Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Natrona County Public Library'

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1992.
Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2930. Abstract precedes thesis as [1] preliminary leaf. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-60).

Existing research has focused on the financial challenges affecting public libraries and how to improve library efficiency and funding. However, it is unknown how financial diversification could improve the economic fortunes of public libraries. The purpose of this study was to illuminate the unique structural, legal, and operational dynamics associated with adopting a financial diversification strategy in the Clayton County Library System (CCLS), Georgia, and to explore what would support or hinder the implementation of such a strategy. Using modern portfolio theory, the research explored how the CCLS could diversify its funding sources. A qualitative single-case study was conducted to gather information from a sample of library personnel: 2 library directors, 7 assistant directors, 6 branch managers, and 3 grant writers. Budget documents and meeting minutes over a 3-year period were also reviewed. The data were analyzed using a content analysis method, and were coded inductively. Interview data were triangulated with the results of a review of budget documents, meeting minutes, and related literature. Study findings revealed that financial diversification was an effective strategy for the participants in this study, but such diversification would be complex for the broader CCLS because of stakeholders' concerns about CCLS's organizational characteristics, legal frameworks, and management attitudes. The study findings may be used as a basis for further empirical investigations on adoption of financial diversification plans in public libraries. Positive social change is expected to result from this study because it provides useful data to policymakers, library administrators, and other stakeholders seeking ways to sustain public library funding.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1996.
Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2951. Typescript. Abstract precedes second title page. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-110).

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 2003.
Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2935. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as preliminary leaves ii-iii. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-101).

This study explores perceptions of interorganizational collaboration through an investigation of the opinions and actions of a public library and three community-based organizations. Interorganizational collaboration is often viewed as an effective strategy for accomplishing objectives that would not otherwise be possible with a single organization. Particularly for complex societal issues such as adult literacy, researchers and practitioners believe collaboration between organizations is necessary in order to achieve desired outcomes. Public libraries are engaging in collaborations also to extend their reach, establish the library’s relevance, increase community involvement, and advocate for their position as a community asset. This thesis is a case study of one such library and its community partners. In 2005, Oregon’s Multnomah County Library (MCL) developed a strategic plan that included helping adults reach their personal literacy goals. Recommendations for the implementation of adult literacy services included advice against the library becoming a direct service provider and advocated instead for the use of community relationships in order to pool resources, generate new ideas, and improve access to services. This thesis explores how MCL and three employment agencies envision and enact collaboration, and how they perceive and engage with each other as partners or collaborators. Semi–structured, open–ended interviews with central players at MCL and staff from three employment agencies formed the basis of this research. These thirteen participants represented multiple perspectives on adult literacy and collaboration in the library and its community. Participants’ responses were coded and organized according to themes found in the literature, and additional themes emerged from significant topics in the interviews. Analysis consisted of comparing and contrasting the themes with existing theory and across participants, determining patterns and relationships, and developing a framework for understanding the perceptions of collaboration held by the library and its community. Although the collaboration literature distinguishes between partnership and collaboration, the participants in this study used both terms interchangeably. However, they typically referenced and had experience with relationships between individuals (partnership) as opposed to relationships between organizations (collaboration). Participants indicated that the role of the individual, characterized by the importance of a personal connection and the effort required to engage in partnership or collaboration, was the most important factor in building working relationships. Considering that participants typically described relationships between individuals as representative of collaborations or partnership, a logical consequence is that an individual contributes significantly to the process. Other findings of this study focused on the differences between how MCL perceived its role as a partner and how the employment agency staff perceived the library as a partner. Although the community participants believed in the benefits of collaboration, they did not often pursue collaboration, and they did not see the library as a partner. Conversely, engaging with the community was part of the library’s mission, and each library participant confirmed that the goal of the library was to reach out to those who did not already know about the library. Three factors that shaped the process of partnering with the library were used as a framework for exploring the different perspectives held by the library and the community participants. Through an exploration of the library’s goals for community engagement, the library as a resource, and the library meeting community needs, this study found that the community participants perceived barriers to using the library as a resource and didn't realize that the library wanted to help them meet their needs. Implications of these findings for libraries and communities include the need for clarification of goals for collaboration and type of collaboration. Through a concrete awareness of the objectives for each collaborative endeavor, the library and community agencies can better understand the initial effort and resources required. Because the employment agencies did not see the library as a partner, the library may have to lead the process of engaging with the community, helping the community identify its needs, and explicitly linking library resources to specific community needs. Suggestions for future research include investigation into individuals who seek partnership or collaboration, specific information about initial interactions between individuals that eventually leads to collaboration, and the importance of linking the collaboration research to the public library setting.

