1Krasimir Hristov
Sliven, 29 November 2012
THE GLOB@L LIBRARIES – BULGARIA PROGRAM AND THE CHANGES TO BULGARIAN LIBRARIES (VISION,
SERVICES, USERS)
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Implementation Alpha Research
Period August–October 2012
Objectives
Assessment of the GLB Program impact focusing on: Comparative analysis vis-à-vis Baseline Study data Impact on end target groups: - target library user - local communities - general public Range of ICT services at target libraries Need of and interest in new services Potential for development of innovative services
and ensuring sustainability of results beyond the end of the program
GLOB@L LIBRARIES – BULGARIA PROGRAM IMPACT ASSESSMENT INTERIM STUDY
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Component 1
Quantitative methods Nationally representative survey among the adult
population Nationally representative survey among children
and young people (7–10 and 11–18 years) Survey among target library users (7–10, 11–18 and
18+ years) Survey among target library staff
Component 2
Qualitative methods Focus groups with target library users, target library
staff and local community representatives/local partners
INTERIM STUDY CHARACTERISTICS
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NATIONAL-LEVEL TRENDS
Substantial growth in ICT usage among the entire population.
LEADING CONCLUSION!Target libraries equipped with modern ICT technology and trained staff provide opportunities for social inclusion of vulnerable groups like:
People living in small settlements Minority groups Elderly people (60+) People with low incomes and unemployed people Children and young people
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NATIONAL-LEVEL DYNAMICS
- 75% used a computer
- 52% high self-evaluation of ICT skills
- 2% used library computers
- 20% liked reading very much
- 91% say they are familiar with computers
-71% high self-evaluation of ICT skills
- 10% use library computers
- 30% like reading very much
Children 7–10 years2010
Computer games and entertainment are a major computer use incentive among children (84%).
2012
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NATIONAL-LEVEL DYNAMICS
Young people 11–18 years
• 74% (2010) • 83% (2012)
Computers have become part of
everyday life
• 5% (2010) • 13% (2012)
The library – a popular place
for young people to
access ICT
• 36% (2010) • 69% (2012)• 80% - in villages
(2012)
Positive attitude toward
libraries with ICT
With growing age, computers become means of communication. (82% use social networks at least once a week).
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NATIONAL-LEVEL DYNAMICS
Adults 18+
Computers/internet are used more for communication and entertainment purposes than for job related activities (63% - Skype).
2010 2012
Growth of computer users 38% 45%
Internet – the third most
popular library service
5% 16%
The modern image of the ICT
library 51% 65%
Citizens’ weak interest in libraries
68.1% 74%
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LEADING NATIONAL-LEVEL TRENDSPOTENTIAL FOR FUTURE LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT
• Lack of library service needs (66 %)
• Lack of interest in library ICT services (52%)
• Weak interest in the development of ICT skills
• Learning through computer games (50% of children)
• ICT – a youth attraction tool
• Complementary educational role in building ICT skills (39% - 11–18 years)
• Hobbies and interests (18%)• Admin services (16%)• Health (14%)• Employment (14%)
• Population in villages/small towns
• Unemployed people• Minorities • People with low incomes• Children and young
people
Leading target
groups
Need of ICT based services
(18+)
Risks(18+)
Age(7–18)
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REVITALIZING INTEREST IN LIBRARIESTHROUGH MODERN TECHNOLOGY
INTEREST IN TRADITIONAL AND INNOVATIVE SERVICES
LIBRARY
VISIT
FREQUENCY
ICTICT CHILDREN /
YOUTH ADULTS
LIBRARY REGISTRATION
INCENTIVE50% 32%
GROWTH IN LIBRARY VISIT FREQUENCY
70% 54%
ICT – A LEADING REASON 73% 62%
Survey among target library users
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THE GLOB@L LIBRARIES – BULGARIA A POINT TO DIGITAL AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
YOUTH CHILDREN
UNEMPLOYED
POPULATION
IN VILLAGES /
SMALL TOWNS
ELDERLY
MIN
ORITIES
• Elderly people (51–60) – most affected by library ICT training (38%)
• Young adults (18–30) and unemployed people point out most frequently that the free access to ICT is the reason for their more frequent library visits. 20% of adults have looked for jobs at the library, 8% were successful.
