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5856 results in Facet Publishing

Page 124 of 293

  • 6 - Agree

  • from PART 1 - BACKGROUND AND MODEL
    • By Denise Koufogiannakis, Associate University Librarian at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada., Alison Brettle, Reader in Evidence Based Practice and Director of Post Graduate Research in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Research at the University of Salford, UK.
  • Edited by Allison Brettle, Denise Koufogiannakis
  • Book:
    Being Evidence Based in Library and Information Practice
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 59-70

  • Summary

    After assessing and weighing all the evidence, you need to determine what would be the best course of action in answering your question and implementing a solution in practice. We call this point in the process Agree because, more often than not, you will not be the only one making the decision. Quite often library-based decisions are made in groups, which could consist of an internal group of librarians assigned to come up with a solution. Even if you do work on something by yourself, at the point of decision, others may be involved.

    At this point in the process you must determine the best way forward, based on your assessment of the various sources of evidence (Chapter 5). It is important to remember that we all bring biases to our interpretation of the evidence as a whole, so recognizing this is an important step toward making better decisions. In this chapter we discuss some of these factors that may influence the decision-making process.

    As you are working through this process, some of the questions you need to ask include whether you have looked at all the evidence openly and without prejudice; what is the best decision based on everything we know from the problem, the context and the evidence; and whether you have considered all reasonable alternatives.

    Ultimately, you will need to determine a course of action and begin implementation of the decision. Ideally, you would be able to reach consensus among those making the decision, based on the strength of the evidence found and considered. However, it is unlikely that this will always be the case. The more clearly you can present to others the reasons for your decision, the evidence that was reviewed and how it led you to the decision made, the easier your implementation will be at an organizational level. In this chapter we will explore some of the factors within individual and group decision making that librarians should be aware of in order to ensure that the process and implementation are as smooth as possible. Figure 6.1 illustrates the influences on effective decision making that we will discuss in this chapter.

  • 2 - A new framework for EBLIP

  • from PART 1 - BACKGROUND AND MODEL
    • By Denise Koufogiannakis, Associate University Librarian at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada., Alison Brettle, Reader in Evidence Based Practice and Director of Post Graduate Research in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Research at the University of Salford, UK.
  • Edited by Allison Brettle, Denise Koufogiannakis
  • Book:
    Being Evidence Based in Library and Information Practice
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 11-18

  • Summary

    The model for EBLIP that we use in this book is based on doctoral research results (Koufogiannakis, 2013b). It is not meant to be a rejection of previous EBLIP theory, nor does it stand in opposition to the model as put forward by Booth and Brice and published in 2004. If anything, the model we propose in this book builds upon Booth and Brice's (2004b) model as it was first described but reaches further, to embrace other types of evidence as appropriate for librarianship and to consider how such a merging of different types of evidence can work in the context of librarianship. As such, the model is far more realistic with respect to the context in which librarians work and the appropriate forms of evidence on which to base decisions. At the same time, it attempts to encourage further research within our profession in order to strengthen the evidence base upon which we draw external validation of local practices.

    Much credit must be given to Andrew Booth for envisioning this evolution of EBLIP through his reflection on evidence-based practice in librarianship following the EBLIP5 conference that was held in Stockholm, Sweden (Booth, 2009b). Booth, having been very involved with EBLIP since its start and a keen observer of the general change in the field's discourse, noted the following limitations of the original model as it stood at the time: ‘first it is oriented to individual, not collective, activity; and, second, it seeks to simplify and thus preserve the integrity of, the entire EBP process making no allowances for the realities of pragmatism and expediency’ (Booth, 2009b, 342). Koufogiannakis (2013b) validated these observations in her doctoral study of how academic librarians use evidence in their practice. Her thesis, based on qualitative research, proposed the use of Booth's ‘alternative’ model to move towards a process that would be more meaningful and pragmatic for practising librarians. This book provides the next step in making this model available for librarians of all sectors to use in their practice.

    We doubt that any one model will perfectly fit all situations or explain the complexity of EBP in its fullness, because we can never look in detail at every situation or circumstance.

