Not just books - A library for all - Comparative study

Norway-8-11 May Comparative Study about libraries

Grundtvig 2Project |Not Just Books:Library for all


2Project | Not Just Books: Library for all

Comparative study about work, tools and skills in the libraries in each country for lifelong learning

The Public Reading Libraries and lifelong learning-an approach, different realities


Project | Not Just Books:Library for all

Methodology• written questionnaire, in English

language sent by e-mail to Norway and Sweden

• written questionnaire, in latvian language sent by e-mail to Latvia

• written questionnaire, in portuguese language sent by e-mail to Portugal

• information when requested by phone



Sample


LATVIA LATGALE REGIONPOPULATION 364 343 INHABITANTS

AREA 14 594 KM2LIBRARIES 13

RATIO 1LIBRARY PER 28 026,38 INHABITANTS

http://www.li.lv/images_new/images/lv_novadu_karte.jpg


NORWAY HORDALAND TYLKERPOPULATION 448 343 INHABITANTS

AREA 15 450KM2LIBRARIES 33

RATIO 1 LIBRARY PER 13 586,15


PORTUGAL DISTRITO DO PORTOPOPULATION 1 817 986 INHABITANTS


RATIO 1 LIBRARY PER 100 999,22 INHABITANTS


SWEDEN STOCKOLM LÄNPOPULATION 1 640 389 INHABITANTS


RATIO 1 LIBRARY PER 60 755 INHABITANTS

http://www.map-of-sweden.co.uk/large-political-sweden-map.htm

http://www.map-of-sweden.co.uk/large-political-sweden-map.htm



Country Administrative

or politic Division

Population Area km2

Total of libraries

Libraries per

inhabitant

Latvia Region 364 343 14 549 13 1

28 026 ,38

Norway Tylker 448 343 15 450 33 1

13 586,15

Portugal Distrito 1 817986 3 395 18 1

100 999,22

Sweden Lan 1 640 389 6 519 27 1

60 755



• Questionnaire with 8 pages

• 15 main questions Guardianship Framing Building Area Comfort Accessibility Sign language Period of functioning Services Qualitative characterization of

the collection

Activities Staff Cooperation Publicizing of the services

and the conditions of accessing them

New basic skills Selection and

management of collection



• Objectives of the comparative study

Know the work of libraries in different countries for lifelong learning



contacted libraries

90

libraries that responded to the questionnaire

35 38,8%



country Libraries contacted

libraries respondents

% weight of each country in the sample

Latvia 13 13 100% 34%

Norway 33 5 15% 13%

Portugal 18 14 72% 36,8%

Sweden 27 6 22% 15,7%



• Guardianship

Municipality

country %Latvia 85,7%

Norway 40%

Portugal 100%

Sweden 100%



• Framing

Most of libraries belong to a network

country National Network

Regional Network

Municipal Network

Any Network

Latvia 35,7% 21,4% 42,8% 7,14

Norway 20% 40% 40% 0

Portugal 66,6% 8,33% 21,42% 14,2%

Sweden 16,6% 33,3% 50% 0



• BuildingMost of the buildings erected or modified specifically

for libraries belongs to Portugal

country Built or adapted specifically for library

Built or adapted for library and other services

Latvia 21,42% 64,28%

Norway 0 100%

Portugal 71,42% 21,4%

Sweden 33% 66,6


Project | Not Just Books: Library for all

• Area

country area %

Latvia 100/500m2 64,28%

Norway 1000/ 1500 m2 60%

Portugal 2000/2500 m2 28,5%

Sweden 2500/3000m2 50%



• Comfort

All libraries have a heating system All reading /consulting rooms receive natural light Libraries furniture and decorative elements are in good

state of conservation All buildings have an adequate lighting system Most of the Latvian libraries do not have air conditioning


Project | Not Just Books/Library for all

• Accessibility

All Norwegian libraries have only one floor

Portugal has the largest number of libraries with more than 2 floors : 42,2%



Latvia: only 7,14 % libraries possess an elevator

Portugal: only 64,28 libraries possess an elevator

All Sweden libraries with than one floor have elevator



In the outside of the building have slopes for wheel chairs?

Latvia:64,28%

Norway:40%

Portugal:64,28%

Sweden:33,3%

Our libraries need to pay more attention to external access of entry motivating to come who have difficulties in locomotion



Presence of the library in town

note a curious case: in Norway there are not an indication of the direction of the library in their cities & townsAll Portuguese town & cities has the library direction In Latvia only 35,71% has the library directionIn Sweden 66,6% has the library directionTo guide public and gain customers is very important to have information in localities indicating the path to the library



• Period of functioning Some Latvians and Swedish libraries are opened in

Sunday. All Portuguese and Norwegian libraries close in Sunday

Only Portuguese libraries are opened after 8 pm -21,5%

The libraries that have fewer work hours per week are the Norwegian 80% work 3-4,5 days per week



• Per week the library is opened:

country <20h 30h-40h 41h-50h 51h-60h >61h

Latvia 28,5% 42,5% 28,5%

Norway 80% 20%

Portugal 35,7% 28,5% 21,42%

Sweden 33,33% 50% 16,6%

For lifelong learning, especially during the working life of citizens is very important that libraries have extended opening hours



ServicesThe classics services of reading and

consultation of books and newspapers are present in all libraries

Only all Swedish libraries have consultation and reading e-books and audio books.



