Public libraries pulling rank -

statistics on the policy

makers' agenda

Kristine Paberza

Public Library Development Project “Third Father’s Son”, State

Agency “Culture Information Systems”

Department of Information and Library Studies, Faculty of Social

Sciences, University of Latvia

Latviao The central country of the Baltic States

o In North-eastern Europe, on the east coast

of the Baltic Sea

o In 1991 Latvia became independent

from the Soviet Union

o Democratic, parliamentary republic

o EU memberships since 2004

o Area: 64,589 sq.km or 24,937 sq. miles

o Population: 2,270,700; Riga: 717,000

o Urban: 66%; Rural: 34%

o Ethnic composition:59.03% Latvian,

28.29% Russian,

3.74% Belorussian,

2.53% Ukrainian,

6.41% other nationalities

o Official language: Latvian

Library system in Latviao Latvian National Library;

o Latvian Academic Library;

o 864 public libraries;

o Latvian Library for the

Blind with 7 branches in

regions;

o 45 special libraries;

o 48 libraries belonging to

institutions of higher

education;

o 1062 school libraries0,8% of state budget and 0,9% of

municipalities’ budget go to fund libraries

Public libraries in Latvia

o Today there is one public library per 2600 residents

o 40% of population use public library services

o 240 library users per one librarian

o 100% connected to Internet and has WiFi access

The Riga City Library (Bibliotheca Rigensis) was established in 1524

and it is considered to be one of the first public libraries in Europe!

Third Father’s Son

Trešais tēva dēls

Global Libraries initiative in Latvia

Through strengthening capacities

of public libraries

to facilitate proactive use of ICT resources

among people in Latvia

thus striving to improve the quality of their

lives

Third Father’s Son

is a hero from

Latvian folk

legend who

brought light to an

entire country

The future is here – in the library

Impact Planning and Assessment

for DevelopmentInformation Society Development Guidelines

for 2006 – 2013

To create a knowledge-based economy and to improve the

quality of life, to ensure that everybody can and will use

the possibilities offered by ICT and content in order to

achieve this objective

Baseline study

Interim impact

assessment study

Final impact

assessment study

National statistics

In-depth study:

Library value, trust and

user satisfaction

In-depth study:

PAC cost-benefit

analysis, ROI

In-depth study:

Impact on information

society development

Context of the study

Approach to the study

Context oriented research approach (Durrance, 2002)

Information ecology approach (Davenport & Prusak,

1997; Stepp, 1999)

Theory of use-oriented value of information and

information services (Saracevic & Kantor, 1997)

Ecological theory of human information behavior

(Williamson, 2005)

Main research questions

1. What is the value of public library in society

in general and at the level of local

community?

2. What is the trust level in public libraries,

librarians and information received through

library?

3. What is the satisfaction with public library

services?

