Another Named Storm! Building Resiliency Through Florida’s Essential Public Libraries

PurposeAn outline of the public library service offered to disabled people in Glasgow, Scotland.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive account.FindingsIt is a great challenge for a public library service to be able to offer services to its large and diverse body of disabled users, who may need to use any part of the public library system at any time, and whose needs must be anticipated. This paper sketches how one particular public library service attempts to meet that challenge.Research limitations/implicationsA specific account of one particular example of good practice.Practical implicationsOffers clearly described models for service delivery to disabled users which will be of great interest to those in public library management, and library practice generally.Originality/valueThe finding that, despite the range and number of disabled users catered for by a large public library service such as Glasgow, it is possible to offer services that comply with legislation and anticipate the needs of disabled users.

Aging populations challenge public libraries to adapt their materials, services and programming to maximize the wellbeing and functional capacity of older adults and enhance their social participation and security. For older adult patrons using public library spaces and services, the capacity to which the public library has been able to deliver on these qualities remains unclear. In the past, libraries and library staff have been critiqued for narrowly interpreting the needs of older adults, concentrating on aging as a loss or deficit. To understand the current state of Canadian urban public library services for older adults, publically accessible texts, documents and reports made available on five public library systems' websites were analyzed. This analysis uncovered certain gaps in adherence to key guidelines in the Canadian Library Association's Guidelines on Library and Information Services for Older Adults and revealed a lack of integration of older adults' own ideas and feedback for their programs and events. The incorporation of a critical gerontology approach throughout the analysis begins to elucidate this study's findings and calls for the questioning of current conceptualizations of older adults and the library services created for them. Public libraries are uniquely poised to engage with older adults and the addition of a critical gerontology lens in library practice and research will aid in the refocusing of resources and policies to more responsively support older adults' evolving needs.

본 연구의 목적은 공공도서관의 운영 활성화에 기여하기 위하여 현행 공공도서관의 민간 위탁의 성과를 분석하는 것이다. 성과의 분석 대상으로는 민간 위탁을 실시하고 있는 3개 공공도서관을 선정하여, 문헌연구, 설문 및 방문조사를 수행하였다. 주요한 고찰사항은 첫째. 공공도서관 민간위탁의 필요성과 배경 및 현황의 검토, 둘째, 민간위탁의 찬<TEX>$\cdot$</TEX>반 양론 및 쟁점의 정리, 셋째, 민간위탁의 현행 성과 분석을 포함하였고, 마지막으로 분석에 근거하여 향후 바람직한 공공도서관 민간 위탁 제도 도입과 운영 전략을 제시하고 있다. The purpose of this study is to analyze the performance of contracting out public libraries. in order to contribute to the promotion of their effective operation in Korea. Three public libraries which are currently operated by 'contracting out' are selected to be reviewed for this study. Their performance are analyzed by means of literature search, questionnaires, and on-the-spot-survey. Investigated in detail are the following issues: First, the need for and background of 'contracting out' public library services, and their present state in Korea: Second. the pros and cons of 'contracting out' public library services; Third, the outcomes of public library services which have been currently contracted out. Finally, based on the aforementioned findings, a future model of 'contracting out' public library services is proposed, Also suggested are the strategies for furthering the effective management of public libraries.

PurposeThe aim of this research is to display an applied and descriptive survey, assessing the feasibility of creating an inter‐library loan (ILL) system and document delivery services in public libraries of Fars Province (Iran).Design/methodology/approachThe tool for gathering data in this study is a questionnaire distributed to 254 people from public library managers and librarians in Fars Province. Data analysis was performed with statistical software SPSS (version 16), using descriptive statistics and the Friedman test.FindingsBased on the findings, 69.94 percent of research librarians and 95.9 percent of managers surveyed need to implement an inter‐library loan system. Activity of libraries in Fars Province in the field of ILL and document delivery library services was very low (5.73 percent). Research subjects indicated that the limitations and potential problems in implementation included: no guarantee that prevents damage to resources (97.3 percent), a lack of consistent rules using library services ILL (95 percent), a lack of funding for cooperation among libraries (92/1 percent), a lack of cooperation between public libraries in ILL library (91.3 percent), the high cost of cooperation among libraries, non‐credit provision for main organization (89.4 percent), a lack of equipment such as computers, scanners, copiers, and faxes (89 percent), a lack of librarians familiar with network technologies and databases (83.9 percent), a lack of trust among professionals in the field of librarianship and library document delivery services (80 percent), and a lack of coordination between the center and the library system for implementation (80 percent).Originality/valueThe paper offers recommendations which, if enacted, would lead to a much needed improvement to the ILL and document delivery services of public (and other libraries) in Fars Province.

The paper analyses the challenges of managing public library services in the context if emergencies in order to sustain public library services and thus contribute to the well-being of society. This is done by answering the following questions: What challenges can be identified in managing public library services in emergencies? Are public libraries resilient in emergency situations? What are the main enabling and limiting factors influencing the management of public library services to ensure public welfare in such situations? Understanding the enabling and limiting factors can help to ensure the resilience of public libraries to emergency situations and support public well-being in such situations. For the empirical research the mixed methods approach is applied by conducting quantitative survey of public libraries’ staff and qualitative interviews with library managers and experts in the field of emergency situations, working in public libraries in municipalities of Kaunas and Šiauliai counties (15 municipalities). The research sample consists of 620 respondents in the quantitative study and 12 informants in the qualitative study. The empirical research has revealed that while libraries face a multitude of challenges, they are among the most resilient organizations for emergencies. Key enabling factors were identified that influence the management of public library services to ensure societal well-being during emergency situations: cross-sectoral and cross-institutional collaboration, social networks, empowering leadership, long-term strategic planning, innovativeness, knowledge and competence development, financial stability, technology development, human resource management and performance management, strategic and psychological resilience, crisis resilience and comprehensive emergency preparedness, accessibility and dissemination of information. The identified main restricting factors are: lack of resilience, inappropriate leadership, lack of funding, lack of strategy, limited human resources and their digital literacy. The implementation of enabling factors and elimination of restrictions is inseparable from the effective management of public library services in emergency situations to ensure the provision of services necessary for the well-being of society.

The paper discussed the re-equipping of public library systems and services in Nigeria thus providing 21st services to clients. 21st century library and information services are characterized by advancement in the use of electronic means in the accessibility, retrieval and dissemination of information. This paper was introduced by a description of the nature and purpose of the public library. The meaning of information age which is a key feature of the 21istcentury and its implications for library services were also discussed. The key features and requirements of automation and computerization of library services and how the public libraries can join their counterparts in advanced countries and other Nigerian academic libraries were looked at. Such features as acquisition and installation of computers, software selection, acquisition and installation requirements. Two surveys carried out in Nigerian public libraries were reviewed as related empirical studies used to show what the picture has been like with regards to automation and adapting to the requirements of the information era. Problems of the Nigerian public libraries in this era and the way forward for the libraries and librarians to join the trend in the new information environment with other advanced countries were discussed. Key words: Nigeria, public library, information services, problems, opportunities.

Purpose This research study aims to examine influences on the public library funding decision from the perspectives of New Jersey mayors and public library directors. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis was used to explore statements of 84 public library directors and 45 mayors about what was most/least effective in a recent library budget request. Findings Although they may differ on the relative importance of a specific concept, the public library directors and mayors in this study have high levels of agreement about what information is important in the budget decision process. Research limitations/implications The primary limitations of the findings of this study stem from the reliability of self-reported data and the low response rates. While the researcher believes that the findings and conclusions are valid for the survey respondents, it is less certain that they are valid for all public libraries in New Jersey, and it is not recommended that the conclusions be extended to public libraries outside of the state which differ in state mandates and other circumstances. Practical implications Understanding more about the factors that can influence library funding decisions provides insight into the very complex public library funding process and may help public library directors and mayors engage in mutually satisfactory budget negotiations. Originality/value This study contributes to the Library and Information Science research literature on library budgets by examining influences on the public library funding decision, specifically adding the perspectives of mayors and public library directors on a recent budget cycle.

This is very much a personal view of public library service to commerce and industry and does not attempt to give a considered survey of the position in the country as a whole. It is almost impossible to generalize for there seem to be almost as many policies as there are public library systems and the priority given to this service compared with all the other diverse services to the community which a public library is expected to give, varies from authority to authority. At one extreme there are those who appear to take the view that ratepayers' money should not be spent in contributing further profits to rich companies and, in any case, if such a service is required it is not the responsibility of local government. Other public libraries claim to give a service to commerce and industry but, in fact, make very little positive provision in the way of staffing and stock. Probably a minority of authorities are far‐sighted enough to appreciate that business enterprises pay a large share of the local rates and employ the majority of domestic ratepayers, and that money spent in providing this kind of service is a sound investment in the economic vitality of an area. The proportion of libraries appropriate to each of these three categories is difficult to assess but Dr Clements found that 4 public libraries out of 33 surveyed dealt with 56 per cent of the commercial and technical enquiries. Quality of service is not necessarily related to size of system and there are a few comparatively small libraries which maintain excellent co‐operation with local industry. Next year there will be a revolution in local government outside London and the number of library authorities will be reduced from 381 to 117. The elected representatives and most of the chief officers of these new authorities have now been chosen and will take office on 1st April 1974. New policies are already being discussed and if you feel dissatisfied with your present service, now is the time to act.

Public library systems in New York State have been in existence since the 1950s. They have been providing services to individual public libraries by facilitating resource sharing among them and enhancing their capacity to provide quality services to users. The public does not always have knowledge of public library systems since they are not directly served by public library systems. Knowledge of public library systems is important when it comes to understanding their accountability, especially when they have faced repeated state budget cuts in recent years. This study will help to fill this gap of public knowledge by looking at services provided by public library systems and the decision‐making process in public library systems when they make service decisions. Three New York public library systems were selected for multiple case studies. Member libraries' budgets were found to be an important factor which affects what services these three public library systems provide and how they make service decisions.

ABSTRACTPublic library systems intersect with both public and private spheres of social life, but how they do so remains a mystery. Many believe private influences distort the public sphere in public libraries, and if so, then library legitimacy suffers, raising normative and material concerns for library systems. To better understand how libraries negotiate public legitimacy and private influence, we approached the problem using a communications system framework. We used qualitative content analysis to examine data from three US public library systems: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, New York Public Library, and Cary Memorial Library in Lexington, Massachusetts. We recorded the many ways private actors communicate with and through public library systems. Then, we analyzed the signals in terms of their components: transmitter, receiver, medium, and message. We found two dimensions: in the Public Sphere dimension, private actors govern, legitimate, and use the library, and in the Private Sphere dimension, private actors exchange personal services and exert economic power. We describe the communication channels shared by private actors and public library systems, identify signals associated with governance, influence, and legitimacy, and consider how these signals relate. This study explores the signal architectures of social life in public libraries.

Public libraries are one of several institutions that uphold Swedish democracy. The representative liberal democratic model, expressed in the Library Act, is increasingly being questioned and challenged. Political actors, mainly from the radical right, advocate a democracy focused on the will of the people at the expense of the rights of individuals. With the notion of plural agonistics, public libraries can be seen as important arenas for debates and meetings between people, offering ways to handle conflicts within democratic institutions. Methodologically, this study employs the perspective of institutional ethnography, and the aim of this paper is to develop knowledge about public libraries’ experiences of political pressure and how this is enacted in a time of political turbulence. This paper reports findings from the first stage of a survey study directed at public library managers in 77 municipalities from the six southernmost regions of Sweden. Based on replies in these surveys, interviews were conducted with seven of the participating library managers. Findings show that the interplay between libraries and the local political level, and between national and local political levels, generally functions without notable opposition. Illegitimate political pressure is uncommon, but when it occurs, it is primarily triggered by issues connected to cultural diversity. Results further indicate that local public libraries tend to respond to illegitimate political pressure by development and use of professional policy documents, but also, in some cases, by avoiding certain activities.

Public library is the people’s university and very essential in the provision of facilities, resources and services to meet the needs of citizenry in the 21st century. The study was carried out to investigate challenges and strategies of shaping the Cross River State Public Library for quality service delivery in the 21st century. The survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of 55 library personnel working in the Calabar, Cross River State Public Library. A total enumeration was adopted as the sampling technique. The instrument used to collect data for analysis was questionnaire. The research instrument was face validated in order to make it suitable for the study. Data were analysed using frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation. The findings showed that Cross River State Public Library to be under funding, inadequate staffing, poor condition of services and staff development, among others; strategies that can be adopted towards shaping the Cross Rivers State Public Library for quality service delivery in the 21st century are significant improvement in the allocation of funds to public library, provision of 21st century facilities for services delivery, staff development programmes for staff, employment of qualified personnel to manage the public library, provision of good condition of service and prospects for staff, among others. This paper concludes that government, public library management and stakeholders should provide adequate budgetary allocations for employment of qualified personnel, staff development, subscription/procurement of current resources, provision and maintenance of technologies/facilities, functional library services to users in the 21st century in Cross River State, Nigeria. The paper recommended among others that government and public library management should improve and sustain quality service delivery of public library in Cross River State, Nigeria.

Purpose: Today, achieving sustainable development in various economic, political, social, and cultural sectors is the main concern of all countries. The importance of development in Iran can be seen in the Iran government’s strategic plans such as the five-year development plan, the main focus of which is economic development. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the role of public libraries in the economic development of society from the point of view of specialists, librarians, and managers of public libraries in the country. Method: The current research is an exploratory-applied study with a qualitative approach and with the method of foundational data theory, which is an attempt to deeply study the role of public libraries in the economic development of society. The sampling method of the research was purposive sampling and the purpose of its application was to reach a diverse sample of individuals. The main criterion for selecting participants in the interview was to have a work experience of more than 5 years and to have an education related to information science, philology, sociology, and economics. In this research, 26 university faculty members, librarians, and managers of public libraries in the provincial centers of the country were subjected to a semi-structured interview. The Strauss-Corbin method was used to analyze the interview data, which includes three stages: open, central, and selective coding. Findings: Based on the data obtained from this study, 6 main categories and 36 sub-categories were conceptualized according to the nature and potentials of the public libraries of Iran as strategies that will lead to economic development in the society. These strategies were components of economic development including job creation, quality of life, human resource development, purchasing power, sustainable development, and tourism development. Originality/value: Economic development as a multidimensional phenomenon is the result of a set of economic and non-economic factors in society. Public libraries are considered to be very practical for economic development and increasing the welfare of the people. In this way, in the presented model, as the output of this research, public libraries have the power and influence to influence a set of components including education, culture, employment, quality of life, human resource development, purchasing power, tourism development and Development, and sustainable income are considered, and through these components in public libraries, we can witness “knowledge-oriented society”, “growth of existing jobs”, “flourishing of new entrepreneurs”, “helping Ghana and Community vitality”, “Development of knowledge-based economy”, “Development of local economy”, “Lifelong learning”, “Economic saving”. and “Development of construction of public libraries”, which shows the development of society. Therefore, it is necessary to take advantage of collective wisdom and financial support, as well as the serious determination of all managers, planners, and experts in the field of public libraries to attach more importance to economic development through the activities and services of public libraries and try to improve their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.

Reviewed by: Eugène Morel: Pioneer of Public Libraries in France Julie Biando Edwards Eugène Morel: Pioneer of Public Libraries in France. By Gaëtan Benoît. Duluth, Minn.: Litwin Books, 2008. 260 pp. $32.00. ISBN 978-0-9778617-8-1. According to author Gaëtan Benoît's widow, Marie, this biography of the great champion of free public libraries in France began its life as the author's thesis for the Fellowship in the Library Association (U.K.) in 1977. This latest iteration, published by Litwin Books more than two decades after Benoît's death in 1987, examines in detail the efforts of Eugène Morel to establish free public library services in France in the first quarter of the twentieth century. The book follows Morel from his upbringing, through his early success as a literary figure and first career as a lawyer, on to his role as the advocate and initiator of free public libraries. Each of the seven chapters deals with a specific aspect of Morel's advocacy, such as children's libraries, public libraries, library education, and legal deposit, making the book as a whole largely thematic and more loosely chronological. Benoît's opening chapters explore Morel's early childhood, then delve into his subject's success as an author of French novels, including Petits Français, a roughly accurate account of his upbringing in the French educational system. It was only after his short-lived career as a literary author and critic and even shorter career as a lawyer that Morel entered the field of librarianship, beginning as a part-time employee at the Bibliothèque nationale and remaining there, moving through the ranks, for the rest of his career. His great passion was for establishing a free public library system in France. Using the libraries of the United States and Great Britain as his models, he systematically went about reforming the organization of French libraries, which at that time consisted of collections of materials seized from the aristocracy and the Catholic Church during the French Revolution. While these collections were both fascinating and valuable, they were not suited to the general readership of France at the dawn of the twentieth century. Morel's vision was to re-create a system of libraries open to all citizens and full of books and newspapers that would serve the average, not only the erudite, reader. Additionally, he became a pioneer of library education in France, establishing a program through which French women studied librarianship in the United States and brought back to France new skills and philosophical approaches to library service. The remaining chapters of the book examine in detail the efforts expended by Morel and several like-minded individuals in bringing what can be recognized as a true public library system, modern library education practices, and an updated legal deposit system to France. The details in these chapters help establish the tremendous amount of work Morel put into his advocacy. Benoît has exhaustively researched, translated, analyzed, and incorporated the text of letters, articles, lectures, books, and reports—even legislative bills. Large sections of the text are made up of translations of supporting documents, some of which provide brilliant insight into the mind of Morel. His writings excerpted in the chapter on children's libraries are [End Page 493] particularly fascinating and modern in their vision. His position, progressive at the time, will be familiar to modern librarians: "Libraries are required to teach two things: firstly, to go deeply into the study of a subject, to follow quietly, progressively, and completely a chosen path, and secondly, to choose for oneself" (88). He takes his philosophy even further, and the newness of this approach in France—where stacks were closed and libraries were intended for the intellectual elite alone, not schoolchildren—is remarkable when one considers that Morel's position is fundamental to the ideas of freedom of inquiry and critical exploration. "Does it [the library] inform? Not at all," he writes. "One must go to it, one must make an effort. It gives one the means to inform oneself" (89), and, later, "It is not important to know everything, but you...

The Mission of "Little Star":Juana Manrique de Lara's Contributions to Mexican Librarianship Phillip Jones (bio) In the wake of the Mexican Revolution and after a year studying library science in the United States, Juana Manrique de Lara returned to Mexico City to begin work as library inspector for the Federal District. The story of her life and career in public and children's library service and library education is an historical narrative of both her emerging profession and her nation. This study focuses on Manrique de Lara's formative years (1899–1925) as she acquired an education and began her life's work in the midst of Mexico's prolonged civil war and subsequent reconstruction. Foremost, this study is a tribute, intended to share what too few librarians, even in Mexico, know: Juana Manrique de Lara helped establish librarianship in Mexico and passed her enthusiasm for the profession to a generation of librarians. Every society of the West today needs a certain number of doctors, magistrates, soldiers, and librarians—to cure their citizens when sick, to administer justice to them, to defend them, and to make them read. —José Ortega y Gasset, "Misión del bibliotecario" You have no idea of the enthusiasm I had, the love I felt for my profession. Indeed, it was my life, and they paid me. —Estela Morales Campos, "Entrevista: Juana Manrique de Lara" In the summer of 1924 and in the wake of the Mexican Revolution, twenty-seven-year-old Juana Manrique de Lara returned to Mexico City fresh from a year of study at the Library School of the New York Public Library to begin work as inspectora de bibliotecas (library inspector) for the Federal District. Manrique de Lara's mission, so well articulated over the course of her nearly forty-year career, was to recognize and respond to the needs of Mexicans of all ages for reading and for public libraries. In the midst of civil war she acquired an education, forged a career, and [End Page 469] Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. Juana Manrique de Lara, first professional librarian of the Departamento de Bibliotecas. In Estela Morales Campos, Educación bibliotecológica en México, 1915–1954 (Mexico City: UNAM, 1988), 97. made lasting contributions to librarianship in her homeland. The depth and reach of Manrique de Lara's work are reflected in her professional passions, which first encompassed children's library service, expanded to public library management, and then found tandem expression in teaching library education and as a government-appointed library consultant. Remarkably, as a young professional she succeeded by both conforming to and defying bureaucratic practice to bring children's library service, public libraries, and library education to the federal government's attention in the midst of and following the Mexican Revolution. There is very little scholarship that mentions Manrique de Lara and even less that examines her life and work in any depth. Accordingly, piecing together Manrique de Lara's early life and career is a challenging task. To do so, one must draw from a limited number of articles or sections of monographs, a single interview, contemporaneous government sources, and Manrique de Lara's own writings, almost all of which are Spanish-language materials published in Mexico and found in few public, university, or research libraries across North America. The foremost scholarship on Manrique de Lara is the work of Mexican library historian Martha Alicia Añorve Guillén, whose master's thesis led to two published articles on Manrique de Lara's contributions to the federal [End Page 470] government's library programs and to children's library services during the 1920s. Her conclusion, based on close comparisons of Manrique de Lara's early articles and Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) documents, is that although no official attribution was ever made, we can infer that the SEP heard and incorporated Manrique de Lara's suggestions into its now-landmark library planning between 1920 and 1924.1 Ample, yet not abundant in number, Manrique de Lara's own writings comprise the most compelling testament to her life, work, and ideas. With the exception of children's stories...