Socio‐economic features of UK public library users
| Published date | 01 September 2001 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120110396176 |
| Pages | 258-265 |
| Date | 01 September 2001 |
| Author | Margaret Hawkins,Anne Morris,John Sumsion |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Socio-economic
features of UK public
library users
Margaret Hawkins
Anne Morris and
John Sumsion
Introduction
A resource-funded project carried out in the
Department of Information Science of
Loughborough University between
November 1999 and October 2000 examined
The Economic Value of Public Libraries (Morris
et al., 2000). Its aim was to find a way of
assessing the value of the public library service
to the user and to society. Its main objectives
were:
.To explore how the approaches
developed in the USA for library and
information service in general can be
applied to assess the value and impact of
public libraries in the UK.
.To explore how far data already collected
and/or published in the UK is suitable to
illustrate and demonstrate this
methodology.
.To summarise the evidence already
available and test the feasibility of
plugging gaps in the evidence.
.To modify and extend the theory as
necessary ± including its application to
electronic and networked services.
.To produce a summary estimate of the
economic value of UK public libraries,
derived from an organised synthesis of
data already collected.
.To use these results to illuminate the
``free-charged'' and ``recreation-
education'' debates on public library
services.
A unique feature of the public library service
is that it acquires and makes available material
on a communal basis, thus giving the
borrower a distinct gain. In theory, the
aggregate value to individual users represents
the value to society. However, a well-
educated and well-informed population
contributes to a comfortable, tolerant society,
in which its citizens feel in control of their
lives and are active participants. It is difficult
to define such a state of wellbeing and even
harder to measure the library's contribution
to it, but to arrive at the total level of benefit
the public library confers, its part in
promoting education, awareness and access to
information must be added to the direct
economic benefit to its users. One aspect of a
healthy, confident society is the level of social
inclusion ± certainly the current UK
Government places much emphasis on this.
Opinion varies as to how inclusive UK
public libraries are. Those seeing libraries'
The authors
Margaret Hawkins is a Freelance Consultant in
Northampton, UK.
Anne Morris is a Reader and John Sumsion is a
Research Fellow, both at the Department of Information
Science, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
Keywords
Public libraries, Library users
Abstract
Resource funded research into
The Economic Value of
Public Libraries
was carried out in the Department of
Information Science at Loughborough University during
1999-2000. Examines some of the findings focusing on
book borrowing and information seeking by a number of
socio-economic characteristics. In the light of these
characteristics, considers how far public libraries
contribute to social inclusion. Identifies seven ages of
library use and discusses the library's value to a person at
each of these stages. Also considers the use of central
and branch libraries, and therefore the value of each to
various groups. Shows that, while book borrowing is
spread fairly evenly across the population, information
seeking is much less so, with those in most need of
information least likely to seek it from a public library.
Draws two conclusions. The first is that both value and
social inclusion will be greater if libraries and library
services are widespread. The second is that the record of
UK public libraries in serving users across a wide socio-
economic spectrum is already good.
Electronic access
The research register for this journal is available at
http://www.mcbup.com/research_registers
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emerald-library.com/ft
258
Library Management
Volume 22 .Number 6/7 .2001 .pp. 258±265
#MCB University Press .ISSN 0143-5124
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