LIBRES:
Library and Information Science Research
Electronic Journal ISSN
1058-6768
2000 Volume 10 Issue 2; September 31
Bi-annual LIBRES
10N2
VITAL issues: the
perception, and use, of ICT services in UK public
libraries
Juliet Eve, Research Fellow,
CERLIM
(Centre for Research in Library and Information Management), Manchester
Metropolitan University, Geoffrey Manton Building, Rosamond Street West, off
Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6LL, UK.
http://www.mmu.ac.uk/h-ss/cerlim/
j.eve@mmu.ac.uk
Peter Brophy, Director
CERLIM (Centre for Research in Library and
Information Management), Manchester Metropolitan University, Geoffrey Manton
Building, Rosamond Street West, off Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6LL,
UK.
http://www.mmu.ac.uk/h-ss/cerlim/
mailto:j.eve@mmu.ac.uk
1. Introduction
ICT
(information and communications technology) facilities for public use in UK
public libraries are set to expand rapidly in the next few years, providing a
network of access to learning opportunities and services. Government policies to tackle issues of
social exclusion and to stimulate the uptake of lifelong learning have
prioritised the role of public libraries in being one of the key delivery points
for ICT access. Most of the capital
funding for ICT infrastructure has, to date, come from sources external to core
library funding; the sustainability of services will be a key area of importance
in the future. In order to prove
the value and impact of providing access to ICT facilities and services within
public libraries, measurements will need to be developed and implemented which
can provide managers, funders, and policy makers with reliable information about
the uses made of these services and how they contribute to the government’s
social agenda. Service continuation
and development that matches the needs of users is essential if the public
library is to thrive in an increasingly electronically delivered “information
society”. This paper presents the
results from the VITAL (Value and Impact of IT Access in Libraries) research
project, which set out to test methodologies – focussing on the need for
qualitative indicators of value – suitable for providing evidence to support the
role libraries have begun to play in delivering electronic services to the
public in the UK.
2. Background
Advances in public access ICT services
within UK public libraries have taken place at a rapid pace during the last five
years. During the early 1990s, the
provision of access to PCs for open learning, to networked CD-ROMs and to the
Internet began to develop throughout the UK, although on rather a piecemeal
basis and at very different rates in different library authorities. With the publication, in 1997, of the
vision statement, New
Library: the People’s Network (LIC, 1997), a new era of coordinated,
strategic ICT provision was ushered in.
The report was published by the then Library and Information Commission,
a body established by the UK government in 1995, and was followed up a year
later by Building
the New Library Network (LIC, 1998),
which set out in detail plans for implementing the vision, concentrating on
three main areas: content, training, and infrastructure. Government support for the vision was
evidenced through a favourable formal response
(DCMS 1998), and, more significantly, the allocation of funding to each of the
three main areas. Through the New
Opportunities Fund (which distributes monies raised by the UK lottery), £20
million has been targetted at staff training, £50 million at content
digitisation programmes, and £100 million is to be allocated to library
authorities for the development of infrastructure. The roll-out of the People's Network is
now being overseen by the People’s
Network Team, part of a newly established organisation, re:source, set up to bring
together the former Library and Information Commission and the Museums and
Galleries Commission in one cross-sectoral body. The drive from the public library
community to take advantage of the opportunities offered by ICT has been matched
by the UK government’s enthusiasm to make the most of technological developments
in order to support key points of its social agenda. The major policy directions
are articulated in the policy statement Our Information Age (Central Office of
Information, 1998), which was published in 1998, and set out the government’s
plans to exploit the benefits of the information age for all citizens in the
UK. The key areas, outlined in this
paper, and backed up by numerous other documents and initiatives (1),
are:
·
Lifelong Learning; the expansion of
access to quality materials, and the encouragement to use learning
opportunities;
·
Increasing access to, and knowledge of,
ICT facilities, both as necessary for the delivery of learning and training
opportunities, and as essential tools for citizens to thrive in the
21st century in terms of access to services, and to work, cultural
and leisure opportunities;
·
Social inclusion, including via the
uptake of the ICT and learning opportunities outlined above;
·
Modernisation and delivery of
government services, as set out in the Modernising
Government (Cabinet Office, 1999) white paper, which focuses on five key
commitments, including the use of new technology to meet the needs of citizens
and business. It is envisaged that libraries will act as one access point for
these services.
The UK,
then, is moving towards the government target, set out in Connecting the learning
society: National Grid for Learning
(DfEE, 1997), of connecting all public libraries to the Internet by
2002. The vision of a public
library network, as set out in New Library: the People’s
Network, providing access to information, learning opportunities and
government services is set to become a reality in the near future. The provision of ICT is generally
perceived as a crucial development that will place the library service at the
heart of the UK's emerging "information society". However, it will become increasingly
necessary to set in place proper models of evaluation and assessment if the real
value of providing ICT services and facilities to the public is to be
demonstrated.
