AEW, Osijek, 22-23 May 20151
Public library social impact assessment: library value from customers' point of view
Mia BegovićKornelija Petr BalogFaculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Osijek
Library impact/outcomes
• ways in which library users are changed as a result of their contact with library’s resources and programs (ACRL, 1998)
• ‘eventual results of using library services’ (Revill, 1990)• Three types:
– Short-term • Changes in skills, attitudes and knowledge
Mary, 5th-grader, can identify 5 birds by name on a field trip.– Medium-term
• Changes in behavior and decision-makingMary’s family chooses bird-watching activity for family vacation.
– Long-term• Changes in status or life conditions
Mary chooses biology as her major in college.
AEW, Osijek, 22-23 May 2015 2
Problem areas
• Difficult to measure• Prevalent ‘anectodal evidence’ – difficult to obtain statistically
valid results• Methodology
– Usually a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods
• Other problem areas: – Benefits vary as to certain user groups, – Data not comparable yet (differing ways of data collection), – Users usually cannot define their intention when using the library; the
result obtained may be accidental
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Areas of research
• Academic/professional success• Information literacy/information retrieval• Social impact• Economic value• Cultural• Educational• ...
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Social impact
• promote connectedness between people and groups; stimulate participation and inclusion, build social capital and social cohesion;
• promote sense of belonging to, and ownership of society (common identity);
• stimulate/promote community engagement/improvement activity
• involvement in democratic process• exposure to ‘otherness’ (other people, ideas)• ...
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Research• City Library and Reading Room Vinkovci
– Founded in 1875– Bookmobile– Branch ‘Nuštar’– Services for clients of the Home for the Elderly and the Rehabilitation Centre ‘Mala Terezija’
• Collection: – over 100.000 book and non-book materials
• 4000 customers in 2015 (population in 2011 - 41.105)– App. 10%
• Heavily destroyed during 1991-1995 War
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Methodology, instrument & sample
• Goal– to measure the value of the Vinkovci public library and its services for
its customers
• Hypothesis– customers recognize the value and worth of the library and its services
on the quality of their lives
• Methodology– survey (based on Chiessi, 2011) and interviews with customers
• Time– April-July 2014
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• Sample– survey
• n=165 (86 online; 79 paper)– six interviews
• student• retired person• employed• unemployed
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Structure of the survey sample
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employed unemployed univ. students retired pupils0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%46%
24%
19%
7%4%
Employment status
Employment status
Membership status
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several years one year several months month or less0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
79%
13%
6%2%
Membership
Membership
Value and significance of Library
All benefits1. leasure/free time 2. useful information for education
(school, university)3. save money 4. being in touch and/or develop
new skills 5. encourages children
development 6. pleasant/quiet place
Three main benefits1. useful information for education
(school, university)2. save money3. leasure/free time4. being in touch and/or develop
new skills5. encourages children
development6. community information
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Obtaining the information somewhere else if the library closed next year
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Yes, without any problems Yes, but with significant problems
No Don't know0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
14%
45%
26%
15%
Other place(s) of information provision
Other place(s) of information provision
Information provision – other sources
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Internet other library purchase media faculty and/or friends
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
62%
35%
22%
18%
12%
Other inf. sources
Other inf. sources
Increase of a membership fee
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Could not pay more (80.00 kn)
10% (88.00 kn) 20% (96.00 kn) 30% (104.00 kn)
50% (120.00 kn)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%27% 27%
24%
9%
13%
Increase
Increase
27%
73%
IncreaseCould not pay more Would pay more
Experience, stories, examples
• 49 comments (30%)– 98% positive– 2% negative
At the age of 15 I was just a clumsy teenager who came into the library looking for something that will spark my interest. A librarian suggested Nietzsche’s ‘Also sprach Zarathustra’, and now I am a proud student of philosophy!
AEW, Osijek, 22-23 May 2015 16
Interviews
• all interviewees library members for a number of years (school-age)
• positive impact of library services and programmes: – improvement of one’s vocabulary and rhetoric
skills– acquiring the fast-reading skill
• all recommend library to their friends and colleagues
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Conclusions
• Vinkovci public library recognized as valuable asset for its customers– 79% members for a number of years (loyalty indicator)– 45% would be able to obtain information somewhere else,
but with significant difficulties, 26% would not be able to obtain it at all
– 73% would agree to some percent of the fee increase if that were important for the existance of the library
– numerous positive stories and examples
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