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The role of public libraries in the development of in local communities - a Publikacja / theoretical study, Publication Wojciechowska Maja DOI wersji wydawcy / http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/LM-10-2020-0139 Published version DOI Adres publikacji w Repozytorium URL / https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl/info/article/UOG9cd3e99a30ed4b97bc4305fc941b469f/ Publication address in Repository Data opublikowania w 24 lut 2021 Repozytorium / Deposited in Repository on Rodzaj licencji / Type Uznanie Autorstwa - Uycie Niekomercyjne (CC-BY-NC 4.0) of licence Cytuj t wersj / Wojciechowska Maja: The role of public libraries in the development of social capital in Cite this local communities - a theoretical study, Library Management, Emerald Group Publishing version Ltd., vol. 42, no. 3, 2021, pp. 184-196, DOI:10.1108/LM-10-2020-0139 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/0143-5124.htm

LM 42,3 The role of public libraries in the development of social capital in local communities – 184 a theoretical study

Received 5 October 2020 Maja Dorota Wojciechowska Revised 2 February 2021 Accepted 2 February 2021 Faculty of Languages, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland Abstract Purpose – Social capital, understood as intangible community values available through a network of connections, is a factor in the development of societies and improving quality of life. It helps to remove economic inequalities and prevent poverty and social exclusion, stimulate social and regional development, civic attitudes and social engagement and build a civic society as well as local and regional identity. Many of these tasks may be implemented by libraries, which, apart from providing access to information, may also offer a number of services associated with social needs. The purpose of this paper is to present the roles and functions that libraries may serve in local communities in terms of assistance, integration and development based on classical social capital theories. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the classical concepts of social capital in the context of libraries. It analyses the findings of Pierre-Felix Bourdieu, James Coleman, Francis Fukuyama, Robert Putnam, , Ronald Stuart Burt, Wayne Baker and Alejandro Portes. Based on their respective concepts, the paper analyses the role of the contemporary library in the social life of local communities. In particular, it focuses on the possible new functions that public libraries may serve. Findings – A critical review of the concept of social capital revealed certain dependencies between libraries and their neighbourhoods. With new services that respond to the actual social needs, libraries may serve as a keystone, namely they may integrate, animate and engage local communities. This, however, requires a certain approach to be adopted by the personnel and governing authorities as well as infrastructure and tangible resources. Originality/value – The social engagement of libraries is usually described from the practical perspective (reports on the services provided) or in the context of research on the impact of respective projects on specific groups of users (research reports). A broader approach, based on original social theories, is rarely encountered. The paper draws on classical concepts of social capital and is a contribution to the discussion on possible uses of those concepts based on an analysis of the role of libraries in social life and in strengthening the social capital of local communities. Keywords Social capital, Regional development, Social functions of libraries, Tasks of libraries, Local communities Paper type Conceptual paper

Introduction Social capital is a phenomenon that attracts the attention of researchers who analyse societies or smaller groups of people, like local communities. This does not mean, however, that it is the domain of only sociologists, as it is of interest also to spatial geographers, economists, psychologists or cultural anthropologists. Recently, it has also been analysed in the context of the work and social functions of libraries (Bourke, 2005; Hillenbradn, 2005; Kranich, 2001; Goulding, 2004; Varheim, 2007; Pors, 2007; Schlak, 2015). Due to its specific properties, it is often referred to as a “social glue”, an adhesive that connects people and their resources and builds social bonds. It unites lost individuals into a well-functioning social structure, which is supposed to contribute to the exchange of knowledge and information resources within

Library Management a group. Vol. 42 No. 3, 2021 pp. 184-196 Unfortunately, social capital researchers claim that, in the era of new media and popularity © Emerald Publishing Limited of information and communication technologies, social capital is degrading. People no longer 0143-5124 DOI 10.1108/LM-10-2020-0139 tend to join groups or develop close bonds within them. This is because, on the one hand, there

