Library and Information Science Commons^™

Book Review: The Promise Of Access: Technology, Inequality, And The Political Economy Of Hope, Daniel Greene, Boheme Morris

School of Information Student Research Journal

In The Promise of Access: Technology, Inequality, and the Political Economy of Hope, Daniel Greene provides a comprehensive, approachable evaluation and critique of the concept of the “access doctrine” and how it has permeated American policy and organizations.

"What Is A Wave But 1000 Drops Working Together?": The Role Of Public Libraries In Addressing Lgbtqia+ Health Information Disparities, Vanessa Lynn Kitzie, A. Nick Vera, Valerie Lookingbill, Travis L. Wagner

Faculty Publications

Purpose. This paper presents results from a participatory action research study with 46 LGBTQIA+ community leaders and 60 library workers who participated in four community forums at public libraries across the US. The forums identified barriers to LGBTQIA+ communities addressing their health questions and concerns and explored strategies for public libraries to tackle them.

Design/methodology/approach. Forums followed the World Café format to facilitate collaborative knowledge development and promote participant-led change. Data sources included collaborative notes taken by participants and observational researcher notes. Data analysis consisted of emic/etic qualitative coding.

Findings. Results revealed that barriers experienced by LGBTQIA+ communities are structurally …

Enhancing Public Library Services: A Future Outlook On Digital Libraries In Pakistan, Muhammad Sohail Haider, Chen Ya Prof, Md. Nurul Islam, Muhammad Danyal, Muhammad Hussain

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Objective: Governments consistently aim to enhance services and establish online connections to efficiently deliver necessary information. This study aims to evaluate the future potential of digital libraries in public libraries in Pakistan by examining various projects that have introduced innovative approaches to foster the development of digital library services.

Methodology: The analysis utilized the Amos 24 version, employing the Structural Equation Model (SEM) for assessing model fit indices and validating hypotheses. Additionally, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 was employed for Pearson correlation and factor analysis.

Findings: The results suggest the appropriateness of discussing three out of the …

Digital Transformation: Revitalizing Public Libraries As Inclusive Hubs For National Development, Bukunmi Paul Bello, Itunu Mary Adepegba

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Public libraries play a vital role in providing equitable access to information, resources, and digital skills development to advance socioeconomic goals. However, declining usage and widening digital divides pose adaptability challenges. This paper examines strategies for public libraries to leverage technologies and transform services to remain relevant, inclusive hubs supporting national development priorities. It analyzes the impacts of existing services like public computing and e-books while exploring barriers around funding constraints, infrastructure limitations, staffing shortages, and digital literacy gaps. These inhibit technology adoption, particularly across underserved rural communities.

Recommendations center on policies and partnerships to improve access, combined with investments …

Marketing Strategies And User Appreciation Of The Services Provided By Public Libraries, Ronald Odung, Bonniface Agungi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study established the relationship between marketing strategies and user appreciation of the services provided by Public Libraries. The findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between marketing strategies and user appreciation of the Public Library services. The use of social media, general reference service and the use of Library Website are marketing strategies that can be adopted by Public Library. Provision of conducive Library space, benchmarking, analyzing user’s behavior, Quantitative evaluation, effective use of catalog and the size of the collection were ways that Public Library staff apply to assess the level of user appreciation. the finding recommend …

User Opinion About Sps Public Library: A Study Of Google Map Reviews, Taseef Ayub, Shabir Ahmad Ganaie

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Nowadays, individuals tend to seek information about various entities through online platforms where other people share their experiences. Google Maps is one such platform that enables users to rate and review anything, including public libraries. This study aims to investigate the manner in which users of the SPS library utilize Google Maps to express their opinions about the library's services and amenities. This study utilized Google Maps as a source of data, with a data extractor being used to extract reviews. The extracted reviews were then subjected to content analysis to categorize them into different categories. Following this, a sentiment …

