Completed Projects
Developing Research in Public Libraries
This two-year project (August 1997 – July 1999) arose from a call by the British Library Research and Innovation Centre (BLRIC) in partnership with the Public Libraries Research Group, to build on the work undertaken by Pluse and Prytherch in Research in Public Libraries (British Library Research & Innovation Report no. 8, 1996).
The specific areas of public library research addressed by this project were:
- developing research expertise
- encouraging practitioners to undertake and act on research and to develop effective dissemination channels for research
- developing a distance-learning course on research skills for practitioners.
The project also aimed to develop a long-term strategy to ensure that research expertise and dissemination methods developed could continue beyond the end of the project.
The project met its objectives as follows:
Education and training
The project team devised a three-day course in research skills for public librarians, which was run in eight locations across the UK, reaching over 120 participants. From this a distance-learning course was developed and undertaken by some 30 librarians. Both courses are described in the report, which outlines their development, content and administration, and evaluates their impact on the profession.
Two study schools in Birmingham on sharing research were organised as part of the remit to encourage dissemination of research. The content and impact of these is described in the report. Key themes are brought together in the booklet Working together, working smarter (qv).
The climate of research
The findings from detailed interviewing of senior managers in 46 UK public library authorities are outlined in the report, giving a picture of current attitudes to the use of research in decision-making, obstacles to the initiation and implementation of research, and views about effective research dissemination channels.
The way forward
The final section of the report sets the project in the context of public library research since the 1970s and demonstrates the current realisation of public library managers of the necessity of research-based decision-making. It puts the need for research into the context of strategies from the Library and Information Commission (LIC) and directives from central government. Future options for the dissemination of public library research and the continuation of the project’s effective research skills courses are discussed in the report, and recommendations made.
Appendices to the report include research instruments, select bibliography and list of supporting course and administrative documentation supplied to LIC with the report.
Publications
Ashley, K., Nankivell, C., Chivers, B. Developing research in public libraries. Assignation, 15(3), 1998, 24-7.
Chivers, B., Thebridge, S. Best Value in Public Libraries: The Role of Research. Library Management, 21(9), 2000, 456-465.
Matthews, G. Research into practice for public libraries. LIC Research Bulletin, Sunmmer 1999, (1), 11, ISSN 1466 2930.
Matthews, G., Nankivell, C., Thebridge, S. Research training and public library management. In: Klasson, M. et al. (eds). New Fields for Research in the 21st Century: Proceedings of the 3rd British-Nordic Conference on Library and Information Studies 12th-14th April 1999. Borås, Sweden: The Swedish School of Information Studies, University College of Borås, 1999, 272-283.
Mynott, G., Thebridge, S., Shoolbred, M. A Distance Learning Course in Research Skills for Public Librarians – An Evaluation. New Library World, 101 (1159), 2000, 315-324.
Nankivell, C & Thebridge, S. Research is everyone’s business. Public Library Journal, Autumn 1999, 14(3), 65-66, ISSN 0268 893X.
Nankivell, C. Public librarians will no longer be research’s poor relations. BLRIC Research Bulletin, Summer 98, (20), 11, ISSN 1366 6525.
Thebridge, S. Worth the loss of a Saturday. BLRIC Research Bulletin, Spring 1999, (22), 5. ISSN 1366 6525.
Thebridge, S., Nankivell, C., Matthews, G. Developing Research in Public Libraries. Library and Information Commission Report 24. London: Library and Information Commission, 1999. ISBN 1902394119
| Project Team: | Course Development and Delivery |
|---|---|
| Dr Graham Matthews (January 1998-) | Barbara Chivers |
| Prof. Judith Elkin (-December 1997) | Michael Shoolbred |
| Clare Nankivell | John Hinks (consultant) |
| Stella Thebridge (March 1998 - ) | Debbie Denham |
| Karen Ashley (-February 1998) | Karin Richter |