Women and the public library: using technology, using the library

Library Trends, Fall, 2007 by Dolores Fidishun

ABSTRACT

In today's rapidly changing world of technology and information, libraries find themselves trying to understand more about their users. The results of a qualitative survey of 184 women library patrons give insight into why and how they use library and information technology and how they learned to use that technology. Women discuss what services they particularly value, including traditional services like printed books and reference, but also their appreciation and use of the Internet, including the library's Web site and databases. Trends showed that women are still the ones who bring children to the library and encourage their use of books. They also value the library as a place of solitude where they can find books or just be by themselves. Women use a variety of resources outside of the library to locate information as they make choices about how to find information in everyday life. It will be important for public libraries to discover ways to increase their role in educating women about library use, particularly electronic resources, and how to effectively locate and evaluate information from the Web and other resources so libraries call remain a vital part of lifelong learning.

INTRODUCTION

The nature of library use is changing rapidly. New frontiers of technology and the ever-changing information landscape have created endless possibilities for those who seek information. Moyo (2004, p. 223) explains that "reference services are being transformed in response to changing technology and information environments." Some users prefer in-person service while large numbers of patrons look to technology, using the Internet and its search engines and databases, to find the information they need. Even print books, the traditional draw of public libraries, are now provided through electronic copies, can be easily purchased through online sites such as Amazon.com, or are conveniently available at bookstores that offer not only books but coffee shops and programs similar to those found in libraries. Therefore, it is important that librarians understand why users come to the library and how they use the library once they are there. Libraries are also concerned that they effectively serve all users (Lange, 1987). Over time our patron base has become increasingly diverse (Vincent, 2005), making it imperative that we find out not only what services our users require when they come to the library but also what they value most when they use those services.

It is in the midst of this setting that a qualitative survey of adult public library patrons was undertaken to try to understand how patrons use the library and information, both print and online, as well as whether females and males use the library and information in different ways. Analysis of women's responses permits us to gain insight into how women use the library, any unmet needs they perceive, and the types of resources both inside and outside of the library that women use to find information. A qualitative study permits the researcher to understand more about how the women in the study think, their reasoning as they use the library, and why they respond positively or negatively to libraries and the use of information and technology.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Most librarians would agree that understanding our patrons and their needs is an important part of planning for quality services in any library. Janet M. Lange (1987) spoke about the necessity of understanding those we serve when she stated, "Public library administrators are increasingly interested in being able to predict who will use the library, why and how they will use it" (p. 50). Previous research on user behavior studied the general population and was not necessarily concerned with how women, in particular, use libraries. Even OCLC's comprehensive report Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources (2005) does not break data down by gender. Although some researchers such as Wittig (1991), Marchant (1991), and Steele (1994) have used gender as one of their variables, little extensive work has been done on women's interactions in libraries. Feminist Standpoint Theory (Harding, 1991) proposes that "the distinctive features of women's situation in a gender-stratified society" (p. 119) should be emphasized in research. This perspective is important to consider as libraries seek to attract diverse clientele. Women's role in society and the patterns of their lives create situations that may give a unique character to how they use libraries and technology or how they learn to use these resources. Indeed, women's use and experience of libraries may be different from that of men.

In addition, previous user studies are primarily quantitative in nature, asking specific questions about use based on the researchers' experiences. While these studies gave us valuable information about library use, they did not permit patrons to "speak their mind" about the library, how they use it, and positive or negative experiences they have encountered in the process. It is for this reason that a qualitative study was undertaken in the hope that a more extensive knowledge of women's patterns of use would emerge as a part of the grounded theory that was generated from the data. Grounded theory, as explained by Michael Quinn Patton (2002), allows the researcher to create theory from the data rather than seeking to prove or disprove a theory the researcher has already proposed (p. 127). This qualitative method of research is especially effective when working with patrons and allows the researcher to consider alternative meanings of patterns they observe in the real library world.