Data collection

instrumentsRepresentative survey of inhabitants

of Latvia (n=1064) including library

users as well as non-users

Information ecology mapping during

FDGs (n=10) covering both urban

as well as rural areas

Information needs

9%

11%

16%

17%

12%

19%

15%

18%

20%

22%

14%

13%

20%

17%

16%

26%

21%

25%

22%

23%

29%

40%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Sport

Education

Activities in municipality

Housing

Politics

Leisure, culture

Shopping

Rights & responsibilities

Transport

Health

Employment

Once Several times

Information sources

16%

16%

18%

22%

22%

23%

34%

33%

50%

52%

57%

46%

63%

69%

Private organization

Public library

Educational institution

Reference office

Municiaplity

State administration

Health-care institution

Radio

TV

Newspapers

Internet

Colleagues

Relatives

Friends

Satisfaction of information needs

personal networks

32%

34%

49%

5%

5%

3%

Colleagues

Friends

Relatives

Didn't receive necessary information

Completely received necessary information

Satisfaction of information needs

media sources

25%

27%

44%

24%

12%

9%

5%

12%

Radio

TV

Internet

Newspapers

Didn't receive necessary information

Completely received necessary information

Satisfaction of information needs

institutional sources

36%

44%

39%

39%

54%

52%

66%

14%

9%

11%

9%

2%

3%

5%

Private organization

State administration

Municiaplity

Health-care institution

Educational institution

Public library

Reference office

Didn't receive necessary information

Completely received necessary information

Trust in information sourcesDo you have to verify received information

11%

25%

26%

27%

38%

43%

49%

13%

20%

20%

20%

11%

19%

37%

28%

21%

16%

21%

13%

12%

12%

28%

25%

25%

23%

23%

21%

12%

39%

43%

47%

40%

41%

36%

32%

46%

41%

43%

45%

54%

52%

43%

22%

11%

10%

12%

7%

9%

8%

13%

15%

12%

12%

12%

9%

8%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Private organization

Municiaplity

Health-care institution

State administration

Educational institution

Public library

Reference office

Newspapers

Internet

TV

Radio

Colleagues

Friends

Relatives

Never Sometimes Often Always

Usage of municipality services

71%

64%

64%

44%

53%

33%

21%

52%

Satisfied

70%

77%

58%

31%

44%

31%

9%

71%

Environmental

Public transportation

Cultural & recreational

Sport

Educational

Social

Housing

Health care

Have used

Usage of culture & leisure services

34%

44%

39%

48%

46%

41%

58%

47%

Museums, galleries

Objects of cultural heritage

Public library

Cultural centre,

recreational hall

Didn't use Used

42%

46%

47%

50%

Satisfied

13%

21%

26%

28%

To increase funding

11%

8%

7%

7%

To decrease funding

Quality of staff performance

59%

57%

26%

58%

46%

42%

49%

45%

37%

42%

Teachers

Doctors, medics

Municipality administration

Librarians

Kindergarten staff

Social workers

Cultural hall staff

Museum staff

Municipal policemens

Public facilities service staff

satisfied

14%

35%

57%

3%

4%

19%

10%

4%

40%

30%

dissatisfied

27%

8%

17%

39%

50%

39%

41%

51%

23%

28%

hard to evaluate

Quality of staff performance

81%

62%

31%

94%

91%

69%

83%

92%

48%

58%

19%

38%

69%

6%

9%

31%

17%

8%

52%

42%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Teachers

Doctors, medics

Municipality deputies, officials

Librarians

Kindergarten employees

Social workers

Cultural hall employees

Museum employees

Municipal policemen

Public facilities service staff

Satisfied Dissatisfied

Satisfaction with library services

79%

54%

25%

37%

13%

17%

47%

14%

5%

20%

Book issuance

Reading room

Computer

Internet

Databases

Library catalogue

Librarian's assistance (information)

Librarian's consultation (computer/Internet)

Training courses

Cultural events

Usage of library services

83%

79%

84%

79%

79%

74%

81%

83%

74%

80%

Satisfied

14%

19%

14%

19%

20%

19%

16%

15%

26%

17%

Rather satisfied

Books used also by relatives

(47%) and friends (6%)

To speak to librarian (21%); To meet friends

(15%); To engage in NGO related events (6%);

Shopping, hairdresser etc. (3%)

Experienced benefits

9%

19%

24%

28%

29%

30%

35%

48%

51%

54%

63%

67%

To do gainful shopping

To find a job

To improve at job

To save or to earn money

To engage in social life

To deal with family issues & children upbringing

To learn foreign languages

Information for leisure and recreation

Information on health issues

Helping children at school

Information for education

Reading for leisure

Potential public library users

36% 43% 22%

Could any library service raise your interest in the nearest

future?

Yes No Hard to say/NA

8%

10%

18%

19%

23%

30%

30%

56%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Library web page

Databases

Computer

Reading room

Cultural events

Internet

Training courses

Book issuance

The World – a click away

in your library

Action

Conclusions

THANK YOU!