Pobrano z https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl / Downloaded from Repository of University of Gdańsk 2021-09-26 is less and less social space for people to integrate in (commuting long distances to work leaves Role of public little time to build bonds with one’s neighbours or engage in community activities) and, on the libraries other hand, people spend more time in front of the TV and computer, to the disadvantage of relationships with others and social capital (Mikiewicz, 2014). Also, increasingly popular mobile applications replace contact with other people (peers, friends, acquaintances). These factors also reduce the time spent in public cultural institutions, such as libraries, culture centres, museums, etc. Thus, it is worth analysing whether libraries as institutions originally intended to provide information, which is now commonly available in electronic sources, via 185 the Internet, could redirect some of their activity to social services offered either in library buildings or in the neighbourhood (parks, meeting centres, schools, etc.).

The social capital theory The social capital theory is most closely linked with represented by, among others, James Coleman and Pierre-Felix Bourdieu, who, alongside Robert Putnam, are believed to be the most important authors and popularisers of that theory. – They introduced the concept of social capital in the scholarly discourse. Now, the concept is popular and analysed in various research contexts and approaches. Table 1 presents the views on social capital of selected “classicists” and progenitors of the concept. It contains definitions and descriptions of the concept. Next, the paper discusses various elements relevant to the activity of libraries and their (possible or actual) social role. Despite lack of a single uniform definition of social capital, probably because of the complexity of the issue, most of the definitions have certain features in common. As can be seen, the authors of those definitions use a set of characteristic terms, such as, for example: trust, loyalty, relationships, networks, values, norms, reciprocity or cooperation, which describe the nature of social capital. This nature may differ, depending on how extensive the scope of the social capital is supposed to be. In the narrow perspective, social capital refers only to social bonds and norms, whereas in the broad perspective, it also includes relationships with institutions and social organisations (in this context, the social role of libraries may also be analysed) and even social, legal and economic concepts on a national or international scale. According to one of the universal definitions of social capital, it is a sum of networks and relationships between people, a community of social norms and historical, cultural or religious traditions, etc. In this sense, social capital comprises: (1) Social networks – networks of contacts that facilitate access to information, receive support, etc. (2) Social norms – formal and informal laws that determine the conduct of the members of a given community: reciprocity, trust, collaboration and codified norms of behaviour. (3) Sanctions – measures taken to make sure that members of a given community comply with norms: rewards or punishments for specific (desired or undesired, respectively) forms of behaviour (Sztaba, 2007). Social capital is sometimes treated as a synthesis of the individual and community dimensions characterised by: (1) Access to information and certain forms of social life thanks to relationships that are established and maintained between individuals; (2) Complete trust of actors and their readiness to engage in various projects implemented together with others;

Pobrano z https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl / Downloaded from Repository of University of Gdańsk 2021-09-26 LM Represented 42,3 Author disciplines Views / definitions

Hanifan Lyda Judson Sociology Social capital is a set of intangible community values, such as, (1879–1932) for example, kindness, camaraderie, solidarity and social contacts between members of a local community and their families who, as a result, form a separate social unit 186 James Coleman Sociology Social capital encompasses those aspects of social structure (1926–1995) Social policy that support the efforts of individual or corporate social actors within the structure. They make it possible to achieve goals that would be unattainable without such properties of that structure Pierre-Felix Bourdieu Sociology Social capital is a sum of actual and potential resources that an (1930–2002) Anthropology individual or group is entitled to on account of a permanent, more or less institutionalised network of relationships, contacts and mutual recognition Nan Lin Sociology Social capital consists of resources contained in networks that (1938–) an individual accesses and uses in his or her activities. It means investing in social relationships that have a high rate of return (profit) Robert Putnam Political science Social capital consists of those elements of social life – (1941–) networks, norms and trust – that make it possible for members of a society to achieve their goals more effectively. Social capital concerns social bonds and the accompanying norms and trust Alejandro Portes Sociology Social capital means the possibility to benefit from (1944–) membership in social networks or other social structures Ronald S. Burt Sociology Social capital encompasses both the resources possessed by (1949–) Economics others and the structure of contacts within a network. The social capital theory describes the way in which resources available to every individual in a population depend on resources available to those who, in the social sense, are the closest to a given individual Francis Fukuyama Economics Social capital is a set of informal values and norms recognised (1952–) Philosophy by members of a given group that enable their collaboration. It Political science is the ability of people to collaborate with one another in groups and organisation in order to pursue common interests, developed and passed on through cultural mechanisms: religion, traditions and historical habits Table 1. Michael Woolcock Economics Social capital concerns norms and networks that facilitate – Selected concepts of (1964 ) collective action social capital Source(s): own elaboration

