Springfield Board of Library Commissioners:

Springfield Public Library & Museum Association Study

September 2002

Prepared by The Local Community Research Group Jeffrey Beemer
Michael DeCesare
Afshan Jafar

Local Community Research Group of the Social and Demographic Research Institute
University of Massachusetts
Michael Lewis Ph.D., Director

 

Table of Contents

Introduction

Methods

Participants

Characteristics of All Respondents

Respondents' Library-Use Patterns

Respondents' Library-Use Preferences

Children's Library-Use Patterns

Non-Users

Summary and Recommendations

Appendix A

Appendix B

 

List of Tables
Table 1	Table 9
Table 2	Table 10
Table 3	Table 11
Table 4	Table 12
Table 5	Table 13
Table 6	Table 14
Table 7	Table 15
Table 8	Table 16

Introduction

The Local Community Research Group at the University of Massachusetts conducted a study of Springfield, MA residents for the Springfield Library and Museums Association during the spring and summer of 2002. The purpose of this study was to identify and assess the following: 1) the library-use patterns that exist among Springfield residents at the various branch libraries; 2) the days and times when Springfield residents prefer their branch libraries to be open; 3) the services library patrons typically use at the various branch libraries; and 4) the preferences Springfield residents have for branch-specific and overall library accessibility.

Methods

This study reports on participant responses to a set of closed-ended survey questions. Using a randomly drawn replacement sample, the method employed was a telephone survey of Springfield residents 16 years old and over. A telephone survey virtually guarantees very high response rates because refusals can be randomly replaced until the desired number of completed interviews is obtained. While it is theoretically possible that a given population will not yield a sufficient number of random completions, this is an unusual circumstance and one that did not obtain in this particular study.

According to 2000 Census data, the population of Springfield is 152,082. Our final sample consisted of 629 Springfield residents. This sample size allows us to make estimations about the characteristics of the population of all Springfield residents within +/- 4%. We analyze a range of variables that include library-use patterns and preferences, as well as demographic factors that may have effects on use and preference patterns. Much of the following analysis requires that library users and non-users be treated separately. Since the sample is random and since replacements were randomly added the results reported are within the established confidence limits representative of both user and non-user categories.

Participants

Participants in this study represented a cross-section of ethnic, racial, income, and age groups. Nearly all of the respondents completed the interview in its entirety, with only 29 participants (4% of the total cases) ending the interview prematurely. It was decided to include the results of these interviews in the analysis, nevertheless, as they provide useful information regarding library-use patterns and demographic characteristics of residents who indicated whether they had used the Springfield libraries in the past year. The final data set, therefore, contains a small percentage of missing data, i.e., cases that represent a completed interview but contain only partial information.

Characteristics of All Respondents

The following is an overview of the demographic characteristics of all respondents in the study (see Table 1). (1) The average participant's age was approximately 43 years. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents were female (64%); just over half identified themselves as white or of Eastern European descent (53%); and approximately one-third identified themselves as African, African American, black (15%) or Latino, Chicano, Hispanic (19%). Seventeen percent of the sample had earned a college degree (B.A., B.S., etc.), while 13% had either a graduate or professional degree; and approximately one-half had either some college (23%) or had earned a high school diploma or GED (27%), while 14% had less than a high school education. (2)

The respondents were, by and large, evenly distributed across the three categories of annual household income. About a 5% difference separated participants from each of the three income categories. Twenty-eight percent of respondents reported an annual household income of less than $25,000, while approximately 23 percent reported annual household incomes of $50,000 or above. Splitting the difference between these two income categories were those with annual household incomes of between $25,000 and $49,999 (25%). Exactly one-fifth of the sample did not know their annual household income or refused to answer the question.