  • 1 - Introduction

  • from PART 1 - BACKGROUND AND MODEL
    • By Denise Koufogiannakis, Associate University Librarian at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada., Alison Brettle, Reader in Evidence Based Practice and Director of Post Graduate Research in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Research at the University of Salford, UK.
  • Edited by Allison Brettle, Denise Koufogiannakis
  • Book:
    Being Evidence Based in Library and Information Practice
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 3-10

  • Summary

    This book brings together recent theory, research and case studies from practice environments across the broad field of librarianship to illustrate how librarians can incorporate the principles of evidence-based library and information practice (EBLIP) into their work. EBLIP is an approach to professional decision making; however, we wish to emphasize an overall approach to practice that is about being evidence based, which is not limited only to decision making. Being evidence based involves:

    • questioning our practice:

  • — are we doing things in the best way, and is there a better way?

  • — do we have the information we need to do our jobs?

  • — do we have the evidence we need to make well-informed decisions?

  • — why are we making the decisions that we are making?

    • • gathering or creating the evidence (through research or evaluation) if we don't have it already

    • using information or evidence wisely:

  • — to make decisions about our own practice

  • — to improve our practice by testing out new ideas and implementing them based on the evidence we find

  • — to make decisions about our services

  • — to help others make decisions about our services (by demonstrating our effectiveness, value, impact or worth)

    • • using our professional skills to help others (often to make their own evidencebased decisions).

    This book develops and rethinks the original EBLIP model. It takes an open and inclusive approach to exploring EBLIP and the ways in which it can improve the practice of librarianship. Since EBLIP's inception in 1997 the understanding of what evidence is, as well as how and why librarians use evidence, has grown more mature. Correspondingly, this book puts forward a model and approach to evidence that has evolved but is more realistic and practical for librarians in their everyday work.

    This book builds upon the seminal work of Booth and Brice (2004b) by incorporating recent research and practice- based examples to illustrate the natural progression of EBLIP since Booth and Brice's work was published. This book seeks to provide librarians with an accessible new reference point for how they can use and create evidence within their practice to better meet the needs of their communities. It is organized into two sections; the first is structured around Koufogiannakis’ revised framework for EBLIP (Koufogiannakis, 2013), which embraces a wider breadth of evidence sources and understanding of how librarians use evidence.

  • 4 - Assemble

  • from PART 1 - BACKGROUND AND MODEL
    • By Denise Koufogiannakis, Associate University Librarian at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada., Alison Brettle, Reader in Evidence Based Practice and Director of Post Graduate Research in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Research at the University of Salford, UK.
  • Edited by Allison Brettle, Denise Koufogiannakis
  • Book:
    Being Evidence Based in Library and Information Practice
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 27-44

  • Summary

    Working within the EBLIP process, librarians need to assemble evidence from a variety of sources that are most appropriate to the problem or question at hand. Assembling evidence is key to the whole concept of EBP, and determining the sources of evidence that one will draw upon when making practice-based decisions is paramount. We must use professional judgement to determine the best and most appropriate sources of evidence, depending upon what we want to know. Evidence may come from external sources, locally gathered data or our own professional knowledge. This chapter will start with an overview of the concept of evidence and how it relates to librarianship, explore different types of evidence and look more specifically at sources of evidence within librarianship and how to find the needed evidence. The goal of this chapter is to expand your thinking about what evidence is and to help you determine some of the sources that you can draw upon. Being evidence based means that we consider many forms of evidence in conjunction with one another to form a well informed and considered professional opinion.

    The concept of evidence

    To begin considering what types of evidence we should seek and then use as part of decision making within librarianship, we first need to ask ‘what is evidence’ within our field. This is no small question, but one that underlines the whole evidence-based approach.

    The Oxford Dictionary (2010) states that evidence is ‘the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid’. Scholars agree that evidence is that which serves as a form of proof (Hornikx, 2005; Reynolds and Reynolds, 2002; Twinning, 2003; Upshur, Van Den Kerkhof and Goel, 2001). Schrum (2011) notes that evidence has three major properties – relevance, credibility and inferential force or weight (p. 19). This means that, to be considered as evidence, pieces of information must be relevant to the question at hand, must be considered credible or trustworthy and must show strength in comparison to other pieces of information that are being considered. We will consider how to assess the credibility and weight of evidence in more detail later, in Chapter 5.

