Evaluating the impact of the public library book collection: a case study of two public libraries in Cape Town
Abstract
This paper reports the preliminary findings of an investigation into the impact on a sample group of 100 respondents of using the book collection in two public libraries in Cape Town. It is particularly concerned with the benefits of leisure reading as measured through an impact study using a questionnaire based on generic learning outcomes as proposed by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council of the United Kingdom. These outcomes cover the following domains: knowledge and understanding; skills; attitudes or values; enjoyment, inspiration and creativity; activity, behaviour or progression. The findings are presented and discussed and the conclusion is drawn that a range of benefits were experienced and reported in overwhelming numbers by the participants in the study.References
Barton, D. and Hamilton, M. 2000. Literacy practices. In Situated literacies: reading and writing in context. D. Barton, M. Hamilton and R. Ivanic. London: Routledge. 7-14.
Booth, A. 2006. Counting what counts: performance measurement and evidence-based practice. Performance Measurement and Metrics, 7(2): 63-74. [Online]. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/14678040610679452 (24 September 2010).
Bray, C. 2007. Libraries inspire learning: opening up the reading experience. [Online]. www.devon.gov.uk/reading_a_difference_-_pljsummer07pp15-16.pdf (8 March 2015).
Clark, C and Rumbold, K. 2006. Reading for pleasure: a research overview. London: National Reading Trust. [Online]. http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0000/0562/Reading_pleasure_2006.pdf (23 June 2016).
City of Cape Town. Geographic Information System Department. 2013. 2011 Census. [Online]. http:www.capetown.gov.za/en/stats/Pages/Census2011.aspx (3 July 2016).
City of Cape Town. Library and Information Services. 2016. About Us. [Online]. http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Library/Pages/About-Us.aspx (30 June 2016).
City of Cape Town. Library and Information Services. 2015. Internal report for use by librarians. (Unpublished).
Hartley, J and Turvey, S. 2001. The reading groups book. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Holden, J. 2004. Creative reading. London: Demos.
Huysmans, F. and Oomes, M. 2012. Measuring the public library’s societal value: a methodological research program. Paper presented at the 78th IFLA General Conference and Assembly. 11-17 August 2012. Helsinki, Finland. [Online]. http://www.ifla.org/past-wlic/2012/76-huysmans-en.pdf (17 July 2014).
International Standards Organisation. 2014. ISO 16439 – Information and documentation – Methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries. Geneva: ISO Copyright Office.
Krashen, S. 2006. Pleasure reading. Young Learners Special Interest Group, Spring: 2-4. [Online]. http://www.educ.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.bilash/best%20of%20bilash/Stephen_Krashen%20pleasure%20reading.pdf (27 April 2015).
Miller, C., Purcell, K. and Rainie, L. 2012. Reading habits in different communities. Washington, DC: Pew Internet. [Online]. http://libraries.pewinternet.org/files/legacy-pdf/LibrariesAndReading_CommunityTypes_12.20.12.pdf (27 June 2016).
Moyer, J. E. 2007. Learning from leisure reading: a study of adult public library patrons. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 46 (4): 66-79. [Online]. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20864750 (29 September 2015).
Nell, V. 1988. Lost in a book: the psychology of reading for pleasure. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Nkondo, M., Brown, A., Dick, A., Hart, G., Molawa, S., Nassimbeni, M., Seleti, Y. and Teffo, L.J. 2014. The Library and Information Services (LIS) Transformation Charter. Pretoria: Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) and the National Council for Library and Information Services (NCLIS). [Online]. http://www.nlsa.ac.za/Downloads_01/2014_Final_LIS_Transformation_Charter.pdf (23 June 2016).
Poll, R. 2003. Impact/outcome measures for libraries. Liber Quarterly, 13 (3/4). [Online]. https://www.liberquarterly.eu/articles/10.18352/lq.7446/ (19 August 2015).
Poll, R. and Payne, P. 2006. Impact measures for libraries and information services. Library Hi Tech, 24(4): 547–562. [Online]. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/07378830610715419 (19 August 2015).
Pullman, P. 2004. The war on words. Guardian Review. 6 November. [Online]. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2004/nov/06/usa.politics (19 June 2016).
Ross, C. 2000. Finding without seeking: what readers say about the role of pleasure reading as a source of information. Aplis, 13 (2): 72-80.
Smith, S. 2013. 4 ways to ensure valid responses to your online survey. [Online]. https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/online-survey-valid-responses/ (12 August 2016).
Sloman, M. and Hudson, P. 2016. Pippa speaks to Mervyn Sloman of the Book Lounge. [Radio interview]. CapeTalk, Cape Town, 22 April. [Online]. http://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/13066/libraries-are-essential-in-a-country-where-books-are-so-pricey (14 July 2016).
South Africa. Department of Arts and Culture. 2006. Project book worm: national survey into the reading and book reading behaviour of adult South Africans. [Online]. http://www.sabookcouncil.co.za/sabookcouncil/pdf/NRSDOCopt.pdf (5 April 2015).
Spezi, V., Creaser, C., O’Brien, A. and Conyers, A. 2013. Impact of library discovery technologies: a report for UKSG. Loughborough: University of Loughborough. [Online]. http://www.uksg.org/sites/uksg.org/files/UKSG_final_report_16_12_13_by_LISU.pdf (19 June 2016).
Streatfield, D. and Markless, S. 2009. What is impact assessment and why is it important? Performance Measurement and Metrics, 10(2): 134–141. [Online]. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/14678040911005473 (29 May 2015).
United Kingdom. Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. 2008. More about the generic learning outcomes. [Online]. http://www.big.uk.com/Resources/Documents/events/Little%20Event/Generic%20Learning%20Outcomes%20-%20example%20statements.pdf (1 April 2015).
This journal is an open access journal, and the authors (copyright owners) should be properly acknowledged when works are cited. Authors retain publishing rights without any restrictions.
South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science is an Open Access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of Open Access.
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