Table 1 (N=269)

(a) Some column percentages in this and other tables do not add up to 100% due to rounding and/or missing data.
(b) The sex of approximately 5% of the respondents could not be identified by the interviewer.
(c) This category includes the following races/ethnicities: Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander; Native American, North or South American Indian, or Alaskan Native; Bi-racial or Multi-racial

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Respondents' Library-use Patterns

This section describes respondents' library-use patterns and preferences. It should be noted that of the full sample (629 respondents) a little more than half of the participants (324 respondents, or 52%) indicated using the Springfield libraries in the past year. (3)

Just under 60 percent of respondents indicated having a current Springfield Library card. Not surprisingly, more people have a current Springfield Library card than have visited the libraries within the past year. While this figure does not necessarily predict library use, there is a moderate correlation between library card holders and library patrons who have used the libraries within the past year. In other words, if a Springfield resident holds a current library card, he or she is more likely than not to have visited the Springfield libraries within the past year. Table 2 shows this relationship.

Table 2

Approximately 85 percent of respondents who reported using the libraries in the past year hold a current library card, while approximately 63 percent of respondents who have not used the libraries in the past year do not have a current library card. On the other hand, approximately 12 percent of respondents who have used the libraries in the past year do not hold a current library card, while approximately 32 percent of respondents who have not used the libraries in the past year do have a current library card.

Of the 324 survey respondents who reported using a branch library in the past year, the percentages that use each branch are presented in Table 3. (4) Central Library was the most frequently visited branch, followed by Sixteen Acres. Fewer than 8% of library users mentioned another branch as the one they visited most often. For example, only 11 people reported visiting Brightwood in the past year, while 9 people reported using Liberty.

Table 3 (N=324)

Library patrons were also asked how often, on what day and during which hours they typically visit their branch library (see Table 4). Approximately 37 percent reported using their branch library once or twice per month over the past year. Less than 20 percent of the respondents reported using their branch library once per week or more in the past year.

Table 4

Overall, the greatest proportion of library users (15%) visit their branch libraries on Saturday. The least popular day to visit the library is Sunday-only four people reported frequent visits on that day. More than one-third of library patrons did not know what one day of the week they most frequently visit their branch library or they refused to answer this question.

Table 5

In general, patrons most frequently visit their branch library during the mid and late afternoon hours. Specifically, the greatest proportion of library patrons (26%) used the libraries between 3 and 4 p.m. Overall, according to the respondents, the most popular times to use the libraries are between noon and 5 p.m. The least popular times to use the libraries are during the early morning and late evening hours. Reportedly, the libraries are utilized least often between 9 and 10 a.m. (10%) and between 7 and 8 p.m. (9%).

Table 6

Note: Respondents were allowed to choose more than one category.
(a) Because respondents could choose more than one category, these percentages total to more than 100%.

Specific results for each of the 10 branch libraries are presented in Table 7. (5) Included in the table are the most common use pattern, most common day, and most common hours for each branch library. We can see, for example, that 37 percent of Central Library's patrons used that branch once or twice per month. Also, exactly half of East Forest Park's patrons utilize that library between 4 and 5 p.m.

Table 7

(a) Each "N" in this column refers to the number of respondents who reported each branch as the one they regularly use. For instance, 114 respondents indicated they use Central Library most often.

Table 8 indicates that Central Library is the most popular branch among all age groups except for those 75 and older. This group reports using Sixteen Acres more than any other branch-32 percent of respondents over the age of 75 reported using Sixteen Acres. Regarding frequency of library use, all respondents-except those 75 and over-most commonly use the library once or twice per month. Nearly one-third (32%) of library patrons over the age of 75 are most likely to use the libraries about every other month.

Table 8

We can see from Table 9 that library patrons tend to use only one branch library. When asked how often they had used other branch libraries in the past year, only 20 percent reported having done so more often than every other month.

Table 9

Table 10 shows that 41 percent of respondents between the ages of 61 and 75 used the libraries. People in this age group were the least likely to have used the libraries. Those between the ages of 31 and 60 were the most likely to have used the Springfield libraries in the past year. Females were slightly more likely than males to have used the libraries in the past year. Respondents classified as "other non-white" were most likely to have used the libraries, while Latinos, Chicanos, and Hispanics were least likely. Those with more education and those with higher incomes were more likely than those with less education and lower incomes to have used the libraries in the past year.