  • 2 - Managing current records

  • Margaret Crockett
  • Book:
    The No-nonsense Guide to Archives and Recordkeeping
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    10 September 2022
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 41-74

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Current records: records which are being used to support current business and organizational needs. Also known as active records.

    This chapter is about recordkeeping from the perspective of the people who create and use the records to support their business, personal or social activity. It is quite difficult to draw an absolute line between the recordkeeping activities for current records and those for non-current records, but for the purposes of this book, they are distinguished not only according to their currency but also by the owners. We will look at good systems, how we can establish or improve them and how they should be maintained and reviewed. With the advent of computers, information and records manifest not only in physical formats (for example paper or magnetic tape) but also in digital format. Therefore we will address managing current records in this challenging hybrid environment. The section also covers security issues and introduces vital records management as far as it is necessary as part of current recordkeeping.

    In contemporary organizations records, especially digital records, are created at an incredible rate. They can be used, deleted and misplaced without any organizational control. Much of what end-users think of as records are in fact non-record information, ephemeral records or drafts. Amongst other possibilities, records can be created in the computer system, received in paper copy from outside the organization, formally drawn up on paper or be the result of hand-written amendments to paper print-outs. Thus they may physically reside in disparate locations as well as be rendered in different media. With the rise of computers good administrative staff with filing skills have disappeared. End-users are usually expected to set up and use their own systems, either individually or as teams, and there is rarely any training or guidance unless records management is in place.

    Computers have been revolutionary in their impact on the way we conduct business, in terms of automating drudgery, speeding up operations, analysis and improving consistency. However, as the computer systems designersdevelop more user-friendly applications, any centralized control over record creation and registration becomes increasingly difficult. End-users have, and will continue to have, enormous power over the fate of the records they create and receive – the challenge for archivists and records managers is to convince organizations and individuals of the benefits of sound recordkeeping practice.

  • 2 - Ontologies and the semantic web

  • David Stuart
  • Book:
    Practical Ontologies for Information Professionals
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 27-52

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Interest in ontologies has grown rapidly in recent years due to the adoption of an increasingly semantic web. The web is by no means the only place where ontologies may be implemented, but it is the use of ontologies on the semantic web that is the primary focus of this book, as they have the greatest potential, and as such are likely to be of greatest interest to the modern library and information professional.

    The chapter starts with an introduction to the semantic web and its most recent incarnation as linked data, before considering more closely the standards that have been adopted for structuring the semantic web. Finally, the last part of the chapter looks at how ontologies have been increasingly adopted in a wide variety of libraries as well as other cultural heritage institutions and commercial organizations.

    The semantic web and linked data

    The semantic web is about moving from a web of documents to a web of data, from one that is primarily designed to be read by humans to one that can be read by machines. It first started gaining widespread attention in 2001 with publications in Nature (Berners-Lee and Hendler, 2001) and Scientific American (Berners-Lee, Hendler and Lassila, 2001). The web has put vast quantities of information at our fingertips, but much of this information is unstructured and it requires a lot of effort to gather and analyse the information resources that we need. For a simple informational query we pay little attention to the effort required. If we want to know what time a show starts it is generally simple enough to enter the name of the theatre and browse the pages for show times. But as queries require collecting data from multiple sites, the task can quickly become arduous. Wanting to know which shows are playing in a five-mile radius of where I am and which start after 8p.m. would require aggregating information of multiple sites, or at least visiting a site that had aggregated that information on my behalf. Some types of information have many aggregating sites (e.g., hotel and holiday information), but there is a vast amount of information that may not be commercially viable for aggregation.

  • 5 - Assess

  • from PART 1 - BACKGROUND AND MODEL
    • By Alison Brettle, Reader in Evidence Based Practice and Director of Post Graduate Research in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Research at the University of Salford, UK., Denise Koufogiannakis, Associate University Librarian at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
  • Edited by Allison Brettle, Denise Koufogiannakis
  • Book:
    Being Evidence Based in Library and Information Practice
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 45-58

  • Summary

    Assess is a critical part of EBLIP and involves assessing the located evidence for its quality (often known as appraisal or critical appraisal) and quantity. There is also a need to weigh up or balance the results from different types of evidence, to get to know the evidence and what it is saying and then to put it into the context of the wider, overarching problem and the situation in which the decision is being made. While previous work within EBLIP has focused on appraising or assessing research evidence, this chapter will begin with research evidence but move on to examining how to assess other types of evidence and incorporating these into the decision-making process.

