The relationship between culture and public library use: non-Western students in Scotland

Salzano, Rachel; Hall, Hazel; Webster, Gemma

Abstract

Introduction - Individuals’ cultural backgrounds influence their use of societal resources, including those offered in public libraries. Well-established in library research are explorations of the benefits of public library use to new-comer communities, including migrant workers, immigrants, forced migrants, and international students. However, to date no research has been completed on why these communities use particular resources.
Methods - The project outlined in this poster concerns international students from nonWestern countries in Scotland. Using a mixed methods approach, the study presented will explore why international students from non-Western countries use specific public library resources, and the cultural factors that influence this use.
Analyses - Findings will derive from thematic analysis of participant responses in interview and questionnaire data.
Conclusion - An understanding of the perceived value of certain resources can assist in the effective tailoring of resources to serve new community members.

Citation

Salzano, R., Hall, H., & Webster, G. (2020, September). The relationship between culture and public library use: non-Western students in Scotland. Presented at ISIC (Information Seeking in Context) 2020, Pretoria, South Africa

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: ISIC (Information Seeking in Context) 2020
• Start Date: Sep 28, 2020
• End Date: Oct 1, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Dec 12, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Deposit Date: Jun 1, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 4, 2020
• Print ISSN: 1368-1613
• Publisher: University of Borås, Information Research
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 4 (supplement)
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.47989/irisic2035
• Keywords: culture, information behaviour, library use
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2665600