Community Public Libraries Research Articles

Collection Diversity Has No Borders: A Librarian’s Experience at FIL, CILELIJ and FILIJ

Many public libraries in communities where Spanish is a language preferred by a significant percentage of the population have dedicated Spanish language collections and bilingual/ bicultural staff that provides library services and programs. In Oregon, the Latino population is growing faster than the national average, and nearly half of Oregon Latinos are bilingual (Oregon Community Foundation, 2016). In alignment with best practices, and upholding the core values of our profession, libraries dedicate funds and shelving space to Spanish language materials to serve the informational, educational, and recreational needs of Spanish-speaking communities. Libraries that are dedicated to developing and maintaining rich and diverse collections that support thriving and empowered communities demonstrate this commitment through a holistic effort encompassing community engagement, strong relationships with vendors, as well as active participation in professional associations both locally and internationally. In my work as a bilingual/bicultural librarian, previously in California and currently in Oregon, I contribute to selecting and promoting rich and diverse Spanish language collections. As part of this work, I have been able to expand my knowledge of Spanish language materials while connecting with and learning from professionals locally and internationally. In this article, I will share my experience at three professional development events held in Mexico between 2012 and 2016: FIL (Guadalajara International Book Fair), CILELIJ (Iberoamerican Congress of Language and Literature for Children and Youth) and FILIJ (International Book Fair for Children and Youth). Lastly, I will highlight the benefits of being an active member of a professional organization like REFORMA, and working to develop and promote library resources and services within the Latino/Spanish-speaking community.

シンガポールの新図書館情報政策 コミュニティーにおける公共図書館の役割

本稿では，シンガポール国立図書館庁（NLB）による図書館情報政策Libraries for Life（Library 2020）と，シンガポールの公共図書館が目指す次の時代の図書館のあり方について検討を行った。シンガポールではこれまでに，2つの図書館情報政策が策定されている。最初のLibrary 2000（1994年）では公共図書館インフラの整備が主に行われ，次のLibrary 2010（2005年）では，電子図書館やインターネットサービスの推進が積極的に行われた。2011年に発表されたLibrary 2020では，図書館のもっとも基本的なサービスである読書を推進するプログラムに焦点が絞られている。これからの時代を担う公共図書館の役割は，多様な背景をもつシンガポール人のコミュニティーをつなぐ場所であり，図書館にはシンガポール文化を掘り起こし，さらに新たに創出する期待が込められているのである。

The Life of the Space: Evidence from Nova Scotia Public Libraries

Objectives – To describe aspects of the 21st century role of the public library as a physical space by observing the actual use of a selection of public libraries. This study seeks to reveal how patrons are using and experiencing these institutions as spaces and how patrons and staff characterize the role of public libraries in communities. 
 
 Methods – A multiple case study design was used to examine three urban and three small town public libraries within Nova Scotia, Canada. A triangulated set of methods including patron interviews and questionnaires, staff interviews, and seating sweeps was used to develop answers to the research questions.
 
 Results – These public libraries are functioning as successful public places in that they are community spaces used in a multitude of ways and where patrons feel welcome. These libraries play important roles in the lives of respondents and, while respondents were willing to give critical feedback, they generally described the spaces positively. Patron use and experience of these library spaces can be broken into three themes that describe the roles of public libraries in communities. These include the role of provider of books and information, provider of access to technology and provider of a social space where members of the public are welcome.
 
 Conclusions – Patron experiences in Nova Scotia public libraries show that libraries are vibrant places that are highly valued by their communities. A number of common themes about the use and perception of these spaces emerged, yet when examined individually each library was also revealed to be a unique place, reflecting the particular qualities of the community and the physical space of the library building itself. It is clear that public libraries are complex institutions which play a variety of valuable roles in the community.

