Search

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service allows users to borrow materials from other libraries, whether physical or electronic. We sought to explore the usage and preferences of ILL service among users of a county-wide public library system in Tennessee. The survey consisted of questions pertaining to the frequency of ILL usage, the types of materials requested, and overall satisfaction with the service. Our findings show which aspects of ILL users find beneficial, as well as any shortcomings that could be addressed. Overall, those who utilized ILL service found it very valuable, would recommend it to others and expressed satisfaction with their experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research responds to calls to further our understanding of exhibitions in the library context by exploring the significance of a commemorative exhibition staged in a public library. Employing a qualitative methodology, it centers on the 'Goodbye Dublin: The War of Independence in the City' commemorative exhibition, staged by Dublin City Pearse Street Library, between August 14th and October 31st, 2019. The findings show that the commemorative nature of the exhibition appealed to a variety of new, lapsed and frequent library users, connecting with Irish and non-Irish residents, as well as tourists visiting the city. In this regard, the exhibition was effective in its objective of appealing to a new and wide-ranging audience, however, the findings underline the need for more diverse and varied marketing, if this aim is to be entirely successful. The staging of the exhibition as an active authoring and articulation of the past by the library is highlighted, and the use of multimedia is seen to transform the library into an emotionally charged, dynamic, and multisensory space. This facilitates an immersive encounter, involving interplays between the exhibition narratives and visitors' personal memories and interests. This offers different ways for visitors to engage with the library, inspiring them to find new meanings, explore issues of personal, collective and national identities, and to reassess contemporary events. Overall, the research makes an important contribution by highlighting the complexity and importance of commemorative exhibitions in the context of public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to gauge how much, and why, people value visiting public libraries by asking them about the impact of the library closures. A questionnaire survey was administered to users of four library networks in New South Wales, Australia. About 19% of 1,295 respondents missed their library "a great deal," another 28% "quite a lot." Most commonly respondents missed browsing the shelves, taking children for visits, studying, reading, and socializing there. They also missed the quiet, relaxing, and friendly environment, and the resources provided. For many, the closures impacted their lives in a critical way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitating access to the Internet is an important part of the public library mission, and is crucial in ensuring that all citizens have the possibility of access to contemporary digital information and public services. Part of managing this access relies on the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), an agreement between the library and the user regarding the conditions of access. This article reports on a national UK study of public library AUPs and the development of a new national model policy for public libraries, and which can be considered as 'best practice'. The article reports analysis of AUPs across the UK, with specific focus on how they communicate the use of filtering, and surveillance. This research adds new insight by studying the content of AUPs and contributes to the limited research that exists on public library AUPs in the UK. The research analyzed AUPs from 205 authorities in the UK, a return rate of 99.5%. The resulting conclusions and synthesis of relevant guidance on AUPs led to the formation of the model policy presented in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public library staff are increasingly required to work with members of the public with high social needs. Public libraries are places of sanctuary and connection for people experiencing challenges such as homelessness, poverty, mental illness, domestic violence and substance abuses. In recognizing their role to serve the needs of all people who enter their buildings, public library staff are often asked to work outside their areas of expertise to meet the needs of community members. Public library staff can experience feeling overwhelmed and anxious when working with this community, often wanting to help but not knowing where the boundary between providing support and undermining the self-determination of the individual lies, and not knowing what resources and services would best meet the needs of these visitors. To assist patrons with high social needs and library staff, the City of Melbourne Libraries followed an approach now common in the United States of America, but largely untested in Australia by working with a local housing group to place a social worker in their City Library. This article explores the early work of the Library Social Worker as she engaged with library patrons and provided training to library staff. Using statistics and case notes that describe her activities and their outcomes, we can see that although this practice is new for the Australian public library system, the placement of a social worker into a busy urban library has significant benefits to both patrons in need and the staff who work with them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do today's users utilize large print collections and why? A survey of adult large print users at one mid-size public library explored their preferences and reading habits. Respondents fell into two user groups, those who need to read in large print because of sight issues, and those who utilize large print for other reasons, such as copy availability and ease of reading. Overall, adult large print users were more likely to be female, between the ages of 40–90, heavy readers, frequent visitors to the library, and to prefer print format over eBooks or audio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public library users' expectations of library resources and services related to open data as well as their own estimation of their data literacy skills are examined. Library users were surveyed from nine different Indiana public library communities. Findings suggest that public libraries are viewed as resources for finding data and educational programming for data skills, particularly as it relates to the community context. Additionally, study participants assessed their data skills to be average or slightly above, indicating a foundational knowledge from which to design library resources and sources to meet a community's data needs. Keywords: open government data, public libraries, data literacy skills, communities, information behaviors [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public libraries are frequented by patrons experiencing unmet psychosocial needs. At times, the needs exceed staff training, resulting in some libraries turning to social workers. This study is the first to present a comprehensive needs assessment of self-reported patron psychosocial needs from a large U.S. urban library system and examine the specific needs of housed versus unhoused participants. Patrons had many psychosocial needs overall, and unhoused patrons had a greater frequency of basic needs. No relationship was found between housing status and social needs. The results support library programming and services that are inclusive of both housed and unhoused patrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1998, a group of adult library patrons and individuals in Loudoun County, Virginia, brought a suit against library trustees, board members, and the director of the county's public library, claiming that the library's use of Internet blocking software was an infringement on their First Amendment rights, leading to the federal court case Mainstream Loudoun v. Board of Trustees of the Loudoun County Library (1998). Using an in-depth case study approach and going beyond a review of the court documents, the author uses a series of qualitative interviews with individuals connected to the court case to gather more in-depth information regarding events surrounding this case of censorship in public libraries and investigate the phenomenon of librarians acting as censors themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interest to improve library services is worldwide. Standards, various kinds of assessments and customer surveys are used as tools. To be more successful in their business libraries should pay more attention to the customer experience and use qualitative methods in evaluating services. Library Ranking Europe (LRE) is a pilot project which looks at public libraries from a customer perspective. The method is mystery shopping, anonymous visits to libraries. The aim is to create a ranking system that stimulates benchmarking. The ranking system consists of different factors – categories and subcategories – which reflect library services. In the evaluation, every category is scored. The LRE scale generates a ranking system that categorizes libraries according to the scores from one to six stars, from Poor to Exceptional. The system will be developed further but after five years of testing, we find that LRE offers a relatively easy way to compare public libraries in different European countries. It even makes it possible to evaluate and compare libraries in big cities and small villages. The ultimate goal of this method is to enhance quality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study aims to determine and compare the views of directors and users of public libraries on the use of social media for the marketing of library services. Methodology: Data collection was done through two researcher-made questionnaires, one from the viewpoints of directors and one investigating the views of users. The questionnaires' validity was done by four libraries and Information Science professionals, and the reliability was determined by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The statistical population of this research is made up of all directors and users of 12 public libraries of the city of Isfahan, one of the largest cities in Iran. Findings: In users' viewpoints, the "interaction capability" is the most important feature that social media marketing can have in libraries. From the viewpoints of the directors, "creating a true picture of the role of the library" and "informing users about library services" are among the most important reasons for the marketing of libraries in the social media. From the perspective of both groups, the Telegram is the most appropriate medium for the marketing of library services. Results: To maintain their customers and their market position, libraries need to use more exciting tools such as social media for marketing. Library directors of this study emphasized on this fact and 79.1% of users expressed interest in receiving library information through social media. Value: The findings of this study would help the library directors to better decide on the marketing of their library services in social media. Type of the study: Scientific-Research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The achievement of social justice, which implies the development of collections and the design of services for different user groups, is an objective present in the mission of public libraries. Since the 1950s, Croatian public libraries have been continuously developing collections and services for different user communities. However, one user community has remained largely unrecognized – LGBTIQ people. Therefore, the aim of the research presented in this paper is to examine the importance of the role of public libraries in the life of the LGBTIQ community in the Republic of Croatia. With a sample of 259 respondents, information behaviors, attitudes and experiences of LGBTIQ people in relation to public libraries have been examined via an online survey. In particular, this study explored the extent to which members of public libraries differ from non-members. The obtained results should contribute to a better understanding of the information needs and behavior of members of sexual minorities and help bring this group of users closer to (Croatian) public libraries by ensuring that libraries more adequately respond to their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. are now employing or housing social workers. As this practice area grows, it is reshaping the way that libraries assist their patrons. Though the work of individual library social workers vary depending on the unique needs of their patrons and communities, there are some social work concepts that remain constant across the country. Conceiving of the library as a protective factor, particularly for vulnerable patrons, can be a helpful lens through which to view the ever changing needs of individuals and communities served by public libraries. Libraries can play a crucial role in the strengthening of their communities by partnering with local service providers and by considering ways to strengthen and expand the resources they offer to patrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation in public libraries has been concentrated in the areas of participation, making & creating, learning, new outreach and partnerships. These trends represent the emerging areas of strategic focus for public libraries and are strongly influencing the development of library services towards a model that is collaborative, creative and participative, and that places the library at the centre of its user's daily lives. This article provides an overview of these trends, with examples of how they are manifesting in library services, programming and strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 19th century, public libraries in America tended toward grand appearances befitting seriousness of purpose. Library design changed gradually throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, and more dramatically with automation and new technology. True to its roots, the public library continues to maintain areas for quiet, individual study. But, in addition, today's library has become a cultural center in the community, offering art galleries, auditoriums, meeting rooms, spaces for collaborative work, digital information and instruction, and even cafés. Change is inevitable, as innovations in library design and patron use illustrate. Yet, from the earliest libraries to modern times, one overarching constant defines their purpose: libraries inspire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarly or research-based journal articles related to public librarianship and public libraries are posited in previous literature as not being useful to the public library practitioner, and potentially less valuable to the researcher than other forms of research. Building off previous research, this article explores journal-based public library research literature to determine the trends in authorship, coverage, and venues. Publication venues are relatively static, with Public Library Quarterly and Library Quarterly publishing most public library research literature. LIS educators and public librarians dominate authorship of public library research, and the topical coverage of that research is gradually evolving in response to new technologies and a renewed focus on user services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the digital age, the Dewey Decimal System is pushing library users toward easier information finding aides such as Google. If the profession does not find a way to maximize the collections and the library as third place, patrons will never embrace the newer technologies and services available through their local public library. This paper explores a possible free replacement to Dewey and discusses the benefit of making the stacks more accessible for moving the profession into the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated self-service holds in Maine's public libraries. Survey data were collected to assess the trend, evaluate patron privacy, and associate implementation with the director's level of education. The results show that the four libraries with self-service holds breach patron privacy by connecting personally identifiable information with the item requested. This group was not large enough to correlate with the level of education. The results also reveal that some libraries considered implementation but did not because of privacy concerns. The findings invite further investigation into the connections among public library practice and ethics, professional education, and US law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public libraries today are gingerly stepping into the emerging philosophy among successful businesses around the world: customer experience. Libraries are hiring staff with “customer experience” in their title, others are curious and want to learn more. Most of the resources currently available to libraries hoping to get started take a corporate approach particularly as it impacts financial success. The bottom line is that all of us are in the customer experience business, whether we know it or not. It goes to the heart of everything we do - how staff interact with the public and each other, the value libraries provide to a community, even the cleanliness of the restrooms. Additionally, many of those companies that library users experience in their daily lives - health care, insurance, retail - have already jumped on the customer experience bandwagon, overall raising the public’s expectation of what they should experience in libraries. How and where to start? How does a library build a road map to develop a customer experience philosophy and culture, which staff will embrace and support? When building a new library how do you design that building using a customer experience lens? Columbus Metropolitan Library has spent the last 5 years mapping out a customer experience practice, which includes staff training, journey mapping, customer insights, customer engagement training, and library design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-design approach gives us new possibilities to redefine libraries. Involvement of the community and users is an important avenue in creating an up-to-date library services that will be adaptable and flexible enough to meet the future. A well-designed and user-friendly library can reflect a community’s character back to itself, crystallizing who it is, in all its multiplicity, and what it stands for. Working together with the citizens around common goals is an important step in creating safer, healthier, happier and more inclusive communities and cities.Helsinki City Library has utilized customer-oriented methods for a long time already. However, in recent years, there has been a shift in thinking. Customer orientation used to mean examining citizens in panels and as targets of design, but