Que consultam os utilizadores das bibliotecas na Internet?

Aí está uma questão que por vezes é descorada pelos responsáveis das bibliotecas. É que cada vez mais pertinente a resposta a esta pergunta para melhor prestação da informação que os utentes procuram.
Este trabalho de Ann Curry que se debruça sobre o universo das bibliotecas públicas do Canada nomeadamente na Burnaby Public Library. É um bom ponto de partida para as nossas bibliotecas públicas e não só.


SUMMARY

The analysis of nearly 5,000 transaction log records comprising a sample
of one week’s use of the internet by Burnaby public library customers gives a clear
indication of the great diversity of motivations for internet use, and shows how the
internet can indeed supplement the library book and journal collections. The time slot
methodology introduced in this study proved to be very workable, and the results give a
much more well-rounded and accurate picture of the use which customers are making
of the Burnaby computers.
Since the previous study of Burnaby customer internet use in December of 1999,
it appears that customers are accessing far more news oriented web sites and that the
new electronic “clubs” – web communities – are growing rapidly in number. The
diversity of languages in the web sites accessed is greater and the number of sites
hosted in non-North American countries appears to have grown. The rate of email use
has remained relatively constant.
Burnaby’s internet terminals provide a window to world both for those who
venture no further away from home than the library itself and for those who come from a
wide range of international backgrounds and wish to check the state of war in their
home country or the latest soccer scores.
The transaction log analysis was carried out as one component in a community
needs assessment funded by Human Resources Development Canada. The overall
project was carried out in collaboration with the Adult and Continuing Education
Department of the Burnaby School District. The project was designed to provide
information on the use of computers and the Internet by Burnaby residents and to
identify their needs for computer training. For more information on the full needs
assessment contact Paul Whitney pwhitney@bpl.burnaby.bc.ca.

Ver a totalidade aqui.