Perspectives of Public Library Use 2 A compendium of survey information PP PP PP PP LU2LU2LU2LU2 PP PP PP PP LU2LU2LU2LU2 PP PP PP PP LU2LU2LU2LU2 PP PP PP PP LU2LU2LU2LU2 1999 Perspectives of Public Library Use 2 A compendium of survey information written and compiled by Steve Bohme and David Spiller Foreword by Alan Howarth, Minister for the Arts Library & Information Statistics Unit (LISU) Department of Information Science, Loughborough University Book Marketing Ltd (BML) ISBN 1 901786 14 5 1999 Foreword by Alan Howarth Minister for the Arts The Government attaches great importance to public library services, and I am glad to underline this by way of introducing the second volume of Perspectives of Public Library Use. The library sector contributes in a very major way to four of our main objectives - education, access, social inclusion and modernisation. Our approach is to set out the right national framework that will allow public library authorities to flourish and develop their services. A key element in our role is monitoring the library service, and this would be almost impossible without reliable statistical sources to back up our work. For this reason I am delighted that the reaction to the first volume of Perspectives on Public Library Use has been so positive that a second volume has been warranted. The publication brings together an impressive wealth of information relating to public libraries, and demonstrates their continuing vitality. It also highlights the wide variety of research projects being undertaken within library authorities; I hope that these impressive examples of good practice will encourage and inform others considering such work. It is through such analysis that library services can be improved and tailored to meet the expectations of their users, whose needs are ever evolving to reflect the changing world around them. Perspectives of Public Library Use 2 i Acknowledgements This publication is supported by a grant from the Leo Favret, Bromley Leisure and Community British Library Research and Innovation Centre (now Services part of the Library and Information Commission) Jonathan Gordon and Martin Jennings, Institute towards the initial launch costs of the project. For of Public Finance encouragement and advice we are particularly grateful to Barbara Buckley of the Commission. Margaret Haines, Library and Information Commission The authors would like to thank a number of colleagues: Alison Murphy at LISU for identifying Barbara King, Hounslow Library Network and summarising the postgraduate dissertations David Lightfoot, Chair, CIPFA PLUS from Sheffield and Strathclyde, and for checking Martin Nail, BNB Research Fund the text; Jo Henry at BML and Claire Creaser at LISU for reading the text and making many helpful Ann O’Brien, Department of Information Science, suggestions; and Mary Ashworth and Sharon Loughborough University Fletcher at LISU for the very substantial work on Richard Proctor, Department of Information page design and desktop publishing. Studies, University of Sheffield Our thanks are also due to the many contributors, details of whom are given in the introductions to each section of the text itself. In addition we should We should like to acknowledge permission to like to thank the following people who arranged for summarise research which was originally published us to receive material: elsewhere: David Barton, Capital Planning Information Aslib and HMSO (Aslib review of public library services in England and Wales) Paul Burton, Department of Information Science, Strathclyde University The Audit Commission (Due for renewal) Kate Cole, Westminster Libraries and Archives Helen Carley, Library Association Publishing John Dolan, Birmingham Central Library (Information technology in public libraries) ii Perspectives of Public Library Use 2 Contents Foreword .................................................................................................................................i Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ ii Introduction .............................................................................................................................v Summary of contents............................................................................................................ vii 1. Public library statistics ...................................................................................................1 1.1 Public library resources .............................................................................................................................2 1.2 Public library use ..................................................................................................................................... 11 1.3 Borrowing habits and related services ....................................................................................................18 2. National perspectives on public library use ................................................................29 2.1 User consultation.....................................................................................................................................30 2.2 Review of public library service in England and Wales ...........................................................................33 2.3 Due for renewal: a report on the library service ......................................................................................46 2.4 CIPFA PLUS archive for 1997 .................................................................................................................52 2.5 Pilot of proposed new measures for CIPFA public library statistics.........................................................60 2.6 Libraries and community development national survey ..........................................................................69 3. User surveys: satisfaction and impact ......................................................................73 3.1 Report of a survey of central library users...............................................................................................74 3.2 Report of a survey of children using the library .......................................................................................77 3.3 Library lapsed-users survey ....................................................................................................................81 3.4 Different language, different needs?: a survey of Asian library users .....................................................84 3.5 New measures for the new library ...........................................................................................................94 3.6 What do people do when their public library service closes down? ......................................................100 3.7 Modelling use at individual service points .............................................................................................107 3.8 The impact of Sheffield public library closures on young children ........................................................ 113 4. Information and communications technology ............................................................117 4.1 New library: the people’s network ......................................................................................................... 118 4.2 Building the new library network: report on ICT training needs .............................................................122 4.3 Virtually new: creating the digital collection ...........................................................................................129 4.4 Information technology in public libraries ..............................................................................................135 4.5 Networked business information ...........................................................................................................138 4.6 Exit survey .............................................................................................................................................141 4.7 Electronic serials in public libraries .......................................................................................................147 Perspectives of Public Library Use 2 iii Contents 5. Stock management .................................................................................................149 5.1 Public library stock management ..........................................................................................................150 5.2 Audio-visual materials ...........................................................................................................................152 5.3 Adult non-fiction and the public library ..................................................................................................161 5.4 Adult fiction and the public library..........................................................................................................167 5.5 Library use - frequency of borrowing .....................................................................................................173 5.6 Paperbacks in public libraries................................................................................................................176 5.7 Practical stock management and stock rotation on mobile libraries......................................................182 5.8 A study of the provision and usage of periodicals in public libraries .....................................................188