In order to support the demand for
continued investment, libraries will have to be able to prove that ICT services
are valued by the public and that the impact of these services justifies the
cost. Once capital funding from
central government has expired (in this initial round of funding at least) it
will inevitably fall to individual library authorities to juggle existing
resources or to make a sound case to local government – which funds the UK’s
public library system – to increase the revenue and capital budgets
available. This in turn will
require either increases in local taxes, or cuts to other local authority funded
services, such as social services, housing, road maintenance, et cetera. This future battle for funding will
expose the tension and possible conflict between local and central government;
central government has been clear in dictating policy which supports and expects
the delivery of ICT services in public libraries as part of its own agenda, yet
local government which funds the services has other, local agendas, to
consider. Given the backdrop of
resource cutting which has been a feature of public library funding over the
last few decades, proving the value and worth of ICT services will become
essential, particularly within local contexts where decisions about resources
are made.
The UK government is also keen to
implement indicators and assessments of library services, both to justify
spending and to attempt to introduce standard levels of services across the
country. Current measurements of
library performance, as required by the Audit Commission, and as part of annual library plans tend to
be quantitative measurements and still focus on the traditional elements of
library services such as book issues, et cetera. The recently published
Department for Culture, Media and Sport library
standards consultation
paper, for
instance (DCMS, 2000), whilst recognising that “ICT development is a key issue”
concentrates on standards which “recognise the importance and popularity of
print-based services and community resources.” Community resources are, of course,
increasingly electronically delivered; however, only two ICT standards are
suggested, one relating specifically to the provision of online catalogues
(OPACs), the other being a figure for total number of workstations (0.7 per
thousand population) including
OPACs. Whilst it is valid to state
that the provision of ICT services is still very much in the developing stages,
these do seem a little unambitious even for those libraries still to benefit
from significant investment in this area.
The standards also include a measure relating to annual visits to a
library’s web site, although the DCMS acknowledges that no data is yet available
to monitor this particular standard.
It is notoriously difficult to gather such data reliably, as well as to
interpret it in any meaningful way, as “hits” to a web site do not directly
relate to individual instances of use, far less reveal anything significant
about satisfaction, usefulness of the information, et cetera.
There are, however, signs of a growing
awareness that some other forms of evaluation, particularly of a qualitative
nature, are required to genuinely assess value and impact of all public
services, rather than just levels of provision or service performance. Thus the Audit
Commission performance indicators for 2000/2001 (DETR, 1999)
include the assessment of satisfaction levels of customers (those seeking
a particular book or piece of information). As part of local government, libraries
are required to participate in the ongoing Best Value
programme, placing “a duty of best value on local authorities to deliver
services to clear standards - by the most economic, efficient and effective
means available” (Audit Commission, 2000).
Best Value will be a continuous process of service improvement and
includes consultation with users as a key component, something with which public
libraries are very familiar (Liddle, 1999).
These developments combine with an
increasing interest from library authorities themselves, particularly in light
of a focus on more formal provision of lifelong learning opportunities and
development of ICT learning centres, in finding ways of demonstrating the value
of what public libraries provide and the impact of, particularly, ICT services
on the individuals and communities using them.
3. Research context and areas of
concern
One of the key
issues for public libraries is that of proving that they are the most suitable
location, or at least one of the best placed, for ICT services to be
accessed. Library usage figures
interpreted broadly do support the claim that the public library is indeed a
“democratic” institution, open to all:
Public
libraries are already used by 58 per cent of the population. They are a first
stop for information, they are widely used by children and young people as an
adjunct to formal learning, and their reputation for supporting the
knowledge-seeker is unparalleled. Their unique combination of resources,
services and personal support attracts some 1.3 million visitors every working
day, and 10 million users visit frequently - at least once a fortnight. Library
staff respond to over 50 million enquiries each year, on a universal range of
topics. (LIC, 1997).
Despite this
glowing report, here is perhaps danger of a certain level of complacency
developing within the sector as regards the privileged position of the public
library. For example, one of the
final policy statements from the Library and Information Commission on libraries
and social exclusion (LIC, 2000) states that:
By their very nature
libraries and information services already embody the values necessary to
contribute to a socially inclusive society.
However, research
such as that carried out by
Leeds Metropolitan University into how and if libraries specifically tackle
issues of inclusion is beginning to challenge this image of the library as an
inherently “democratic” institution.
