The relationships between the expenditures and resources of public libraries and children’s and young adults’ use: An exploratory analysis of Institute of Museum and Library Services public library statistics data

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Children’s librarians have long recognized the value of libraries for the development of children and adolescents and have championed for appropriate funding to support programs and services targeted to children, adolescents, and families. Using data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Public Library Survey, this study examined the relationships between the expenditures and resources of public libraries and children’s and young adults’ use. Three groups of variables were chosen from the dataset to represent expenditures, resources, and children’s and young adults’ library use respectively. Correlation analysis results reveal that most of the expenditures and resources variables were significantly correlated with children’s and young adults’ library use in libraries of all sizes. Further, analyses of material circulation and program attendance rates reveal that children’s materials account for more than one-third of total library material circulations and 70% of public library program participants attend programs designed for children. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence to support the investment in library resources and services for children and young adults and are discussed in light of expansion of library services and programming focused on informal learning.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)307-316
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Librarianship and Information Science
Volume51
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2019

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Kentucky with a joint appointment in the School of Information Science in the College of Communication and Information and the Department of Educational Leadership Studies in the College of Education. Maria earned a Master of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina and a PhD in Literacy Education from the University of Tennessee. She teaches courses in school librarianship, educational technology, and leadership. Her research focuses on the literacy development of children and adolescents within the context of library services and programming. Her teaching and research have been supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the Texas Library Association.

Funding Information:
Soohyung Joo is an assistant professor in the School of Information Science and the College of Communication and Information at the University of Kentucky. He holds a PhD in Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He teaches courses in information seeking, digital libraries, information retrieval, and data analysis and visualization. His research areas include online information use, data analysis, information systems, and digital libraries. His recent research has been supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2017.

Keywords

  • Children
  • Institute of Museum and Library Services
  • library resources
  • public library
  • young adults

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Library and Information Sciences

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