This editorial discusses the concept of cultural capital and its relevance for cultural institutions and, specifically, libraries, gives an overview of the concept of cultural capital as first conceived by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and explores the three types of cultural capital he identified (embodied, objectified and institutional). The editorial examines how libraries might be considered sites for the production, dissemination and acquisition of cultural capital, focusing on their role of facilitating access to objectified cultural capital in particular and discusses how recent uses of the term cultural capital do not adhere closely to Bourdieu's theories but suggests, nevertheless, that the term is being used increasingly to justify continued government financial support for cultural services.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of community engagement within a public library contextDesign/methodology/approachThe paper analyses selected literature discussing the concept of community engagement, focusing particularly on that considering community engagement activities in public libraries. Key issues are illustrated using examples from the literature and data from an interview‐based study of public library practitioners and policy makers.FindingsThe evidence suggests that the public library is being positioned as a key community resource. Community engagement in public libraries includes: making the library space available for community activities; working in partnership with the voluntary and community sector as well as with other public services; involving volunteers in the delivery of library services; activities to support community involvement in various levels of decision making. The paper concludes that library services have been quite effective at involving local people in the simpler forms of community engagement, such as surveying their opinions and consulting them on a range of issues, but they could do more to support the development of community capacity building. Activities focusing on work with reading and books could provide a useful way forward.Originality/valueThe paper provides empirical evidence of the views of key stakeholders towards community engagement activities in public libraries and should be of use to policy makers, practitioners, researchers and students of the public library sector.
Although the issue of the divide separating the information rich from the information poor tends to be thought of in terms of the distinction between developed and developing countries, there exists a comparable dichotomy within developed countries separating those with easy access to an abundance of information and those with little or no access. However, the enormous efforts being made to find solutions to this problem in the UK, at various levels of local and national government and particularly in the field of citizenship information, is tending to make available more information than citizens can easily assimilate. The serious nature of this information overload problem has led to the coining of the term ”information fatigue syndrome” (IFS), said to cause paralysis of the analytical capacity, constant searches for more information, increased anxiety and sleeplessness and self-doubt in decision making. It is concluded that those suffering from information overload or IFS are at risk of suffering the same fate as the information poor. The information poor are unable to take action because they do not have necessary information that would enable them to take control. The information rich are similarly paralyzed because of their inability to create order from all the information washing over them. It may be necessary to think in terms of the information rich, the information poor and information burdened.
An investigation into the attitudes of public library staff in the UK towards the Internet involved use of a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research methods. The use of an attitude measurement model, an amended version of the technology acceptance model in a questionnaire survey is detailed here and its value to the study in question deliberated on. Quantitative results suggest that attitudes towards use of the Internet are strongly related to usefulness, intention and actual usage. Analysis of the quantitative results suggests that staff are generally positive in their evaluations of the Internet, although a minority of staff possess negative attitudes to ICT
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