In various countries, public libraries play a crucial role in supporting citizens' access to public online services. In Finland, libraries provide both traditional library services and digital support to help customers access their personal bank accounts and health records. However, the impact these new support demands on librarians' expertise and…

Public libraries constitute an important part of social life and are crucial for supporting the educational system in any society. However, in many African countries, awareness of the role that public libraries can play in strengthening the social contract is largely unrecognized. This may be partly due to the social background that was/is based…

Patronage of public libraries in Nigeria has declined over the years and is in urgent need of revitalization. Outreach efforts would revitalize the interest of university students in the patronage of public libraries in Nigeria because they need access to resources, especially when on holidays. The study investigates the outreach programs used to…

Introduction: This paper describes the findings of a study of 1517 public library Websites in Australia, Canada, and the United States over a period of four years. These Websites are referred to as 'electronic branches' of the libraries, thereby extending the definition of physical library branches into the digital realm. The purpose of the…

Pathways to higher education can appear opaque and unattainable to rural adults, despite the affordances provided by modern broadband and increasing provision of university online learning options. This paper describes an innovative partnership model that connects rural adults to university and technical and further education pathways through…

In this paper we present two recent information literacy and access initiatives in Uruguay and their necessary historical antecedents, and analyze them from a phenomenological perspective to provide commentary on current philosophical discussions about information and the digital divide. To provide historical context we present a brief history of…

This study reports the results of a survey of the available holdings of information resources on Ibibio culture in the University of Uyo Library and Akwa Ibom State Library. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the different size of information resources on funeral, fattening (Mbobo), taboos, myths as well as dissemination in the…

The link between access to better libraries and students' achievement has long been proven. But to residents in the Asante Akyem North Municipality, the benefits libraries offer remain illusory because of limited access. Using cross-sectional research design, the article examines staffing, collections, funding, library facilities, user…

This publication demonstrates the potential of dynamic literate environments and the importance of nurturing a culture of reading and writing, examining four different contexts: digital environments, intergenerational settings, community libraries and prisons. The case studies, from UNESCO's Effective Literacy and Numeracy Practices Database…

This paper aims to present the role, values, and legal policy issues facing public Library resources in supporting students to achieve academic success. Research indicates that majority of people that own or work in the Library tend to ignore some of the vital roles, values and legal policy issues paramount to libraries. Some of these issues are…

We asked the same 60 questions using DRS (digital reference services) in Japanese public libraries, face-to-face reference services and Q & A (question and answer) sites. It was found that: (1) The correct answer ratio of DRS is higher than that of Q & A sites; (2) DRS takes longer to provide answers as compared to Q & A sites; and (3)…

In recent years public libraries have experimented with user-generated or community-contributed content through the interactive tools of Web 2.0. For some commentators this not just establishes a new relationship between libraries and their publics, but signals the end of information hegemony and an "expert paradigm". Such claims need to…

This paper presents a summary of the first survey of public library authorities in the UK to explore Sunday opening, undertaken in 2007 as part of the Clore Leadership Programme. It provides a snapshot of Sunday opening practice, set against a context of societal, economic, and policy developments, and examines whether Sunday opening furthers the…

The nature of learning in a public library is relevant to what place e-learning and social networking technologies might have there. That a public library aims to provide something for everyone is also important. Alice Springs Public Library (ASPL) is a place of learning; it is also a crowded and composite space. The use ASPL could make of the…

The article explores the concept of baby boomers as a "crossover" generation, one that embodies characteristics of previous and later generations. The context is the retirement of the baby boomers and its potential impact on the public library. Ethnographic method within a constructivist framework was used, employing the techniques of…