A Study on Comparing the Perception between Librarians and Users about Libraries’ Value

• Published in: International journal of knowledge content development & technology Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 67 - 100
• Main Authors: Noh, Younghee, Lee, Kwang Hee, Sang‐Ki Choi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chungju 건국대학교 지식콘텐츠연구소 01.01.2018; Research of Knowledge Content Development & Technology; 지식콘텐츠연구소
• Subjects: Academic libraries; Communities; Economics; Education; Homeless people; Librarians; Libraries; Library and information science; Literacy; Manpower; Perception; Public libraries; Reading; School libraries; Science; Shelters; Society; Special libraries; Students; User groups; User services; 문헌정보학; Illinois; Users’ Perception; Libraries’ Value; Economic Value; Social Value; Educational Value
• ISSN: 2234-0068; 2287-187X
• DOI: 10.5865/IJKCT.2018.8.2.067

This study comprehensively draws a conclusion using factors of economic, social, and educational value and performed a survey on librarians and users to compare and analyze the difference in perception between the two groups. The result are as follows: First, Libraries had the social value not only on research and personal learning but also on establishment and vitalization of communities, provision of opportunities to share ideas between local residents and create something new, and provision of recreation to improve the residents’ capability. Second, both groups evaluated the libraries’ educational role and function relatively highly. In particular, the librarians scored very high for the items that the libraries’ educational role was expanding, the libraries were a part of the educational system, and the libraries’ value on reading and literacy was great, and the users thought that libraries had an value because they were a part of education and the educational system. Third, economic value part also obtained relatively lower scores than other values; the mean of the librarian group was 3.46 and the user group was 3.43. Among the economic values, the librarian group scored the highest for the area of economic value for local communities, and the greatest scores were given to manpower development by the users.