Library Users and Nonusers

Library Users and Nonusers Service Definition Having a clear understanding of potential customers in a community or academic environment can the library in better understanding their needs. This information is often assembled when the library is involved in a planning process. Evaluation questions An analysis of who uses and does not use the library can be helpful in addressing the following types of evaluation questions: 1. What are the characteristics of those who use the library occasionally and those who use it more frequently? 2. What services are used by which diffrent segments of library custemers? 3. What are the characteristics of those who do not use the library? 4. Why do nonusers not visit the library ( physically or virtually )? 5. How does the geographic location of the library influence use of the library? 6. What services, if offered, might attract more people to use the library? Evaluation methods A variety of evaluation methids have been used to gain a better understanding of library user and nonusers. Each of the methods reveals different information a bout the various segments of a population. These methods include a. Desk work analysis b. Focus groups, and c. Surveys of library users and of the community. Discussion of prior evaluatios and research It is possible to segment a popuation using five different methods or techniques: - Demographics - Lifestyles - Geography - Volume of use - Benefits or purspose This segmentation process can involve a population of citizens living in a specific community ( city or country ), a college or university, or employees of a company or government agency the real value occurs when two or more segmentation techniques are applied simultaneously, for example, combining demographics information with geographic information or combining several variables to abtain a better understanding of the community characteristics: age, in come, and ethnicity. In addition, combining demographics with lifestyle information can reveal a great deal about a community. Demographics Historically, public libraries have used census information to build a profile of the citizens of their community. This allowed yhe library to segment citizens according to age, education, sex, ethnicity, marital status, family income, number of children, and so forth. For example, age-related information assists a library in identifying the possible need for preschool programs or large print material for seniors. In almost all cases, census information is manuallv extracted at the city or country levels, although it is possible to present the information at the census track or censusu block level ( about 1,000 people in a block ). Lifestyles Market researchers have also identified consumers according to their lifestyles. The lifestyles approach combines demographics with how people decide to spend their time and money. Although a choice of lifestyle relates in large part to income, it is influenced only slightly by education. One study analyzed more than eight million circulation transactions in 10 communities of different types and found that lifestyles had little to do with circulation patterns the patterns were remarkably similar acrossthe communities. Fiction and audiovisual materials accounted for about two –thirds of all circulations regardless of the community and its characteristic or lifestyles. Another study analyzed adult circulation patterns among 21 branches of the india- npolis- marion county ( indiana) public library and found that people tended to real very similar types of materials regardless of the characteristics of the populations served by each branch. Geography Using geographic- based computer software, sometimes called geographic information system ( GIS ) softwere, it is possible to create a map of the city or country ( or a combination of counties ) and present the census information in a map – based from. This is a particularly effective tool for libraries that have branches because they can assign each census track to a service area for each branch location. This allows the decision markers the opportunity to visually see the demographic difference among the citizens of the jurisdiction. Many local government agencies use GIS for planning the location of facilites: police and fire stations, police patrol areas, and much more. Christie Koontz Florida State University has developed the public Library Geographic Database ( the GeoLib database ), which is accessible via the internet. The GeoLib database pulls together the census information, public library use data, and other publicly available information for all 16.000+ public library locations in the United States. The library can adjust the service area boundaries for each branch location. America’s shifting demographics require that public libraries shift their tactics to better respond to the needs of a changing population. The flexibility of the mapping softwere allows a library to explore different scenarios for service delivery. The resulting maps can be helpful at the time of budged hearings, for exploring alternative branch site locations, and for general reporting to library’s stakeholders. The GeoLib system can help libraries answer questions such as the following. • What are the population characteristic within one mile of each library location? Do the population characteristics differ as the distance increases to two miles, there miles and so forth? • What percent of the senior population lives within three miles of each library location? • What percent of an ethnic population ( pick a group ) who live within three miles of a library location are under the age of 18? Under the age of 10? • What impact do topographical boundaries such as major highways or rivers have on demand for services? The importance of branch library location cannot be overemphasized. People choose to spend time and resources traveling from home or a workplace to visit library. The average library customer will not travel more than two to three miles to visit a library. So, just as for a retail store or a fast-food restaurant, the old real estate maxim hold true: location, location, location. One of the most compelling reasons for using geographic information system is that it will visually display how different segments of the population “cluster” within a community especially in regard to the location of library facilities. Methods that have been used in the past to understand how people are drawn to location include using the experience of the library staff, assigning census tracts to a branch library location ( 5,000 to 8,000 peoplein a tract ), drawing a radius around each location to determine what propcrtion of the population lives within the radius, or plotting library card holder address information on a map. Christie Koontz mapped demographic and library use data several public libraries with branches and found that branch libraries serving primarily minority populations had higher in- library use, higher reference transactions, and greater program attendance, while ar the same time having lower circulation figures. This is significant because most public library system will use circulation as the sole indicator of a branch library’s performance. Another study found that large bookstores reduce the probability of household pubic library use for some, but not all, use of the library. While children’s programming is found to be immune to competition, job- relate and informational usse of the library are reduced. Several studies used multivariate analysis ( multiple regression analysis ) in modeling public library use and postulated that a resident’s library use is a function of his or her socioeconomic and locational characteristics. Demographic variables alone do not accurately predict library use, but topograhical features, hours of operation, size of the building, and unique population characteristics will affect library use. Volume of Use It is also possible to segment the population by use, which results in the classic split of users and nonusers. The more optimistic prefer to call nonusers “potential users”. With today’s automated system, it is fairly easy to obtain a set of reports what will sort the registered borrowers into several groups: • Customers are “card-carrying individuals” who use the library. They can be subdivided into three groups: - Frequent users are those who use the library on a monthly or more frequent basis - Moderate users will use the library at least quarterly - Infrequent users are those who will use the library at least once a year. • “lost customers” are people who visited the library, completed an application form, and received a library card. However, they have not used the library for more than a year. So while they “found” the library once, they are now “lost”. Depending on how often library user records are purged from an automated system, as much as 30 to 40 percent of registered library users will fall into the lost category. • Nonusers are people within a community who may or may not be aware of the location of libraries and the range of services they offer. It is interesting to note than even thogh these individuals do not have library cards, they are generally very supportive of the concept of the public library and will support the library, as evidenced by their willingness to vote for library bonds and sorth. Note that nonusers can be divided into two groups: those who can be enticed into the library and those who will never, under any circumstances, use the library. Identifying the number of nonusers is a straightforward calculation. Subtracting the number of registered library borrowers from the total population of the jurisdiction will provide the number of nonusers. Note that the total number of registered borrowers may exceed the total population of a jurisdiction due to nonresidents becoming registered library card holders. Discrete choise analysis links the microeconomic consumer theory with the statistical analysis of categorical data ( users, lost users and nonusers ). A study that applied a discrete choice analysis in a public library setting found that lost users and nonusers alike did not use the library primarily due to distance, inconvenience of hours, and their preference to purchase their own materials. Further analysis revealed that adding to the collection in each location would entice lost customers to return, while building more locations and adding more would attract nonusers to the library.