Previous research has highlighted, for instance, that service provision
for those from ethnic minorities may be less than satisfactory. The Public Libraries, Ethnic Diversity and
Citizenship study (Roach & Morrison, 1998) found, for instance, that the
“public library service has not yet managed to engage freely with ethnically
diverse communities, and that its structure “is restrictive in terms of service
access and denies ethnic minorities a stake in the public library
system.”
One of the
recommendations of the report related specifically to information technology,
arguing that ICT would “become increasingly important … and … extend access and
choice,” but warning that ethnic minority communities who do not currently use
public libraries may not have access to new technologies:
Efforts should be made to lock
community sector organisations into the growing information technology networks
and to develop the capacity of those organisations currently seeking to address
needs not being met by the public library service. (Roach & Morrison,
1998:173).
Projects such as
those typically receiving awards in the annual UK “Libraries Change Lives”
scheme also indicate that librarians are becoming increasingly aware of the need
to target and address the needs of specific groups within their communities
(Library Association, July 2000). These projects often involve the use of
ICT.
It has also been
suggested that libraries are trying to become ‘‘all things to everybody“
(Comedia, 1993) delivering traditional core services (such as book lending) and becoming ICT learning centres within
their communities. Some researchers
have questioned the perception that ICT access points automatically belong in libraries,
suggesting that libraries may not always be best placed to tackle some issues
such as levels of user comfort with the technology or training needs, and,
specifically, challenge the claim that libraries are the ideal – or only – location for
such services.
More problematic to the library system’s claims to being the most
appropriate site for public internet access is the terms in which such claims
are made. In addition to showing
they are well trusted and frequently visited public sites the argument is
usually made that libraries’ core mission is information provision and that
computers and the internet are merely the current means through which such needs
can be satisfied. Thus the world
wide web is sometimes described as simply a large library. Analogies are frequently employed
to suggest that new technologies are merely new means of doing familiar
things…… Such forms of argument are
undoubtedly powerful but do have a number of limitations. Specifically they underplay the
significance of the combination of elements and the qualitative developments
that occur through the use of a new medium. They also tend to ignore ‘those forms
which are not in any obvious way derivative, and which can be usefully seen as
innovating forms’ of the media itself.
By using such analogies to justify placing the technology within the
remit of an organisation associated with one of the earlier forms, libraries
risk exaggerating these tendencies by stressing some aspects of the use of the
internet over others. (Liff, Steward & Watts,
1999).
In support of
this, the authors comment that whilst librarians are comfortable with use of the
Internet as an information or research facility, there exists some discomfort
with other uses (e.g. e-mail, chat rooms), although these services are
allowed. This is certainly a
justified analysis, as is evidenced by discussion on the lis-pub-libs e-mail
discussion list (archives available at: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/lis-pub-libs/)
about “appropriate” use of Internet facilities, with some libraries seeking to
restrict use to “serious” use.
As we do not charge, we feel that we have more rights to determine how
the system should be used, and with limited facilities, prefer that the Internet
is used to access information, whereas e-mail is often used for informal chat
and its use and content may be open to abuse. Although Internet users have to
sign our terms and conditions of use, which state that they cannot use e-mail,
it is an area of confusion for members of the public and quite difficult for
staff to enforce. The e-mail element of the program has been omitted from the
public access browser, but use of HotMail is very difficult to spot. If we see
someone obviously typing in more than usual, a quick glance over their shoulder
and a quiet word is usually sufficient. We are also attempting to prevent the
access to HotMail in the first place through the use of CyberPatrol, by
identifying it as a forbidden site. (Walters, 1998).
Very few public
libraries provide e-mail services through their own servers, preferring to allow
users to access web-based e-mail such as HotMail. (Croydon Library Authority is an exception
to this; in August 1997, private e-mail accounts for users were offered, using
the ‘library.croydon.gov.uk’ domain).
3.1 User studies
Coles’ study of IT in UK public libraries (Coles, 1998)
identified evidence of a “wide and disparate group of library users who in turn
displayed a variety of attitudes toward IT.” The study revealed that although
attitudes were generally positive towards the use of computers, people were
concerned that without regular access to computers they would be unable to keep
abreast of technology. The study identified public libraries as being the only
viable option of access to ICT for some. Coles concludes that “public libraries
have successfully promoted the book and reading since their inception. A
continuation of that success must be in the promotion of the benefits of
computers, in particular digital information sources and community
networks.” (Coles, 1998:
41).
