Document Type
Article
Publication Title
New Library World
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a two-year experiment at one NorthAmerican academic library with extending free borrowing privileges to community users.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews previous research on services to unaffiliated community users by academic libraries and employs quantitative measures to examine the costs and benefits of providing such services at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), Arkansas,USA.
Findings – The data indicate that services can be provided to unaffiliated community users with minimal effort and cost. However, the benefits to the organization, such as increase in good will and social capital, are difficult to measure.
Research limitations/implications – This paper reports on one North American academic library’s experience providing service to unaffiliated community users and may provide guidance for other libraries in allocating resources for community outreach. The results of this study may or may not be generalizable to all academic libraries.
Department
Ottenheimer Library
First Page
141
Last Page
149
Publication Date
1-1-2011
Recommended Citation
Dole, W. V., & Hill, J. B. (2011). Community users in North American academic libraries. New Library World, 112(3/4), 141–149. ScholarHub@UALittleRock. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074801111117041
