Space, Power and the Public Library: A Multicase Examination of the Public Library as Organized Space

Griffis, Matthew R

doi:10.29173/cais563

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Symbolically the public library is democratic, open and inviting, but it is also an agency of institutional power which can constrain individual interaction and engagement with its spaces and services as these respondents described. This organizational trait of public libraries has not been studied in great depth though it is currently being examined in at least one research setting (Griffis, 2011). These political dimensions of the public library's space in their everyday uses by these boomers have been suggested (McKenzie et al, 2007) in previous work but are explicitly described by these respondents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Baby boomers, their elders and the public library

Cavanagh

Robbins²

2012

Library Review

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Purpose -Canada's aging population is expected to have an impact on all public institutions; for public libraries, the emergence of a large, multi-generational user group of older adults challenges the current paradigm of services to seniors. The purpose of this paper is to report on the reflections of a small sample of baby boomers and how the public library-as place contributes to their caring relationships with their elders. Design/methodology/approach -This study examined a subset of baby boomer library patrons who are in caring relationships with elders. The study is theoretically framed by the ethic of care and emerging theories of library-as-place grounded in human geography and sociology. An instrumental case study of seven carers in an urban Canadian city was conducted, using long form interviews. Findings -Findings suggest that while these baby boomer respondents value their libraries deeply, there is potential to create services and practices more attuned to the needs of older adults who are in relationships with elders. Research limitations/implications -As a single case of a small sample of baby boomers, this study is limited by its size, scope and geography. The direct voices of the elders could not practically be incorporated into this study and should be considered in future research. Originality/value -This study offers an alternate framework to library-as-place studies based on a specific profile of "older adult" library users. It examines the library needs and uses of a small but rapidly growing sector of many public library communities. Older adults can be seen by libraries as two distinct demographic groups -the very old (elders) and their younger peers (baby boomers).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Baby boomers, their elders and the public library

Cavanagh

Robbins²

2012

Library Review

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“…According to Griffis (2013), "The term library as place refers to, among other things, the study of libraries as built environments including their cultural, geographical, and historical contexts, as well as their representative properties as social, political and informational space" (p. 8). Much of the discussion on the conceptual role of library as place and its specific spatial functions has not always been defined on common terms, hindering the creation of a comprehensive picture.…”

Section: Challenges Of Library As Place Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Library as place: conceptual model for public libraries and their transition

Kawamoto

Koizumi

2022

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PurposeIn this information age, demonstrating the significance of physical libraries is increasingly important. The roles and functions of libraries have been discussed using the concept of the library as place in interdisciplinary perspectives. However, the overall structure of the concept is inadequate because there are multifaceted arguments; how the concept has changed is not clear either. The purpose of this study is to clarify the whole picture of the roles and functions of the library as place in public libraries and to show the transition of the roles and functions.Design/methodology/approachQualitative content analysis and time-series analysis were conducted using 175 related articles that mentioned the roles and functions of the library as a place.FindingsAn overall of 2,966 codes about library as a place was extracted and organised into a conceptual model, comprising 3 symbolic infrastructures (Wisdom, Heritage and Community), 11 categories (Intelligence, Creativity, Novelty, Culture and History, Neutrality, Equality, Empowerment, Publicness, Privacy, Sociability and Friendliness) and 30 subcategories. The study found that concepts of the library as place have developed rapidly since the 1990s, and roles have diversified from traditional ones.Originality/valueThe conceptual model of the library as place in this study, which integrates diverse perspectives such as physical spaces, activities and symbols, is the first of model's kind.

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“…The rising development of cities turns public library to be community center and attract new users. Library can perform as education environment, including cultural, geographical and historical context, as well as representative property as social, political and informational space (Griffis, 2013;Vårheim, 2008). Library provides program, meeting space for ideas and discussion, computer access and resources fulfilling public"s needs.…”

Section: Public Librarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Public Library in Kokoro Library Animated Series by Takagi Nobuyuki

Pujiyanti¹,

Laksmi²

2018

IRHS

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This paper elaborate the representation of public libraries in Kokoro Library animated series by Takagi Nobuyuki. The purpose of this research is to understand the representation of public library in the culture of Japanese society as in Kokoro Library animated series. This study is using semiotic method with Roland Barthes‟ syntagmatic-paradigmatic analysis. The result of this study is that public library is described as a very valuable part of the life of families in Japan. This is supported by the roles of the three main characters as librarians running their libraries located on the mountain, communicating with users, keeping valuable collections, promoting and finding ways to protect the library from being closed down. Not only the three main characters, but urban society also supports the existence of the library.

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Space, Power and the Public Library: A Multicase Examination of the Public Library as Organized Space

Cited by 5 publications

References 61 publications

Baby boomers, their elders and the public library

Baby boomers, their elders and the public library

Library as place: conceptual model for public libraries and their transition

Public Library in Kokoro Library Animated Series by Takagi Nobuyuki

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