20x20 presentation on value and impact of public libraries - initial findings

1. Leo Appleton
School of Computing – Institute for Informatics and
Digital Innovation (Centre for Social Informatics).
Part time PhD student, 2nd
year
Supervisors: Professor Hazel Hall (@hazelh), Professor Alistair Duff, Professor Robert
Raeside
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“The value and impact of public libraries within
the Information Society : their contribution to
citizenship development.”
@leoappleton
2020

2. Background to this research
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3. Literature review themes
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• Role of the public library
• Value and impact as performance measures
• Exchange theory
• Information Society
• Social capital, Human capital, Transactional capital
• Concept of citizenship

4. Theoretical concepts
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• Borrowed theory
• Exchange theory and social exchange theory
• Information Society Studies
• Information sector
• Information flows
• Information technology
• Information overload
• Social capital
• Public libraries creating and generating social
capital

5. Research questions
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To what extent is an individual’s position advantaged or
disadvantaged as a result of using public libraries?
What is the impact of using a public library service on
individual and community citizenship?

6. Methodology
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Focus group methodology
Longitudinal cohort approach to focus groups
Each focus group is convened 3 times during the course of the
study
Scope of project
Representative of UK library users

7. Pilot focus group (Liverpool, 2014)
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8. Pilot findings
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“When I come in, I have a dead positive vibe, when
I walk through the doors straight away, ‘cos I know
that I only need to spend fifteen minutes in here,
and I’ll have lost myself in a book…. You don’t care
what’s going on!”
“I could be quite dramatic and say that
reading saved my life!”

9. Pilot group discussion
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10. Empirical research
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Edinburgh
Liverpool
Newcastle
Lincoln
Essex
Devon
Redbridge
Sutton

11. Focus group management
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Autumn
2015
Winter
2015
Spring
2016
Summer
2016
Autumn
2016
Winter
2016
Spring
2017
Summer
2017
Autumn
2017
Winter
2017
Liverpool #2 #3
Lincoln #1 #2 #3
Edinburgh #1 #2 #3
Newcastle #1 #2 #3
Devon #1 #2 #3
Essex #1 #2 #3
Redbridge #1 #2 #3
Sutton #1 #2 #3

12. Themes from round 1
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• Access
• Inclusion
• Knowledge
• Digital citizenship
• Professional support
• Societal impact

13. Knowledge
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14. Inclusion
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15. Access
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16. Digital citizenship
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17. Professional support
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18. Societal impact
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19. Initial conclusions
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20. What’s next?
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