More recent
research carried out by Sheffield University and Somerset Training and
Enterprise Council has suggested that “developments in information technology
have resulted in some confused perceptions of the public library service’’
(Lilley and Usherwood, 2000). For
example, members of the public were “led to believe inaccurately that a member
of staff would guide them step by step’’ through an initiative “Computers Don’t
Bite” created by the BBC and available in many public libraries. The research also found that a “book
based perception of the library service persists,’’ yet “changing perceptions
and higher expectations in terms of the provision of new technology’’ were also
evident.
This lack of
clarity on the part of the public about the role of the library is not
surprising. As an institution, the
public library has for 140 of its 150 years’ existence been primarily concerned
with providing reading and information materials in print, and is still in its
infancy when dealing with electronic materials and services. However, users in the above survey
expected libraries to provide more ICT in the future and considered this a valid
role “even if they themselves did not like it very much.” The emphasis on providing a core and
much valued book-based service, yet also delivering access to ICT services seems
set to last, particularly as government initiatives in the lifelong learning
area, delivered largely via ICT, continue to develop.
4.
The VITAL
project
4.1
Introduction
The
VITAL (Value and
Impact of IT Access in Libraries) Project, funded at the beginning of 1999
by the then Library and Information Commission, set out to design a methodology
for assessing the impact of ICT services in public libraries, drawing on a
combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, but focusing on
measurements of value. The aims of the project were
·
To develop and implement methodologies
suited to the evaluation of end-user, ICT-based services offered by public
libraries;
·
To gather and disseminate information
on the value of such services and their impacts;
·
To advise policy makers on the value
and impacts of different services and of how values and impacts can be
measured.
The first phase of the project involved
developing and pilot testing a set of methodologies, both qualitative and
quantitative, in order to provide contextual data about ICT services (such as
levels of provision and use, as far as this was possible) and detailed data on
attitudes to, and use of, existing services. The methodology was tested in the three
partner authorities involved with the research: Birmingham, Cheshire and
Cumbria. Each library authority
seconded an existing member of staff to work half-time on the project for a
period of six months, beginning in July 1999. The members of staff had a variety of
previous research experience and varying levels of responsibility within their
library, reflecting the different contexts within which the methodology proposed
would be utilised. At the beginning
of the pilot phase, the researchers were invited to an initial training day, at
which they were given a ‘workbook’ of methodologies and an opportunity to
discuss any initial issues related to the project. The methodologies workbook
provided a basic introduction to the research process and guidelines on how to
implement the methodologies selected for use during the VITAL research. Chapters on quantitative and qualitative
data gathering methods were included, with a focus on the methods to be
implemented during the pilot phase.
The workbook was designed to provide a directed approach to the
research. Specific examples of
quantitative data to be collected (for example, number of PC workstations
available, number of PC hours booked per week) were given, and prototype
questionnaires and interview schedules were included.
Throughout the duration of the pilot phase,
the researchers were provided with ongoing support in the form of additional
appendices to the workbook (for example, guidelines on data entry of
questionnaire results), site visits, and regular e-mail and telephone
contact.
The
methodology consisted of
·
the collection of baseline statistical
data about the demographics of each library authority, as well as the provision,
and where possible, use of ICT services;
·
a printed questionnaire, distributed to
library users;
·
a questionnaire to non-users, either
asked on a face-to-face basis or over the telephone;
·
a series of semi-structured interviews
with existing ICT users.
This article
focuses on the results from the library user questionnaires, exploring the
attitudes of both ICT and non-ICT users to the provision of these
services.
4.2 Methodology for library users
questionnaire
A draft questionnaire was included in the
workbook, and discussed during the training day. After the standard questions were agreed
upon, some additions or slight alterations were included for each authority,
dependent on the particular context.
For example, it was agreed that questions relating to library OPACs would
not form part of the standard questionnaire, but one authority inserted a
section relating to its newly-introduced computerised OPAC as it seemed an ideal
opportunity for this evaluation to be undertaken also.
Five hundred questionnaires were distributed
to each library authority, which then made its own decisions about number and
location of library sites to include in the research. The distribution methodology adopted was
very similar to that recommended by the existing CIPFA PLUS surveys. CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance
and Accountancy) has developed the PLUS (Public Library Users
Survey) scheme, which distributes a standard questionnaire and methodology
to member library authorities (67% of all authorities were members in 1998) to
assess user levels of satisfaction with library services. It was felt that this approach would be
familiar to the libraries involved and to future users of the methodology and
has already proved to be successful.