(3) Ensuring support, assistance and solidarity; (4) Availability of social control and a certain level of focus on the situation and activity of other members of a network (family, acquaintances or neighbours); (5) An atmosphere of trust within a network and (6) Reliability of norms, values and morality within a group, organisation or society (Sula, 2012). As can be seen, certain components of social capital concern relationships within a group or community, while other are associated with the individual dimension and social space of an individual – so-called private goods. From the perspective of libraries, the important

Pobrano z https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl / Downloaded from Repository of University of Gdańsk 2021-09-26 approach is the one that analyses the role of social capital in the creation of added value for Role of public various types of libraries and their neighbourhoods and examines individual social capital libraries resources of the library personnel.

Pierre-Felix Bourdieu When analysing the role of libraries in contemporary societies, it is worth mentioning Pierre- Felix Bourdieu, who, apart from social capital, also identified economic, symbolic and cultural 187 capital. He understood economic capital as access to financial and intangible resources. Meanwhile, he defined symbolic capital as a skill, an ability to add sense to behaviours, features and objects and place them in a broader context. According to Bourdieu, symbolic capital is supposed to support the decision-making process, to help decide what is good for an individual, what is worth getting involved in (also in terms of economic capital) and what, to the contrary, is unimportant and may be ignored. Cultural capital, on the other hand, consists of certain knowledge, skills, competencies acquired by an individual, associated with their cultural development, habits, conduct and social graces as well as good taste, elegance, familiarity with higher forms of art and book reading – so-called cultural heritage which people receive from the environment in which they grew up, and which is subject to the process of social distribution. Bourdieu regarded social capital as a good that is to a large extent hereditary and unattainable to persons from outside certain circles, which provide their members (families, communities, etc.) with valuable contacts, intangible resources, knowledge, upbringing, elite education, etc. This may result in deepening social inequalities and division into environments that are rich in resources which they may share with children, friends, etc., offering them a “good start in life” and ones that do not have access to valuable capital, which means that their members have to try and gain that capital on their own, which is not easy (Bourdieu and Wacquant, 2001). Bourdieu believed in the incoherence of societies, divided into elites with access to not only economic but also cultural capital (including access to elite schools, associations and events) and masses deprived of access to those resources. Libraries as public and popular institutions may, to some extent, compensate for the shortages caused by lack of access to culture and education in families, but they may also, as it is now often suggested, stimulate the development of local support networks that offer support and assistance to members of local communities. In this sense, the library may be a meeting and collaboration place for residents/ students/professionals who want to establish contacts and cooperation with others. Libraries now tend to engage in various educational projects, either through their own personnel or through volunteers eager to come to the library and assist others (e.g. children who need help with learning, immigrants who want to settle down in their new community, senior citizens who have problems using new technologies).