From Accidental Technologist to Accidental Traveler, or What I Learned from a Month in Shanghai

In May 2008 I spent a month working at the Shanghai Library as part of a work exchange. A month is a long time to be gone from work and home, but a short time to become acquainted with a library as large as the Shanghai Library In this column I will share a few of my thoughts on my experience. Some of my observations are about technology, some on other aspects of the library, and some are more cultural reflection. I hope that you will enjoy this diversion from the regular Accidental Technologist topics. OVERVIEW OF SHANGHAI ANDTHE SHANGHAI LIBRARY Shanghai is located in the center of the Pacific Chinese coast. It is a major trade and financial center with a population of more than 13 million people. Construction is rampant, with the entire area east of the Huangpu river (Pudong) new since 1993. The Shanghai Library and Institute of Scientific and Technological Information of Shanghai is one of the ten largest libraries in the world and the second largest library in China. It houses more than 50 million items and serves 9 million users a year. In likening it to a U.S. library, it seems close to the New York Public Research Libraries, except with a circulating collection. The 1996 merger with the Institute of Scientific and Technological Information of Shanghai brought scientific and industry research assistance into the purview of the Shanghai Library. Within the Shanghai Central Libraries network are fifty-four district and community public libraries. While the district and community libraries are public, they are administratively separate from the main Shanghai Library, with separate funding and governance. The network started in 2000 and aims to increase cooperation and provide a one-card-through service to library patrons that can be used at all of the Shanghai public libraries. My time at the Shanghai Library was divided between several departments. My first two weeks were primarily with the Friendship Library in the foreign documents division, where I offered English-language reference assistance and learned about the library. (I also spent some time adjusting to the time zone and figuring out living on my own in a large city where I spoke none of the language. The head librarian in that unit was very helpful.) Next I spent about a week with the interlibrary lending, document delivery, and document supply center. The last week contained some time with acquisitions and cataloging, tours of two branch libraries, and the digitization and preservation units, and presenting a lecture on my final day. Somewhere in the twenty-five days I visited Nanjing and Suzhou, spent three days buying books, learned to use the subway, and spent hours walking miles through the city. Shanghai is a very safe city. I've heard that most of China is this way, but I felt like I was in a particularly safe place. My lodging was at a hotel immediately behind the library, and there were guards by the hotel and by the library. It was also a block from the U.S. Embassy, which had Chinese Army guards stationed outside. Shanghai was also easy to navigate, since the street signs are in both Chinese characters and the Romanized Pinyin. The subway stops are labeled in Mandarin and English. The total of my knowledge of Mandarin consists of hello, thank you, and good, but people under about twenty-five years of age have been required to study a second language starting at age 10, and most choose English. BUILDING THE NEW, CELEBRATING THE OLD I traveled to three cities while in China. In all three places I saw significant new cultural institutions. Nanjing and Shanghai both have magnificent new libraries, and Suzhou has a museum designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei. There are numerous other new cultural institutions in Shanghai as well. The historical, cultural, and economical antecedents to this recent proliferation of cultural institutions are complex. As a casual traveler, however, my impression was of a city (indeed a nation) exerting its identity and pride. …

지역대표도서관의 기능과 지역공공도서관과의 협력역할에 관한 연구

This study is to recognize the function of the regional central library`s role and to address its support to the community public libraries ; such is one of the focuses of the revised library law. Through the mixed layer model, the regional central library can contribute to a better cooperation between the national central library and community public library in each region. Regional libraries. under the supervision of regional library service committee, can execute many local enterprises efficiently such as library informatization projects. the associative storage, the regional librarian education and the establishment of information commons through integrating the regional information.

지역공공도서관을 활용한 농촌지역의 지역정보화에 대한 전략적 구상

The purpose of this study is to induce the activation of public libraries in community through make use of public libraries as a plan for accomplishing regional informatization which based on regionalization and informatization. To acquire the twin goal of regional informatization and activation of public libraries, I propose a strategic plan which makes use of regional public libraries as an infrastructure of educating informatization and community-network concept. Especially those plans would cover recent background issues of super-national interest in rural welfare & development venture.攀＊＊＊본 논문은 윤구호교수정년 기념논문집 수록논문을 전개 보완한 것임.＊＊＊ 전주대학교 사회과학부 문헌정보학전공 교수(sj1bae@hanmail.net) 논문접수일자 : 2004년 7월 23일 게재확정일자 : 2004년 9월 18일攀攀

Reading Interests, Life Interests, and Life-style

This paper is based on the results of dissertation research into the relationship of the variety of life interests to the variety of reading interests among adult users of public libraries in communities of various sizes. Results indicated that a direct relationship does exist regardless of community size or level of education attained. The relationship was weaker where the level of education attained by the respondents was higher. Results of previous studies which showed the influence of life-style on reading habits and reading interests were confirmed.