examine the effectiveness of user training in the context of library technology. The results also suggested that although subjective norm does not directly affect users' intention to use library technology, it exerts an influence for users in order to get to know this technology. Additionally, the results indicated that there were significant differences of age towards the acceptance of library technology while younger users were found to have more intention to use library technology than older users. The findings of this study provide public library managers with increased understanding so that they can implement improved strategic, marketing and operational changes. Details of the full range of management benefits of the findings are available in Chapter Eight of this study.

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Wiik, Jenny. "A Postcolonial Study of Three Public Libraries in Mali." Thesis, Högskolan i Borås, Institutionen Biblioteks- och informationsvetenskap / Bibliotekshögskolan, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-18700.

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The focus of this Minor Field Study is public libraries in Mali. The aim is to explore the perspectives of users, librarians, employers and local level decision makers on the significance of and obstacles confronting three public libraries. Interviews and observations have been conducted in three public libraries in different regions of Mali. The results have been analysed with concepts from Library and Information Science in Africa within a postcolonial theoretical framework. The study’s results disclose that the majority of library users are educated boys. The public libraries play a very important role for this particular group according to the informants. The users use the library for learning, for facilitating their schooling and also for leisure. Obstacles facing these public libraries today are rooted in the effects of colonialism and hinder development. Problems are linked to poverty which inhibits public libraries from providing adequate documentation and, in consequence, from fulfilling users’ requirements.

Le centre d’intérêt de cette étude est les bibliothèques publiques au Mali. L’objectif est d’explorer les perspectives des utilisateurs, des bibliothécaires, des employeurs et des décideurs locaux sur l’importance de ces trois bibliothèques et les obstacles rencontrés. Interviews et observations ont été réalisés dans trois bibliothèques publiques dans différentes régions au Mali. Les résultats ont été analysés à l’aide de concepts de la science de l’information en Afrique, dans le cadre de théories post-coloniales. Les résultats de l’étude montre que la majorité des utilisateurs des bibliothèques sont des garçons éduqués. La bibliothèque publique joue pour ces utilisateurs un rôle très important selon les interviewés. La bibliothèque est utilisée pour apprendre, faciliter la scolarité et les loisirs. Les obstacles dus aux effets du colonialisme freinent le développement de ces bibliothèques. Les problèmes sont liés à la pauvreté et empêchent les bibliothèques publique de fournir des documentations adéquates et, par conséquent, de ne pas réaliser l’exigence du public.

Uppsatsnivå: D

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Wagner, Gulten S. "Public libraries as agents of communication: A semiotic analysis." Thesis, Wagner, Gulten S. (1990) Public libraries as agents of communication: A semiotic analysis. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 1990. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/50264/.

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This thesis examines communication processes in public libraries. Public libraries present an interesting dilemma: they are considered as agents of communication in society by the profession of librarianship, but they also function as formal institutions of the State. The duality of their role presents a complex communication model, because these institutions have a professional ideology of community service but are obliged to communicate within the context of a set of power bases. As previous semiotic studies indicate (Goffman, 1961; Foucault, 1980) when power is an issue there will be dysfunctional acts of communication. Thus it becomes useful to ask whether there are any dysfunctional communication processes in public libraries as institutions of the State. This thesis is primarily concerned with one factor that affects communication: the possible systemic dysfunctional acts of communication in public libraries. The research problem focused on the questions of: What forces construct this possible dysfunctional communication? What forms does it take? How does possible dysfunctional communication prevent public libraries from achieving their professional objectives as agents of communication in society? This universal problem was examined by taking the Perth metropolitan region public library system in Western Australia as an example. In resolving the research problem three primary communication nodes were identified: (1) the "public face" of these institutions; (2) the agents of communication: staff and users (including non-users); and (3) the State Library, represented by its headquarters, the Alexander Library Building, as an exemplary site where the State's power is most strongly expressed. Semiotics, the discipline whose central point is the study of meaning, is applied to the examination of the possible communication dysfunction in public libraries. The resolution of any communication problems in these institutions was studied against two semiotic dimensions : space and time. The grounded theory method has provided the necessary research strategy for formulating theories from data systematically obtained for this semiotic analysis. As both of these approaches to research are based on inductive methods, data were collected by three surveys: (1) a staff questionnaire involving all executive librarians or their deputies in the Perth metropolitan region; (2) a user survey based on interviews with 112 users; and (3) telephone interviews with 56 non-users. Differences of meaning stemming from differences in codes of users are important in semiotic research, thus an analysis of four public libraries located in higher and lower income suburbs added a comparative dimension to the study. In addition to questionnaire surveys and various interviews, data were collected through observations during the field research. Various sign generating "texts" created by these institutions, such as architectural briefs and floor plans, job descriptions and various other official documents were also examined. The sustaining functionality of dysfunctional communication was disclosed as a complex dimension of communication processes in these institutions. The implications of this first study of semiotics of public libraries is that it demonstrates a way to recognise unwanted dysfunctional and systemic communication acts, i.e., alienating functions of signifiers of power, in these institutions. It also points out the crucial need to balance any possibly negative meanings by incorporating into their communication systems the ideology of public libraries, which aim to disseminate the recorded culture of a society as widely as possible.

