"I'm a Library Hugger!": Public Libraries as Valued Community Assets

• Published in: Public library quarterly (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 348 - 361
• Main Author: Oliphant, Tami
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Routledge 02.10.2014; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Alberta; Alberta library users; Canadian libraries; Communities; Economics; Libraries; Library resources; Perception; Perceptions; Public libraries; Rural areas; survey; User services; Users; uses of the library; Valuation; value of libraries
• ISSN: 0161-6846; 1541-1540
• DOI: 10.1080/01616846.2014.970431

Public library value is often ascertained by outlining the economic, social, and cultural benefits public libraries generate for the greater community. While researchers have focused on the concepts of social capital, civic engagement, and the role of libraries in promoting democracy, fewer studies have explored the public's perceptions of libraries in an effort to determine library value. Furthermore, library nonusers are rarely included in these studies. In Alberta, Canada, 1,201 Albertans from across the province, including both urban and rural areas, were asked a series of questions about their perceptions of public libraries and library use. Findings reveal characteristics of library users and nonusers, what services and resources are used most often at public libraries, what value the public places on public libraries, and the role that libraries play in supporting communities.