    When assessing the evidence you may be asking yourself: of the evidence assembled, what pieces of evidence hold the most weight? Why? What evidence seems to be most trustworthy and valid? What evidence is most applicable to the current problem? What parts of this evidence can be applied to my context? This chapter considers how research evidence can be assessed using critical appraisal techniques, how critical appraisal techniques can be developed and used more routinely, the role of systematic reviews and a framework for weighing different types of evidence against each other. It aims to help you evaluate and weigh evidence sources and determine what the evidence says as a whole. Although assessing is a critical part of the EBLIP process, it is worth bearing in mind that there is little point in solely paying attention to this part of the process if the articulate and assemble aspects have not been thoughtfully executed in the first place.

    Critical appraisal

    Critical appraisal of research is an element of EBLIP that has received much attention in the literature and in practice. It is an important part of the process because it helps you to determine the worth of the research literature, but doing critical appraisal is not a skill that most librarians have been familiar or comfortable with. However, it is a skill that is relatively easy to teach and can be developed over time. Furthermore, some elements of the process are akin to other tasks that librarians are familiar with, such as critical thinking (a skill developed during master's-level study), or choosing the most appropriate results from a literature search, which requires decisions about applicability.

  • Conclusion

  • Margaret Crockett
  • Book:
    The No-nonsense Guide to Archives and Recordkeeping
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    10 September 2022
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 193-193

  • Summary

    Records management is crucial to ensuring that any organization can perform its mission effectively and can demonstrate transparency and accountability to its stakeholders; archives management ensures that we have reliable recorded evidence of the history of individuals, organizations and society as a whole. This book has followed the record's path from creation in an adequate recordkeeping system, through the application of classification and access techniques, evaluation for business, legal and historical value to proper destruction or preservation and access in the archive. Regardless of whether the cycle is split into two separate functions within an organization, the two are inextricably linked and complement each other.

  • 6 - Interrogating ontologies

  • David Stuart
  • Book:
    Practical Ontologies for Information Professionals
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 137-154

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Ontologies are for use, and generally such use extends beyond that of the creator of the ontology. It is therefore important to consider the different ways ontologies can be explored, or rather, interrogated. ‘Interrogate’ has associations of more close and formal investigations of an ontology, which is indeed what ontologies are designed for. Ontologies will be queried by different users in different ways, and there are a wide range of tools of varying complexity for interacting with different ontologies, but ontologies are formal representations of knowledge and to extract the full value from an ontology requires queries of equal formality.

    Ontologies, and the associated instance data, are generally interrogated for one of three reasons: to determine whether an ontology is suitable for reuse; to extract information from an ontology/data set; and to gather information about an ontology's use. this chapter considers each of these reasons in turn, and discusses some of the most appropriate technologies for each:

    • interrogating ontologies for reuse

  • — ontology editors and viewers

  • — ontology reasoners

    • • interrogating a knowledge base

  • — search engines and personal assistants

  • — SPARQL

    • • understanding an ontology's use

  • — ontology search engines

  • — semantic crawlers.

    • Of course the tools are not restricted to one particular use; there is inevitably some overlap between the tools and they are discussed as appropriate.

    Interrogating ontologies for reuse

    One of the main reasons for wanting to understand an ontology is so that it can be reused. this may involve reusing an ontology element set to structure your own information, or reusing a vocabulary for the indexing of a set of documents.

    Ontology editors and viewers

    A simple way to investigate an ontology is to read the documentation and explore the ontology in one of the tools mentioned in Chapter 5 for developing the ontologies (e.g., TopBraid, Protégé) or publishing the ontologies (e.g., WebVOWL, SKOS Play). LodLive (http://en.lodlive.it) also provides a simple web-based visual interface for exploring an ontology. A simple ontology may require little more than a text editor, although most encoded ontology would benefit from being viewed through an editor or viewer, especially complex ontologies that make the use of unions, intersections, and functional properties.