Table 10

(a) This category includes the following races/ethnicities: Asian, Asian-American, or Pacific Islander; Native American, North or South American Indian, or Alaskan Native; Bi-racial or Multi-racial.

The most common means of transportation by which patrons go to the libraries are driving a personal vehicle (68%) and walking (22%). Only 5 percent of library patrons reported using public transportation to visit the libraries. (6) We also asked participants to indicate which library services they used most often. Borrowing books (86%) followed by using reference materials (62%) were the most common library services used. Only 22 percent of respondents reported attending children's activities. (This is probably an anomalous result.)

Table 11

Note: Respondents were allowed to choose more than one category.
(a) Because respondents could choose more than one category, these percentages total to more than 100%.

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Respondents' Library-use Preferences

When asked about their preferences as opposed to their actual use, library patrons reported that Saturday is the most convenient day to visit the libraries. No other day was reported as being convenient by more than 11 percent of the sample. Interestingly, 27 percent of patrons reported having no preference regarding which day of the week would be most convenient to visit the library. Analyzing preferences according to age yielded no significant differences among age groups.

Table 12

Table 13 shows that library users felt late morning through late afternoon hours (10-3) would be the most convenient time to use the libraries. The least convenient hours are between 9 and 10 a.m. and between 7 and 8 p.m. The results in Table 13 parallel the results regarding actual use (see Table 6).

Table 13

Note: Respondents were allowed to choose more than one category. a
(a) Because respondents could choose more than one category, these percentages total to more than 100%.

Specific results for each of the ten branch libraries are presented in Table 14. Included in this table are the respondents' preferences for the most convenient day and hours for each branch. We can see that the most convenient days and hours vary by branch. For example, approximately 22 percent of Central Library patrons felt that Saturday was the most convenient day to use the library. Nearly one-third (29%) of Central Library patrons felt that 11 a.m. to noon was the most convenient hour to use the library.

Table 14

 

Children's Library-use Patterns (7)

Seventy-one children under the age of 16 visited the libraries unaccompanied by an adult. Table 15 shows that more than half of these children (59%) typically visit the libraries between 3 and 4 p.m. Overall, the greatest percentage of children visit the libraries during the afternoon and early evening hours (between 2 and 6 p.m.). This pattern parallels the use pattern among actual respondents. As noted earlier (see Table 6), the most common library-use hours among respondents were between 3 and 4 p.m., and between 4 and 5 p.m.

Table 15 (N=71)

Note: Respondents were allowed to choose more than one category.
(a) Because respondents could choose more than one category, these percentages total to more than 100%.

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Non-Users

Approximately 48 percent of telephone survey respondents reported that they had not used the Springfield libraries in the past year. These residents (a total of 305) provided several reasons for not having used the libraries. These reasons, and the percentage of non-users who provided each, are reported below. The most common reason for not using the library was lack of interest, while the least common reason was feeling unwelcome. For 28 percent of non-users, the library hours are not convenient. It should be noted that 40% of non-users indicated another reason for not using the libraries. Due to the fact that this survey utilized closed-ended questions, we cannot know what these other reasons might have been.

Table 16 (N=305)

Note: Respondents were allowed to choose more than one category.
(a) Because respondents could choose more than one category, these percentages total to more than 100%.

Summary and Recommendations

The following narrative summarizes what we believe represent significant outcomes of this research. We have offered a series of short descriptive items that illustrate some of the more salient results of this study, followed by suggestions to the Springfield Library and Museums Association for future decision-making.

· Slightly more than half (52%) of the respondents used the Springfield libraries in the past year.

In the absence of comparative data from libraries in other locations, we cannot fully evaluate this result. We are unable to assess with confidence whether this result is unusually high or low, or is in fact typical when compared to libraries in cities similar to Springfield. It is, however, true that this result suggests that the Springfield libraries have a large potential for user growth. Funding shortages would seem to constitute a major impediment to realizing that potential.

· Eight branch libraries were used by less than 8% of patrons, compared to Central (35%) and Sixteen Acres (17%).