The digital era has led to technical advances that have transformed the role of the public library from being a place that is used only through physical visits and material, into also being a virtual space that can be accessed by users from outside the library through Internet-based access to e-media such as e-books and streamed or downloadable audiobooks. The aim of this study is to examine how the role of public libraries in Stockholm County has changed in the process of developing into digital libraries: how this has affected their organisation, work methods and strate- gies, as well as their accessibility. The theoretical framework of the study draws on Michael K. Bucklands theory of information accessibility, which is based on six factors of access that are determined by different types of barriers. The methodology is based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Primary data was gathered through an empirical survey, which consisted of a structured questionnaire distributed to most of the public libraries in Stockholm County and semi-structured interviews with selected librarians and experts for further in-depth understanding. Secondary data in the form of literature and documents were used to inform the study conceptually and theoretically. The results indicate that the digital library has led to increased accessibility of public libraries in Stockholm County supported by the existence of a broad range of e-media types for different types of user such as e-books and streamed or downloadable audiobooks. The use of digital resources has increased significantly amongst users in recent years, which has also resulted in new work methods concerning information- and knowledge mediation in order to make these available. While the digital library has resulted in improved accessibility, the research also confirmed various types of barriers, such as technical difficulties and varying levels of resources to respond changing demands. The research was undertaken for a two-year master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

碩士
朝陽科技大學
建築系建築及都市設計碩士班
101
Miaoli County Gongguan Township Public Library was constructed 30 years ago, and has been a regional library of high use rate in Gongguan Township. However, it was assessed as a dangerous building. The on-site inspection found that Gongguan Township is an adorable and friendly small township, which is the residence of the Hakkanese. According to the library journal “Ai-liau-ē,” this library is the place where local residents can interact and communicate with one another. In addition to offering the basic functions of inquiry and reading, general libraries should also be equipped with community activity rooms, as well as reading and leisure spaces designed for children and teenagers in the neighboring community. This design theme of reading township is composed of three elements: books, green and community knit. Books represent the basic functions of library. To enable library users to interact with one another in a reading space, it is necessary to integrate people-oriented concept and community affections of residents into the design. Green represents the extension of surrounding greenbelt. The courtyard of library is designed with green walls where the unique Hakkanese plant species are planted, representing the continuity of ancestral culture, the Hakkanese expectation to their offspring and the spirit of diligence. The extension of urban texture and greenbelt reflects the possibility of spatial design in library. The use of Hakkanese knit reflects the design spirit of library, and the interweaving between green walls and real walls reflect the aesthetic feeling of abstraction and reality. In addition, the design of stagger between space and light on the main wall also reflects the sense of interweaving between abstraction and reality. As opposed to public libraries, regional libraries in townships attach importance to regional service. In addition to providing the basic library functions, they should also pay attention to local residents’ need for use of public buildings. For example, regional libraries should take notice of local residents’ perception, identity and solidarity for buildings and environment to enable them to re-examine the public spaces that they are used to using from another perspective, experience the different aspects of interaction between building and space and achieve the objective of uniting local residents in a township.