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Canepi, Kitti 1955. "Information access through electronic databases for rural public libraries." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/278522.

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Electronic databases allow rural libraries to expand information access beyond the limits of their material collection. How are these libraries to know which databases best meet the needs of their clientele? Research done at the onset of this project revealed no previous studies on the ability of databases to answer real questions. In this study, public library patron questions received by the Arizona State Reference Center were searched on ten different databases recommended in William Katz's Introduction to Reference Work, 6th edition, and available through DIALOG Online Services. Given the limitations and exploratory nature of this study, the results indicate that of the databases tested, the set of Books in Print, Magazine Database, ABI/INFORM, PAIS, and GPO Publications could qualify as a set of databases that would enable rural public library staff to find sources for 90% of the patron requests for information not found within the library.

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Ross, Jessica M. "The Role of Public Libraries in Rural Communication Infostructure." Thesis, The University of Alabama, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10838616.

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Dissemination of news and information is often challenging in small, rural communities, where sprawling geography and limited resources can limit the effectiveness of communication systems. While traditional media and local organizations attempt to inform the public through newspapers, flyers, radio, social media, and word of mouth, no one means of communication is entirely successful in reaching the masses. Rural institutions and organizations often lack a means of communicating current news to members of small towns due to the void of an integrated information infrastructure, or infostructure .

Borrowing from the framework of Communication Infrastructure Theory and previously suggested models for community infrastructure, this study was an effort to better understand how people in this small town communicate—how they create, disseminate and prefer to receive information about the community. This exploratory, qualitative, case study examined communications in one small, rural town to determine whether or not the library might be able to partner with local media, resident networks, and other organizations in the community, to maximize available resources, eliminate duplication, and increase overall effectiveness in the communication infrastructure. This new model would place the public library, or anchor institution, at the center of the storytelling network, as the hub for local news and information.

Through interviews and focus groups with 32 members of the community under study, I identified ways in which people communicate, connections between storytelling agents within the local storytelling network, and voids that, if addressed might improve the community’s ability to communicate in general. This study suggested ways that libraries might serve a role as the anchor of anchors for communication in rural communities.

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Velasquez, Diane L. "The impact of technology on organizational change in public libraries a qualitative study /." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4668.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 3, 2008) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

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Copeland, Susan Marjorie. "Marketing and income generation in Scottish public library services." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 2001. http://oleg.lib.strath.ac.uk:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=23781.

