DOCUMENT RESUME ED 025 295 52 LI 001 267 Where the People Speak: The Role and Function of Rural Public Libraries in Northern New England. Final Report. Educational Research and Services Corp., Bedford, N.H. Spons Agency-Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, D.C. Bureau of Research. Bureau No- BR- 7-1207 Pub Date Jan 69 Contract- OEC- 1- 7-071207- 5063 Note- 469p. EDRS Price MF-$1.75 HC- $23.55 Descriptors-*Community Attitudes, Community Characteristics, Community Support, Field Interviews, Financial Support, Librarians, Library Expenditures, Library Programs, Library Services, Library Standards, *Library Surveys, Negative Attitudes, *Public Libraries, Public Opinion, Reading Habits, *Rural Areas, Trustees, *Use Studies Identifiers-Maine, *New England. New Hampshire, Vermont The objective of this study was to define the attitudes of a representative sample of rural New England citizens concerning their town libraries inorder to identify the motivational factors necessary for adequate rural library "se and support. Study data were collected mainly through personal interviewsinvolving 749 representative respondents from nine small townsin Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, with questionnaires administered to households, library trustees, and librarians.This study report includes a review of published literature on rural libraries, a statement on research design, community 'portraits, descriptiveand analytical statistics from the user survey, a discussion of the librarian and trustee interviews, an analysis of ten years of library support in one community, a reviewof rural library costs and financial support, conclusions based on an analysisof the survey, a review of trendsinrurallibraryservice, and recommendationsfor improvement of town libraries. The study documents the reasonswhy rural New England citizens either use or reject the library, and it reveals an overall lackof hscal and civic support for libraries, an absence of library leadership, and the factthat the majority of the libraries surveyedfallfar short of meeting minimal standards. Appendixes include methodological observations and the research and survey instruments. (JB) , " '4.7'Se - ^- ". ',TV ,140, -14 :1 (7 oc-i9tee Final Report OEC-17.071201- 5063, I r ;,). cii`oci; '11 1 WHERE :THE PEOPLE SPEAK :THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF RURAL PUBLIC'ABRAMS . r , NORTHERN NEW ENGLAN " : s.' -4'4'1, r: ..., . ', nr /-41.7:', :, ': ,,,,,;,:;,,,..., .,:. ,1 , -q.';:2; 'si'..$..-. January, . , . xer,!en. rtt, ' , U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare Office of Education Bureau of Re!Iparcliv Educational Research and Services Corporation 170 South River Road Bedford, New Hampshire 03102 oi -4mr,...i.smarromsmorassisassorsar FINAL REPORT , , 1 I Contract Number OEC-1-7-071207-5063 WHERE THE PEOPLE SPEAK: THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF RURALPUBLIC LIBRARIES IN NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND SERVICESCORPORATION 170 South River Road Bedford, New Hampshire - 03102 January, 1969 The research reported herein wasperformed pursuant to a contract with the Office of Education, U. S.Department of Health, Educa- tion, and Welfare. Contractorsundertaking such projects under Government sponsorship are encouraged to expressfreely their professional judgement in the conduct of theproject.Points of view or opinions stated do not,therefore, necessarily represent official Office of Education position or policy. 1 U. S. DEPAUMENT OF , HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE , Office of Education Bureau of Research U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION &WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCEDEXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENTOFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POIACY. FOREWORD When confronted with the expensive art book, most small librarians will Eay, "That is too expensive for usi." Yet this is exactly the kind of book that a small library ought to have.It is exactly the kind of book that is not toraiialble to the citizen of a small town. The library is the only local institution with the resources, and the defined function, to give townspeople access to books they can't afford to buy personally. I find it depressing to think that the great art in a book like PICASSO'S PICASSOS, or the exhilaration in a book like the Sierra Club's IN WILDNESSIS THE PRE- SERVATION OF THE EARTH will not be available to every citizen. These are books whose message is universal. They are the very special and exciting parts of a book collection, and just like that thirtieth copy of FOR WI-10M THE BELL TOLLS, th9y ought to be there when some excited student has the stimulus to see and read them --- that fleeting erratic, drive to read --- so easily