This report tracks changes in service trends in US public libraries between 1997 and 2007, looking at circulation, visitation and IT statistics, separated by metro and non-metro libraries.
Looking at the way the trends in metro libraries mirrored the national library trends made the differences between metro and non-metro libraries even starker. Things like circulation per 1000 visits, or number of Internet PCs per 5000 people showed a large difference in how non-metro libraries are serving their patrons. The difference in electronic materials as part of the collection made sense to me, since circulation overall was down in non-metro libraries (although I don't know if the circ statistics included electronic materials.) In addition, if the non-metro libraries are putting more resources towards providing internet access and computers to their patrons, it is more likely that their patrons would not have the necessary technological capabilities or knowledge to take advantage of electronic materials. I thought the authors' splitting of statistics between metro and non-metro libraries was a really good idea, since it seems like metro libraries tend to skew the national trends, simply because of the population they serve. By splitting the stats, rural libraries' issues and concerns can become more visible and (hopefully) addressed.
Cooperation in Rural and Remote Libraries: The Promise of Technology
This article discusses how rural and remote libraries in Ontario have pooled their resources using technology in order to better serve their patrons.
Although recent technological developments seem to have made cooperation between rural/remote libraries easier, it was surprising to see that these libraries have had these partnerships in place even before they had access to these technologies. Things like the regional library service centers (centres?) or the North Central Regional Library System's tri-regional print catalog(ue) sound amazing, especially because of how difficult it would be to do something like that without computerization or an ILS. The opportunity for rural/remote libraries to now work with larger libraries, regardless of geographic proximity, sounds like an awesome idea, not only because patrons can receive a wider array of services, but because rural libraries can also raise their own concerns, instead of relying on statistics that may skew towards larger libraries. (See previous article)
This article discusses how rural and remote libraries in Ontario have pooled their resources using technology in order to better serve their patrons.
Although recent technological developments seem to have made cooperation between rural/remote libraries easier, it was surprising to see that these libraries have had these partnerships in place even before they had access to these technologies. Things like the regional library service centers (centres?) or the North Central Regional Library System's tri-regional print catalog(ue) sound amazing, especially because of how difficult it would be to do something like that without computerization or an ILS. The opportunity for rural/remote libraries to now work with larger libraries, regardless of geographic proximity, sounds like an awesome idea, not only because patrons can receive a wider array of services, but because rural libraries can also raise their own concerns, instead of relying on statistics that may skew towards larger libraries. (See previous article)
Changes in Rural Libraries and Librarianship: A Comparative Survey
This article looks at the differences in rural libraries and librarians (where "rural" = "serving 2,500 people or less") between 2000 and 2007.
It was surprising to learn that a number of the rural libraries that would have been approached to take the survey did not have an online presence. Like the authors, I've always assumed that libraries would have taken advantage of free email services as a way to more easily connect with both patrons and other libraries. Although I understand why those libraries had to be skipped, I thought they might have provided a different view on rural librarianship. It was not surprising to learn that most librarians surveyed got into the profession because they "enjoy working with books". If only that was actually what we got to do all day.
It was also interesting to see how many more librarians felt that libraries should take part in the community economic development in 2007 than 2000, when librarians in 2000 felt very strongly that part of their role was to participate in the community as a whole. Considering the recent economic mishaps, I guess it's not that surprising that librarians would now feel they should participate in economic development, but I am curious to know why they didn't feel the same way 7 years earlier.
It was surprising to learn that a number of the rural libraries that would have been approached to take the survey did not have an online presence. Like the authors, I've always assumed that libraries would have taken advantage of free email services as a way to more easily connect with both patrons and other libraries. Although I understand why those libraries had to be skipped, I thought they might have provided a different view on rural librarianship. It was not surprising to learn that most librarians surveyed got into the profession because they "enjoy working with books". If only that was actually what we got to do all day.
It was also interesting to see how many more librarians felt that libraries should take part in the community economic development in 2007 than 2000, when librarians in 2000 felt very strongly that part of their role was to participate in the community as a whole. Considering the recent economic mishaps, I guess it's not that surprising that librarians would now feel they should participate in economic development, but I am curious to know why they didn't feel the same way 7 years earlier.
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