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This thesis investigates the interaction between marketing practice and strategy and resource allocation in Scottish public library services. It focuses, in particular, on the period immediately prior to local government reorganisation in 1996. The historical framework within which public libraries have developed is described. So, too, is the political environment within which the libraries operate. A review of the literature indicates that, although there are examples of good practice with regard to libraries undertaking market research to ascertain the needs of their users, and potential users, many authorities could make improvements in this area. Similarly, the literature suggests that more could be achieved in other ways to ensure that libraries are more efficient, effective and responsive to user needs, and that some of the more systematic and aggressive approaches to fund-raising that are evident in the U.S.A. could be employed to advantage in Scotland. The results of a survey that was undertaken in 1996 support the view that Scottish public libraries could make better use of marketing techniques with a view to targeting the funds they have available and generating additional income. Existing, published, research has drawn attention to the significance of population size with regard to the efficiency of Scottish public libraries. Statistics published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) indicate the relevance of the size of local authorities in terms of the amount of income and expenditure per person. This thesis shows that population size is also a significant factor with regard to the use of marketing techniques and the range of ways in which library services generate income.

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Yusoff, Hashimah Mohd. "The use of electronic information resources among the users of Penang Public Library Corporation." School of Communication & Information, Nanyang Technological University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105641.

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Public libraries place importance on information technology for the delivery of quality services. One aspect of quality services is knowing the usage in the electronic information resources (EIRs) among the users. This study was carried out to investigate the use of the EIRs at the Penang Public Library Corporation (PPLC). The findings revealed that EIRs services provided by PPLC are being regularly used by the users. It was noted that the younger group relied more on the EIRs. The most preferred EIRs were Internet (51.9%) and OPAC (43.2%). The preference of Internet was higher among school students with 25% users and college students with 17.2% users, whereas preference of OPAC was higher among the professional group with 30% users. It was determined also that most of the users who used Internet were for information searching. For OPAC, they seemed more likely to use title search in searching library materials and they learned to use the OPAC by themselves. The usage of other EIRs were less popular with Electronic Journals (19.1%), Online databases (16.0%) and CD-ROMs (7.4%). It is recommended that PPLC must strive aggressively to promote the less popular EIRs that are provided but seldom used by the library users. PPLC also needs to improve its training programme in order to help users to enhance the use of EIRs.

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Williams, Amanda Jane. "Providers' perceptions of public library storytime : a naturalistic inquiry /." Digital version accessible at:, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/main.

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Smith, Susan. "Working librarians' perceptions of the role of the public library in the 21st century." 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10106/1039.

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Magbanua, Erwin. "Open Tools and Public Libraries." 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105348.

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This paper surveys the tools of the open movement in public libraries as effective alternatives to commercial products. The potential benefits to service from free and open technologies such as Koha, Wordpress, and Scriblio, as well as open education resources, are discussed. The adoption of free and open tools is critical to the future of public libraries, especially in the face of severe budget cuts.

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Adjah, Olive Akpebu. "Career patterns of female librarians in public university libraries in Ghana." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/19144.

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The growing interest in gender issues and female employment has generated a number of studies and the library and information profession has not been excluded from this interest in promoting female equity in employment. This study investigates the career patterns of female librarians in six public university libraries in Ghana in order to establish the enhancers and inhibitors they experience in their career progression. The study adopted the multi-method approach, which entailed the use of two self-administered questionnaires for 128 professional and paraprofessional library staff respectively, which formed one group of the population studied and a semi-structured interview schedule developed for three female University library Heads, who formed the second group of the study population to address research questions in this study. Each of the professional and paraprofessional librarians completed the questionnaire on their own and their responses were then used to form essential components of one research project. Quantitative data gathered was analysed to report on descriptive characteristics of respondents, while qualitative data, from open ended questions, in the questionnaires, and responses from interviews with the female University Library Heads were analysed using the narrative analysis technique to present profile of respondents and their career histories. The findings reveal females in the study were unable to meet requirements for promotion in their various public university libraries, which has resulted in very slow progress in their careers and even in some cases stagnated careers. The few successful female librarians who made it to top positions did so relatively late in their careers. The study established that societal expectations of females, age, family responsibilities-career conflict, failure to publish, not being able to pursue higher academic programmes, inability to participate in professional enhancement and professional activities are some inhibitors to the progress of female librarians. The study concludes by recommending that the pioneer female University Librarians should serve as role models and mentors to colleague female librarians, and that there should be career development support, for females, from the Ghana Library Association and African Library and Information Association to help overcome barriers to advancement in university libraries.
Information Science
D.Litt. et. Phil (Information Science)
020.82

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Jih, Wang Jing, and 王敬芷. "The Work Environment and Librarians'' Burnout among Public Libraries in Taiwan." Thesis, 1994. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/66154586564185031823.

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Liu, Yan Quan. "Analytical comparison of usefulness of the national public library statistics in the United States and People's Republic of China." 1999. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/44544870.html.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1999.
English text with bibliographies and appendices in English and Chinese. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 359-379).

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Hsiao, Li-chuan, and 蕭麗娟. "A Study on Building Collection Specialty In Public Libraries ─ The Case of Public Libraries in Hualien." Thesis, 2009. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/07728690793861852026.

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Da, Silva Rodrigues Antonio. "Multiculturalism in South African public libraries." Diss., 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/1683.

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The multicultural nature of South Africa is recognised by our Constitution when it says that "the South African nation consists of a diversity of cultural, religious and linguistic communities." It also states that "everyone has the right to use the language and to participate in the cultural life of their choice" (South Africa, 1996). This supports the IFLA (1998: 6) International Guidelines for Library Services to Multicultural Communities which recommends that all ethnic, linguistic and other cultural groups be provided with library materials and services according to the same standards. It urges public libraries around the world to strive towards providing materials and services to all communities on an equitable basis - in their preferred languages and reflecting their own cultures. The LIASA policy supports this by recommending that libraries acquire, preserve and make available the widest variety of materials to reflect the plurality and diversity of South African society. Providing equitable library collections and services for the culturally diverse population of the City of Johannesburg is also supported by policy. This includes the Minimum Standards for the CJLIS (2003-2006) which maintains that the library should reflect the variety of cultures represented in the community; support cultural traditions; and be provided in the languages spoken and read in the local community. It also includes the Policy for the Selection of Materials for CJLIS (2002) which states that the Library's materials should reflect the cultural diversity of the City, especially materials in the languages of the indigenous communities. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the multicultural nature of South African communities - specifically that of Johannesburg - is reflected in the collections and services of public libraries. It also aims to identify suggestions on how these might be improved to ensure the representation of library collections and services to culturally diverse communities. To achieve this, a local and international literature review was conducted and interviews were held with librarians from CJLIS, Region Eight. It became evident from the investigation, that although policy documents that support the principle of providing equitable services and collections to culturally diverse communities exist, public libraries - such as the CJLIS, Region Eight, which operates within a culturally diverse environment - often do not provide these. The findings show that most of the collections and services are only offered in English and are not representative of the diverse communities. Reasons for this include the shortage of financial resources; non-availability of published materials in indigenous languages; and the lack of skills to offer these services. It is also evident from the study that multicultural services should be based on a thorough understanding of the composition and needs of each group in the community. This should be accomplished by means of user profiles and needs assessments. Based on these findings, recommendations on the development of multicultural library services and collections were made which may be applied - not only to the CJLIS - but also to other public libraries in South Africa that are similarly confronted with serving culturally diverse communities.
Information Science
M.A. (Information Science)

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Tsai, Hsin-Yi, and 蔡欣怡. "Fair Use in the Public Libraries." Thesis, 2008. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/58555429089014505742.

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Picco, Paola. "Are public libraries a useful tool for social integration? : the case of the public libraries in Montreal." 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1993/20546.

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Nierenberg, Ellen. "Anti-terror legislation and public libraries a comparison of librarians' concerns in the USA and Denmark /." 2007. http://www.hio.no/content/download/79265/562882/version/1/file/Nierenberg,+Ellen.pdf.

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Nebenzahl, Ora. "Public library legislation in Israel a study in public policy process /." 1996. http://books.google.com/books?id=OnSbAAAAMAAJ.

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Higgins, Susan Ellen. "Should Public Libraries Hire Young Adult Specialists?" 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105114.