However, as this was a pilot, aimed at testing the validity of the
methodology and the effectiveness of the questions, it was felt that 500
questionnaires would be a sufficient sample, and the library authorities were
not required to issue the numbers usually required using CIPFA calculations
(based on the number of library visits to a given site per week). The details of distribution varied
slightly between each authority but included the numbering of the questionnaires
and a timetable for distribution that would incorporate the widest range of
users. The response rate from
Cheshire was extremely high (92% of 459 distributed, across 4 library sites),
from Birmingham also high (78% of 500 distributed, across 4 library sites), but
less so in Cumbria (48% of 500 distributed, across 6 library sites). Variations in the way questionnaires
were handed out within individual libraries as well as regional differences
account for the different response rates; high response rates were achieved
where questionnaires were handed to individual users and a place was provided
for users to complete them.
Overall, however, this was a successful approach in many respects: it
enabled useful and comparable data to be gathered across all the authorities; it
was familiar to staff in the authorities and could therefore be delegated to
branch libraries; and because it involved frontline staff it ensured that
awareness of the project was high.
4.3 Results of library user
questionnaires
4.3.1
Introduction
Results from the
questionnaires were entered into a Microsoft Access database; the majority of
questions (an example of the full questionnaire - from Cumbria - is provided in
the appendix) yielded quantitative data about library usage, ICT usage and
attitudes to ICT, but some open-ended questions were also included to allow
respondents the opportunity to indicate reasons for their views. These questions yielded a useful
quantity of qualitative data, which provided some valuable insights into
attitudes to ICT provision in libraries from both users and non-users of the
facilities.
Overall,
1041 questionnaires were returned, and out of these users, 231 indicated they
used the ICT facilities in the library (excluding the OPAC), an overall usage
rate of 20%. The individual
percentage rates for each authority varied however, between 13% in Cheshire, 36%
in Birmingham, and 18% in Cumbria.
The relatively small numbers of library patrons using ICT facilities
within the library indicated via the questionnaire (54 in Cheshire, 42 in
Cumbria and 135 in Birmingham) would suggest that ICT facilities are not yet
used by the majority of library users; this may be for a variety of reasons,
including access elsewhere or lack of knowledge about the facilities. These findings suggest that library
users are less likely to be ICT users
than the general population. This
fact may indicate that targetting libraries for ICT expenditure will be a useful
strategy within the government’s social inclusion agenda by providing non-ICT
users with a comfortable place to learn about new technologies.
All
results presented below are based on the 231 responses from ICT users, and 810
responses from non-ICT users. All
figures are percentages and represent numbers of those answering any individual
question.
4.3.2
Profile of respondents
The
three sites selected for the pilot reflect the different types of library
authorities within the UK – an urban, inner-city authority (Birmingham); a rural
authority with high levels of tourism but also relatively large towns (Cheshire
– total population over 650,000); and a very rural authority, geographically
large and diverse with low population levels compared with the rest of England
and Wales (Cumbria). The following
tables present a breakdown of the respondents by sex, age, and occupation.
Respondents by sex |
|
|
Male |
Female |
|
Birmingham |
56 |
44 |
|
Cheshire |
43 |
57 |
|
Cumbria |
44 |
56 |
|
All 3 authorities |
48 |
52 |
Table 1: questionnaire respondents by
sex
As can
be seen by the above table, overall, there was a fairly equal balance between
men and women, although the pattern in Cheshire and Cumbria of more women than
men is reversed in Birmingham, which had a higher number of male
respondents.
Respondents by age |
|
|
Under 16 |
16-35 |
36-55 |
55+ |
|
Birmingham |
8 |
57 |
19 |
16 |
|
Cheshire |
3 |
27 |
38 |
32 |
|
Cumbria |
3 |
21 |
36 |
40 |
|
All 3 authorities |
5 |
35 |
31 |
29 |
Table 2: questionnaire respondents by
age
Figures for
Cheshire and Cumbria are again similar, whilst the age profile of Birmingham is
considerably younger. Over half of
all Birmingham respondents were aged between 16 and 35, whereas Cheshire and
Cumbria had a more equal spread but more respondents in the higher age
brackets. Although not shown in the
table, the proportion of over 65s in both Cheshire and Cumbria was significantly
higher than in Birmingham; a fifth of all respondents in both of the more rural
authorities were over 65, compared with just 8% in Birmingham.
Respondents by occupation |
|
|
employed |
unemployed |
student |
retired |
other |
|
Birmingham |
35 |
17 |
33 |
11 |
4 |
|
Cheshire |
48 |
7 |
9 |
30 |
5 |
|
Cumbria |
40 |
7 |
11 |
37 |
5 |
|
All 3 authorities |
41 |
10 |
18 |
26 |
5 |
Table 3: questionnaire respondents by
occupation
As can be seen in
table 3, the largest group in each authority was made up of employed people
(full-time, part-time, or self-employed), although this group was a smaller
percentage in Birmingham than the other two authorities. Birmingham had the highest percentage of
unemployed respondents (17%). The
second largest group in Birmingham, almost as large as the employed group, was
students, who represented 33% of the sample. Student representation in Cheshire and
Cumbria was roughly a third of that in Birmingham. The second largest group in both
Cheshire and Cumbria was retired people, making up 30% of the Cheshire sample
and over a third (37%) in Cumbria, which reinforces the previous figures on age
categories of respondents.