nowadays library users themselves participate in planning and decision-making. The aim is to carry out true involvement processes, i.e., processes that have a direct impact on the services and organization. Co-design in library context means a process of collaborative knowledge sharing and solution creation, driven by a belief that everybody is creative and can contribute to planning when provided with knowledge and tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This phenomenological study examines the unique perceptions of immigrant women concerning the public library as a meeting place, a support to integration into American culture, and a provider of programs for acquisition of the English language. The library offers a place for observing the culture of the new country from a distance to active participation; it is an arena for comfort and consolation in a difficult life situation as well as an arena for activity and participation. It provides support in developing friendships, acclimating to a new culture, learning a new language, and providing avenues to employment. Three mothers, who fulfilled the criteria for the study, were selected from an initial focus group. Women from Kurdistan, Mexico, and Indonesia were interviewed individually to gain an understanding on the issues brought forth in the focus group. They participated in interviews over the course of 6 months. These programs became a fortuitous blending of an established community with a group of families looking for a support community in a new country. This study has implications for institutions serving immigrants as they look to find a community of support, to learn English, and to acclimate to American culture as they create a comfortable identity that blends their home country with the new country. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An online survey distributed to librarians at public libraries across North America established some interesting trends in public librarians’ perceptions of ebooks and teens. Some of the findings of this study are that teen library users strongly prefer to read print books for their recreational reading and show very little interest in ebooks or ebook programs offered by public libraries. Survey respondents indicate that teen library users remain largely unaware of or disinterested in the advantages of ebooks in providing them a convenient, private, and customizable recreational reading experience. Even when public librarians offer ebook programs for teens through school outreach, these programs tend to focus on the titles in the collection and the download process, rather than the specific benefits of ebook reading. More active promotion of these advantages could potentially appeal to teens, especially to non-library users and reluctant readers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 2013, Bexar County launched BiblioTech, the first all digital public library in the United States. BiblioTech capitalizes on technology to reach beyond the library walls and integrate the public library in facets of everyday life previously unavailable through paper and print. At its core, BiblioTech changes the traditional understanding of how libraries operate. BiblioTech’s digital model prompts a paradigm shift and challenges the library to seek out new ways to serve otherwise disengaged patron populations. This article discusses the launch of BiblioTech---its impetus, mission, timeline, and challenges. The evolution of BiblioTech over its first four years of operation is presented, along with various community and intergovernmental partnerships that the library has forged in fulfillment of its mission. Finally, future opportunities and plans for development are also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this survey was to investigate the perceptions that public librarians have of their user populations with regard to serious mental illness and its relationship to homelessness. The results found that a large number of public librarians experience concerns about the impact of such users upon other users and about the potential violence in these populations. Public librarians who took the survey expressed an interest in learning more about serious mental illness and a wish to achieve greater awareness of serious mental illness that could help them in their interactions with users who are experiencing serious mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the real world of library service, librarians have to keep up with change by answering specific questions. They need training because technology, the character of populations, and local economics all are changing. Recognizing that technology is a catalyst of change, the author shows how librarians can and do work to help libraries harness the power of technology to navigate the changing reading and information needs of their communities. This article examines useful behaviors as librarians approach their work tasks, relying on new technology to help meet customers’ reading and information needs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Like all public libraries, rural public libraries in the Appalachian region can play a significant role in the economic development of their communities. Economic development in rural communities potentially benefit from many of the same resources and services all enjoy at public libraries, including free and public Internet access, space, education, question answering, and materials on many business-related subjects. This article reports survey findings of current activities that rural public libraries perform in one state, namely the state of Tennessee, as a case study to apply the lessons and insights to other parts of the United States. The discussion includes assessment of activities and some recommendations to streamline and stimulate all public libraries in conducting this assistance efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated 18 libraries in two public library systems in Oklahoma to find out how they are addressing health literacy and facilitating access to consumer health information; how library staff members view their roles and responsibilities relative to health information and health literacy; what challenges libraries face; and what strategies are being used. Staff members recognized several challenges to providing health information and to developing programs, including staff and patron difficulties