碩士
南華大學
文化創意事業管理學系文創行銷碩士班
103
As the service sector flourishes, consumers have ever higher standards for service qualities. Employees in public libraries in turn will also strive hard to improve their service qualities. With the hope that the study may provide a basis for public libraries to improve their service qualities, this study seeks to understand whether there exist significant differences between expectations and actual experiences relating to the quality of librarian services, the library's collections and resources, and the physical environment and library facilities. Using the Llibrary in Yunlin County as subject, the study investigates library users’ expectations and actual experiences relating to the quality of services, the library's collections and resources, and the physical environment and library facilities with a survey that contains 22 questions. The study shows that expectations and actual experiences differ significantly in all three aspects, illustrating that there is indeed a gap between present service quality and that expected by library users. Statistical analysis shows that library users have the highest expectation for “physical environment and library facilities” and lowest one for “library’s collections and resources” in terms of expectation, while users’ actual experiences are best in the dimension of “physical environment and library facilities” and worst in the dimension of “library’s collections and resources”. In terms of idealness (optimality) (expectation less actual experience), “quality of services” is most ideal while “physical environment and library facilities” is least ideal. The conclusion and suggestions are provided to public libraries in the hope that it could serve as a reference for improving service qualities and distributing resources.

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
圖書資訊學研究所
94
The purpose of this study was to explore the life path of the commune in their everyday life, and the relationship with the institutions in the community. The most important is to find out the role of the public library in their life path. According to the purpose, the study based upon the methodology of ethnography. ‘Dongshih Township of Chiayi County’ was selected as the field of this study, and the field investigation was conducted from July 2004 to October 2004. Participant observation and interview were undertaken for the data collection. The result revealed that: 1.The path of everyday life is formed with the activities of the villagers in every time-space； 2.In accordance with the villagers’ needs, these paths interact with the surroundings and the institutions in the community. The specific information behavior was gradually formed by the process of satisfying the villagers’ needs； 3.A public library is an marginalization time-space； 4.People who hold the key to the time-space of the public library, and who have to rely on the public library will enter the public library. 5.People who don’t hold the key to the time-space of the public library tend not to enter the public library, though they have the demand to the public library; 6.The life path of the villagers determines the relationship to every time-space, and draws the borderline of every time-space. On the contrary, the time-space also affects the villagers’ daily path. Finally, according to the result of the study, some concrete proposals were provided for the public library and future research.

碩士
臺灣大學
圖書資訊學研究所
96
Public libraries have been changing and pursuing innovation for challenging the exponential increase of the information requirements within the information epoch, by means of applying marketing strategy to satisfy regular users’ demands and then to create added values for saving expenditure and employing limited resources. An Internet marketing plan for different groups of customers that will be more suitable for readers via the Internet, of which interaction, contingency, globalization, connection, customization, multimedia are to obtain library information resources economically and efficiently. The survey research was performed by an Internet questionnaire. We sent survey emails to 1000 randomly sampled internet member readers in Taipei County Library to fill up the questionnaire. The conceptual structures and content of the questionnaire that contained the marketing theories and application analyses in businesses, NGOs and libraries by organizing related literatures. Duration of collecting questionnaire is 14 days, since the day we sent the survey request emails as the starting date. The findings of the research: Internet reader highly recognized that Internet services in Taipei County Library, which are readers oriented Internet services highly suffice the requirements of Internet services, to save dramatically the cost of time and expenditure.While a reader sensed the value of information of being transmitted by the library, correspondingly raised their satisfaction and brand image. That also means the success of network marketing in the public library. The result of the survey presented that the majority of network members in the library were female, most of them were 30 something, and over 80% obtained college degrees. In the construct of usage behaviors, 76% of respondents have used Internet over 5 years, and 71% of them hooked up Internet almost every day. The services of online check out and network book was the most agreed item for saving much time in the library. Nevertheless, the most disagreed item was that the service would be chargeable for users. According to the synthesis of the analyses for the awareness of Internet services in Taipei County Library, there hereby are concrete conclusions as below: The marketing target markets in Taipei County Library consisted of (1) the primary target market aims the higher degree educated young female readers with familiar Internet skills (2) the potential target market aims teenage readers. The Internet marketing strategic factors were categorized into 3 classes: (1) Core factors: Convenience of operation in the library web site and abundances in the library Internet services. (2) Secondary factors: Personalization network promotion platform, awareness of prices and Interaction of information communication. (3) General factors: Degrees of involvement and experience about Internet services. We defined the Internet application service marketing strategies by the principle of Internet marketing target market and strategic factors that are: (1) Reformation with simplification of Internet information services (2) Construction of abundant living, literature, and traveling issues that associated with subjective resources networks (3) To push a personalized network platform by the main stream technologies (4) Value multiplied added Internet information service without the load of charging (5) An interactive Internet information service platform provided expertise solutions with soft communication skills (6) Accessibility of Internet information services for the disability.

For school libraries to sufficiently contribute to better information skills’ development and creation of a culture of lifelong learning among students, they require backing through well articulated policies both at national and individual school level. This study investigated the prevailing status of school libraries in public secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. Using a survey research design, with a response rate of 68% for school principals and 66% for school librarians, this study established that although the majority of the schools had school libraries, these were individual schools’ efforts. There were no government policies on school libraries and most of the schools lacked explicit library policies. Additionally, they had not embraced contemporary trends in technology and the major impediment was lack of financial support. The study concluded that school libraries in Nairobi County were inadequately resourced and supported and recommended that the government of Kenya should come up with national policies that will entrench school libraries in the education system.
Information Science
MA (Information Science)

碩士
南華大學
管理科學研究所
94
The gist of this study is to explore the recognition and the real feeling of library efficiency target from the point of view of the readers and the librarians, and also to understand the requirements from the readers and the librarians for the efficiency target of a library. 　 　　This study employs the questionnaire method and takes the readers and the librarians of town libraries in Yunlin County as the survey objects; the following conclusions are the result of this study: 　 1. The readers and the librarians are apparently different in the recognition of various services of public libraries and in the feeling of actual satisfaction, and which appears that the service efficiency of public libraries couldn''t meet people''s expectations. 　 2. The result of the structure phase analysis for the category of public library services appears that the views of the importance of library various service recognition of the readers and the librarians are inconsistent, and the libraries should communicate to look for the solution for the different views in both the readers and the librarians to aggressively improve for enhancing the efficiency. 　 3. The result of comparison in readers and librarians as to both the recognition of various services of public libraries and the feeling of actual satisfaction with services shows that both have no evident different views in the overall library service performance; the comparison for each of the twenty Hsiang/Town libraries appears that the readers and the librarians are apparently different in the recognition of various services of libraries, and in the assistance of library businesses, it should be done according to the difference in each library respectively.

