The physical accessibility of public libraries to users : a GIS study
Type
Thesis
Authors
Park ( Sung Jae )
Category
documentation
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Publication Year
2011
Publisher
Florida State University, United States
Pages
155 pages
Tags
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to gain a finer-grained picture and better understanding of the travel patterns of library users, and the activities, demographics, and other factors that affect library access. Previous studies of physical accessibility of public libraries, which have focused on library users' single-destination trips and their travel distance, do not provide a full understanding of library use patterns in their full temporal and spatial environment. By analyzing individuals' daily travel activity, this study modeled library access patterns of users and suggested ways to improve library access. To accomplish this purpose, this study employed a mixed methodology including two-phases, quantitative and qualitative research. In the first phase, pre-existing quantitative household travel survey data were analyzed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The data set for analysis was collected from the Metropolitan Travel Survey Archive, which stores 79 household daily travel data sets. Daily activities of 409 people who visited public libraries were extracted from the Puget Sound Region data set. Even though secondary data analyses allow researchers to analyze social phenomena in inaccessible settings, the interpretations of a secondary analysis can be limited due to a researcher's lack of knowledge of the setting. In the second phase, therefore, qualitative approaches were pursued to ensure the credibility of interpretations of secondary data analysis. During interviews with librarians from the area of study, questions intended to elicit corroboration of conclusions drawn from the secondary data analysis were asked.
Number of Copies
1
Library | Accession No | Call No | Copy No | Edition | Location | Availability |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Main | 16 | 026P2194 | 1 | reading room | Yes |