  • 4 - Archives management

  • Margaret Crockett
  • Book:
    The No-nonsense Guide to Archives and Recordkeeping
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    10 September 2022
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 131-170

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The definition of archives given in Chapter 1 is ‘records of one organization, family or individual, selected for permanent preservation because they provide key evidence of the entity's history’. Chapter 1 also covered the various media that records – and therefore archives – come in, the different types of archive repositories, what working with archives involves and the wider context, together with sources of information and support. It also gave an overview of what archive users and researchers might be looking for in the archives. This chapter will build on the concepts and principles articulated in Chapter 1, continuing to follow the journey of archival records as they move away from the main body of records that will be destroyed and begin to be managed differently and separately in order to safeguard them for posterity.

    In managing archives we are seeking to keep a comprehensive record, which provides the evidence of what happened and why, for the future, for ever. This requires the identification of a set of documentation which gives the history of the individual, family, organization or community. We also need to look after them in a way that gives them the best possible chance of surviving the ravages of the environment and human interference over time. It also requires making the records available, publicizing their existence and interpreting them to make them more accessible to more people. These three aspects of managing archives all need to be in place to do the job properly, but it is also important to be able to advocate and justify the resources expended, because caring for archives over time is an expensive proposition.

    Chapter 4 is organized to follow the work process that needs to be in place to manage archives from the time we first start to think about taking archives into custody. It does not cover preservation, the aspect of managing archives which addresses the archives’ accommodation, environment and handling procedures in order to preserve them, as this is treated separately in Chapter 5. We start with the collecting policy which dictates the overall content of the archive, through acquisition of archives and accessioning or logging them in.

  • 11 - Health libraries

  • from PART 2 - EBLIP IN ACTION
    • By Jonathan D. Eldredge, Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico., Joanne Gard Marshall, MLS MHSc PhD spent 16 years as a medical librarian before becoming a faculty member at the University of Toronto in 1987., Alison Brettle, Reader in Evidence Based Practice and Director of Post Graduate Research in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Research at the University of Salford, UK., Heather N. Holmes, MLIS AHIP is the Associate Director of Libraries with a faculty appointment of Associate Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, Lotta Haglund, MLIS is Head of Library and Archive at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, in Stockholm, Sweden since 2012, Rick Wallace, Professor and Associate Director at the Quillen College of Medicine Library at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee.
  • Edited by Allison Brettle, Denise Koufogiannakis
  • Book:
    Being Evidence Based in Library and Information Practice
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 121-132

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The historical evidence suggests that the health professions might never have developed EBP had it not been for the development of sophisticated research tools such as PubMed/MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library for identifying authoritative evidence (Eldredge, 2008a). By working with health professionals in using these tools, health librarians were pivotal figures in the development of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) and the broader EBP movement. From supporting health professionals in EBP, health librarians have gone on to develop and use evidence within their professional practices – EBLIP. This chapter will provide a context for health librarian's work, describe EBLIP within the health library field and the state of the evidence base, and discuss the types of evidence used by health librarians. Two case studies show how EBLIP has been translated into practice and demonstrate how health librarians continue to push the boundaries of EBLIP. Finally, the future directions for research and EBLIP practice will be considered within a health library context.

    The health library context

    Health librarians often collaborate with other health professionals in a fast-paced environment that demands high levels of accountability for the accuracy of their work. Any mistakes can result in missed diagnoses, inappropriate treatments, incorrectly trained health professionals (Maggio et al., 2015) or misguided research projects. Many health librarians take years to establish credibility for their expert skills among other health professionals (Hannigan and Eldredge, 2014). With increasing frequency, health librarians work outside of physical libraries in roles as embedded colleagues, liaisons, clinical librarians, informaticists and informaticians; therefore, throughout this chapter the term health librarian will be used to describe all of these roles.

    The context in which health librarians work is continuing to change (Funk, 2013). At one time, the majority of health librarians worked in hospital libraries. Now, in the USA many librarians work in centralized academic health-science centre libraries that co-ordinate access to electronic databases for their users, including health professionals and staff in affiliated hospitals. The National Library of Medicine in the USA coordinates outreach and other centralized functions. In the UK, health librarians work in hospitals, academic institutions and, increasingly, throughout other NHS organizations. Collections for NHS staff are centralized and health libraries are monitored and supported by a national Library and Knowledge Service.

