49. évfolyam, 2003. 1. szám

Archívum

Public library, information literacy and local public life

NAGY Attila – AUDUNSON, Ragnar

In 2001 the plans of a Hungarian-Swedish-Hungarian comparative study were elaborated by the participating researchers: Ragnar Audunson (University College, Oslo), Joachim Hansson (Boras University College, Göteborg) and Attila Nagy (Library Institute, Budapest).

The main issue of the comparative study was: Can libraries help the creation of viable local communities in metropolitan cities, and through this will these communities participate more actively in public matters?

In phase one of the research (2002) the role of public libraries in the formation of local communities was surveyed by means of questionnaires and interviews. In the coming stages of the survey comparative analysis and proposals will follow. Industrial areas (Sandakar Turshow in Norway, Gamlestaden in Sweden, and Angyalföld in Hungary) of the three cities (Göteborg, Oslo, Budapest) similar in character and population were selected as the spot of the study. In the present paper the comparison and analysis of Norwegian and Hungarian data can be read. (Swedish data are not available yet.)

In the preparatory phase of the research first unstructured interviews were made with the representatives of the local government, teachers, and the local gipsy minority, then a randomly selected 400-member sample was surveyed in connection with their library use. Since expectations related to public libraries have changed considerably during the recent years, librarians had to reconsider how to serve their users in the future. They can rely on the results of such surveys. Should they be passive information providers, or should they assume a more active role in education, management, and mediating the cultural heritage? Data suggest that as compared to Norwegian people, Hungarians have a greater democracy deficiency. Acquiring information about local events still poses problems to Hungarian library users, and so does forming their opinion. Their majority expect and find the help offered by the library for getting information necessary. Hungarians, filling out the questionnaire, have also formulated their negative feelings, criticism, and ideas in connection with the community creating role of libraries. Beside a need for becoming more open, they are afraid of libraries’ loosing their traditional role in teaching people to love reading. The study contains quotations from the opinions.

Országos Széchényi Könyvtár Észrevételek