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Articles 1 - 9 of 9
Full-Text Articles in Library and Information Science
A Failure To Communicate: Assessing The Low Rate Of Materials Challenge And Censorship Reporting Among Canadian Public Libraries, Mike Nyby, Heather Hill, Richard Ellis
A Failure To Communicate: Assessing The Low Rate Of Materials Challenge And Censorship Reporting Among Canadian Public Libraries, Mike Nyby, Heather Hill, Richard Ellis
FIMS Publications
Record levels of materials challenges have affected libraries in both Canada and the United States in recent years, (American Library Association, 2023c; Canadian Federation of Library Associations, 2015-2022), but despite the apparent swell in censorship efforts, the ALA estimates that 82-92% of challenges go unreported (Doyle 2017). This study aims to identify factors contributing to the low rate of challenge reporting through a participation survey distributed to over 500 Canadian public libraries. Results indicate low awareness reporting mechanisms is likely the largest obstacle to greater participation, but obstacles related to library policy, including delegation and challenge policy structure, also exist.
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
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, …
How Do You Solve A Problem Like The Whole User? The Construction Of Worthy And Problematic Users In Online Discussions Of The Public Library, Pam Mckenzie
FIMS Publications
In this article I use a discursive approach and the concept of the ‘category entitlement’ to analyse the ways that contributors to a public Internet discussion of the value of the public library make cases for different user characteristics and behaviour as ‘worthy’ or ‘problematic’, and use these characteristics to discuss and debate the kinds of individuals and the kinds of behaviour that properly belong to each category. Contributors to the discussion represented users in three categories: a fluid ‘everyone’, which included people represented as being disadvantaged and in legitimate need of the library’s resources, expertise, and support; the user …
Reading As A Lifeline Among Aging Readers, Paulette Rothbauer, Nicole Dalmer
Reading As A Lifeline Among Aging Readers, Paulette Rothbauer, Nicole Dalmer
FIMS Publications
No abstract provided.
Disability And Accessibility In The Library And Information Science Literature: A Content Analysis, Heather Hill
Disability And Accessibility In The Library And Information Science Literature: A Content Analysis, Heather Hill
FIMS Publications
The library profession is often a strong and vocal proponent of increased access for persons with disabilities. With the profession's long-standing interest in the subject of services to persons with disabilities come questions that get to how the profession perceives the phenomenon. How is library and information science (LIS), as a field, conceptualizing disability and accessibility? The space for examining this question is a content analysis of the LIS literature. The literature provides a fertile ground for study as it reflects the profession's approaches to, and perceptions of, a topic. This research identifies the major issues and trends in the …
Public Library Use Of Free E-Resources, Heather Hill, Jenny Bossaller
Public Library Use Of Free E-Resources, Heather Hill, Jenny Bossaller
FIMS Publications
This article describes a multi-method research project examining the use of various freely available online collections and projects, such as Project Gutenberg, the Internet Archive, and Creative Commons-licensed ebooks, by public libraries. This research begins with the questions: what are libraries doing with freely available materials? Are there barriers to incorporating them into the collection? What role are librarians playing in expanding access and awareness of these resources?
What Is Public Library Management Outsourcing?, Heather Hill
What Is Public Library Management Outsourcing?, Heather Hill
FIMS Publications
No abstract provided.
Personal Information And The Public Library: Compliance With Fair Information Practice Principles, Jacquelyn Burkell, Robert Carey
Personal Information And The Public Library: Compliance With Fair Information Practice Principles, Jacquelyn Burkell, Robert Carey
FIMS Publications
Abstract: Libraries collect personal information from users and link that information to internal library records. Although they fiercely protect the privacy of their patrons, libraries cannot ensure that personal information will remain confidential. Patrons must therefore have sufficient information to make informed decisions about release of personal data. Privacy notices are the accepted mechanism for providing this information. Our study demonstrates, however, that Ontario public libraries rarely provide notice to patrons regarding information collection and use. Smaller libraries and those without MLS trained staff are less likely to provide notice, suggesting that resources and/or staff training may contribute to this …
Exploring The Placelessness Of Reading Among Older Teens In A Canadian Rural Municipality, Paulette Rothbauer
Exploring The Placelessness Of Reading Among Older Teens In A Canadian Rural Municipality, Paulette Rothbauer
FIMS Publications
Situated in a review of rural, cultural, and youth geographies, this article reports on a qualitative study of the role of reading and libraries in the lives of older rural teenagers. The primary method of data collection was the use of in‐depth, flexibly structured interviews with twenty‐seven youth between the ages of fifteen and nineteen years, supplemented with data from unobtrusive observation and environmental scanning in a specific geographic locale. Four themes are discussed: the habitual, quotidian reading of teenagers; the shifting visibility of the public library; the Internet and the World Wide Web as a default reading site; and …