In both Cheshire
and Cumbria, the overwhelming number of respondents (93% and 94% respectively)
were white, whereas Birmingham boasts a multicultural, multi-ethnic
population. The ethnic background
of Birmingham respondents reflects this diversity; a slim majority (52%) of
respondents was white, with the second largest groupings being Pakistani (16%)
and Indian (13%). Other ethnic
backgrounds represented included Black Caribbean (5%), Bangladeshi (2%), and
Chinese (2%).
The profile,
then, of Birmingham library users is significantly different than that of the
more rural authorities. Users are
ethnically diverse, younger, and more likely to be unemployed or students than
users in Cheshire and Cumbria, where there are larger numbers of older and
retired users and slightly more women represented than men.
4.3.3 Library use
All
respondents were asked to indicate their main use of the library; in Cumbria and
Cheshire, the overwhelming response was book related (e.g. borrowing of books,
reading for pleasure, et cetera.), with very few instances of another main
use. For example, in Cheshire, out
of 360 comments, only 3 specifically related to ICT, and a further 12 indicated
study or research as the main use.
Similarly, in Cumbria, out of 214 comments, 4 were ICT related, and a few
again indicated study or research.
In Birmingham, however, main uses identified correspond to the higher
instance of ICT use indicated, and far more respondents indicated ICT related
main uses of the library. Out of
364 comments, 127 respondents (35%) indicated use of CD-ROM, e-mail, or the
World Wide Web as their main use of the library. A further 43 indicated study or research
as the main use, which is most probably explained by the high percentage of
students completing the questionnaires in Birmingham. These figures may also
reflect the general demographic patterns of Internet use, which indicate that
older people are less likely to be Internet users than younger people, and as
has been noted above, the breakdown of age groups within the three test sites
shows significantly higher numbers of younger respondents to the questionnaire
in Birmingham and larger numbers of older people in Cheshire and Cumbria. Cumbria had the highest instance of
older people in its sample, with 59% being over 45 (this figure was 51% in
Cheshire, and much lower (27%) in Birmingham).
4.3.4
Attitudes to ICT provision
All
respondents were asked to rate the importance of providing computer facilities
in public libraries; 96% across the three authorities rated this as very or
quite important. When asked to
consider whether ICT facilities are: a) vital; b) an add-on service; or c) an
unnecessary expense, again very few users (around 4% across the three
authorities) considered them unnecessary, mostly due to the belief that people
already had their own PCs, and therefore did not need to access such services in
the library.
Table 4 summarises the opinions of all
respondents on the provision of ICT facilities:
|
|
ICT as vital |
ICT as add-on |
ICT as unnecessary |
|
Birmingham |
63 |
35 |
3 |
|
Cheshire |
43 |
54 |
4 |
|
Cumbria |
45 |
51 |
4 |
|
All 3 authorities |
50 |
47 |
4 |
Table 4:
views of ICT provision
Half of
those answering overall (50%) considered ICT facilities as a vital service,
although this varied between authorities, being higher in Birmingham (63%), and
representing less than half in Cumbria (45%) and Cheshire (43%). Aside from the 3% regarding facilities
as unnecessary, the remainder (47%) considered provision of facilities an add-on
service; this again was different over the three sites, being a majority opinion
in Cheshire (54%) and Cumbria (51%) but representing just over a third of
responses in Birmingham (35%).
Respondents were requested to give views to back up their answers, and
the majority did. Typical responses
from those considering ICT facilities as vital were:
It is growing increasingly
important in modern society and access for all is
essential.
Future developments will
render access to computer/Internet facilities vital for isolated communities for
educational and economic reasons.
[Comment from Cumbria]
Libraries are the key to
access for those without a computer at home.
Libraries should be modern
and provide computer facilities as part of helping the
community.
IT is part of a remit of
libraries to provide information or to direct people to a source for
information.
Interestingly, many respondents who
indicated ICT as an add-on service also articulated similar comments,
particularly about access for those without their own computers, but some also
raised issues concerning the balancing of ICT with traditional
services:
The main raison d’ être of a
library is its collection of books…
Provided it is not at the expense of more traditional
methods.
