Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluating Public Library Community Engagement and Impact for Sustainable Information Services

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Sustainable Digital Communities (iConference 2020)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 12051))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 3048 Accesses

Abstract

Public libraries have always had a pivotal function within the community. However, libraries are undergoing rapid changes, as are many industries in a globalised world. Therefore they need to re-evaluate their operations and services to provide for the changing needs of their users. In this paper, we describe a pilot study underway that measures the engagement and impact of two library programs/services for young children and their families – Giggle and Wiggle, and Story Time – that are offered by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Libraries in Canberra, Australia. Exploring the impact of these services will help in understanding the factors that ensure the sustainability of public libraries and their engagement with the communities they serve. These factors will focus on four key domains as have been identified from the literature: the educational, social, cultural, and economic impact these programs have on their communities. The findings of this study are expected to generate some practical strategies that public libraries can adopt to maximise community impact and engagement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Svanhild, A., Ragnar, A., Andreas, V.: How do public libraries function as meeting places? Libr. Inf. Sci. Res. 32, 16–26 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Australian Library and Information Association, Statement on public library services. https://www.alia.org.au/about-alia/policies-standards-and-guidelines/statement-public-library-services. Accessed 12 Nov 2019

  3. SGS Economics and Planning, Dollars, Sense and Public Libraries: The landmark study of the socio-economic value of Victorian public libraries (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Library Council of New South Wales, Enriching communities: The value of public libraries in NSW (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Huysmans, F., Oomes, M.: Measuring the public library’s societal value: a methodological research program. IFLA J. 39(2), 168–177 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Detez, J., et al.: Performance metrics towards 2030: Investigating the news to measure and report on our activities (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Australian Library and Information Association, Future of the Library and Information Science profession. https://www.alia.org.au/futureoftheprofession. Accessed 10 Nov 2019

  8. Aabø, S.: The role and value of public libraries in the age of digital technologies. J. Libr. Inf. Sci. 37(4), 205–211 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Anderson, K., et al.: Better beginnings: public libraries making literacy links with the adult community. Libri 63(4), 272–281 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Scott, R.: The role of public libraries in community building. Public Libr. Q. 30(3), 191–227 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Oliphant, T.: “I’m a library hugger!”: public libraries as valued community assets. Public Libr. Q. 33(4), 348–361 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Barron, D.D., et al.: The economic impact of public libraries on South Carolina. University of South Carolina (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kerslake, E., Kinnell, M.: Public libraries, public interest and the information society: theoretical issues in the social impact of public libraries. J. Libr. Inf. Sci. 30(3), 159–167 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  14. McClure, C.R., et al.: Economic benefits and impacts from public libraries in the State of Florida, Final Report (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Abram, S.: Communicating value and impact through advocacy: dealing with the scalability issue in the province of ontario. Public Libr. Q. 36(2), 96–122 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ewing, R., Callow, J., Rushton, K.: Language & Literacy Development in Early Childhood. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2016)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  17. Burchinal, M., Lee, M., Ramey, C.: Type of day-care and preschool intellectual development in disadvantaged children. Child Dev. 60(1), 128–137 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Kupetz, B.N.: A shared responsibility: nurturing literacy in the very young. Sch. Libr. J. 39(7), 28–31 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Baydar, N., Brooks-Gunn, J., Furstenberg, F.F.: Early warning signs of functional illiteracy: predictors in childhood and adolescence. Child Dev. 64(3), 815–829 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Celano, D., Neuman, S.: The role of public libraries in children’s literacy development: An evaluation report (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Fellowes, J., Oakley, G.: Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education, 3rd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Gleason, J.: The Development of Language. Pearson, Boston MA (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Snow, C.E., Dickinson, D.K.: Skills that aren’t basic in a new conception of literacy. In: Jennings, E.M., Purves, A.C. (eds.) Literate Systems and Individual Lives: Perspectives on Literacy and Schooling, pp. 179–191. State University of New York, Albany (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Lehr, F., Osborn, J., Hiebert, E.H.: Research-based practices in early reading series: A focus on vocabulary (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  25. McKechnie, L.: Observations of babies and toddlers in library settings. Libr. Trends 55(1), 190–201 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Campana, K., et al.: Early literacy in library storytimes: a study of measures of effectiveness. Libr. Q. 86(4), 369–388 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Mills, J.E., et al.: Early literacy in library storytimes, part 2: a quasi-experimental study and intervention with children’s storytime providers. Libr. Q. 88(2), 160–176 (2018)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  28. Cahill, M., Joo, S., Campana, K.: Analysis of language use in public library storytimes. J. Libr. Inf. Sci. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000618818886

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Berg, B.L.: Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences, 5th edn. Pearson Education, Boston (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Crotty, M.: The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process. Allen & Unwin, St Leonards (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Denzin, N.K., Lincoln, Y.S.: The Sage handbook of qualitative research. Sage, Thousand Oaks (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Miller, P.A., Crabtree, B.: Depth interviewing. In: Hesse-Biber, S.N., Leavy, P. (eds.) Approaches to Qualitative Research: a Reader on Theory and Practice, pp. 185–202. Oxford University Press, New York (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Hatch, J.A.: Doing Qualitative Research in Education Settings. State University of New York, Albany (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Warren, C.A.B.: Qualitative interviewing. In: Gubrium, J.F., Hostein, J.A. (eds.) Handbook of Interview Research: Context and Method, pp. 83–102. Sage, Thousand Oaks (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Corbin, J.M., Strauss, A.L.: Basics of Qualitative Research, 3rd edn. Sage, Thousand Oaks (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Bogdan, R., Knopp-Biklen, S.K.: Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theories and Methods, 5th edn. Pearson, Boston (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Poll, R.: Can we quantify the library’s influence? creating an ISO standard for impact assessment. Perform. Meas. Metrics 13(2), 121–130 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Information paper: Australian national accounts: Introduction to input-output multipliers, Australian Bureau of Statistics [Canberra] (1995)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge with thanks the financial support provided by the Faculty of Arts and Education, Charles Sturt University. They are particularly grateful to the Australian Capital Libraries (ACT) management and staff for their assistance with this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia

    M. Asim Qayyum, Waseem Afzal & Linda Mahony

Authors
  1. M. Asim Qayyum
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Waseem Afzal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Linda Mahony
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Asim Qayyum .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

    Anneli Sundqvist

  2. OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

    Gerd Berget

  3. University of Boras, Boras, Sweden

    Jan Nolin

  4. OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

    Kjell Ivar Skjerdingstad

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Qayyum, M.A., Afzal, W., Mahony, L. (2020). Evaluating Public Library Community Engagement and Impact for Sustainable Information Services. In: Sundqvist, A., Berget, G., Nolin, J., Skjerdingstad, K. (eds) Sustainable Digital Communities. iConference 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12051. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43687-2_48

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43687-2_48

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-43686-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-43687-2

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation