Transcript Libraries Building Communities

What’s Inside the Box?
OR
Marketing your library with the
Libraries Building Communities reports
Marketing
‘… the aim of marketing is to make selling
superfluous. This may sound strange but
the aim is to know and understand the
customer so well that the product or service
fits him or her and sells itself.’
- marketing guru Peter Drucker, 1973
Libraries Building Communities
• A research project of the Library Board of Victoria and the
Victorian public library network
• Reports published February 2005
What’s the research about?
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Who is using Victoria’s public libraries and why
What people most value about our libraries
Examples of the best / most innovative services
Who is not using public libraries
Identifies barriers to use
Identifies potential new users
Strategies to increase community engagement
Future roles for public libraries
How information was collected
Existing publications: reports; ABS data
New qualitative and quantitative data collected through:
• 9 focus groups with library users
• 9 focus groups with library non-users
• 6 focus groups with library staff
• 400 telephone interviews with residents
• 35 face-to-face interviews with key influencers
• 8,602 responses to an online survey
Important things to note
The largest and most complex information gathering /
research exercise of its kind undertaken in Australia
Information gathered about library users statewide that has
not been available before
Information gathered about individual library services that
has not been available before
Information gathered about library users that, for the first
time, can be compared to ABS data
Report One: Setting the Scene
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Background
Key concepts
Government policy
Victorian public library network
Similar studies
Project objectives
Methodology
Report Two: Logging the Benefits
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Profiles of library users
Reasons for using public libraries
Frequency of use
Satisfaction ratings for different services
$ value placed on services by library users
Views on the future role of public libraries
Challenges if libraries are to meet their potential
Report Three: Bridging the Gaps
• Population segments least well served
• Barriers to use
• Strategies to increase community engagement
Report Four: Showcasing the Best
• 34 case studies of innovative programs in
Victorian public libraries
• Emphasis on partnership initiatives – homework
clubs, telecentres, vocational guidance programs
How libraries help to build
strong communities
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Overcoming the digital divide
Creating informed communities
Supporting learning and literacy
Building social capital
Important characteristics of
public libraries
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Free and accessible to everyone
Responsive to local needs
At the forefront of innovation
Well-known
Well-used
Well-resourced
Challenges if public libraries are
to realise their potential:
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Additional financial resources
Development of library infrastructure
Development of stronger partnerships
Upgraded technology
Workforce development
Libraries Building Communities
Library users by age group (online survey):
10%
12%
13%
13%
0-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
17%
16%
60-69
70+
19%
Libraries Building Communities
Proportion of male and female library users (online
survey):
70+
60-69
50-59
40-49
Females
30-39
Males
20-29
15-19
0-14
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
Libraries Building Communities
Library users by employment status (online survey):
27%
Full Time
40%
Part Time
Unemployed
NILF
5%
27%
Libraries Building Communities
Library users and non-users by household type
(telephone survey):
lone person
group household
other family
one prt non dep chld
Non-users
Users
one prt dep chld
couple
couple/non dep chld
couple/dep chld
0.0%
10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%
Libraries Building Communities
Frequency of library use (online survey):
Libraries Building Communities
Activities people undertake at the library (online survey):
Source - Online Survey
Libraries Building Communities
5
5
4.5
4.1
4.2
4.0
4
4
3
3
2
2
4.8
4.2
4.2
4.0
1
1
Book
loans
Computer
services
(PC/Internet)
Audio-visual
lending (CD/
cassette/
video/DVD)
Magazine
loans
Gap analysis (importance vs satisfaction)
Importance (n=approx 8331)
Satisfaction (n=approx 1689)
Satisfaction (mean)
1=low satisfaction, 5=high satisfaction
Importance (mean)
1=low importance, 5=high importance
Gap analysis: importance of service and satisfaction
rating (online survey):
Libraries Building Communities
5
5
4.1
4.1
4.1
3.9
4
4
3
3
2
2
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.8
1
1
Newspapers/
talking
newspapers
Children's
and young
adult
services
Community
information
Remote web
access to
catalogue and
databases
Gap analysis (importance vs satisfaction)
Importance (n=approx 8331)
Satisfaction (n=approx 1689)
Satisfaction (mean)
1=low satisfaction, 5=high satisfaction
Importance (mean)
1=low importance, 5=high importance
Gap analysis: importance of service and satisfaction
rating (online survey):
Libraries Building Communities
Areas in which public libraries excel (telephone survey –
users only):
Libraries Building Communities
Estimates of the monetary value of library services and resources:
Service
$ Value
Children’s programs
School holidays
Story-times
$20 - $30 per child
$10 - $16 per child
Adult programs
Talks
Day workshops
$10-$15 per person
$30-$60 per person
Borrowing books
$20-$30 per book
Reference books
$200 -$250 per book or $50 per month
Using written resources eg newspapers on site
$2 per item or $100 per month
Using audio-visual services on site
$10 per hour
Staff consultation on information retrieval
$60 - $100 per hour
Process a loan
$3.50 per book
Home Library Service
$150 per person per year
DVDs
$7 each
CDs/videos
$4 - $12 each
Internet
$5 - $8 per hour or $50 per month
Libraries Building Communities
Libraries are our best chance to create a
centre of community spirit and activity
The most important thing to a community is
reading, and what better place to
encourage this in the young than a library
Libraries Building Communities
Knowledge and information are empowering
communities to better themselves and our
libraries are central for those who have a
language, other than English, as their
main language
Libraries Building Communities
The role of public libraries as key players at
a community level in building learning
communities, and helping to form skilled
and information-literate communities, is
fundamental to the future wellbeing of
Australian society
Libraries Building Communities
It is the holder of much of the knowledge
about our local area and gives us a link to
our past, present and future
Civic pride and fondness is generated by a
well-used and friendly library environment
Libraries Building Communities
It doesn’t matter who you are, when you walk
through the door you have equal privileges
Library – it’s one thing the whole family can do
When I wasn’t working I would say it saved my
sanity
Reports available from
Every public library service manager in Victoria
State Library of Victoria website
www.slv.vic.gov.au
Download at no cost, or purchase from the Online
Shop