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The first national survey of services and resources for young adults showed that the percentage of young adult specialists being hired by public libraries is much lower than the percentage of young adults patrons. The reasons that a trained specialist is not widely acknowledged include difficult economic times, lack of trained staff, and the smaller percentages of young adults in the general population due to a decline in the national birth rate. This study defined the measure of user satisfaction as a measure of effectiveness by distributing questionnaires to two large urban libraries. It made suggestions to public libraries about the importance of hiring young adult specialists.

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Kulovany, Lukas, and Jan Soukup. "Marketing strategy of public and academic library, Case Study." 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/106171.

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Not a long time ago, marketing was almost unrecognised and surely marginalised conception for libraries. Nowadays the situation is changing for the better. The libraries tend to slowly change their old passive management strategy for active market behaviour, there is a tendency to â go an extra mile for the clientâ . In my opinion it is the only way how to compare favourably in current competitive environment and not become obsolete and outmoded. The aim of this case study is to compare the marketing of two different sorts of libraries â academic library and public library. For the academic library we have chosen the SWOT analysis type of survey, for the public library the â four Pâ method. Considering the dissimilarity of those two sorts of libraries we regard the methods as the most appropriate. The objective of our case study is to verify the presumption that the public library has to make much bigger effort in its active market behaviour than the academic library.

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Chan, Chu-Hsiang. "Metadata qualities for digital libraries." 2008. http://adt.waikato.ac.nz/public/adt-uow20080903.114537/index.html.

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Chou, Hui-Ting, and 周惠婷. "Public Libraries and the Digital Divide：Patrons'' Using Behavior of Public Access Computing in Taichung City and County Rural Libraries." Thesis, 2009. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/10012333087271490529.

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碩士
國立中興大學
圖書資訊學研究所
97
Even though in the 21st centuries, the advanced information technology and the internet have been available with each passing day, there still has been existing the digital divide around the world. Despites the most public libraries maintaining public access computing service, but still the rural libraries are fragile; that is, these rural and small town libraries are the most disadvantages with respect to being able to sustain the public access computing. It seems that quite often the isolated, rural libraries still have to face and struggle with the continued challenges: the lack of funding and resources. The study includes the three rural libraries in Taichung County. And then in order to proclaim the digital divide on these rural libraries and their patrons, it also subsumes the Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau as a comparison. The study employed questionnaire survey and interview methods. Heping, Shinshou, Tungshih libraries of Taichung County and Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau administrative areas were included. The researcher administrated two kinds of survey questionnaires: one for the librarians and the other for library patrons. Survey questionnaires were administrated from September to December, 2008. A total of 4 copies of librarians’and 381 copies of library patrons’ questionnaires were distributed. The return rate of librarians’ questionnaire was 100%. 348 copies of library patrons’ questionnaire were returned valid, with a net return rate 91.3%. Service Solutions (SPSS) using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, Goodman & Kruskal’s Gamma and factorial analysis of variance. Moreover, the study had interviewed the 4 librarians and 24 patrons to understand the library computer use and their opinions about the public access computing service. The conclusions of this study are as following: 1. The service of public access computing in the rural, small town libraries is facing the digital divide.; 2. The patrons in the rural, small town libraries are facing the digital divide.; 3. The utilizing of library computers are disproportionately low.; 4. The librarians and the patrons in the rural, small town libraries are critical at risk with the lack of computer skills and Internet access trainin.g; 5.Public access computing services in the rural, small town libraries can’t meet the need of disadvantaged groups.; 6. The rural, small town libraries can’t be of great assistance in bridging the digital divide. This study puts forward suggestions to combine the governmental departments, the rural and small town libraries, Digital divide Centers, and the volunteers to sustain the computer skills and internet access training of the disadvantaged groups. Finally, the study also put further suggestions to expand the study about the impact of digital divide on the public access computing service and the disadvantaged patrons, then as a result to improve the public access computing service in the rural and small town libraries.

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Kelley, Irene Gesiak. "Cooperation between public libraries and public school library/media centers in Massachusetts." 1992. http://books.google.com/books?id=S7_gAAAAMAAJ.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Public libraries'

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