James Coleman It may be said that libraries are special-purpose organisations believed by James Coleman to be a component of social capital, i.e. organisations established to serve the public good. Such organisations pursue the goals of a given group whose interests they represent. In this sense, the library becomes an institution that not only offers information services but also other kinds of assistance (e.g. writing a CV, consulting a specialist, organising a community meeting concerning a matter that is important for that community, etc.). In general, Coleman identified six components of social capital. Apart from special-purpose organisations, they are: (1) obligations and expectations of individuals who build networks, who do something for others, hoping them to reciprocate, if need be; (2) the information potential of networks, i.e. being able to attain various kinds of information (business, political, personal, etc.) through

Pobrano z https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl / Downloaded from Repository of University of Gdańsk 2021-09-26 LM family, friends, etc.; (3) norms and sanctions that govern social behaviour and set behavioural 42,3 standards; (4) authority relations that enable, for example, charismatic religious or political leaders to control the behaviour and resources of the persons and groups they dominate and (5) social organisations that may be adapted to serve the goals and needs of a group. To sum up, obligations and expectations, information, norms and sanctions, authority relations and social and special-purpose organisations, according to Coleman, form a social structure with access to social capital resources (Coleman, 1990). It is worth noting here, however, that not 188 every relationship or network generates social capital. In order to find out whether or not social capital is involved, the following questions need to be answered: (1) Is a relationship or network focused on providing institutional support? (2) What is the quality of actual support – is the information that is provided useful? (3) To what extent does the support correspond to individual needs? (Mikiewicz, 2014).

Francis Fukuyama Francis Fukuyama, the American political scholar, political philosopher and economist, representative of the pragmatic trend, had a similar understanding of social capital, which he defined as a set of informal values and norms recognised by members of a given group that enable their collaboration (Fukuyama, 1995) or, in other words, a set of informal ethical values and norms shared by the members of a given group which make it easier for them to collaborate effectively (Fukuyama, 1995). Fukuyama focused on individualistic interpretation of social capital, and he emphasised the role of loyalty, integrity and reliability in the creation of social capital. He believed that if members of a group are convinced that they are treated fairly, they will also treat others with trust (Fukuyama, 1995). Thus, social capital is accumulated by individuals in the process of their socialisation in a group. It can be accessed by members of a group and specific groups may operate based on spaces available in the library. Some of them may also be animated by library personnel or teams of professionals from various disciplines invited by the library. Thus, separation from a group results in loss of access to this kind of capital. Accordingly, it can be assumed that social capital functions both as a private good and a public good which, the same as other intangible resources, develops when it is used and shrinks and disappears if not used. Thus, a group that is active within library structures gradually increases its resources, such as knowledge, experience, trust, etc. In his deliberations, Fukuyama also emphasised the crucial role of social capital in fostering democratic values and civic activity (Fukuyama, 1999a, b). Libraries as institution that foster the tradition of access to reliable and objective information and support minorities and groups threatened by exclusion (e.g. elderly or disabled persons or individuals who come from different cultural backgrounds), and persons in need of care or assistance may also comply with this condition.

Robert Putnam When analysing the role of libraries in building social capital, it is also worth noting the publications of Robert Putnam, the American political scholar, who defined social capital as the norms, networks of mutual trust, loyalty and horizontal relationships within a given social group. Putnam is mainly known for his research on the Italian society (Putnam, 1993) and American society (Putnam, 2000). In the former research, he emphasised the importance of collaboration and support within a and in the latter – growing alienation of Americans. Importantly, a chapter in one of Putnam’s books (Putnam et al., 2003) is devoted to the impact of libraries on the development of social capital. The title of that chapter is

Pobrano z https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl / Downloaded from Repository of University of Gdańsk 2021-09-26 significant: Branch Libraries: The Heartbeat of the Community. In a general concept of the Role of public role of the library in a local community, he discussed different ways for libraries to engage in libraries the development and integration of the community and in the creation of a comfortable common public space for community members to establish social relationships, meet, talk and discuss things. Such perception of the social role of the library reminds of the third place concept proposed by Ray Oldenburg, which is actively used in LIS studies (Bruxvoort, 2016; Lawson, 2004; Fuller-Gregory, 2020). 189

