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Digital information access in urban/suburban communities: A survey report of public digital library use by the residents in Connecticut

Yan Quan Liu (School of Communication, Information and Library Science, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA)
Craig Martin (School of Communication, Information and Library Science, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA)
Eileen Roehl (School of Communication, Information and Library Science, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA)
Zhixian Yi (School of Communication, Information and Library Science, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA)
Sheila Ward (School of Communication, Information and Library Science, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA)

OCLC Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives

ISSN: 1065-075X

Article publication date: 1 April 2006

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of public digital services on urban/suburban residents, to uncover the current usage of public digital services and levels of satisfaction with the digital resources/content in urban digital libraries (networked computers with specific information infrastructure designed free for public use).

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach is used as a main stream in the research framework as the method of inquiry. Qualitative one‐to‐one interviews include surveying users who use public library websites, observing the users, consulting librarians about the users, and interviewing the users.

Findings

Provides demographic patterns of the patrons' interaction with the digital services public libraries provide, and the satisfaction and compliances the residents have regarding information access through the digital technology in urban/suburban Connecticut.

Practical implications

Because of the small number of participants, this study has limitations in being generalized to an understanding of overall patterns of urban residents using digital resources in public settings in the USA or elsewhere, however, it could be a good pilot study for a nation‐wide survey with the methods tested.

Originality/value

This study helps fulfill the scant empirical attention given to the impact access to public digital information or use of digital library services on the urban/suburban residents, offers new data that help public library administrators enhance the impact, efficiency and value of the public digital library services to improve the digital learning environments for life‐long education at all levels in a broad community of urban/suburban users.

Keywords

Citation

Quan Liu, Y., Martin, C., Roehl, E., Yi, Z. and Ward, S. (2006), "Digital information access in urban/suburban communities: A survey report of public digital library use by the residents in Connecticut", OCLC Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 132-144. https://doi.org/10.1108/10650750610664021

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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