碩士
臺灣大學
圖書資訊學研究所
95
Libraries as enterprises are service industry and deliver customer value more consistently and effectively than other rivals, so to make customer to feel highly satisfy to the products and service of libraries is the most original way to make long-term relationship with customers. From the model that enterprise developed customer knowledge management to advance customer relationship management, libraries should actively and effectively manage their customer knowledge to know their customer and have customer knowledge so that they provide the right service and products to the customers in real time. Furthermore, the development of customer knowledge management to make librarians share each other their experience on customer service, so they can control the workflow and efficiency more quickly. This research is a case study of Taipei county Library, to discuss the process of customer knowledge management in public libraries and to realize the revealing, sorting, sharing, feedback of customer knowledge in a library organization by interviewing executive officers and five service librarians. In the process of interviewing executive officers, we found that they expect the librarians to concern about customers actively and encourage them to collect customer knowledge to understand customer’s thought and needs. In the process of interviewing service librarians, we found that they collect customer knowledge when they contact with customers, then they share customer knowledge with each other and feedback to manager. According to the outcome of interview, this research proposed the frame of customer knowledge management of Taipei county Library. From the outcome, we found that the manager think libraries as service industry and encourage the librarians to contact with customers and know them. The frame of customer knowledge management of Taipei county Library show that there are many way to reveal customer knowledge in Taipei county Library, including face to face, e-mail, massage on the website, telephone and letter communicate with customer, as well as the librarians talking and reacting with customer. The librarians found the conversational and observational customer knowledge by these ways, further, they realized customer interest and prefer of reading in order to capture predictive customer knowledge. After revealing customer knowledge, the librarians will look for the suitable solution for the customer in the service and resource of library via their experience and position. Formal reference tool built by the library, for example, work books, regulation books, work diary, Q&A information on the library website, opinions shared between librarians through e-mail or chat with each other, individual librarian’s own resource, and problem-solving collection individual librarian created by himself, are the reference tool in the process of customer knowledge sorting. In the process of fitting customer’s need in resource and service, librarians not only insistently communicate with customers, but try to propose some service for them to choose, then realize their real need from their choice and find the problem-solving out. In order to know customer’s opinions after gaining library service and promote service according to their opinions, Taipei county Library will trace the reaction from customers through formal questionnaire or informal chat. After the librarians gain customer knowledge and experience, they share their own customer knowledge to other librarians and managers via e-mail, work diary, chat, or a discussion in conferences. In addition, the library invites the senior and superior librarians to share their experience in conferences. Now the resource of customer knowledge management in Taipei county Library is from the Q&A database created by themselves and the feedback from all readers. The managers already have a idea of information statistic analyzing and creating an on-line message board for all librarians in Taipei county. Furthermore, the librarians’ own experience are always in their minds, some librarians make their experience concrete by write a problem-solving collection. According to the outcome of research, we offer a proposal for customer knowledge revealing, customer knowledge sorting and suitable resource and service providing, and customer knowledge sharing and feedback. About customer knowledge revealing, we suggest the library should check relative regulation periodically, hold courses of how to use library, hold educational course for librarians periodically, and predict customer’s need. About customer knowledge sorting and suitable resource and service providing, we suggest the library should design a real time search database for customer service, make workbook, and investigate service satisfaction. About customer knowledge sharing and feedback, we suggest the library should encourage librarians to research customer service, hold an experience-sharing meeting for librarians periodically, hold an activity meeting for librarians, and recruit some superior volunteers.