Clearly some branch libraries are utilized more than others. There may be several reasons for this. The most obvious reasons pertain to library size, location, services, materials, and hours. A larger library which provides more services, contains more materials, and is open longer hours is more likely to be attractive to current library patrons and Springfield residents who have not used the libraries recently. All things being equal, serious reduction in funding probably means that the system will best serve the public by redirecting resources to branches that provide the broadest array of services. Given the results of this study, branch consolidation would appear to be called for in a period of financial scarcity. Such consolidation might well be viewed as temporary and subject to reversal if financial support increases. The use pattern described in this report does, however, indicate that, contrary to the special pleading of some community groups, consolidation is feasible and would probably not cause great deprivation.

· Overall, Saturday was the most convenient day for patrons to use the libraries.

It is perhaps not surprising that Saturday is reported as being the most convenient day for patrons to use the libraries. This could be due to the fact that most people do not work on the weekends and find that most of the branches are open on Saturday rather than Sunday. (8) We recommend that maintaining regular hours on Saturday at operating branch libraries be considered a necessity, as this would satisfy most patrons' needs and preferences. In the event that consolidation is not a feasible strategy in the present environment, branches might be opened on a part-time basis. If this is the chosen option the results of this study clearly suggest that Saturdays be given the highest priority.

· Overall, the hours between 12 and 5 p.m. were the most popular times for patrons to use the libraries, and between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. were the most convenient.

If it becomes necessary to adjust library hours, we would suggest doing so to reflect respondents' actual use patterns and preferences. For example, keeping branches open between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. would appear to meet the needs of most library patrons. A comparatively small percentage of patrons actually use, or felt it convenient to use, the libraries between the hours of 9 and 10 a.m. or between 5 and 8 p.m.

· Individual library patrons typically use only one branch.

This result seems to indicate that individual branch libraries adequately meet the needs of most of their patrons. Alternatively, it may imply that patrons are unfamiliar with the hours and services at other branch libraries, and therefore simply do not use them. Moreover, responses to our survey indicate that borrowing books is the most common reason people use the library; thus, inter-library loan services may make it unnecessary for people to visit other branch libraries to borrow books that their own branch does not hold. Making patrons and prospective patrons aware of what particular libraries have to offer would seem to be crucial to any consolidation strategy. Going to branches not used in the past may be uncomfortable for those people who do not know what to expect. Thus if consolidation is undertaken it probably ought to be accompanied by an aggressive marketing effort.

· Responses to the question "Have you used the Springfield libraries in the past year?" varied according to respondents' demographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education).

Race/ethnicity, education and annual household income appear to be the three most important variables in predicting library use. However, it is difficult to disentangle the individual effect of each variable. Nevertheless, education was the most salient among the three. People with more education were much more likely to visit the library than people with less education. It may simply be that people with more education have greater personal interest in using the libraries. Less than a majority of people in some demographic groups reported using the libraries. We recommend, therefore, that the Springfield Library and Museums Association make a concerted effort to attract more patrons from the following groups: those between the ages of 16-30 and 61-75; males; Latinos; residents with a high school diploma or less education; and residents who earn less than $25,000 in annual household income. Libraries are one of the primary guarantors of equal opportunity, but only if poorer people are motivated to use their services. Libraries can create such motivation by means of public information programs that target identified non-users. Such programs require adequate funding. Without such funding those who will benefit most from library services will continue to be unaware of their availability. Such an occurrence can only reduce the credible probability of equal opportunity in our communities.

· Springfield residents who do not use the libraries offered a variety of reasons for not doing so.

Nearly half of the non-users (47%, see Table 16) indicated that they simply were not interested in using the libraries. Librarians and administrators might consider ways in which to make the idea of visiting the Springfield libraries more appealing to residents. One way to accomplish this might be to undertake a more aggressive public awareness campaign, emphasizing the wide variety of services and resources available at the Springfield public libraries (see previous paragraph). For 28 percent of non-users, library hours are not convenient. This problem may be partially resolved by revising branch hours according to respondents' preferences (see Table 13). Finally, 40 percent of non-users indicated they had some reason, other than those listed by the interviewer, for not using the libraries. Unfortunately, due to the closed-ended nature of the question, we cannot know what these other reasons may be. We recommend that the Association explore this issue further in its continuing efforts to increase its patronage at the Springfield public libraries.

