Tag: public libraries

MORE THAN A GOOD BOOK: CONTINGENT VALUATION OF PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES IN ENGLAND

By Daniel Fujiwara, Ricky N. Lawton and Susana Mourato

This is the first economic study to value the wide range of benefits to individuals and the community provided by libraries in England, combining two economic methods for valuing culture: contingent valuation and subjective wellbeing analysis. A primary survey of around 2,000 library users and non-users shows the combined annual value of local library services is £723.4million. Library use is also positively associated with subjective wellbeing, suggesting that libraries have an important role in users’ quality of life.

Continue reading “MORE THAN A GOOD BOOK: CONTINGENT VALUATION OF PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES IN ENGLAND” →

0

HOW LIBRARY SERVICES HAVE ADAPTED TO NEW CHALLENGES?

By Anna Villarroya and Victoria Ateca-Amestoy

cabecera2.jpg

Which transformations have libraries undergone in recent years? In this paper we claim that, due to new societal challenges and digitization, these institutions have undertaken huge transformations that can be examined looking at the way these institutions are conceptualized and measured through statistical instruments. Using data for the last 15 years in Spain, we show how access to libraries is conceived at a given point in time, and how different functions emerge and evolve to catch up with new realities. We describe the composition and changing patterns of usage, as well as of users’ motivations.

Continue reading “HOW LIBRARY SERVICES HAVE ADAPTED TO NEW CHALLENGES?” →

0

UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES OF GOVERNMENT BUDGET CUTS TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES

By Amir Borges Ferreira Neto

Recent pressure to reduce public budgets have been affecting public libraries all across the US. Such government budget cuts make other components of a library’s revenue, namely, donations from private individuals and grants, relatively more important. In our study, we show that every dollar spent by local, state and federal governments is correlated with a significant increase in donations. Therefore, policy-makers should be cautious when cutting funds from public entities, especially from cultural-type entities such as public libraries. Continue reading “UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES OF GOVERNMENT BUDGET CUTS TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES” →

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑

%d bloggers like this: