What happens when a public library service closes down?

Reports on a British Library-funded investigation of the impact of an eight-week library closure on the behaviour and attitudes of public library users in Sheffield. Surveys of users, bookshops and other libraries provided evidence about the importance of individual services to users, the possible r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Library management 1997-02, Vol.18 (1), p.59-64
Main Authors: Proctor Bob Usherwood, Richard, Sobczyk, Gill
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitudes
Business closings
Closure
Closures
Consumer behavior
Consumer behaviour
Information services
Interviews
Libraries
Library users
Opening hours
Public libraries
Qualitative research
Questionnaires
R&D
Research & development
Sheffield, UK
Studies
User behavior
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Summary:Reports on a British Library-funded investigation of the impact of an eight-week library closure on the behaviour and attitudes of public library users in Sheffield. Surveys of users, bookshops and other libraries provided evidence about the importance of individual services to users, the possible replacement of services from other sources, and the effect of the closure on the local infrastructure. An assessment was made of the robustness of the library habit and its vulnerability to competition. This was accomplished by investigating the take-up of alternative leisure pursuits, users' future intentions, and by comparing forecast with actual book issues for the six months following the end of the strike. The data suggest that for the vast majority of library users the public library is a service of great value, enhancing quality of life, and fulfilling an essential need that no other pursuit or activity satisfies.
ISSN:0143-5124
1758-7921
DOI:10.1108/01435129710157752