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
圖書資訊學研究所在職進修碩士班
97
The aim of this research attempts to explore the effects of executing young children's reading in public library, which is a case study of giving an impetus to Bookstart project at Shalu library in Taichung. Shalu library which is the first public library in Taiwan executes Bookstart project since 2003. The researcher explores the families who participate in Bookstart project in (1) utilization of the library, (2) relevant behaviors toward infant reading activities, (3) parents' attitude and practice toward parent-kid reading, (4) the reading behaviors in the family, (5) participating expecriences. The method to carry out this research was using file analysis, questionnaire and interview. The participants in this research were forty families, in which twenty were bestowed reading bags in 2008 and fourteen joined the parent-kid book club and the rest of six participated in both bestowed reading bags and the parent-kid book club. The research results revealed that: 1.Families who continue to join the parent-kid book club will have highly frequency in using the resources of the library thereafter. 2.Infants who participated in the parent-kid book club had obviously progress in lexicon and interpersonal relationship. 3.Parents were interested in the parent-kid reading on account of Bookstart project; nevertheless, parents who attended the parent-kid book club executed parent-kid reading thoroughly. 4.The public libraries promoted infant reading and increased the reading opportunities for older infant, the utility rate of libraries toward adults as well as improved reading atmosphere entirely. 5.Although Bookstart project could give rise to parents' attention toward infant reading by means of giving free reading bag, the librarians needed to match extended activities, such as book clubs and appropriate book lists. Hence, it could assist parents and instant reading continually. Finally, this research provides some suggestions in executing Bookstart project for librarians and future researchers as references.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
By definition, homelessness refers to general understanding of people without a home or a roof over their heads. As consequences of a number of factors, homelessness has become a serious problem especially in cities throughout the United States. Homeless people are usually most visible on the streets and in settings like shelters due to the fact that their presences and activities in public spaces are considered illegal or at least “unwanted” by city officials and by members of the public. In response to this issue, activists throughout the country have worked tiresly on behalf of homeless people to demand policy changes, an effort that resulted in the passage of the homeless bill of rights in three states, namely Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Illinois. As I discovered through my fieldwork, in Indiana, the homeless, themselves, are currently lobbying for passage of a similar measure. Locating my fieldwork on homelessness in Indianapolis in two sites, the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library (the Central Library) and the IUPUI Library, I examine the use of library buildings as alternative temporary shelters and spaces where the homeless can organize for political change. As an Indonesian ethnographer, I utilized an ethnographic approach, which helped me to reveal “Western values” and “American culture” as they play out in the context of homelessness. In this thesis, I show that there is a multi-sited configuration made up of issues, agents, institutions, and policy processes that converge in the context of the use of library buildings by the homeless. Finally, I conclude that public libraries and university libraries as well can play a more important role beyond their original functions by undertaking tangible actions, efforts, engagements, and interventions to act as allies to the homeless, who are among their most steadfast constituencies. By utilizing public university library facilities, the homeless are also finding their voices to call for justice, for better treatment, and for policies that can help ameliorate the hardship and disadvantages of homelessness.

Small-scale Business Enterprises (SBEs) lack proper mechanisms for supporting the provision and access to business information that can nurture their development in Kenya. This study investigated the role that public libraries could play in supporting the development of SBEs in Meru County with a view to developing a model that would enable public libraries to effectively support the development of SBEs. The study used the pragmatic paradigm to explore the identified phenomena. It applied the mixed methods approach and survey research design; collected data from 355 SBEs, 21 staff from three public libraries and two staff from the enterprise development unit of Meru County. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. The response rate was 83.4% and 95% for SBEs and public library staff respectively. The descriptive and inferential statistics were used with the help of SPSS and Excel. Thematic analysis was applied on qualitative data. The study found that the factors that influence the development of SBEs are anchored in the environmental, cultural and personality factors of SBEs. SBEs have a myriad of business information needs which are sector-specific and cut across all the stages of business development. To fulfil these needs, most SBEs consult informal information sources and places. Technology-related tools were a popular means of accessing business information. Public libraries were poorly stocked with business information sources while business information services were in a desolate state. The study concludes that public libraries have facilitative and functional roles of providing business information solutions to SBEs by collaborating with like- minded stakeholders. The availability and accessibility of business information sources and services at public libraries is critical in addressing the information needs of SBEs. The study recommends repositioning of public libraries as business community development centres by providing value-based information sources and services. Public libraries need to revise their collection development policy, increase budget allocation, establish business information centres, seek partnerships, improve ICT facilities, ensure adequate staffing, engage business services librarians, open more libraries and widen their business outreach activities for effective support of SBEs. Policy framework and support systems for symmetrical access to business information, and entrepreneurial training for SBEs and for public library staff are needed. The proposed model of public library’s support for the development of SBEs is valuable and contribute to knowledge in business development.
Information Science
D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
A causa de la falta de acceso al español formal y al español escrito, es típico que después de dos generaciones de inmigrantes, los hispanos pierdan su competencia en español. La lectura voluntaria, cuando uno lee porque quiere, es utilizada como método de impedir la pérdida del español como lengua de herencia. El propósito de este estudio es investigar cómo la lectura voluntaria facilita la adquisición y el mantenimiento del español como lengua materna.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
This thesis is a study of how people in the nine counties of central Indiana learned, appreciated, and performed music from 1800 to 1840. A concluding proposal for a public history application of this research is included.