Most people have access to
computers outside of the library, but few people have access to such an array of
books.
A library is mainly for
lending books so anything else is a bonus.
I still feel we need a good
range of books. IT services must
not take over.
What
is interesting about these results is the level of importance placed on ICT
provision by library users who, for various reasons, do not actually use those
services themselves. Among ICT
users, as would be expected, ICT was perceived as vital by the majority (70%,
averaged across the 3 authorities, representing the views of 215 ICT
users). In Birmingham, this was the
view of over three quarters of IT users (79%), and of over half in both Cheshire
(57%) and Cumbria (56%). Non-ICT
users were also highly supportive of the provision of ICT facilities. Just over half (51%) across all three
authorities considered ICT as an add-on service, but a significant number (45%)
considered it vital. Again,
Birmingham respondents indicated a stronger level of support; a majority of
non-users (53%) considered IT to be vital, compared with less than half in
Cheshire (40%) and Cumbria (45%).
IT as an add-on service was the majority opinion in Cheshire and Cumbria
(56% and 51% respectively), whilst representing 43% of the non-users in
Birmingham. These figures are
summarised in tables 5 and 6 below:
ICT Users |
|
|
ICT as vital |
ICT as add-on |
ICT as unnecessary |
|
Birmingham |
79 |
21 |
0 |
|
Cheshire |
57 |
41 |
2 |
|
Cumbria |
56 |
44 |
0 |
|
All 3 authorities |
70 |
30 |
0 |
Table 5: views of ICT provision by ICT
Users
Non-ICT Users |
|
|
ICT as vital |
ICT as add-on |
ICT as unnecessary |
|
Birmingham |
53 |
43 |
2 |
|
Cheshire |
40 |
56 |
4 |
|
Cumbria |
45 |
51 |
4 |
|
All 3 authorities |
45 |
51 |
4 |
Table 6: views of ICT
provision by Non-ICT Users
Despite
the regional differences, the figures indicate a high level of support for ICT
facilities in libraries by both users and, significantly, non-users, in line
with the findings of the Usherwood and Lilley study discussed above. The greater emphasis on, and higher
indication of usage of, ICT facilities in Birmingham compared with the two more
rural authorities may be a result of a number of factors, including
·
Free access to ICT facilities
throughout Birmingham libraries;
·
The different needs of a multicultural,
multi-ethnic urban population;
·
The greater representation of younger
people, and students in particular, within the Birmingham sample;
·
A wider network of educational
institutions within the Birmingham area, resulting in a higher concentration of
learners and therefore a greater need for access to supporting ICT
services.
4.3.5 Reasons for non-use of
facilities
Table 7
below illustrates the reasons why ICT non-users do not use the facilities
available; the main reason is having access elsewhere, whilst other respondents
indicated they had no interest in using the facilities or did not know how
to. Despite this lack of knowledge,
very few respondents indicated that a lack of available help was the reason for
non-use. In Cheshire and Cumbria,
there is evidently a high awareness of the facilities provided by the library,
although Birmingham users seemed to be less aware of offered services, with 15%
indicating their reason for non-use was not knowing the services were
available. There was a very high
non-response rate to this particular question in Birmingham; out of 245 non-ICT
users, 73 (30%) did not indicate a reason for non-use.
Reasons for non-use of ICT
facilities |
|
|
Didn’t know available |
No
interest |
Don’t know
how |
Access
elsewhere |
No help
available |
Other |
|
Birmingham |
15 |
20 |
16 |
42 |
4 |
3 |
|
Cheshire |
4 |
28 |
17 |
47 |
1 |
3 |
|
Cumbria |
3 |
31 |
20 |
39 |
2 |
5 |
|
All 3 authorities |
7 |
26 |
18 |
43 |
2 |
4 |
Table 7: reasons for non-use
of ICT facilities
4.3.6
Use of facilities by ICT users
ICT users were asked to indicate their main
use of the facilities, out of a choice of a) to support a course of study, b)
leisure/general enjoyment, and c) independent learning/research. Table 8 below presents the results of
this question; the figures are in percentages and indicate the totals out of the
numbers of respondents who correctly answered the question (some respondents
indicated more than one option). A
small percentage of replies in each authority fitted into the “other” category;
main uses were job related (either seeking work or using the facilities for
work), and keeping in touch with family and friends (using e-mail).
Main use of ICT facilities |
|
|
Study |
Leisure |
Research |
Other |
|
Birmingham |
21 |
19 |
25 |
8 |
|
Cheshire |
17 |
26 |
30 |
7 |
|
Cumbria |
21 |
41 |
24 |
14 |
|
All 3 authorities |
20 |
29 |
26 |
10 |
Table 8: main use of ICT
facilities
The majority of ICT users also had access to
facilities outside the library (65% in Birmingham and Cheshire, and 55% in
Cumbria), mostly at home, although access was also available at work or at an
educational institution. So,
although non-users of ICT in the library were most likely to give “access
elsewhere” as their reason for non-use, the majority of those using library ICT
facilities do so despite having access to ICT at other locations.
4.3.7
Value placed on access to ICT services
When asked to indicate the value of having access to ICT facilities
in the library, many users gave reasons that had already been picked up in other
parts of the questionnaire. These
included “only,” “free,” or “most convenient access,” as well as research and
general information needs. The
question, “How would the withdrawal of computer facilities affect you?” yielded
answers which gave greater insights into the value and impact of ICT access for
this group of users. Over 80% of
ICT users answered this question, and although some indicated that loss of the
facilities would not affect them particularly badly, many would be quite
negatively affected, either having to find access elsewhere, paying (more) for
access, or having to travel to find access. Although most users indicated in fairly
straightforward terms that they would have “no other access to computers,” or
would “have to find other facilities,” some had more ‘emotional’ responses, such
as
This is
UNTHINKABLE!!
I would have to give up my
course and be devastated.
Others gave reasons relating less to the
physical access to the technology, and more concerned with what they were able
to do with it:
Harder to look for
work.
I would feel isolated and I
would no longer be able to communicate with friends
easily.
[Would] lose social contact
with friends from 20 European countries … cultural
isolation.
As well as affecting people’s ability to
access information for reference and study, the comments indicate that the
availability of e-mail facilities is very important for both social
communications as well as for job seeking.
Whilst the research by Liff et al. discussed above indicated that some
librarians are unhappy with use of the Internet for e-mail, it appears to be a
popular application with public library users. Although the data for the breakdown of
ICT applications used is unavailable for the Birmingham pilot, results from
Cheshire and Cumbria (representing 96 ICT users) showed that 33% had e-mail
addresses, and 20% in Cheshire and 26% in Cumbria used e-mail facilities, with
59% and 48% respectively also using the World Wide Web.
5.
Conclusions
The results above illustrate that libraries
are increasingly becoming important locations for accessing ICT to support a
range of activities, from formal study to job seeking to building and
maintaining social networks using the Internet. Patterns of usage will probably continue
to vary across the UK as the needs and priorities of different regions are
accounted for. As illustrated by
the VITAL pilot, support for, and use of, ICT facilities in public libraries may
be different in urban and rural areas, where patterns of library use overall
reflect the age and occupation of users and, thus, their different
priorities. In Birmingham the
pattern of a younger, more educationally active library user population emerges,
where people associate the library with access to ICT, and use and support these
services. Conversely, Cumbria
library users reflected a pattern of more traditional use, with higher numbers
of older users, giving more significance to book-related services. Further results from the VITAL
methodologies (the revised and updated workbook has been distributed to twenty
library authorities) will reveal whether the results of the pilot are duplicated
across the country.
As
government initiatives to deliver services and lifelong learning programmes
develop and come on stream, and as the roll-out of the People’s Network
continues, libraries increasingly will be supporting a whole range of users in
making the most of these opportunities.
Evidence suggests that libraries are popular locations for ICT facilities
and that support for fulfilling this role is very high amongst public library
users, whether or not personal use is made of the services on offer. Public libraries are still in their
infancy with regard to providing and developing electronic services and have
some significant challenges to face, particularly in the areas of sustainability
and widening access to currently excluded groups, but the enthusiasm and vision
is certainly there. The service
does have the potential to deliver the key aspects of the government’s agenda in
tackling social exclusion, in providing ICT facilities within communities, and
in supporting learners. Continued
evaluation of the use and impact of the services will be an essential component
in developing the facilities and support that current – and potential – users
require. The VITAL project has made
a significant contribution to the development of robust means of gathering data,
particularly qualitative evidence, to contribute to the ongoing evaluation
programme.
Footnotes
1.
For example, the establishing of
a National Grid for Learning, as set out in Connecting the Learning Society: National
Grid for Learning (DfEE, 1997),
and the settling up of a Social Exclusion Unit, which set out a strategy
for neighbourhood renewal (The Stationery Office, 1998), and established 18
Policy Action Teams (PATs) to investigate key areas, including jobs, community
self-help and the role of information technology in neighbourhood
regeneration. These reports are
available at:
http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/seu/index/publishe.htm#PATs
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Appendix: example questionnaire used in
Cumbria Library Authority.
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the questionnaire has been slightly altered since the pilot; an updated
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