Nan Lin It is also worth noting the concept proposed by Nan Lin – the sociology professor of Asian origin, who studied social capital in very different cultures (e.g. in China, the USA or Central America). Lin believed that people establish relationships with others in order to gain access to their resources (wealth, power and prestige). He emphasised the active role of an individual in acquiring resources that may be used for individual purposes. He also noted that the type of contacts one has may affect one’s social position, the same as one’s position conditions one’s access to resources. According to Lin, access to social capital is determined by three factors, i.e. the individual’s position in a social structure, the type of relationships between an individual and other members of a group (social structure) and positioning of those relationships within a broader social structure. Thus, Lin seems to believe that an individual treats social capital instrumentally as a tool to achieve their own goals (Lin, 2001). Lin is mainly known as the author of the concept of social networks, which he related to social capital. Libraries as a place to meet and make acquaintances may actively participate in the development of social networks by bringing together local residents, fans of certain phenomena, activists, hobbyists or individuals committed to the development of their neighbourhoods.

Ronald S. Burt For some time, Nan Lin’s associate was Ronald Stuart Burt – the American sociologist, who examined social capital from the perspective of its role in economic processes. Burt is the author of the concept of structural holes, according to which, apart from hermetic relationships within a narrow group of persons who have a similar position in the social structure, there exist relationships that go beyond standard contacts, established between individuals from different social circles and with different resources. Such relationships may develop as a result of structural holes, which are places in the structure of interpersonal relationships that connect non-redundant social contacts. Individuals who have contacts outside their own social circles may enjoy additional benefits, among other things due to a broader access to various types of knowledge, which helps them make the right business choices (Burt, 1995). It seems that libraries may serve as places for dehermetisation of relationships because participation in a diversified service portfolio makes it possible to establish new contacts with persons from outside one’s personal or professional social network, which has positive connotations because it means that the network of contacts grows, new resources may be accessed, different attitudes and viewpoints may be discovered and new knowledge and experiences may be gained.

Wayne Baker Important research concerning social capital was also conducted by the American sociologist Wayne Baker, who examined the American society and the values it represented, i.e. patriotism, faith in God, willingness to succeed and other. Based on his research, he developed a concept according to which, regardless of what an individual

Pobrano z https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl / Downloaded from Repository of University of Gdańsk 2021-09-26 LM represents, their success is always to some extent dependent on the social capital available 42,3 to them within a network of connections. He claimed that happiness arises from relationships with other people and such elements of success as intelligence, talent, competencies. education, etc., which are traditionally regarded as individual features, are also dependent on participation in a network and support from others, e.g. the family who take care of a child’s education and foster their talents. This way he abolished the myth functioning in the American culture that one can become successful only through one’sown 190 hard work and dedication. In other words, he believed social capital to be one of the key elements that enable achievement of personal and professional goals of an individual (Baker, 2000). In this context, it should be noted that in the communities where there is active collaboration between individuals and libraries (both in terms of raising cultural, educational and artistic competencies and even technical competencies, e.g. by using maker space) the successes of an individual are to some extent attributable to the possibilities and support offered by libraries. Thus, it may be stated for certain that an active role of libraries, especially in communities, where there are no other active cultural institutions, increases the chances of individuals for educational and professional success and stimulates engagement and integration of local communities. Some researchers also suggest that high social capital resources coexist with other phenomena, namely that their level is similar to the level of satisfaction declared by citizens who feel better thanks to trusting bonds, solidarity and reciprocity and prosperity and economic development in general (Sztompka, 2012). Libraries offer a friendly place to meet, learn and develop one’s passions and integrate with the local community, resulting in higher satisfaction levels among library users. It is important, however, that the local community perceives the library as an element of a network, i.e. a common good for which all residents are responsible, rather than an external, foreign institution that only provides services.