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A Hard Choice

Library professionals throughout the United States are faced with incredible financial pressures. Trying to maintain a high level of service in an era when legislators see reducing financial support for public facilities as absolutely necessary is not for the faint-hearted. Paradoxically, some retrenchment is probably the only means librarians have of maintaining adequate service. In the case of Springfield it would seem that some form of branch consolidation should probably be given serious consideration. With shrinking financial support, efforts to keep all branches open simply mean spreading scarce resources so thin that library functions in all branches will suffer. It might be better to consolidate and beef up service in a few district type libraries; or put another way, a few super-branches. The results of this study do not indicate there would be significant opposition to such a course-provided that the Library & Museums Association undertakes a public education campaign that takes pains to inform the public of the rationales requiring the execution of such a strategy.

If consolidation cannot be embraced, the next best option would appear to be part-time branch openings. The use patterns described in this report suggest part-time hours may be a way of spreading the pain equitably if the days and times chosen in this part-time strategy fit patron time needs and desires. Some patrons will, however, be underserved if this option is adopted.

Appendix A

The ten tables in this appendix provide demographic information about patrons of each of the Springfield branch libraries. The numbers in each table reflect the percentage of library users in each category. An example of how the percentages should be interpreted is provided before the Central Library table.

Central Library (N=114)

A total of 114 respondents named Central Library as the branch they most frequently visit. The following table illustrates that 34 percent of Central Library patrons are between 16 and 30 years of age. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Central Library patrons are female. Approximately 34 percent of the patrons are white, Caucasian, or Eastern European. Subsequent tables in this appendix should be interpreted in the same way.

 

Brightwood (N=11)

 

East Forest Park (N=24)

 

East Springfield (N=15)

 

Forest Park (N=21)

 

Indian Orchard (N=14)

 

Liberty (N=9)

 

Mason Square (N=18)

 

Pine Point (N=23)

 

Sixteen Acres (N=54)

 

Appendix B

The five tables in this appendix provide a summary of each demographic variable by library branch. An example of how the percentages should be interpreted is provided before each table.

Age

Central Library is the most popular branch among all age groups except those over the age of 75. Of the 19 library patrons in this age group, nearly one-third (32%) typically use Sixteen Acres. Almost one-half (47%) of patrons aged 16 to 30 reported using Central Library most regularly.

 Sex

Central Library is the most commonly used branch among both males and females. Approximately 34 percent of all female library patrons in our sample, and 36 percent of all male patrons, use Central Library. Sixteen Acres was the second most commonly used library among both men and women.

Race/Ethnicity

Central library is the most commonly used branch among all racial and ethnic groups except white, Caucasian, or Eastern European. While only 21 percent of white, Caucasian, or Eastern European patrons use Central, approximately 55 percent of African, African American, or black, and 57 percent of Latino, Chicano, or Hispanic patrons use this library. The branch most often used by white, Caucasian, or Eastern European library users is Sixteen Acres. Approximately 25 percent of this group uses Sixteen Acres. There were no reported cases of African, African American, or black patrons using Liberty or East Forest Park, and no Latino, Chicano, or Hispanic patrons reported using Indian Orchard or Pine Point.

Education

People from all educational backgrounds prefer Central Library to any other branch. For instance, 39 percent of all patrons who have taken some graduate courses or hold a graduate or professional degree use Central Library. Only 17 percent of this same group (patrons who have taken some graduate courses or hold graduate or professional degrees) use Sixteen Acres.

Annual Household Income

Central Library is the most commonly used branch among all income groups. For example, 38 percent of all patrons whose annual household incomes fall below $25,000 use Central. Approximately 26 percent of all patrons whose annual household incomes are $50,000 and above use Sixteen Acres. The branch library least preferred by this income group is Brightwood-there are no reported cases of patrons with an annual household income of $50,000 and above using this library.