Models explaining the perceived outcomes of public libraries
| Published date | 08 July 2014 |
| Date | 08 July 2014 |
| Pages | 640-657 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-02-2013-0016 |
| Author | Pertti Vakkari |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Records management & preservation,Document management |
Models explaining the perceived
outcomes of public libraries
Pertti Vakkari
School of Information Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
Abstract
Purpose – The benefits of public libraries as perceived by adults in everyday activities, in cultural
activities and in career are modeled by multivariate techniques. The paper aims to discuss
these issues.
Design/methodology/approach – The survey data are based on a representative sample of 1,000
Finnish adults ranging from 15 to 79 years. The perceived benefits were modeled by linear regression
analysis and by path analysis.
Findings – The models explain 27-32 percent of the variation in the three benefit types observed. The
role and the explanatory power of the factors included in the models vary to a certain extent betwe en
the benefit types.
Research limitations/implications – The results are generalizable at least to small, wealthy
welfare states with a well-developed public library system.
Practical implications – It seems that the public library functions relatively more as a source of
information for everyday activities in older age groups, whereas more as a source of information for
career in younger age groups. The public library should profile its services acco rdingly.
Originality/value – This is first study to model the factors associated with the benefits adults derive
by using the public library in the major areas of life.
Keywords Public libraries, Outcomes, Models
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Evaluation based on the outcomes that users derive by using the public libra ry has
increased considerably. Focus in these studies is on the benefits the library produces
for the clients, not on the outputs like the number of books borrowed or the number of
reference queries answered (Durrance et al., 2005; Hernon and Dugan, 2002; Rubin,
2006). A typical goal in these studies has been to define , identify and survey the major
outcomes the library provides for the public (Rubin, 2006; Vakkari and Serola, 2012).
Studies on the outcomes of public libraries can be divided into two groups (Vakkari
and Serola, 2012). They either focus on specific outcomes created by particular library
programs and services (Rubin, 2006), or general benefits on certain areas of life as the
result of library use (McClure and Bertot, 1998; Lance et al., 2001; Vakkari and Serola,
2012). The former assess the success of a particular prog ram like to what extent
internet classes for older adults increase particip ants’ abilities to use the internet. The
latter type of research explores to what extent library use in general has benefited
people in various aspects of their lives, such as education. The scope of these studies
differ. Program assessments typically focus on a single library system, whereas the
scope of studies on general benefits of library use may vary from a single community
to a representative nationwide sample. The latter enrich the accounts on the social role
of public libraries. They shed light on the contribution of the public librar y in various
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0022-0418.htm
Received 4 February 2013
Revised 18 June 2013
Accepted 30 June 2013
Journal of Documentation
Vol. 70 No. 4, 2014
pp. 640-657
rEmeraldGroup PublishingLimited
0022-0418
DOI 10.1108/J D-02-2013-0016
This study was financed in part by the Finnish Library Foundation and the Ministry of
Education.
640
JDOC
70,4
sectors of life and in various social groups. These surveys also enable the analysis of
mechanisms, which connect perceived benefits with various social factors.
Both in program assessments and in more general studies on the benefits of
the public library, it has been rare to analyze how the perceived benefits vary
between various user groups. Knowledge of the facto rs that are associated with the
benefits users derive from using the public library is very limited. Analyzing more in
detail those factors and mechanisms, which cause variation in perceived benefits,
helps in understanding more validly the social role of the public library. A central
means for this purpose is modeling factors, which most effectively explain the
variation of perceived benefits. In the studies of public library use it has be en rare to
apply multivariate techniques, and modeling based on those techniques, in particular
(Sin, 2012). In this study, linear regression and path analysis are used for modeling
the perceived benefits produced by the public library.
The aim of this study is to analyze which factors are associated with the variation of
the perceived major benefits produced by the public library. The particular research
questions are:
RQ1. Which factors predict most effectively perceived benefits produced by the
public library in everyday activities, in cultural activities, and in career?
RQ2. Do the models explaining the variance of these three outcome types differ?
2. Literature review
Studies on the outcomes of public libraries focus typically on defining and identifying
those benefits, which clientele perceive in using library services. The results represent
mostly the distribution of these outcomes in the whole sample studied. Outcomes
are defined as values or benefits the users perceive from using the library or a service
(McClure and Bertot, 1998; Rossi et al., 2004). They are also characteriz ed as impacts of
the library in some aspect of one’s life (McClure and Bertot, 1998; Lance et al., 2001).
The benefits are usually categorized into various aspects or fields of life like education,
or work and business. They may have been characterized also as service respo nses
based on community needs (Lance et al., 2001).
Vakkari and Serola (2012) have provided the most extensive and systematic
categorization of the aspects of life concerning the benefits produced by the public
library. Their categorization was based on studies on the major catego ries of human
daily life (e.g. Chulef et al., 2001; Meegan and Berg, 2001). They divided benefits into
22 areas of human life covering education, work and business, everyday activities and
leisure time activities.
These 22 benefit areas were reduced in Vakkari and Serola (2012) by factor analysis
into three major outcome types: benefits in everyday activities, benefits in cultural
interests and career benefits. Everyday activities included, e.g. housing, health and
consumer issues, cultural interests included activities like reading f iction or creative
activities, and career included education, work and business. Their study was based on
a nationwide representative sample of the adult population in Finland.
Studies on public librar y outcomes seldom observe how various background
variables are associated with perceived benefits. Lance et al. (2001) showed that
compared to males females benefit from the public library more frequently for reading
for pleasure, but less frequently for business. Females benefited from the library more
641
Perceived
outcomes of
public libraries
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