Perception Of Public Libraries As Substantive Knowledge Organizations, Sidharta Chatterjee, Mousumi Samanta, Sujoy Dey Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In this paper, we examine how public libraries promote development of good reading habits among the users who come to access for information. It explores how far–in this digital age, public and academic libraries are able to meet the information needs of society. By developing a theoretical model of access to and usage of information based on axioms that set forth the role of public libraries in the services of society, we attempt to examine and analyze how PLs promote adult literacy drive that have positive contribution to society. Community public library systems are thus examined and their role model …

An Analysis Of Public Library Services To The Military Community, Rachel Brown

Honors Theses

The military community is an underserved population in many public libraries. Historically, military bases have had a dedicated military library on base, but in some cases budget cuts have led to their closure. The closure of military libraries provides an opportunity for public libraries to fill the gap and provide support to the military community. Despite not being equipped to handle many of the unique challenges that Service members and their families encounter, public libraries have been making great strides towards providing support to the military community as a whole. Current research focuses on how military lifestyle impacts psychosocial development, …

Law Librarians, Let’S Talk About Book Banning, Olivia R. Smith Schlinck

Library Staff Online Publications

As seems to be the new normal, there is a lot happening in the news (*gestures vaguely around*). It’s easy to focus on a few issues at the expense of others or to get overwhelmed and check out entirely. But there is one issue that keeping tabs on feels like a professional obligation: book banning.

The Changing Perceptions Of Public Libraries, Aleisha A. Stout

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In 2018, OCLC and the American Library Association revisited a 2008 survey on the perception of public libraries. Questions looked at how participants believed libraries are funded, used, and perceived. Public libraries are valued by the public, even as perceptions move away from core aspects of library services. In-person library visits and visits to library websites have declined in recent years. Strong libraries are perceived to raise property values within a community. Libraries increasingly manage social problems, such as homelessness and substance abuse. Some libraries have social workers on staff to meet patrons at the point of need. Public libraries …

Still Lending You The World: The Toledo Lucas County Public Library In The 21st Century, Cade Clem

Honors Projects

This research paper focuses on how the Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL) has adapted to the 21st century, with an emphasis on the impact of digital materials and the Internet. This paper looks at these changes primarily through three lenses: official policies, services and programs, and internal culture. This paper uses quantitative data to determine if TLCPL has maintained overall growth in areas such as number of cardholders, customer counts, circulation, computer usage, and program attendance. These numbers show that, while not always maintaining growth, TLCPL has adapted quite well to the 21st century, bringing in record high numbers …

Montana Fire Prevention And Public Libraries, Kellian Clink

Library Services Publications

Nothing is scarier than a fire. Being ready with a plan, a rehearsal, a communication scenario, thinking though the critters, the kids, the drive though a fire makes a difference. Kellian will share Montana's Firewise Programs and synthesize tips from many states' plans to make homes, families, and the aftermath easier. Public Librarians can play an important part in the fire prevention education scenario.

Public Libraries And Knowledge Commons In A Municipality In The Free State, South Africa, Williams E. Nwagwu Prof., Margaret M. Matobako Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of the study is to examine the emergence of Commons in the public libraries in the Free State in South Africa using the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework. The study examined the roles of the libraries and communities, the linkage of the new library with open access to knowledge, level of awareness of both users, and the community and administrators. Also, the study examined the role of library users and their communities in the maintenance of the new library. The study adopted a qualitative research design to study 16 community leaders and 17 library staff using an interview …

Staff Development Programmes And Service Delivery In Public Libraries In Nigeria., Ifeoma Nwaigbo, Basil Onyeoziri Edom Ph.D

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between staff development programmes and service delivery in Imo State Public Library, Owerri. The study was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses. A census study technique was adopted to cover the entire population of 42 library staff. A correlation research design was adopted for study, while rating scale was used as data collection instrument. The data collected were analyzed using Pearson (r) statistics to answer the research questions. The hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics of simple linear correlation at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that there is a positive …

Still Lending You The World: The Toledo Lucas County Public Library In The 21st Century, Cade Clem