  • 3 - Records management

  • Margaret Crockett
  • Book:
    The No-nonsense Guide to Archives and Recordkeeping
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    10 September 2022
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 75-130

  • Summary

    Introduction

    ‘[Records management is] the field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records.’

    ISO 15489-1:2001 (E) Information and documentation –Records management – Part 1: general

    Chapter 1 defined records management as ‘a comprehensive regime which controls records through their lifecycle, including: deciding what records to create; organizing them so that they support business needs and authorized retrieval; evaluating and imposing retention requirements; documented destruction or designation as archives’. I think of records management as encompassing everything that happens to records from the point that someone conceives the need to document something to the point that record is destroyed – and if it is not destroyed it continues to be managed as an archival record indefinitely. However, as this book makes a distinction between the main phases of the lifecycle broadly based on currency and custodianship, this chapter deals with what happens when records are no longer needed constantly for current business purposes to support the operational work of end-users. It is at this stage that records managers – professionals whose main function is concerned with managing records effectively – usually get custody of the records, or at least get involved. The next chapter deals with managing archives, which requires a different set of skills (sometimes from a different individual) and different storage facilities, to look after records which need to be kept indefinitely for reasons separate from immediate business needs.

    Records lifecycle: a metaphor to describe the existence span of records divided into stages to reflect the different processes needed to manage them.

    According to our Chapter 1 definition, records are: ‘recorded information in any media or format, providing reliable evidence of human activity’. Thus, records management is exactly what the term implies: managing records. It is about control, about knowing what records the organization needs and creates as well as making sure the records are organized effectively. Moreover, it is about understanding what the organization does and which records arise from its functions and activities. We noted earlier this link between activity and record: records arise from work, rather than the work aim being to create records.

  • 10 - Public libraries

  • from PART 2 - EBLIP IN ACTION
    • By Pam Ryan, Director, Service Development & Innovation at Toronto Public Library., Becky Cole, Learning Partnerships Coordinator at Northumbria University in the UK.
  • Edited by Allison Brettle, Denise Koufogiannakis
  • Book:
    Being Evidence Based in Library and Information Practice
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    31 August 2016, pp 105-120

  • Summary

    The political, social, technological and financial landscape in which public libraries operate has undergone dramatic change in recent years, presenting the sector with daily challenges ‘in the field of digitization, changing usage patterns, and evolving expectations of patrons’ (Irwin and St-Pierre, 2014, 1). In countries such as the UK, public sector budget cuts have resulted in widespread library closures and had a negative impact on traditional metrics such as visit and lending figures (Anstice, 2015). Efficiency measures and staffing reductions have led to an increase in self-serve, community and volunteer-run facilities and have engendered a culture which is increasingly reliant on external funding. Yet, rather than accepting their muchprophesied demise (Worstall, 2014), public libraries across the world have responded to this altered environment and to a ‘revolutionary shift in user behaviour’ brought about by the ascendancy of the ‘networked information landscape’ by developing innovative service-delivery models, multi-functional library spaces and new ways of working, and by reinventing themselves as ‘invisible intermediary’, ‘memory institution’, ‘learning centre’ and ‘community resource’ (Brophy, 2008, 8).

    In North America, early literacy and lifelong learning remain strong focuses for public library programming, as do developing and providing services to underserved populations and socially excluded groups such as homeless, disabled and incarcerated populations. Increasingly, however, public libraries are also embracing a new identity as digital literacy and inclusion centres: providing free computer and WiFi access and developing electronic collections, which continue to be in high demand. In a 2013 national survey of Americans aged 16 and older, 77% identified free computer and internet access as a ‘very important’ library service and indicated a strong interest in the wider uses of technology in libraries (Zickuhr, Rainie and Purcell, 2013). The cumulative results of the Impact Survey (Impact Survey, n.d.) also provide good evidence of how patrons are using library technology in the USA and the significant outcomes and benefits they report from its use (Crandall and Becker, 2016). And libraries are responding to these needs: investing in more e-books and diverse eresources such as magazines (Recorded Books, 2016; EBSCO, n.d.), comic books (Midwest Tape, 2015) and internet-based learning tools such as Gale Courses (Gale Cengage Learning, 2015) and Lynda.com (Lynda.com Inc, 2015), and facilitating public access to new technologies ranging from 3D printers to recording studios (Zickuhr, Purcell and Rainie, 2014).

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