third ASIS&T European Workshop, Osijek, Croatia, 22-23 May 2015. Begović, Mia; Petr Balog, Kornelija. Public library social impact assessment: library value from customers' point of view

1. AEW, Osijek, 22-23 May 2015
1
Public library social impact
assessment: library value
from customers' point of
view
Mia Begović
Kornelija Petr Balog
Faculty of Humanities and Social
Sciences Osijek

2. Library impact/outcomes
• ways in which library users are changed as a result of their
contact with library’s resources and programs (ACRL, 1998)
• ‘eventual results of using library services’ (Revill, 1990)
• Three types:
– Short-term
• Changes in skills, attitudes and knowledge
Mary, 5th-grader, can identify 5 birds by name on a field trip.
– Medium-term
• Changes in behavior and decision-making
Mary’s family chooses bird-watching activity for family vacation.
– Long-term
• Changes in status or life conditions
Mary chooses biology as her major in college.
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3. Problem areas
• Difficult to measure
• Prevalent ‘anectodal evidence’ – difficult to obtain statistically
valid results
• Methodology
– Usually a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods
• Other problem areas:
– Benefits vary as to certain user groups,
– Data not comparable yet (differing ways of data collection),
– Users usually cannot define their intention when using the library; the
result obtained may be accidental
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4. Areas of research
• Academic/professional success
• Information literacy/information retrieval
• Social impact
• Economic value
• Cultural
• Educational
• ...
AEW, Osijek, 22-23 May 2015 4

5. Social impact
• promote connectedness between people and groups;
stimulate participation and inclusion, build social capital and
social cohesion;
• promote sense of belonging to, and ownership of society
(common identity);
• stimulate/promote community engagement/improvement
activity
• involvement in democratic process
• exposure to ‘otherness’ (other people, ideas)
• ...
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6. Research
• City Library and Reading Room Vinkovci
– Founded in 1875
– Bookmobile
– Branch ‘Nuštar’
– Services for clients of the Home for the
Elderly and the Rehabilitation Centre ‘Mala
Terezija’
• Collection:
– over 100.000 book and non-book materials
• 4000 customers in 2015 (population in 2011 - 41.105)
– App. 10%
• Heavily destroyed during 1991-1995 War
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7. AEW, Osijek, 22-23 May 2015 7

8. Methodology, instrument & sample
• Goal
– to measure the value of the Vinkovci public library and its services for
its customers
• Hypothesis
– customers recognize the value and worth of the library and its services
on the quality of their lives
• Methodology
– survey (based on Chiessi, 2011) and interviews with customers
• Time
– April-July 2014
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9. • Sample
– survey
• n=165 (86 online; 79 paper)
– six interviews
• student
• retired person
• employed
• unemployed
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10. Structure of the survey sample
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46%
24%
19%
7%
4%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
employed unemployed univ. students retired pupils
Employment status
Employment status

11. Membership status
AEW, Osijek, 22-23 May 2015 11
79%
13%
6%
2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
several years one year several months month or less
Membership
Membership

12. Value and significance of Library
All benefits
1. leasure/free time
2. useful information for education
(school, university)
3. save money
4. being in touch and/or develop
new skills
5. encourages children
development
6. pleasant/quiet place
Three main benefits
1. useful information for education
(school, university)
2. save money
3. leasure/free time
4. being in touch and/or develop
new skills
5. encourages children
development
6. community information
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13. Obtaining the information somewhere
else if the library closed next year
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14%
45%
26%
15%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Yes, without any problems Yes, but with significant
problems
No Don't know
Other place(s) of information provision
Other place(s) of information provision

14. Information provision – other
sources
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62%
35%
22%
18%
12%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Internet other library purchase media faculty and/or
friends
Other inf. sources
Other inf. sources

15. Increase of a membership fee
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27% 27%
24%
9%
13%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Could not pay
more (80.00 kn)
10% (88.00 kn) 20% (96.00 kn) 30% (104.00 kn) 50% (120.00 kn)
Increase
Increase
27%
73%
Increase
Could not pay more Would pay more

16. Experience, stories, examples
• 49 comments (30%)
– 98% positive
– 2% negative
At the age of 15 I was just a clumsy teenager who came
into the library looking for something that will spark my
interest. A librarian suggested Nietzsche’s ‘Also sprach
Zarathustra’, and now I am a proud student of philosophy!
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17. Interviews
• all interviewees library members for a number
of years (school-age)
• positive impact of library services and
programmes:
– improvement of one’s vocabulary and rhetoric
skills
– acquiring the fast-reading skill
• all recommend library to their friends and
colleagues
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18. Conclusions
• Vinkovci public library recognized as valuable
asset for its customers
– 79% members for a number of years (loyalty indicator)
– 45% would be able to obtain information somewhere else,
but with significant difficulties, 26% would not be able to
obtain it at all
– 73% would agree to some percent of the fee increase if
that were important for the existance of the library
– numerous positive stories and examples
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19. AEW, Osijek, 22-23 May 2015 19
Thank you for your attention!