Honors Projects

This research paper focuses on how the Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL) has adapted to the 21st century, with an emphasis on the impact of digital materials and the Internet. This paper looks at these changes primarily through three lenses: official policies, services and programs, and internal culture. This paper uses quantitative data to determine if TLCPL has maintained overall growth in areas such as number of cardholders, customer counts, circulation, computer usage, and program attendance. These numbers show that, while not always maintaining growth, TLCPL has adapted quite well to the 21st century, bringing in record high numbers …

The Clash Of The Commons: An Imagined Library Commons Discourse, Emily Benoff

Urban Library Journal

The commons has been adopted by LIS as a metaphor for transformational library spaces. However, post-colonial scholarship exposes the material violence and exclusionary practices that coincide(d) with commons-making in Europe and North America. When weighing such assessments against the traditional role of American libraries as mechanisms of colonial values, it becomes necessary for library professionals to critique their continued evocation of commons discourse from a perspective that centers decolonization. Responding to this challenge, I historicize the commons as both an imagined ideology and an actual instrument of power to contextualize Indigenous and post-colonial assessments of commons-making in the settler colonial …

The Adult Programming Palooza: Sharing Ideas, Making Connections, Kara Rumble, Amie Torok

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Palaces For The People: Mapping Public Libraries' Capacity For Social Connection And Inclusion, Nicole K. Dalmer, Pam Mckenzie, Paulette Rothbauer, Ebenezer Martin-Yeboah, Kevin Oswald

FIMS Publications

Public libraries are trusted community hubs that foster connections with individuals of different socioeconomic statuses; ages; ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural backgrounds; and sexual and gender identities. Located in diverse settings, library branches offer resources and programs that meet the specific needs of their communities who are navigating the effects of our increasingly asocial society. Libraries have been shown to cater to individuals contending with higher levels of social isolation and loneliness, as well as increased rates of mental illnesses and antisocial behaviours. The shift to online environments during COVID-19 has exacerbated feelings of disconnection. During these times of change, …

Share Your Story 2021, Virginia Cononie

South Carolina Libraries

100+ libraries from South Carolina's 7 congressional districts join in a collaborative library advocacy campaign to share their services and experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forwards written from SCLA, the South Carolina Association of School Librarians, Friends of South Carolina Libraries, and the Association of Public Library Administrators.

Doing More With A Dm: A Survey On Library Social Media Engagement, Jason Wardell, Katy Kelly

Roesch Library Faculty Publications

Objectives – This study sought to determine the role social media plays in shaping library services and spaces, and how queries are received, responded to, and tracked differently by different types of libraries.

Methods – In April and May of 2021, researchers conducted a nine-question survey (Appendix A) targeted to social media managers across various types of libraries in the United States, soliciting a mix of quantitative and qualitative results on prevalence of social media interactions, perceived changes to services and spaces as a result of those interactions, and how social media messaging fits within the library’s question reporting or …

Assessment Of Collection Development Practices For User Satisfaction In Public Libraries In Enugu State, Abaobi David Agbo Dr, Nkechi Idoko Dr, Elizabeth Titilope Babarinde Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The main purpose of this study was to examine the collection development practices for user satisfaction in public libraries in Enugu State. The study adopted descriptive research design as suitable for the study with180 sampled size comprising 120 users and 60 professional and non- professional staff. Questionnaire was used as instrument of data collection. Consequently, several collection development practices determine the extent user satisfaction is achieved in public libraries in Enugu State. These include community analysis, collection development policy, acquisition, selection, weeding, censorship and evaluation. Other factors that affect user satisfaction which is peculiar to users include user effort, user …

Making In The Midst Of Pandemic: The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Two Public Library Makerspaces, Stacey Woods

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on makerspaces in the United States which were subject to public health guidelines and challenged with limited/no access to facilities. This multi-case study examined two public library makerspaces, and addressed these research questions: (1) How did the pandemic affect makerspace operations and access, and the teaching and learning that occurs there? (2) How did makerspace leaders respond to the challenges of the pandemic? (3) How did makerspaces evolve during the COVID-19 pandemic? I developed the Conceptual Framework for Studying the Impact of Pandemic on Public Library Makerspaces which informed the …

Convivial Making: Power In Public Library Creative Places, Shannon Crawford Barniskis

