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Community Members’ Perspective on Public Libraries as Places to Overcome Social Divisions: A Case Study in Oslo

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Wisdom, Well-Being, Win-Win (iConference 2024)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((volume 14597))

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Abstract

Public libraries are expanding their role with a growing emphasis on their potential to address a prominent contemporary social issue: overcoming social divisions. However, the perceptions of community members concerning libraries’ expanded role remain largely unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the experiences and perceptions of local community residents regarding public libraries’ role in mitigating social disparities. A case study was conducted at Deichman, a public library system in Oslo, using an online questionnaire focused on exploring the motivations behind library visits and identifying the library services deemed essential by residents. Based on 501 responses, the findings suggest that they predominantly associate libraries with their traditional roles of book lending and information provision, both in terms of their personal usage and the importance they attribute to various library services. In contrast, services aimed at bridging social divisions were not frequently deemed significant. Nevertheless, there were instances where respondents highlighted unique experiences facilitated by the library, including the connecting of diverse communities. These interactions are essential for reducing gaps in experiences and promoting mutual understanding among residents. It is anticipated that as more individuals encounter such transformative experiences, the overarching perception of public libraries will evolve accordingly.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP20H04479, JP21J10661.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Tsukuba, Kasuga 1-2, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Tomoya Igarashi & Masanori Koizumi

  2. Oslo Metropolitan University, St. Olavs Plass, P.O. Box 4, NO-0130, Oslo, Norway

    Jamie Johnston

Authors
  1. Tomoya Igarashi
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  2. Jamie Johnston
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  3. Masanori Koizumi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tomoya Igarashi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. iSchool organization, Berlin, Germany

    Isaac Sserwanga

  2. University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

    Hideo Joho

  3. Jilin University, Changchun, China

    Jie Ma

  4. Stockholm University, Kista, Sweden

    Preben Hansen

  5. Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

    Dan Wu

  6. University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

    Masanori Koizumi

  7. University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Anne J. Gilliland

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Igarashi, T., Johnston, J., Koizumi, M. (2024). Community Members’ Perspective on Public Libraries as Places to Overcome Social Divisions: A Case Study in Oslo. In: Sserwanga, I., et al. Wisdom, Well-Being, Win-Win. iConference 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14597. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-57860-1_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-57860-1_22

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-57859-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-57860-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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