Broadband for public libraries: Importance,issues, and research needs

U.S. public libraries provide free public internet services to the communities that they serve, but require robust, high-speed broadband internet connections to continue meeting public demands. The 2008–2009 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (PLFTAS) illustrates challenges that public libraries encounter in achieving broadband connectivity and equipment upgrades, and maintaining acceptable levels of services as they meet continually increasing internet-enabled service demands. This article: 1) analyzes the ability of public libraries to serve as a community-based public internet access point in the context of limited funding and access to telecommunications services and equipment; 2) discusses key policy issues that affect the provision of public library internet-enabled services through broadband; 3) provides recommendations for policy makers to include libraries as part of a larger national-level telecommunications policy; and 4) identifies a number of topics and issues that need further investigation and research in this shifting policy environment.     

The need for administrative know-how in libraries

The need for administrative know-how in libraries is great. Problems of administration in libraries do not differ significantly from those in other types of organizations. It behooves librarians to be aware of modern management theory, as developed and tested in the environment of business, and to adopt such useful tools as operations analysis and the systems approach to problems in the library environment.     

Social network analysis: A methodological approach for understanding public libraries and their communities

Social network analysis (SNA) as theoretical framework and quantitatively oriented methodology offers public libraries and public library researchers an as-yet-unexplored way into their big data stories based on these library connections with their community. SNA offers library and information science researchers a methodology, and suggests a new research agenda, to better envision the relationships public libraries have with their communities both in-person and online by exploring the kinds of ties they have, how these ties lead to relationships, and how these relationships can be characterized. The quantitative orientation of SNA combined with its methods of data analysis in the forms of networks and hubs could give libraries the “hard” data they are so often in need of to demonstrate their value to their political leaders, and could uncover new directions in library use and library relationships.     

Social network services for academic libraries: A study based on social capital and social proof

Despite the potential of social networking services (SNS) as a tool for communication between academic libraries and users, many academic libraries are yet to successfully optimize their SNS. As a result, their social proof and social capital of various SNS do not perform well. This research aims to evaluate the SNS effectiveness of the University of Hong Kong Libraries (HKUL) based on social capital and social proof concepts. We hope that our recommendations according to our findings will be applicable to other academic library contexts. We have found that: (i) there are no major differences between undergraduate and postgraduate students in their attitudes and behaviors regarding the SNS of HKUL on various platforms; (ii) low social proof is related to a lack of user interaction and promotion; (iii) low satisfaction with SNS contents may lead to low social capital. As such, understanding user information need, setting goals and metrics for each SNS, and formulating a formal SNS policy are the keys to further develop library SNS.     

公共图书馆管理的前提是明确定位

论文论述了公共图书馆的管理首先要明确定位，主要有三个方面：一是图书馆面对市场经济的定位，二是图书馆面对网络环境时的定位，三是图书馆办馆模式的定位。衡量一个公共图书馆的管理水平，主要看其服务。     

我国公共图书馆网络服务模式研究

利用Internet搜索引擎检索，对目前我国35个省及省级以上公共图书馆网络建设与网络服务模式现状进行了网络调查，根据图书馆所能提供的网络服务的深度的不同将我国公共图书馆的网络服务模式划分为3个层次，并指出当前网络服务模式中存在的问题。最后通过对调查数据的分析提出了相应的对策，并对未来我国公共图书馆网络服务模式进行了展望，探索性地以图示形式提出了公共图书馆网络服务的新模式．     

Stimulators and barriers towards social innovations in public libraries: Qualitative research study

Public libraries have a huge potential to be creators and facilitators of social innovation in communities and society. Qualitative research based on interviews with 27 librarians showed that social innovation in libraries can take the form of educational and cultural activities, leisure and networking activities and social support services. The main goal of the research was to find out what factors support and make these innovations difficult in public libraries. A four-layer model of barriers and stimulators for social innovation is presented, which includes structural, local, organizational and personnel levels. The model could serve to inform librarians, their stakeholders and governments about all levels of barriers and stimulators connected to innovation of library services and social re-positioning of public libraries in the future.     