Theses and Dissertations

In 2011, public libraries began to provide access to collaborative creative places, frequently called “makerspaces.” The professional literature portrays these as beneficial for communities and individuals through their support of creativity, innovation, learning, and access to high-tech tools such as 3D printers. As in longstanding “library faith” narratives, which pin the library’s existence to widely held values, makerspace rhetoric describes access to tools and skills as instrumental for a stronger economy or democracy, social justice, and/or individual happiness. The rhetoric generally frames these places as empowering. Yet the concept of power has been neither well-theorized within the library makerspace literature …

Public Libraries As Community Health Partners, Melinda Hodges

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Public libraries are a combination meeting space, educational resource, information repository, and community building organization. As such, they are already positioned to act as a valuable partner in the public health arena. This article researches the basic tenets of public health and identifies areas that public libraries could participate in productively. This article also reviews literature about the potential of public libraries as health partners, as well as what is already being accomplished from the perspective of both library/information sciences and public health studies. This will include the benefits that libraries can bring to public health work and the barriers …

Senior Citizens And Digital Information Access: The Obstruction Of Comforting Silence, Rodney C. Lawley

The Southeastern Librarian

This study investigates the possibility of undetected access obstructions preventing senior citizens from using digital information maintained by Alabama public libraries. Research methods include a literature review, a survey of Alabama public library administrators, and a textual analysis of online public library programming guides from four urban areas within the state. The survey gauges the perceptions, experiences, and actions of library administrators pertaining to digital library accessibility for senior citizens. The textual analysis component measures significant outreach efforts by public libraries targeting senior citizen patrons. Data collected suggest that Alabama public libraries lack unity and direction in their approach to …

Public Libraries In Rural Arkansas: An Oasis In An Information Desert, Britt Graves

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Public libraries in Arkansas are welcome, but those found in rural Arkansas are almost a necessity. The public uses the library for more than just checking out books or their email: it’s become a community gathering place for all walks of life, regardless of age or economic status. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the state, libraries also became essential for education, medicine, news, and employment, nearly overloading their resources and shining a spotlight on technology, or the lack thereof, that so many public libraries are needing. With the Arkansas governor planning an upgrade on broadband technology and the federal government …

"Neighborhood Library Modernization": Public Library Expansion In Milwaukee During The 1960s And 1970s, Madeline Brenner

Theses and Dissertations

By the second half of the 20th century, public libraries expanded their reach across American cities and transformed the urban landscape. With almost 10,000 libraries in U.S. cities by 1960, new library development was at an all-time high. Despite this success, few scholars have analyzed these critical changes. Since the historical scholarship on library development is limited, this thesis analyzes the history of public library development in Milwaukee during the 1960s and 1970s. The goals of community engagement and partnership through city-wide circulation of material guided the development of branch library construction under the Ten-Year Library Plan of 1962 to …

Book Review: Kathleen Campana And J. Elizabeth Mills' Create, Innovate, And Serve: A Radical Approach To Children's And Youth Programming, Mateo Campos-Seligman

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Reading Habits And Use Of Public Library Resources By Rural Women Of Sivasagar District: A Survey, Parishmita Hazarika

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The public library is a local information hub that makes all types of knowledge and information freely available to its users. Its doors are open to all members of the community for full and unrestricted access to its resources and services, regardless of caste, sex, or religion. Public libraries today play an important role in the life of the community. The purpose of this study is to evaluate rural women's reading habits and use of public library resources and services. The study focused on, the purpose of library visits, the frequency of library visits by public library users, the amount …

Multicultural Perspective In Public Library Services, Sutan Aulia Akbar, Taufik Asmiyanto

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This article discusses the service of public libraries with multicultural perspective. This study aims to identify the role of public libraries in providing services to multicultural communities. The literature study method is used in seeing various views related to the topic by reviewing national and international journal articles in the last five years (2016-2020). The results show that public libraries play a role in fulfilling the information needs of multicultural communities, especially in supporting the adaptation process to a new environment while maintaining their original identity and culture. The development of special services is a fulfillment solution through the provision …