killed by the lack of interesting books to feed it, or the necessity to fill out a "reserve" and wait another two weeks. Speech to New Hampshire Librarians - John N. Berry, III This study seeks to define the attitudes of p representative spmple Of rural New England Citizens concerning their respective town libraries. The nine towns selected were judged to be typical of the rural communi - ties found in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. iii Opinions of town residents expressed either favorably or in opposition, carry weight when extended to those in authority.Approbation is usually expressed in continued use of the library.Disapproval or criticism seldom is expressed due to the insulation from those in power; however, in rural tQwn government with its system of direct representation where opinions can be expressed in the open forum of town meetings, the weight of expression has direct bearing on policy and fiscal support.It was this unique system with its attendant power that drew the interest for the survey.If a man can WU) or withhold funding personally, then the reasons for his establishment of priorities have great worth to the investigators. Then too, the small town has but few secrets.Citizens intimately know the librarian who serves them and personally elect the boards that administer their trust.Here a migrogosm could be identified in its total relationship of the library and the citizen, History reveals that in our founding days and up to the turn of the century; the library and the school comprised the cultural entities of the town. While the urban areas have developed and expanded many ..more cultural and edupation- al resources, the small town has seen no such additions. Today the school, usually in a greatly developed pattern, has progressed to the point where it commands the larger part of appropriated funds. The rural librarian's salary has not only failed to keep pace in most areas studied, it has fallen far behind: The survey sought from the local citizens answer,. requisite to determine what contemporary value is placed on the local library as a social institution, iv The report documents reasons why therural New England citizens either use or reject this resource.How often he uses it and whatsatisfaction is derived? How those concerned with theadministration of the lihrAry view their trust and what actions or lack of themthey are taking to insure its progress.It reveals a tragic lack of supportboth fiscal and civic matters. The town library shows an appallingabsence of leadership with its semi- skilled directors. That these conditions are regulated solely tothis section of the country is fallacious. Nationally, the rural scenereview reveals the .wiic..,,,,conditions. The tragedy lies as before noted in the power torectify these conditions by the rural citizens.It is to the shame of the libraryadministrators that this power has not been effectively applied. The majority of the libraries surveyedfell fttr short of meeting minimal standards. All were understaffed and mostlacked the basic professional education to effectively service constituents.Many were ill-housed, and provided minimal, if not inadequate,collections. Local fiscal support bordered on the disgraceful; private gifts werethe means of survival. Qnly through the interest and dedication of thelibrarians, trustees, and other volunteers has the rural library continued to exist.The rural library does not, nor can it in the foreseeablefuture, meet the commitmentsdevulged upon it by their own volition or the impetus of interestand groups, change their opinions, v New England's expectations for education and training of peopledepends on its libraries. No other concern in the region is as urgentand will prove more rewarding. Minimal library offerbigs contribute to undernourished minds just as surely as inadequate diets produce malnutrition.Rural America, with its paucity of educational and cultural resources, cannot afford to witnessthe further deteriorating of this once prime source of enlightenment.Henceforth, we will let the people of the small towns speak. Astheir opinions and thoughts are recorded albiet in neat charts, uniform tables, and scientific jargon, it should be kept ever in mind that these citizens hold intheir hands the personal means to rectify much of what is wrong with the rural library, should they so desire. The people can speak and act for the rural townlibrary, vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors of this studyreport are indebted tothe hundreds of Federal, State, and local libraryofficials and administratorswho assisted us in the design, the collection ofdata, and in the reviewmaterals for the final report. A study such as this owes ahuge debt to the sevenhundred and forty-nine Northern New Englanderswho permitted us to interviewthem, and who graciopsly