Mapping Constituency Perspectives on the Values and Purposes of the Public Library

This study evaluates public library staff and non-staff (user and non-user) perspectives on the value of the public library. Prior studies of public library values have focused either on single constituencies and high-level abstract statements or on multiple constituencies and specific metrics of public library effectiveness. This research utilizes concept mapping, a multi-method approach little used in library studies, to compare clusters of responses to a set of public library value statements both within and across the constituencies. As public libraries face increased scrutiny and challenge, it is important to identify similarities and differences in the underlying values that different constituencies prioritize.