A quantitative assessment of relationships between user characteristics and frequency of access to community information networks in New Zealand public libraries

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether user characteristics (including gender, age, education, ethnicity and employment) affect the frequency of access to community information networks (CINs).Design/methodology/approachA user survey was conducted through selected New Zealand public libraries' web sites, and interviews with staff were conducted. Chi‐square (χ2) tests were used to test the research hypotheses in association with the research questions.FindingsCIN users come from various backgrounds in terms of education, ethnicity and employment, and they include females and males in every age group. However, more females access CINs than males, and the majority of CIN users are of European descent. Also more educated people tend to access CINs more. Respondents working in education, business/commerce, finance/banking and IT/telecommunications exhibited high CIN usage.Originality/valueThe research findings are valuable resources for CIN developers in other organisations who are looking to improve their understanding of users' characteristics in association with the frequency of access to CINs, as well as to improve their services. Furthermore, such findings can be valuable to students and researchers who are interested in the fields of community information networks.