with reference interviews, and patron lack of awareness of library resources. Staff members often had only a partial understanding of health literacy, and were unaware of system strategies to address health literacy or provision of health information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With social media a normal part of the daily lives of young adults, librarians are using these sites to promote library services. This article investigates the perceptions and attitudes of librarians toward social media as a tool for libraries and explores the way librarians utilize social media to portray professional roles and responsibilities to young patrons. This author focuses on the pastoral role of librarians and discusses possibilities for performing this role through social media. Although presently under-researched, social media provides librarians with one more avenue to advocate for, engage with, and support young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Public library value is often ascertained by outlining the economic, social, and cultural benefits public libraries generate for the greater community. While researchers have focused on the concepts of social capital, civic engagement, and the role of libraries in promoting democracy, fewer studies have explored the public’s perceptions of libraries in an effort to determine library value. Furthermore, library nonusers are rarely included in these studies. In Alberta, Canada, 1,201 Albertans from across the province, including both urban and rural areas, were asked a series of questions about their perceptions of public libraries and library use. Findings reveal characteristics of library users and nonusers, what services and resources are used most often at public libraries, what value the public places on public libraries, and the role that libraries play in supporting communities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article articulates the numerous barriers that limit library use by trans* persons and explains practical ways these barriers can be eliminated so that trans* patrons can get the information and insights they want and need. The article also includes worksheets that library professionals can use to address trans* patrons' information issues and provide inclusive information services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is introduced with a brief account of the historical development of free public libraries in the United States. This is necessary to set the stage for sound reasoning for charging for products and services in today's vanishing public library systems. To be sure, these libraries are closing everywhere because of the lack of proper funding for survival, and charging a small fee has been debated continuously for the survival of these cultural, social, and informational centers. This is not only a problem throughout the United States but also globally. There are a few public libraries that are investigating this strategy to further serve library customers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Like the crisis responses to hurricanes, after a tornadic event public libraries play emergency roles both in the short and long term. Community members rely on public libraries for Internet access to request aid, to help find missing family and friends, to file Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and insurance claims, and, in general, to begin rebuilding their lives. This article reports the quality of services and activities public libraries performed in response and recovery in twelve different communities impacted by tornadoes. The discussion includes an evaluation of the quality of the responses and some recommendations to improve preparedness and response. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the Internet-related responses of public libraries to the sustained economic downturn of recent years. Following a discussion of the changes to the economy and the expected skills for employment that have resulted from the advent of the Internet, this article presents the services that libraries are providing to help patrons transition to this new economy. Drawn from the findings of the 2011–2012 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study (PLFTAS) survey and site visits to public libraries, the data demonstrate the changes in job skills and employment-seeking services since the beginning of the ongoing prolonged economic downturn and the breadth and depth of the electronic information services that libraries currently provide to users. Designed to meet the needs of the local communities that libraries serve, these services rely on the capacities of the Internet, public access technologies, and Internet-enabled services provided by the library. This article concludes with a discussion of the ways in which this research can inform broader explorations of the relationships between libraries, the Internet, the new economy, and twenty-first-century skills. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study compares the utilization by adolescents age 12–17 of public libraries in Osun and Oyo States in Nigeria. The study utilized interviews and a checklist as data-gathering techniques. Some 414 volunteer adolescent users were selected, with males predominating. Of the respondents, 51.7 percent were in the libraries to read their own books. Of the respondents from Oyo State Public Library, 99 percent were aware of library Internet services compared to only 22 percent from Osun State. Users specified two major problems: no good display of library materials and lack of up-to-date materials on subjects in which students were interested. The authors suggest several policy changes to improve adolescent services in the two libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The terms digital divide, digital literacy, and digital inclusion have been widely used in discourse related to the Internet over the past two decades. Even though these terms are rarely defined and their meanings shift with changes in technology, these concepts have driven many Internet-related policy decisions in public libraries. This article examines what has happened in the gap between concepts and policies, as public libraries organize to provide Internet education, access, and assistance. Following an examination of the meanings assigned to these terms and policy efforts based on these concepts, this article