Limitations of capital social – Alejandro Portes Social capital, understood as strong integration within a network, is also associated with certain hazards and limitations, which were discussed by the Cuban sociologist Alejandro Portes, who introduced the concept of negative social capital (Portes, 1998). He noted that too hermetic groups may limit their members. Individuals are less innovative, reduce their contacts outside a group, are closed to new solutions and knowledge and recognise only the principles and models fostered within their own network that, after all, supports them. Such behaviour is observed in criminal organisations (gangs, mobs) but also in youth groups, elite adult clubs or conservative associations strongly focused on their own communities. In this context, it is worth noting the research conducted by Matthew R. Griffis and Catherine A. Johnson (Griffis and Johnson 2014), who analysed the work of rural libraries and noted that their efforts to integrate local communities are redundant, as villages already have their social networks and too much cohesion may result in the alienation of villagers, if they limit their lives to their communities only. Apart from the limitations identified by Portes, it should be noted that the development of social capital is not an easy process and that it is time-consuming. If libraries want to engage in the process, they need to allocate personnel, physical and financial resources and a sufficient time perspective for this purpose. Developing social capital takes time and effort.

The dimensions of social capital The concepts presented above show that social capital researchers analyse different properties and features of that capital. Accordingly, there are a number of research fields, where the impact of libraries may also be analysed. These are:

Pobrano z https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl / Downloaded from Repository of University of Gdańsk 2021-09-26 (1) Social capital as a resource (libraries ensure access to specific resources – knowledge, Role of public skills and information); libraries (2) Social capital in social networks (libraries participate in network building, are an institutional dimension of social capital and support networks developed by local communities); (3) Social capital vs trust (libraries enjoy a high level of social trust, which enables them to perform certain social functions – be safe meeting places and places that prevent 191 social exclusion of certain groups); (4) Social capital vs social norms (libraries help promote certain social and cultural norms associated with reading habits, social cooperation standards, etc.); (5) Social capital as a common good (libraries may participate in the life of local communities and they do not have to limit their activity to promoting readership and providing information services; thanks to cooperation with local residents, a common social space is created, which constitutes a public good). Social capital may also be analysed in different dimensions. Researchers very often focus on one of its properties and accentuate a specific aspect of the phenomenon. The most frequently analysed dimensions are: (1) Organisational participation and its diversification, the nature of organisations and the range of the networks they create. (2) Trust and solidarity. (3) Collaboration: readiness and scope of action for the local community defining the potential of activity available for social mobilisation. (4) Information and communication, i.e. using work and other sources of information. (5) Integration and social inclusion: internal stratification and tensions, the scope of inclusion of minority or marginalised groups. (6) Sense of subjectivity – perceptible impact on the surrounding world, in particular its key institutions (Bartkowski, 2007). Libraries as institutions that encompass the personnel as well as the local community and other environments (e.g. minority groups or socially excluded individuals) represent all the above-mentioned dimensions of social capital and they develop and stimulate that capital for the purpose of group integration and individual development. It should be noted that social capital may be generated in a natural way, as the consequence of other library projects (e.g. meetings, lectures and workshops), as if “by the way”, or, to the contrary, be the effect of rational planning involving the strengthening of bonds with the local community. Undoubtedly, educational and cultural processes and institutions have a major impact on social capital. According to one of the interpretations, social capital may be developed and strengthened through: (1) The State and local actors – the role of the state is to recognise and strengthen bottom- up initiatives compliant with the standards of a given legal system; (2) Cooperation of local actors with external agendas of the civic society – such cooperation makes it possible to create social networks through engagement in bottom-up initiatives with non-government organisations that allocate various resources to specific areas;

