Social inclusion and social capital of the Shanghai Library as a community place for self-improvement
| Date | 17 June 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-04-2018-0056 |
| Pages | 197-218 |
| Published date | 17 June 2019 |
| Author | Patrick Lo,Minying He,Yan Liu |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information user studies,Metadata,Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
Social inclusion and
social capital of the Shanghai
Library as a community place
for self-improvement
Patrick Lo
University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
Minying He
Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, and
Yan Liu
Shanghai Library, Shanghai, China
Abstract
Purpose –Using a Shanghainese context, the purpose of this paper is to understand the effects of the public
library in its community, as well as its ability to create social capital. Along with this, this paper aims to look
at some socially disadvantaged groups within Shanghai and see the positive benefits that the Shanghai
Library (SHL) has in society.
Design/methodology/approach –Using a totalof 410 respondents from Shanghaithrough a questionnaire,
this study investigates how different groups of disadvantaged groups (namely, students, elderly and
unemployed)living in Shanghai perceivedthe social values, and contributions functionsof the SHL to the local
community, and its capacities to create social capital.
Findings –Findings of this study indicate that respondents expressed an overall highly positive outlook of
the SHL’s value to the community, and they found it to have an important role in their daily lives.
Originality/value –This study will be useful for understanding the roles of the public library in a Chinese
context, as well as the views and perceptions of the public library to disadvantaged user groups in China.
Keywords China, Public libraries, User studies, Library users, Library buildings, User participation,
Shanghai Library
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
It is universally acknowledged that public libraries serve an important social function as
community spaces, in addition to their traditional roles in providing access to books and
other materials for leisure-reading purposes. Many public libraries’mission statements
include phrases such as “building strong communities”,or“contributing to the well-being of
communities”, amongst their major goals (Varheim, 2011, p. 5). Scholars and researchers
also argue that public libraries contribute to social capital by providing a space for those to
come together, and expand their social networks through meeting other library patrons
(Aabø et al., 2010; Chen and Ke, 2017; Griffis and Johnson, 2014; Johnson, 2012; Lo et al., 2017;
Lo, Cho and Chiu, 2017; Lo et al., 2018; Patemen and Williment, 2013). Social inclusion and
social capital in the context of public libraries would mean serving as a platform for building
a social network, thereby allowing people of different social classes, age groups or income
levels to interact in the community with their family members and friends (Chen and
Ke, 2017; Griffis and Johnson, 2014; Johnson, 2012; Marshall, 2009).
In addition to functioning as community centres or public spaces for reading, and
self-learning, public libraries also carry a long history and tradition of providing
specialised services for the socially “disadvantaged”or “excluded”individuals in the
community. According to Fourie (2007), social inclusion refers to all efforts and policies to
promote equality of opportunity to people from all circumstances and from all socially
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 37 No. 2, 2019
pp. 197-218
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/LHT-04-2018-0056
Received 24 April 2018
Revised 24 October 2018
8 December 2018
16 January 2019
Accepted 17 January 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
197
Social
inclusion and
social capital
excluded categories, with the aim to improve social conditions and/or competitiveness of
individuals in the community. Baumann and Muijen (2010) also noted that better social
inclusion could be achieved through a combination of: improving the organisation of work
and the working environment; promoting active participation in society; encouraging
personal development. In that sense, public libraries have an important role to play in
breaking down barriers for the socially disadvantaged as well as excluded. Public libraries
can also offer free access to computers, information as well as access to government,
health and community resources, for example, updates on job opportunities. In short,
public libraries can help resolve social exclusion and promote social inclusion by offering
a safe place, and a safe learning environment, as well as providing free information and
services. Because of the social functions and values they embody, the Library and
Information Commission concluded that (public) libraries were the essence of inclusion
(Library and Information Commission, 2000). For example, according to the studies
carried out by Hodgetts et al. (2008) and Caidi and Allard (2005), both homeless people and
new immigrants identified the public library as a space for safety, social participation, as
well as social inclusion.
Shanghai is the current commercial and financial centre of the Mainland China.
Ever since the rapid re-development began in the 1990s, Shanghai is often described
as the “showpiece”of the booming economy of the Mainland China (Hunt, 2008), it is also
the current commercial and financial centre of Mainland China (Shi et al. , 2012).
Such notions could be a reflection of the shift to an increasingly information-driven and
knowledge-based economy of Shanghai. As explained by Leckie and Hopkins (2002),
under this new knowledge-based economy for employment and social development,
“people must continually educate themselves, upgrade their skills, and re-orient
themselves to new realities”(p. 354). Meanwhile, Lo, Cho and Chiu (2017) also pointed out
that “one of the most essential social values/functions of a public library is to develop
citizenship culture for reducing various sociocultural inequalities,aswellastocontribute
to the realisation of sustainable of development of urban culture and society as a
whole”(p. 353). Like many other metropolitan cities in developed countries, despite its
economic success, many people in Shanghai are experiencing unemployment and,
in some cases, homelessness, in addition to various challenges of the rapid population
ageing in Shanghai. For the unemployed individuals, many would turn to the public
libraries where they can get help with resume writing or job-hunting. For the elderly
who are facing increasing social isolation, it is important for them to connect with others
in similar positions.
Shanghai is often described in its local setting as the City of Swan, a city of with
staggering economical, industrial and population growths, which offers a unique
environment for many different types of business investments, as well as a window to
China’s ancient past and modern future. Supporting the information and recreational
needsofthismegacityistheShanghaiLibrary(SHL)–the second largest comprehensive
public library in China in terms of collection, services and professional expertise.
In October 1995, the SHL merged with the Shanghai Institute of Science and Information
Technology, and it became the first provincial- (city-) level library and information
association. In fact, the SHL is the second largest library in China after the
National Library of China in Beijing. It is expected that the SHL could provide endless
opportunities for neighbours to meet and get to know one another –thereby playing an
important role in creating a positive social environment that could spill over into a wide
range of social benefits for the neighbourhood or community at large, that is including the
unemployed and elderly.
The aim of this study is to investigate how the SHL contributes to the overall production
of social capital, by examining how its services actually address various issues related to
198
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