Book 15: Perceptions of Libraries, 2010

TITLE: Perceptions of Libraries, 2010: Context and Community
AUTHOR: Brad Gauder (ed.)
STARTED: March 14, 2011
FINISHED: March 22, 2011
PAGES: 108
GENRE: Library Science

FIRST SENTENCE: Eight years ago, my colleagues and I began work on our first OCLC membership report, The 2003 OCLC Environmental Scan: Pattern Recognition.

SUMMARY: [From OCLC] OCLC's newest membership report, Perceptions of Libraries, 2010, a sequel to the 2005 Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources, is now available. The new report provides updated information and new insights into information consumers and their online habits, preferences, and perceptions. Particular attention was paid to how the current economic downturn has affected the information-seeking behaviors and how those changes are reflected in the use and perception of libraries.
This OCLC membership report explores:

• Technological and economic shifts since 2005
• Lifestyle changes Americans have made during the recession, including increased use of the library and other online resources
• How a negative change to employment status impacts use and perceptions of the library
• Perceptions of libraries and information resources based on life stage

The report is based on U.S. data from an online survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of OCLC. OCLC analyzed and summarized the results in order to produce this report.


THOUGHTS: This report is the current library statistics bible. It shows hard numbers on library use, trends, and patron wishes. It's hard to write a review about statistical analysis, but this one was well written, easy to follow and understand, and shows the current library environment.


RATING: 6/10 [Good]