The document summarizes a study on college students' perceptions of an Internet public library (IPL). The study used qualitative analysis of interviews with 10 college students, some familiar with the IPL and some not. It aimed to understand the public perception of what an IPL should be and what services it should offer. Key findings included that participants wanted the IPL to contain both online and physical resources, with connections to local libraries, and desired user-friendly search tools and assistance. However, the small sample size means results may not be generalizable to other groups.

1. Digital Perceptions: A Qualitative Exploration of Technology in Library Access Fawn Russell LIBR285 Section 17

2. The Internet Public Library Created in the mid 90's with the intention to be a resource for information professionals and amateur seekers from the public. “ With a strong mission to serve and educate a varied community of users, the IPL sought to help the public navigate the increasingly complex Internet environment as well as advocate for the continuing relevance of librarians in a digital world”

3. The Study All subjects had in common two factors: (1) being college students and (2) infrequent users of library services. “ Using qualitative analysis of interviews with ten college students, some of whom are current users of the IPL and others with no exposure to the IPL, begins to yield an understanding of the public perception of what an Internet public library should be. This study seeks to expand our understanding of such issues and explore the present- day requirements for the IPL in addressing the following research questions: What is the public perception of an Internet public library? What services and materials should an Internet public library offer? ”

4. The History Based on groundbreaking OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) international survey results from 2005 Feedback of public perceptions of libraries and information services “ 84 percent of participants reported beginning an information search from a search engine; only 1 percent started from a library website there was a preference for self-service and a tendency to not seek assistance from library staff users were not aware of most libraries' electronic resources college students have the highest rate of library use users typically cross-reference other sites to validate their results”.

5. The Findings Organized and addressed according to the patterns of feedback found in the responses after the subjects participated in assigned searches. Categorized under “themes” of expressed concerns including what the IPL was exactly, user-friendly search tools , document availability , and where to get assistance “ Several participants assumed that the resource collection would contain both electronic online items and locally available items in physical formats. In particular, connections to local physical libraries to share item holdings and availability status were desired: 'General book information and maybe a list of where books can be found. Like online, the local place you can find the books.' (P7) ”

6. The Critique The case studies' conclusion affirms the potential of a truly interactive digital space for information-seeking users to benefit from with the same services available as a physical library with the added bonus of web 2.0 features such as instant messaging with reference librarians, blogs, wikis, and digital archives. This case study only reflected the opinions of 10 college students when compared to the thousands who could be reached as indicated in the OCLC study. “ These results therefore may not be generalizable to other populations who are current or potential users of the IPL, including other targeted groups such as children and teens. Additionally, our chosen participant group, college students who are physical library users, had relatively high levels of library and technology experience, as well as complex expectations. Our results would likely differ with a participant group of novice Internet users.”

7. The Reference Maceli, M., Wiedenbeck, S., & Abels, E. (2011). The Internet Public Library (IPL): An Exploratory Case Study on User Perceptions. Information Technology and Libraries , 30 (1), 16-23. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database