Pobrano z https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl / Downloaded from Repository of University of Gdańsk 2021-09-26 LM (3) Bottom-up forces of the local community, but without excluding the impact of 42,3 external specialists because the social capital generation process depends to some extent on institutions and groups from outside the community (Klimowicz and Bokajło, 2010). In other words, the key dimensions of social capital include: 192 (1) How well-organised a society is; (2) Civic activity; (3) Political preferences; (4) Religiousness; (5) How disorganised a society is (Zagała, 2001). Even though participation in library activities or doing things for libraries is not explicitly mentioned here, it is implied in a number of ways. They include, for example, membership in library associations and societies associated with books and information, writing petitions and lobbying for libraries and books in general, working for and in collaboration with libraries, organising joint events and projects, meetings in various kinds of book clubs, volunteering for libraries and groups that receive support from those institutions (e.g. immigrants, elderly or disabled persons), participating in meetings organised in libraries or with the help of librarians and attending library picnics, location-based games with books, library sports competitions (e.g. volleyball matches with teams of librarians, bicycle trips for librarians, etc.). It should be noted, however, that any type of activity undertaken in order to develop bonds and build relationships needs to be regularly repeated and library activity must not decrease. Social capital is a good that depreciates over time, if it is not adequately strengthened. Coleman wrote: “Like physical capital and human capital, social capital disappears, if it is not renewed. Social relationships die, if they are not maintained, expectations and obligations loose importance over time and norms depend on frequent communication” (Coleman, 1990, p. 321). This is what librarians need to bear in mind, if they plan to engage in integrating their local communities. Their activity must not be one-time only but they should regularly engage their neighbourhoods so as not to lose their commitment and not allow the bonds to slacken.

Libraries as a link in the development of social capital Libraries constitute an important link in the process of social communication and, at the same time, an element of a society connected by a network of relationships. They promote cultural, literary and informational development of the community. Even though they have always been an agent in the access to knowledge, the birth of the information society has broadened the range of their tasks to include the role of “an active member of the community who at the same time becomes a guide among information sources” (Brodka, 2017, p. 192). On the one hand, libraries may be a part of the trend of popular digitalisation and constitute a centre of digital information, but, on the other hand, they may also offer quiet space away from the “connected” world immersed in digital media. Many people, tired with omnipresent stimuli, need to calm down, isolate themselves in the privacy of their homes or in quiet public space, which, according to Katarzyna Materska, is what libraries may offer. “The fact that libraries offer their public space to the local community stimulates the development of relationships and social capital. This is a place to build communities of people with a common desire to be in contact with others, with a specific intellectual reflection [...], to build an environment. [...] The sense of such actions is to find individuals who do not want to be consumers but rather conscious social entities in the library [...]” (Materska, 2017, p. 77).

Pobrano z https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl / Downloaded from Repository of University of Gdańsk 2021-09-26 Libraries, despite their initial attachment to traditional forms of work and classical Role of public methods of the delivery of knowledge and establishment of relationships with the libraries neighbourhood, tend now to engage in active collaboration with local communities, using innovative solutions and forms of communication and collaboration. One example is the extensive Library Development Programme implemented in Poland from 2009 to 2015, financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Some of the training panels in that programme were dedicated to transformations in the information society and tools that enable cooperation with that society. During one of the training sessions, entitled Multimedia 193 and Modern Communication, the participants learned: (1) That “modern technology” sounds serious and scary, but, in fact, it is a very useful tool supporting libraries/librarians in their daily work; (2) How to use multimedia and modern technologies to upgrade the library offer; (3) What new forms of activity may be proposed by libraries; (4) How to use technologies to make one’s work easier; (5) How to use global knowledge and culture resources; (6) How to attract new groups of patrons to the world of knowledge and culture through contact with modern technology,and: (7) What practical role can public libraries serve in the development of the information society; (8) What is information management and how does it work; (9) How to effectively obtain information and how to establish cooperation with various institutions for this purpose; (10) How to inform the community about library projects and how to use new technologies to communicate with residents so that everyone can find something for themselves and feels invited to help develop the institution’s offer; (11) How to talk to residents so that they want to engage in library activities; (12) How to build groups and run meetings for residents to learn, develop and build relationships; (13) How to delegate tasks and create projects so that residents feel they have an actual impact on the life in the library and in the community; (14) How to establish volunteer clubs so as to motivate residents to be pro-active and engaged and to share a sense of responsibility; (15) How to use ICT tools to engage the neighbourhood in library projects (Foundation for the Development of Information Society, 2009). This is an interesting solution because it reveals attempts to cooperate with the neighbourhood based on modern and attractive electronic tools that may be interesting especially for young people, this way preventing their alienation. Moreover, two interesting books were published in the Active Library series: Multimedia i nowoczesna komunikacja (Multimedia and Modern Communication, Hejda et al., 2010), which presents certain possibilities for libraries to cooperate with their neighbourhoods using various multimedia services and Przestrzen dla mieszkanc ow z inicjatywa˛ (Space for Residents with Initiative, Hejda and Kozłowska, 2010), which focuses on the connection between