examines the roles of public libraries related to the concepts and the ways in which these roles have been shaped by policies that impact access to information that is increasingly embedded within a range of technologies. The article then explores the ways in which policy could better support public libraries in these roles and the ways that these roles can contribute to public library advocacy and a voice in policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new OCLC report Perceptions of Libraries 2010 offers librarians a valuable end-user viewpoint of library services in today's information-rich environment. The result is cause for major concern. Library administrators should view the findings as a call to action; a time for revolutionary, not evolutionary, thought in how the future of library services will be defined and implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights the need for database collaboration among OCLC and librarians in order to create the cooperative database that the entire library community needs to move ahead in the future. The author critiques recent OCLC strategic directions and suggests that the Dublin giant needs to focus essentially on its cooperative nonprofit roots to best serve the library community and library users in the years ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article contains news briefs of interest to librarians. An evaluation of the fifty worst inventions selected by "Time" magazine and their relevance to libraries and library services are presented. The influence of caregivers in the U.S. as a distinct user group is discussed. The social media web site Twitter processed 2 billion tweets per month beginning in May 2010.

This is an exploratory study of public library services in Singapore for young people (defined as those people between thirteen to nineteen years of age) who are wheelchair bound. The research was carried out originally in 2000, but the study still informs policy makers in the Singapore system. Three main research questions are explored: What are the information needs of wheelchair-bound young people? What are their perceptions of libraries and library services? What are the problems they face in using library facilities and services? The study involves eleven wheelchair-bound people between the ages of twelve and twenty who were selected by means of a purposive sample. Findings indicate that most participants enjoyed reading books but did not read newspapers. The computer was used primarily as a recreational tool, and the convenience of the Internet appealed to them. There were, however, problems in using computer equipment in the libraries. School libraries were generally inaccessible. There were also problems in using public library services and facilities as well as being in public places. Their use of public libraries was infrequent. They were unaware of the full range of library facilities and services. The study concluded that there was a need and demand for library services by wheelchair-bound young people. Their information needs and reading habits were no different from those of any young person. Current library promotions were inadequate in stimulating or sustaining their awareness and interest. Transportation was the main obstacle in getting to libraries. The problems faced in using libraries were mainly related to architectural and physical access to library facilities and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtually every public library in the United States provides public access Internet computers as a role central to its mission. This article addresses the issue of why the Internet matters for public libraries, both in terms of impacts on the general public, particularly the digitally disadvantaged (part one of the article) and impacts on libraries themselves (part two of the article). Each part of this report begins with an extensive literature review, followed by a data analysis section. In part one, the author uses the 2000 United States Census dataset to evaluate library efforts to bridge the digital divide, by analyzing differences in the growth of public terminals in library systems serving counties with different levels of household income, households in poverty, non-white households, and non-English-speaking households. The analysis finds no disparity in the number of public computers available in areas with high and low incomes but finds a significant—and widening—disparity in the number of computers available in areas with a higher versus lower percentage of non-white and non-English-speaking households. In part two of the report, the author uses a random effects linear regression model to estimate the effects of Internet access on library usage. This analysis finds that having Internet terminals (versus having no Internet terminals) has a significant positive effect on a library's visits and reference transactions, but not on a library's circulation. An increase in the number of Internet terminals has no significant effect, positive or negative, on visits, reference transactions, or circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first two sections of this three-part article contrast the myopic five-year strategic plan that the American Library Association introduced just before the Boston ALA Midwinter convention in 2010 (Section 1) with a Danish view of a future for librarians that includes significant and irreplaceable work (Section 2). Section 3 of the article provides several on-line examples that illustrate how other user and professional communities are using modern electronic techniques to collect and provide timely information. These provide exemplary models which librarians can use to move ahead to develop and fulfill a significant information agenda for the nation, their institutions, and the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theft is a serious problem in our neighborhood libraries if the results of the survey described in this article are any indication. The Sacramento Public Library had purchased 455 copies of 26 Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) titles. Only 71 were found to be available. Ten of the others had been lost and paid for but the remaining 374 copies had been billed but not paid. This represents a loss of $8,900. Books by the author Zane were also examined. The losses amounted to $6,700. The effects of these losses are discussed. Recommendations for handling