Users change libraries

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Users change libraries

• The experience of public libraries in Barcelona
  province

A space for the future - library buildings in the
21st century
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• Our experience Barcelona province
• The public library network
• Library buildings progress
• Library services and library building evaluation
• Users change libraries

A space for the future - library buildings in the
21st century
3
Our experience Barcelona province
Our experience Barcelona province
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Barcelona province

• 7,718 square kilometres
• 4,8 million inhabitants
• 311 municipalities
• 204 fewer than 5,000 inhabitants
• 10 have a population of over 20,000 inhabitants

Our experience Barcelona province
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Barcelona province the municipalities

• Local administration manages only 13 of public
  resources
• 30 of the local resources are for non-compulsory
  duties

Our experience Barcelona province
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Diputació de Barcelona a supralocal
administration

• To ensure the municipalities are able to fulfil
  their functions
• To guarantee territorial balance
• To provide financial and technical assistance and
  cooperation in areas under municipal control
• Networking

Our experience Barcelona province
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The Library service

• To act as an advisory service for town councils
  in setting up and maintaining their libraries
• To ensure that municipalities in the province
  efficiently assume responsibility for
  establishing and maintaining their libraries

Our experience Barcelona province
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The library service

• The library as a municipal service
• Map, priorities and standards
• Networking and cooperation services from the
  Diputació de Barcelona for libraries and councils
  
• Agreements through a contract-programme

Our experience Barcelona province
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The library service. Central support and
networking

• Grants for construction and facilities
• Consultation and process tracking (project and
  works)
• Initial collection
• ICT

Our experience Barcelona province
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The library service. Central support and
networking

• Basic collection selection, acquisition and
  archiving
• Union catalogue and interlibrary loan service
• Information technology programme
• Training plans
• Library staff. Support staff

Our experience Barcelona province
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The library service. Central support and
networking

• Statistics and service evaluation
• Materials for libraries and librarians
• Activities to promote reading
• User training plans
• External communication and promotion

Our experience Barcelona province
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The public library network

• 145 public libraries and 8 mobile libraries,
  networking
• 4,3 million inhabitants with library service
• 17 of the population with library card
• all in the union catalogue
• all with public Internet access

The public library network
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Library use and users

• 9,080,399 users (114 day/library)
• 5,673,962 loans (87 loans day/library)
• 588,013 Internet users
• 2,1 users per inhabitant
• 1,31 loans per inhabitant
• 24 use loan service

The public library network
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Library buildings progress

• Little political conviction
• Difficulties in explaining the new model
  (students-citizens)
• Difficulties in applying standards
• Intervention in heritage buildings

Library buildings progress (1990-1995)
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Library buildings progress

• From 98 public libraries to 112
• From 1 mobile library to 2
• From 21,973 m2 to 45,417 m2
• 15/1 new public libraries and 18/1 move to a new
  building

Library buildings progress (1990-1995)
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Library buildings progress

• From 112 public libraries to 145
• From 2 mobile libraries to 8
• From 45,417 m2 to 105,100 m2
• 36 new public libraries and 24 move to a new
  building

Library buildings progress (1996-2002)
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Library buildings progress

• Increased political support
• Expert model
• From standards to local programmes - identifying
  needs
• ICT new services, new spaces
• New standards, more m2
• Rethinking the spaces and services

Library buildings progress (1996-2002)
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Library services and library building evaluation

• Qualitative citizens study (1999)- The spaces
  are highly regarded (large, well lit and
  pleasant). But many still lack m2. There is a
  call for spaces to be segregated according to
  use a silent space for studying and another for
  talking

Library services and library building evaluation
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Library services and library building evaluation

• Quantitative citizens study (2000)- Libraries
  evaluated as scoring 7,3 out of 10. The least
  appreciated aspect is the lack of segregation
  according to use.
• 1,6 in 5 say libraries are dark and uncomfortable

Library services and library building evaluation
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Library services and library building evaluation

• User satisfaction survey (2001). The global
  evaluation score is 7,63 out of 10
• Design of the space achieves a score of 7,96.
  Signage scores 7,59. Comfort of chairs and tables
  scores 7,47

Library services and library building evaluation
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Library services and library building evaluation

• 81,8 think the library is in a central place
• It does not take more than 15 minutes for 68 to
  walk to the library
• 75 walk to the library

Library services and library building evaluation
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Users change libraries
new spaces
new needs
new users
more and different users
new services
new spaces
Users change libraries
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Users change libraries

• More users
• Different users
• New library - meeting place, information
  centre, cultural agent and support for the
  educational process
• More space and with different requirements

chilias.diba.es
Users change libraries
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Users with library card

• Of users with library cards, 51 are between 14
  and 24 years of age. The average is 27 years
• Those whose main activity is studying represent
  only 44 of users
• 68,7 with a fairly high level of education

Users change libraries
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Users with library card

• Users read 12,37 books per year
• 82,2 have a computer at home
• 48,5 say they have Internet connection

Users change libraries
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The public library as a meeting place

• Hall
• Informal spaces
• Periodicals area
• More flexible Internet service
• Bar
• Meeting rooms

Users change libraries
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The public library as a local information centre

• Information service area
• Access to information resources via the Internet
• More silent places
• Study and consultation spaces

Users change libraries
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The public library as a cultural centre

• Multi-purpose hall
• Music area
• Special collection - store area
• Incorporation within the building of other
  municipal/cultural services (archive, museum,
  exhibition halls)

Users change libraries
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The public library as an institution to promote
reading

• Informal spaces for children
• Multi-purpose spaces associated with the
  childrens areas and the adults areas (workshops)
• Store rooms - associated with the publishing
  situation in Spain

Users change libraries
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The public library as a lifelong learning centre

• Multimedia rooms, also for user training
• Study halls which are independent from the
  library but associated with it
• Quieter public work spaces

Users change libraries
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The key to success

• New spaces with new requisites are needed for
  different users with different needs
• Open spaces - work spaces
• Many changes associated with new library
  functions
• Physical library - Virtual library

Users change libraries
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Diputació de Barcelona library service
Comte dUrgell, 187 08036 Barcelona Tel.
00-34-934022241 Fax. [phone] e-mail
s.biblioteques_at_diba.es web http//www.diba.es/bib
lioteques Assumpta Bailac
A place for the future - library buildings in the
21st. century