Public Libraries as Cultural Hubs in Disadvantaged Communities: Developing and Fostering Cultural Competencies and Connections

A cultural divide has been demonstrated in the United Kingdom, with disadvantaged individuals and communities known to be least likely to participate in cultural activities. Recognizing that low levels of cultural capital can present multiple barriers to cultural participation and that public libraries have an important cultural role in supporting and promoting learning and development, this article examines issues of cultural divide through the theoretical lens of cultural capital. Through analysis of examples of public library good practice in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States, this article addresses an understudied topic and advances our understanding of the sociocultural role of public libraries in stimulating cultural consumption, participation, and engagement in disadvantaged communities. The article also calls for further empirical research to support and operationalize cultural capital concepts in library practices

Moving Image Preservation and Cultural Capital

This article examines the changing landscape of moving image archiving in the wake of recent developments in online video sharing services such as YouTube and Google Video. The most crucial change to moving image archives may not be in regard to the collections themselves, but rather the social order that sustains cultural institutions in their role as the creators and sustainers of objectified cultural capital. In the future, moving image stewardship may no longer be the exclusive province of institutions such as archives and libraries, and may soon be accomplished in part through the work of other interested individuals and organizations as they contribute to and define collections. The technologies being built and tested in the current Internet environment offer a new model for the reimagined moving image archive, which foregrounds the user in the process of creating the archive and strongly encourages the appropriation of moving images for new works. This new archetype, which in theory functions on democratic principles, considers moving images???along with most other types of cultural heritage material???to be building blocks of creative acts or public speech acts. One might argue that the latter represents a new model for creating an archive; this new democratic archive documents and facilitates social discourse.published or submitted for publicatio

Influences on the Choice of Library Science Graduate Study: An Examination of Cultural and Social Capital, Economic Factors, Gender, and Race

The demographics of the library and information profession in the United States, which is primarily White and female, do not reflect the diversity of the population and those libraries serve. To further the understanding of who chooses library science graduate programs and how one might take social justice actions for more diversity, this study employed a post-positivist, quantitative study blended with critical theory. The study used Perna’s college choice model, which considers cultural capital, social capital, and economic factors as influential on college choice decisions. The study utilized a secondary data set, the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 2008/2012 data set from the National Center for Education Statistics, to find the characteristics of library science graduate students from the overall sample of 17,160 students from 1,730 participating higher education institutions. The use of logistic regression determined odds ratios for the influence of various cultural, social, academic, and economic factors on the decision to enroll and found cultural and social capital, and economic factors influence decision making. Findings included, in addition to the underrepresentation of non-Whites and males, less odds on enrollment by first-generation students, those with dependents, and those attending non-doctoral institutions as undergraduates. A critical theory lens provided guidance for creating a framework for diversity in libraries action plan to use as a tool for planning social justice actions to increase and retain representation among the groups identified in the study

Korean Immigrants’ Perceptions of Library Services and Library Multicultural Programs for Asian Communities Before and During COVID-19

This study explored 141 Korean immigrant parents’ use of local libraries to enhance their families’ social and cultural capital and adjust to the host country. We searched resources in Korean, and multicultural programs planned for the public and immigrants, Asian immigrants in particular, at two libraries before and during COVID-19. Parents reported dissatisfaction with library services because of language barriers (38%) and the lack of Korean resources (38%) and cultural programs (25%). Except for 18 books and 24 e-resources, no library resources in Korean were published after 2008. Before COVID-19, one multicultural program was offered for children. At Branches B and C, the number of adult programs related to Asian culture decreased to 0% from 6% and increased to 3% from 0%, respectively, during COVID-19, when hate crimes against Asians increased by 77%. The respondents’ concerns about the lack of programs supporting their adjustment and fostering multicultural dialogue were validated

The public library, exclusion and empathy: a literature review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the literature within the fields of public librarianship, social exclusion and empathy. Design/methodology/approach – The cross-disciplinary review involved the consultation of material from disciplines including library and information management, politics, social policy and social sciences, cultural studies, psychology, management and organizational theory. It was structured according to the following themes: exclusion, inclusion and social policy, social inclusion in public services and the cultural sector, the role of public libraries in social inclusion and professional empathy and the public library service. Findings –The concept of social inclusion remains at the core of public library policy and strategy, and is embedded in contemporary social theory. Conflicting views have emerged as to the perceived and actual role of the public library in combating social exclusion, with a need expressed for research to be conducted that bridges the gap between the “philosophical” interpretations of community librarianship and the more practical, “real world” studies, in order to fully understand the concept of community librarianship. A critical link is made between social inclusion and public librarianship to professional empathy. Research limitations/implications – The paper provides an edited version of the overall literature review, yet it is felt that it would be of theoretical and practical relevance and value to the professional and academic communities. Originality/value – Empathy is a relatively new concept in librarianship research, and prior to the study of which this review forms a part only limited findings have been available

