Download - What’s Inside the Box?
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?
• 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
• Background
• Key concepts
• Government policy
• Victorian public library network
• Similar studies
• Project objectives
• Methodology
Report Two: Logging the Benefits
• 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
• Overcoming the digital divide
• Creating informed communities
• Supporting learning and literacy
• Building social capital
Important characteristics of public libraries
• 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:
• 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%
13%
17%
19%
16%
13%
12%
0-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70+
Libraries Building Communities
0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00%
0-14
15-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70+
Females
Males
Proportion of male and female library users (online
survey):
Libraries Building Communities
Library users by employment status (online survey):
27%
27%5%
40% Full Time
Part Time
Unemployed
NILF
Libraries Building CommunitiesLibrary users and non-users by household type (telephone survey):
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%
couple/dep chld
couple/non dep chld
couple
one prt dep chld
one prt non dep chld
other family
group household
lone person
Non-users
Users
Libraries Building CommunitiesFrequency of library use (online survey):
Libraries Building CommunitiesActivities people undertake at the library (online survey):
Source - Online Survey
4.8 4.2 4.2 4.0
4.54.1 4.0
4.2
1
2
3
4
5
Bookloans
Computer services
(PC/Internet)
Audio-visual lending (CD/
cassette/video/DVD)
Magazine loans
Gap analysis (importance vs satisfaction)
Imp
ort
an
ce
(m
ea
n)
1=
low
imp
ort
an
ce
, 5=
hig
h im
po
rta
nc
e
1
2
3
4
5
Sa
tisfa
ctio
n (m
ea
n)
1=
low
sa
tisfa
ctio
n, 5
=h
igh
sa
tisfa
ctio
n
Importance (n=approx 8331) Satisfaction (n=approx 1689)
Libraries Building CommunitiesGap analysis: importance of service and satisfaction rating (online survey):
3.9 3.9 3.9 3.8
4.1 4.13.9
4.1
1
2
3
4
5
Newspapers/talking
newspapers
Children's and young
adultservices
Communityinformation
Remote webaccess to
catalogue anddatabases
Gap analysis (importance vs satisfaction)
Imp
ort
an
ce
(m
ea
n)
1=
low
imp
ort
an
ce
, 5=
hig
h im
po
rta
nc
e
1
2
3
4
5
Sa
tisfa
ctio
n (m
ea
n)
1=
low
sa
tisfa
ctio
n, 5
=h
igh
sa
tisfa
ctio
n
Importance (n=approx 8331) Satisfaction (n=approx 1689)
Libraries Building CommunitiesGap analysis: importance of service and satisfaction rating (online survey):
Libraries Building CommunitiesAreas in which public libraries excel (telephone survey –
users only):
Libraries Building CommunitiesEstimates of the monetary value of library services and resources:
Service $ Value
Children’s programsSchool holidaysStory-times
$20 - $30 per child$10 - $16 per child
Adult programsTalksDay 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.auDownload at no cost, or purchase from the Online
Shop