• Youth (11–18) – every tenth person has participated in library training (in 30% of the cases these are ICT training events)
Survey among target library users
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THE GLOB@L LIBRARIES – BULGARIA A POINT TO DIGITAL AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
YOUTH CHILDREN
UNEMPLOYED
POPULATION
IN VILLAGES/ SMALL
TOWNS
ELDERLY
MIN
ORITIES
• People in villages and small towns are more active library ICT users than people in big towns and cities (especially among children and youth – more than 70% are active users)
• For Turkish and Roma kids, the library is often the only place for access to ICT – active users (78% and 80%)
Survey among target library users
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NEED OF AND INTEREST IN ICT BASED INFORMATION SERVICES
• Online administrative services
• Education services • Services related to
economic activities
• Information about culture and recreation
• Computer training • Employment, social
and health status services
• Computer skills courses for working with multimedia, processing of pictures, MS Office
• Topics – famous people, environment, birthplace history
• Information about interesting things
• Processing of pictures • Computer games • Topics – plants,
animals, birthplace history
7–10 11–18
18+18+
Survey among target library users
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POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
THE LIBRARY: A REVITALIZED COMMUNITY CENTER
• The library – a modern information center for ICT based communication and exchange of experience, not a “book depository”
• The library – an agent in the process of social inclusion of vulnerable groups
• The library – a sought-after partner to the local community
“Program activities brought to the library users who had never set foot in it before. These are minority representatives”.
“In relation to the cultural initiatives taking place in the municipality, we have become a very sought-after partner due to the fact that we already have equipment and rooms”.
“It’s nice, just like a club. You use some computers, share something, exchange information – like in a kind of a family”.
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POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
THE LIBRARY: AN EDUCATIONAL CENTER
• Response to increased education needs – the majority of users (60%) need ICT skills improvement, in contrast to the national-level trend.
• Lifelong learning – an alternative center for informal ICT training for elderly people (51–60).
The group of the most elderly (60+) remains the most digitally excluded one – 70% of them do not use library ICT whatsoever.
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POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
THE LIBRARY: AN EDUCATIONAL CENTER
• Partnerships with schools – an auxiliary role in ensuring children’s and young people’s literacy, school preparation and ICT skills development.
• Learning through playing – the library, as a place for ICT based entertainment and communication of children and youth, has serious resources for impacting the young generation’s personality development.
“We are trying to include the multimedia in many activities because it is interesting to everyone. We have started delivering open lessons with teachers on encyclopedias, reference books, dictionaries, and we use the multimedia.”
“Children are coming back to the library and, along with computer use, they also borrow books, talk to each other. After all, we are an intellectual environment where language and everything else is at a very different level than in the street...”
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THE LIBRARY: A CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE ICT SERVICES
• Information services related to culture • Services related to employment, online job search, social and health
insurance status.
• Online communication services
“One of our unemployed people… aged 50+… took part… in a training program and then in the From Social Assistance to Employment Program… thanks to the computers, he accessed the information, filled in his papers, got involved and is currently very happy”.
“Many of our users are unemployed. Some of them are not computer literate and the Glob@l Libraries Program is very helpful for them… we provide to them free classes on CV design, for example. Then we send the CVs to some companies”.
POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
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UNFILLED SERVICE RANGE NICHES
ACCELERATED POSITIVE CHANGE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES
PARTNERSHIPS
TRAINING BUSINESS
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Exchange of experience (interesting practices) among colleagues, including in different areas
Attracting partners Work with volunteers Development of new e-services Provision of services to different local community target
groups Ideas of new library initiatives Interaction with local authorities Using new technology in regional studies activities
DISTRICT MEETINGS HIGHLIGHTS IN 2012
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Conduct meetings in 2013, if possible, together with other districts
Highlight untraditional library services and practices – provision of e-services outside the library, thematic movie lectures, innovative services for people at risk or with special needs
Short presentations in line with meetings’ topics
RECOMMENDATIONS
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More partners Attendance only by
libraries directly interested in the topic
Recommended duration – two days
Libraries from one district Focus on a specific topic
(employment, advocacy, etc.) Duration – one day Can be:
Off-site (outside the DL) More than one meeting a
year
District meetings of two districts Local meetings of target libraries
MEETINGS (LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FORUMS) IN 2013
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Target library advocacy
Tracking and documentation of the program’s effect (impact)
Provision of modern ICT based services to citizens and local communities
Enhancing target libraries’ capacity for implementing national policies in the area of digital inclusion
Training of librarians and training of citizens at target
libraries
PRIORITIES OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FORUMS
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Eligible beneficiaries – all target libraries Project proposal calls in two sessions Project duration of up to six months Approval based on Glob@l Libraries – Bulgaria
Program priorities
PROJECT PROPOSALS 2013
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Thank you for your attention!
Krasimir Hristov Regional Manager Glob@l Libraries – Bulgaria Program Management Unit 1 Hristo Belchev St., floor 6, SofiaPhone: +359 2 981 27 08E-mail: [email protected]: www.glbulgaria.bg