A weighted decision matrix for outsourcing library services

A study, funded by Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, was undertaken in 2000-2001 to give an up-to-date view of the current experience of outsourcing and externalization in libraries, museums and archives. Case studies of purchasers recognized as pioneers in the field, and of providers, were undertaken. As a result, this weighted decision matrix was developed as a tool for judging the suitability of library services for outsourcing. Illustrations of potential uses are given

Culture Clash: Symbolic Capital and the Limits to Open Access Journal Growth in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Each year brings more open access peer-review journals to the humanities and social sciences. Yet despite this proliferation, for-profit publishers continue to dominate, and hold the most prestigious journals in their portfolios, pushing the tipping point imagined by open access advocates seemingly out of reach. This project examines the social life of academic publishing to better understand the obstacles preventing a more robust turn to open access, one that does not simply mean more journals, but one that sees the more prestigious journals opting for an open access platform. Drawing on the work of cultural sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu, I examine social relations in the cultures of academic authors and open access advocates. While attention has been directed toward the importance of social status acquisition in the humanities and social sciences, I argue, open access initiatives too often fail to take this research into account, and, as a result, underestimate the durability of the social structures influencing author decisions when calling for a culture change in academic publishing. I also examines the culture of open access initiatives, to show how the composition of symbolic value within these projects can, at times, come to detract from the invitation they hope to extend to academia. Against a tendency to see academic publishing platforms as culture-less enterprises, I argue for a more reflexive approach, one that takes into account how contested conceptions of symbolic and cultural capital influence the decisions of authors and open access publishers. I conclude with a discussion possible changes to open access publishing, changes which may jump start the open access movement in the humanities and social sciences

Andrew Carnegie, World Making and the Logic of Contemporary Entrepreneurial Philanthropy

This paper focuses on the relationship between the business and philanthropic endeavours of world-making entrepreneurs; asking why, how and to what ends these individuals seek to extend their reach in society beyond business. We present an original model of entrepreneurial philanthropy which demonstrates how investment in philanthropic projects can yield positive returns in cultural, social and symbolic capital, which in turn may lead to growth in economic capital. The interpretive power of the model is demonstrated through analysis of the career of Andrew Carnegie, whose story, far from reducing to one of earning a fortune then giving it away, is revealed as more complex and more unified. His philanthropy raised his stock within the field of power, extending his influence and helping convert surplus funds into social networks, high social standing and intellectual currency, enabling him to engage in world making on a grand scale

Invest to Save: Report and Recommendations of the NSF-DELOS Working Group on Digital Archiving and Preservation

Digital archiving and preservation are important areas for research and development, but there is no agreed upon set of priorities or coherent plan for research in this area. Research projects in this area tend to be small and driven by particular institutional problems or concerns. As a consequence, proposed solutions from experimental projects and prototypes tend not to scale to millions of digital objects, nor do the results from disparate projects readily build on each other. It is also unclear whether it is worthwhile to seek general solutions or whether different strategies are needed for different types of digital objects and collections. The lack of coordination in both research and development means that there are some areas where researchers are reinventing the wheel while other areas are neglected. Digital archiving and preservation is an area that will benefit from an exercise in analysis, priority setting, and planning for future research. The WG aims to survey current research activities, identify gaps, and develop a white paper proposing future research directions in the area of digital preservation. Some of the potential areas for research include repository architectures and inter-operability among digital archives; automated tools for capture, ingest, and normalization of digital objects; and harmonization of preservation formats and metadata. There can also be opportunities for development of commercial products in the areas of mass storage systems, repositories and repository management systems, and data management software and tools.

The potential of generic social outcomes in promoting the positive impact of the public library: Evidence from the National year of reading in Yorkshire

Objective - To present the development, planning and implementation of a qualitative research project on the impact of National Year of Reading in Yorkshire. Methods - Generic Social Outcomes (GSO) were used to develop a theoretical framework. Data were gathered via in-depth interviews and focus groups with National Year of Reading (NYR) steering group partners in Calderdale and North Lincolnshire, selected as the two case study authorities. The use of MAXQDA computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) enabled data and coding structures to be stored and facilitated comparison in this longitudinal study. Results - The findings using the GSO framework show considerable evidence of NYR related activities in supporting the three first-tier social outcomes: 'Stronger and Safer Communities', 'Health and Well-Being' and 'Strengthening Public Life.' Conclusion - The GSO framework can be used by practitioners to help provide evidence for how public libraries contribute to diverse agendas and demonstrate their value to the community. Public library authorities can use this evidence for planning and for advocacy with a range of audiences including local and central government. © 2012 Rankin