high-risk titles and improving the overdue process are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent recession-related rise in use of U.S. public libraries temporarily masks the declining customer numbers at many public libraries. This loss has been an international problem for over a decade. George Kerr was Customer Services Manager at West Lothian Council Public Libraries (Scotland, UK) when he undertook this study. Kerr recognized that the most efficient way to increase use was to get former users to return. Drawing on international examples, direct mailings, and a telephone survey, this paper examines that effort to win back what Kerr termed “lapsed borrowers.” Kerr's research confirms that libraries can win back a significant proportion of “lapsed borrowers.” The most effective method was for the library to contact customers directly and to offer them a “freebie.” Kerr presents cost data to demonstrate that the effort to win back lapsed users is cost effective. The lapse rate was reduced to just 33 percent. According to Kerr, lapsed borrowers should be the main target group for any new marketing drive. In the future, regular contact by e-mail could be a key to customer retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a first-person account of the development of teen services at Pratt Library in Baltimore, MD. The piece places special emphasis on the development of public access computing, particularly of computing by children, especially teens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under State Librarian Annie Norman, the Delaware Division of Libraries (DDL) has made notable progress in planning, measuring and advocating for programs and funds that have improved the libraries of that state. A visit to the state library's homepage (http://state.lib.de.us) immediately demonstrates the DDLS sense of purpose in the tagline motto, Delaware Libraries: Infrastructure + Capacity = Sustainability. DDL planning is ongoing, including a 2008 plan to move all the state's libraries forward in the critical areas of economic development, lifelong learning and health information. One document in this planning process was the 2005 pilot study to examine and categorize the motivations for why individuals use the public library. It is that study, a market segmentation study of the reasons why people use the library, that is published here. The study that is the basis for this report was produced under contract by the Institute for Learning Innovation (http://www.ilinet.org/display/ILI/Home). DDL would like to give a special thank you to Dr. John Falk of the Institute for Learning Innovation for his significant help with this study. Presented here in its entirety, the study report can be found on the Delaware Division of Library Services Web site at http://state.lib.de.us/For_libraries/planning/Dover%20Library%20Pilot%20Study%20Final%20Report1.pdf. The editors gratefully acknowledge the willingness of Delaware State Librarian Annie Norman and the Delaware Division of Libraries for the right to reprint this significant methodological example for PLQ readers. The study is based on two surveys: the first a “user interception survey” of 113 pre and post interviews collected at the Dover Public Library across 20 hours through one week in November of 2005. The second part of the study involved follow-up telephone interviews with over 25 percent of those who had participated in the first study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recession in the American economy touches all of us. Budget cuts, layoffs, and reduced service hours may be among the most obvious signs in our neighborhood libraries. Beneath the surface, however, one finds resilience in the face of adversity. At the Information Desk in the Colonial Heights, Elk Grove, and Rancho Cordova branch libraries of the Sacramento Public Library one encounters people who are full of life and vitality as they struggle to find work, fix what is broken, and complete difficult assignments, whether at work, home, or school. Some of their stories are recounted in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our neighborhoods are full of life. This life flows into and through our libraries. The cares, worries, joys, and pleasures of everyday living accompany these visits. Members of these communities may walk in, be pushed in, and sometimes perhaps, skate in. Those of us who work in their libraries are the beneficiaries. The stories of some of these neighbors as they use the Colonial Heights, Elk Grove, and Fair Oaks branches of the Sacramento Public Library are conveyed in this anecdotal-based article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. IMPACT studies have two research projects underway that employ a mixed method research design to develop and validate performance indicators related specifically to the outcomes of public access computing (PAC) use in public libraries. Through the use of a nationwide telephone survey (n = 1130), four case studies, and a nationwide Internet survey of PAC users administered through 636 public libraries, this approach will generate generalizable quantitative data on the extent and distribution of the use of public access computing resources, as well as provide rich contextual data that will help understand how people use the computers and Internet connections in public libraries and the impact it has on their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Those using Sacramento's Colonial Heights Branch Library for the first time encounter a range of issues to which they must adjust. Some of these issues are behavioral and normally relate to the age of the individual. Others are at the skill level. This article describes some of these adjustments based on the age of the first-timer from pre-toddler to computer-averse senior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patron use of the Internet may appear to overwhelm the public library's traditional role. This is often the case at the Colonial Heights Branch of the Sacramento Public Library. Fortunately the services which are required to support Internet use complement those required to assist patrons with the print and media collections. This essay recounts the important, primarily personal ways in which a branch library in a low socio-economic neighborhood reinforces its traditional informational and instructional role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]