The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has launched LONGITUDE: a toolkit of resources for public library staff to evaluate the long-term impact of IT-based services on users.
Public libraries have been transformed by the People's Network, attracting new users and providing new services via 32,000 computer terminals across the UK's 4200 public libraries. In the past year alone, visits to public libraries increased by 14 million.
New ICT services are having a marked impact on library use. It is important to be able to measure these benefits over a period of time, especially as users become more and more familiar with ICT and all it has to offer. The LONGITUDE toolkit will enable library staff to do just that.
The toolkit has been developed by the Centre for Research in Library & Information Management (CERLIM) at the Manchester Metropolitan University, in partnership with Birmingham Public Libraries and Cheshire County Libraries, where the toolkit was piloted.
Chris Batt, Chief Executive of MLA said: "There is already an excellent range of survey resources to take snapshots of activity and impact, but nothing which will help libraries look at impact on users over a period of time. This is the final piece of the evidence-gathering jigsaw."
Professor Peter Brophy, Director of CERLIM said: "We were delighted to be given the opportunity to work with MLA on this project which has provided practical tools for library staff to use locally to understand how their users are responding to services they offer through the People's Network. Being able to respond to changing needs is vital to success."
LONGITUDE is available at http://www.mla.gov.uk/action/pn/longitude.asp
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Notes to Editors:
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is the national development agency working for and on behalf of museums, libraries and archives, advising the government on policy and priorities for the sector.
MLA's roles are to provide strategic leadership, to act as a powerful advocate, to develop capacity and to promote innovation and change. MLA is leading the implementation of Framework for the Future, the government's vision for English public libraries over the next ten years.
Museums, libraries and archives connect people to knowledge and information, creativity and inspiration. MLA is leading the drive to unlock this wealth, for everyone. For further information visit the MLA website at www.mla.gov.uk
The People's Network, a £120 million lottery-funded project to connect all 4200 libraries to the internet, represents the biggest single investment in the 150-year history of the public library service and a significant supplement to local authorities' existing annual library budgets. It was managed in England by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and completed in 2004, on time and in budget.
An independent evaluation published in November 2004 reveals the scale of the transformation of the library service as a result of the People's Network. It focuses on feedback from library staff and from users themselves, in 16 detailed case studies. It suggests that users are overwhelmingly positive about ICT in libraries. The majority of those questioned said it would be difficult or impossible to access the internet if their library did not provide this service. Even those with a computer at home valued the support, guidance and technical assistance available in their local library. For further details, please go to: www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk
The Centre for Research in Library and Information Management (CERLIM) was established in 1993 to undertake a wide range of research in the field, with a focus on technological and social issues. The Centre moved from the University of Central Lancashire to The Manchester Metropolitan University in 1998. www.cerlim.ac.uk
