Public Library and Users

1
Public Library and Users Lifestyle in a Changing
Context

• Haruki Nagata (University of Tsukuba)
• Kanako Sakai (Institute of Developing Economy,
  Library)
• Tetsuya Kawai (TFC Co. Ltd.)

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Diverse changes in our lives and values

• Swift social development and remarkable
  advancement in information communications
  technology
• More and more people have the access to broadband
  network via their home computers, and the web
  service is available even with their cell phones.
  
• All these transformations seem to have
  come to cast a shadow upon public library
  services.

3
Curious about lifestyle change

• We conducted a set of surveys over peoples
  lifestyles and views/attitudes toward the
  library.
• manner and style of a persons life inclusive of
  living space, living hours and all values
  (Akuto, 1999)
• expressions of individuals ambitions to create
  their own specific personal, cultural and social
  identities within historical determined
  structural and positional framework of the
  society(Miegel, 1994)

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Aim and methodology

• Aim of our study
• To grasp peoples lifestyles in a broader
  perspective and to identify the relationship
  between their lifestyles and library use
• Looking at
• Lifestyle(Manner and style of a persons life)
• x Views and attitudes toward library
• Actual library use
• Demographic attributes(gender, age, persons
  living with, educational background, occupation
  and income)

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Survey of lifestyle and library use
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Location of two cities their libraries
Red Toride City Green Yuki City
Toride City Library
Yuki City Library
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2004 survey (mail-in to residents) 1. factor
analysis of lifestyle
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2004 survey (mail-in to residents)2. 4
lifestyle clusters
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2004 survey (mail-in to residents) 3. factor
analysis of views and attitudes toward library
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2004 survey (mail-in to residents) 4. Clusters
by views attitudes toward the library
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2004 survey (mail-in to residents)5. Cross table
of lifestyles and views attitudes toward the
library
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2006 Survey (with library visitors)1. Two
Libraries in suburban/rural area
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2006 Survey (with library visitors)2. Two
library collecting difference users

• Toride vs. Yuki
• Age group
• under 30 18.5 vs. 30.9
• over 55 37.8 vs.
  22.8
• Education background (above university graduate)
• 40.1
  vs. 26.6
• Aim of use focus on reading vs. certain
  amount of research
• (Internet use) 8.8
  vs. 11.7

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2006 Survey (with library visitors)3. Preference
of principal information source
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2006 Survey (with library visitors)4. Two
surveys difference of clusters

• 2004 residents survey

• 2006 visitors survey

• Groups by lifestyle
• no concern
• keeping own pace
• actively striving
• respecting others
• Groups by views and attitudes toward library
• isolated
• bookish
• exploring
• no interest
• patronage

• Groups by lifestyle
• keeping own pace
• achieving aims
• fulfilling active
• preserving traditions
• Groups by views and attitudes toward library
• killing time
• no interest
• bookish and exploring
• patronage

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2006 Survey (with library visitors) 5.Clusters
by the views and attitudes toward the library
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Discussion

1. People with certain lifestyles appreciate library
   services positively.
2. Subtle differences of lifestyle and views
   attitudes toward library between residents and
   visitors are confirmed.
3. Library service alteration atracts different
   visitors.
4. People have already started to enjoy many kinds
   of networked service by themselves and at the
   same time use the library subject to its service
   response.

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• Thank you for your attention
• ??????????????(Go Seicho Arigato gozaimashita)
• Contact harungt_at_slis.tsukuba.ac.jp