It is possible listening music or watching a dvd or video in:

85% Portuguese libraries 41% Swedish libraries40% Norwegian libraries 39% Latvian libraries



Borrow of books Almost Latvian libraries borrow books-85,7% Almost Portuguese borrow books -85,7% All Swedish and Norwegian libraries borrow books -

100%•Borrow books for reading at home is very important for those who work and need to update a document or if they want learn more about some subject.



InternetAll libraries have Internet for the users and

his consultation is free. Some libraries in Portugal and Sweden

enable its consultation outside the hours of work.



All libraries have a catalogue and it is available in Internet in many libraries. Have the catalogue in the Internet allows the user to know from any point if the document that he needs is available in his library. When the library includes a collective catalogue that information is more complete

Country Catalogue on line available in Internet

Collective catalogue with other institutions

Latvia 100% 64%

Norway 100% 100%

Portugal 28,5 42,8%

Sweden 100% 83,3%



Diffuse selective information This is a service of great importance for lifelong learning because it

allows the user to be informed almost automatically about the entry of documents on topics of his interest

country DSI

Latvia 57%

Norway 80%

Portugal 50%

Sweden 50%


Project | Not Just Books:Library for all Library out of doors looking for users privated from going

to library (jails, hospital, day centers for old people, rural and remote areas)

Country Service for reading in hospital

Service for reading in jails

Service in day centers for old people

Itinerants libraries

Poles

Latvia 14% 35,7% 42,8% 42,8 57%

Norway 0 0 40% 20% 0

Portugal 21% 14% 28,5% 57% 57%

Sweden 16,6% 0 50% 16% 100%



Services for Disable people >blind

Country Impression equipment in Braille language

Computers with speech synthesizer

Computers with suitable

keyboards

Printed catalogue in Braille of documents

in Braille

Free available the catalogue in Braille

Latvia 42% 14% 7% 0 0

Norway 0 20% 0 0 0

Portugal 21% 21% 14% 21% 21%

Sweden 100% 100% 50% 33% 33%



Provision of equipment and software for the realisation and print texts (schoolar work, academic work, curricula, etc)

Provide tools for the development of texts and its printing shall be a service of this libraries allowing those who do not possess such equipment the possibility of use in their personal and professional life (for example to write and print a letter of application for a new job)

Country Computers and software

Equipment for impression

Latvia 50% 57%

Norway 80% 0%

Portugal 86% 86%

Sweden 100% 100%



Library collectionThe monographs are the most significant

part of the collection in almost libraries consulted, next is multimedia and finally periodics

Documents in foreign language Only 1 swedish library and 2 Portuguese

do not have documents in foreign language



All libraries have documents addressed to individual non-formal learning, like language courses, cook courses, manuals with exercises and the solutions, do yourself, etc.

All libraries have documents to support the formal education-dictionaires, grammars.



Activities

The library promotes regularly activities for adult people?

Country Yes%

Latvia 100%

Norway 40%

Portugal 78%

Sweden 83%



The activities carried out in great number are exhibitions about writers, literature and varied affairs, conferences about literature, lectures, guided visits to the library,meeting with writers.



How the community knows the existence of the library?

What means of dissemination use the library to make known its services?

How do the users know the conditions to access the library?



country Norms approved by the qualified entities

Translated

Regulation

Possess an agenda or a programme for monthly activities

The library have a web page

Latvia 100% 0 92,8 50%

Norway 100% 20% 60% 80%

Portugal 78,5 0 85,7 100%

Sweden 66,6% 33% 100% 100%



Country Possess an agenda or a programme for monthly activities

Latvia 92,8

Norway 60%

Portugal 85,7

Sweden 100%



Forms of disclosure of the monthly programme of libraries in each country

Country In joint publication edited by the tutorial organism

In the web page

Posters distributed in the city

Letter sent to the schools

Local radios

Local periodicals

Pamphlets

Latvia 7% 42,8% 35,7% 14% 7% 21% 35,7%

Norway 0 60% 40% 20% 20% 20% 0

Portugal 64% 85,7% 28,5% 64% 28% 35,7% 42,8%

Sweden 16,6% 100% 83% 33% 16,6% 50% 83%



New basic skills All the libraries are equipped with computers connected

to Internet and its consultation are free.

Generally the staff was trained to deal with new technologies and help users in their difficulties

However Portugal has the lowest percentage, only 42.8% of the employees received training in the area of new technologies



As regards the provision of Internet and other tools outside the openning hours (using a card as in the ATM machines, for example) Portugal has the highest rate-50%

In Latvia any library provides this service



Selection and management of collection All libraries accept suggestions from users to

acquire new documents. The suggestions of users has an annual weight,

in the new acquisitions, between 0.5% and 6% All libraries inform the user of the intended

document admission. Portugal and Latvia prefer the telephone, Sweden and Norway prefer the e-mail to contact the user.



This is a first reading and analysis of the results of the questionnaires

In this approach we can conclude that our libraries are prepared to be active partners in lifelong learning, because this institutions work for all the people and not only for students.These activities and services need to be better disclose in their communities.



• Freedom, prosperity and the development of society and of individuals are fundamental human values. They will only be attained through the ability of well-informed citizens to exercise their democratic rights and to play an active role in society. Constructive participation and the development of democracy depend on satisfactory education as well as on free and unlimited access to knowledge, thought, culture and information.

• The public library, the local gateway to knowledge, provides a basic condition for lifelong learning, independent decision- making and cultural development of the individual and social groups. IFLA/UNESCOPublic Library Manifesto1994

Joaquim Garrido



THANK-YOU


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Not just books - A library for all - Comparative study