This publication reports results from the project ‘When do library services function in rural areas? An interview investigation in Esbjerg, Varde, Ringkøbing-Skjern and Skive municipalities’. The project is about how library users evaluate local library services and how they think library service could be improved.
In recent years, there has been considerable public debate about the libraries in rural Denmark. The development has been characterized by centralizations. In this light, it has been relevant to investigate the attitude towards library service among users in rural areas. With this purpose in mind, the study attempted to answer the following questions: Do distance and opening times influence the use of library services? How do citizens utilize physical and mobile libraries? And which wishes do they express for the future?
The study is based on 74 interviews with 79 users physical and mobile (bus) libraries in the four mentioned municipalities’ rural areas. It shows that both the physical and mobile libraries have important functions in rural areas. The library busses go to small villages, where there never before have been library services. In some of these places, the mobile library is an important meeting place for the population. The study indicates that local physical libraries should be middle-sized, but still within reach. These libraries give the users an opportunity to absorption and access to a larger sample of the municipal librarian materials.
Main results:
- If the library service is more than 13 kilometres away, some of the users will stop using the library service;
- It is important that the opening times are tailored to the users’ everyday life;
- Opening times without staff can be used as a supplement;
- The atmosphere is an important factor at the libraries, therefore there should be taken care of different user groups with different needs, and some of whom can be characterized as individual oriented and socially oriented;
- The staff’s attitude and guidance have an effect on the atmosphere;
- The books are still attributed great importance, but electronic games and various internet services become more and more important, especially for the younger users.
Concerning the future, users wished for better opportunities to: use computers with internet access, have study places and have access to a larger material collection. At the same time, users found that it is important to preserve library service in order to have a friendly environment where it is easy to find things.
‘Local centralization’ can be a possibility to comply with recent structure changes within the Danish librarian sector. By local centralization is meant locating a physical library in a local community house with other functions, such as sports centres or public services as citizens’ service. The users found it useful that the library is located at a place where people already meet, that is, near shopping places, sports centres or primary schools.