论图书馆的公共关系

文章就图书馆公共关系的概念、构成要素以及图书馆公共关系内容和基本原则、如何强化“公关”意识等进行探讨。     

Social inclusion and the City of Swan public libraries in Western Australia

The focus of this paper is on an understanding of social exclusion/inclusion: the concept and how a specific public library service, namely the City of Swan Public Library service, has responded to this social issue. The terms social inclusion/exclusion are explored and clarified from an international, Western Australian State Government, and public library perspective. This is followed by a brief overview of Western Australia as an Australian state, and how public libraries operate based on a partnership with the State Library of Western Australia and Local Government. The City of Swan Public Libraries are described in some depth and also portrayed in their local setting namely the City of Swan, a city of extensive growth that offers a unique environment of both rural and urban areas. The concept of social inclusion is then applied to the City of Swan Public Library service and how the library service addresses social inclusion within its physical environment, policies, operations, future planning, programmes and services. This includes the results of a Library Non-user Survey that was conducted in 2001. The aims of this survey were to: ascertain why non-users within the City of Swan do not make use of the library facilities; explore why past members were not using the library services; examine the effectiveness of library promotions; and investigate the access to and usage of the Internet. The paper concludes with a list of the potential social conditions of which public libraries need to be aware in their strategic planning activities so that community members are not excluded from participating and accessing the public library service.     

Human resource challenges for public libraries: survey results

ABSTRACT

This essay presents the major findings from a survey about human resource management in public libraries. The survey was conducted in October 2016 via the Internet. The participants were librarians with human resource management experience employed by public libraries in the United States. The majority of the participants responded that human resource management was challenging to some degree. While a majority were able to solve their human resource problems successfully, a majority of the respondents believed that the human resource curriculum for library science programs was inadequate.     

Volunteers in public libraries: Issues and viewpoints

A review of the American Library Association's 1971 Guidelines For Using Volunteers in Libraries is given as background to a discussion of public library volunteers. Opposing and supporting viewpoints towards volunteer use as expressed in the library literature are presented. The nature of the literature is examined, with special emphasis afforded to the purpose, methodology, and conclusions of research studies. The author concludes that, while the literature on public library volunteers has increased in volume over the past decade, little useful research‐oriented reporting has been undertaken. The author suggests that the topic merits further investigation and research.     

Evaluating suppliers for South Australian public libraries: The PLB principal suppliers agreement

The article reports upon the reasons for the drafting of a tender document, the Principal Suppliers Agreement, at the South Australian Public Libraries Branch. It discusses the need to be accountable to funding authorities by documenting the basis on how major suppliers to public libraries are selected. The contents of the agreement, the process of evaluating suppliers and the implementation of the agreement are described. The consequences of issuing the tender for both the institution and the companies and the evaluation of suppliers are also considered.     

Optimizing samples for surveys of public libraries: Alternatives and compromises

A recent national survey polled the viewpoints of public library directors and local government officials concerning the value of public library services and outlook for local tax support of public libraries over the next five years. The survey had multiple objectives: (1) to compare subgroups of smaller and larger libraries on key survey variables; (2) to obtain estimates within the library subgroups with adequate statistical precision; and (3) to make survey estimates for the total public library population. To determine how to best satisfy these competing requirements, the 1993 Federal-State Cooperative System (FSCS) universe listing was used to model the effect on survey accuracy of alternative sample designs. A compromise was chosen for the survey to insure that the sampling error for each type of estimate would be held within tolerable bounds. FSCS library-universe data are then used to model and compare the efficiency of six alternative sample designs for a national survey of 1,000 public libraries.     

The new code of canon law: Reference and research materials for libraries

The revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church was promulgated in 1983. This bibliographic essay examines bibliographic control in this area, and goes on to provide an analysis of texts and sources, of indexes, of general commentaries on the Code, commentaries on marriage in the Code, commentaries on religious and monastic life in the Code, and journals. In the absence of a comprehensive instrument of bibliographical control in the area of canon law, this article provides a guide to acquisitions librarians.     

A research agenda for libraries

The author proposes a research agenda for libraries focusing on ten problem areas: rising costs, shrinking funding, electronic provision of services, deterioration of materials, use of document delivery services, changes in copyright and licensing, out-sourcing, staff training, organizational challenges, and redefining the library’s role.