Pobrano z https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl / Downloaded from Repository of University of Gdańsk 2021-09-26 LM libraries and local communities and possibilities for their social self-organisation. The 42,3 authors of the latter write: “The library enjoys prestige and trust [...], and by this, it has a chance to add new meaning to the use of new technologies. It is not the computer that is supposed to change the library into a multimedia centre, but rather the library is supposed to change the computer into a tool to create and gain knowledge. The Internet and the computer may be used creatively in the library, not only for entertainment and reproduction purposes. It is hard to overestimate the role of librarians – guides in the world of books and information, 194 persons who create the atmosphere of the place and are commonly trusted. The authors emphasize that in “small, remote locations, the library is often the only truly public place. In villages, there still are too few places for people to experience a community of interests, to feel that they are together and, most importantly, to feel an atmosphere different from what they have every day: cultural and inspiring atmosphere of a club [...]. The library is the only place that can restore the fundamental cultural experience for people – narrating, listening, moving the imagination, sharing stories. [...] The library has the potential to not only become a centre of the exchange of thoughts and knowledge but also a true centre of social bonds” (Hejda et al., 2010). Thus, the library may serve as the keystone of social capital, especially in rural areas, where the level of mutual trust is low, digitisation is limited and the cultural offer very poor. Libraries may play an important part in the development of the information society, by taking part in its education, entertainment and integration.

Conclusion Andreas Varheim, one of the important researchers of the social capital of libraries wrote: “in order to increase the knowledge about libraries and social capital, theoretically focused research is necessary. This will also benefit social capital research in general. Both surveys and qualitative studies are needed to describe whether and how public library services generate social capital. What services are the most promising, and which policy instruments can bring new groups to the library? Is the library generating social trust mostly as a meeting place, or do its universal services matter more or is it both? What kinds of community- directed initiatives are relevant initiatives linking the local groups with library services or participating in more general social and cultural work in the community focused on voluntary associations?” (Varheim, 2007, p. 425). Undoubtedly, libraries may help improve the quality of life in local communities in various dimensions associated with the social capital: (1) Remove social inequalities by ensuring common access to information and selected forms of education; (2) Prevent social exclusion of individuals and selected groups (e.g. the elderly, the unemployed, the disabled and the culturally different) by offering dedicated services to them; (3) Develop civic attitudes, stimulate social activity and promote the development of civic society (by ensuring access to objective and reliable information and implementing programmes that stimulate civic and social engagement); (4) Build local and regional identity through the available resources, meetings, exhibitions and library museums, regional rooms and memorial rooms that help preserve the memory of the past, tradition and customs of local communities.

References Baker, W. (2000), Achieving Success through Social Capital: Tapping the Hidden Resources in Your Personal and Business Networks, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

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Further reading Fundacja Rozwoju Społeczenstwa Informacyjnego, Program Rozwoju Bibliotek, available at: http:// programrozwojubibliotek.org (accessed 20 September 2020).

About the author Maja Dorota Wojciechowska is associate professor of the Faculty of Philology at the University of Gdansk (Poland). She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Zarza˛dzanie Biblioteka˛” (Library Management). She is author of numerous publications from the field of organization of libraries, such as. Intangible organizational resources: Analysis of resource-based theory and the measurement of library effectiveness (Springer, 2016), Lexicon of management and marketing in library science (SBP, 2019), Library management (SBP, 2019), Change management in the library (SBP, 2006). Her research has also been published in Library Management, QQML Journal, Slavic & East European Information Resources, Library and Information Science Research and The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Libri. Maja Dorota Wojciechowska can be contacted at: [email protected]

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