Research from Nanyang Technological University Provides New Data on Information Science.

According to a study from Singapore, Singapore, "Information inequity is a central concern of the digital age. Many recognize the role of public libraries in bridging such inequities."

"Unfortunately, however, public libraries are often limited by the funding available to them. This study used a geographic information system (GIS), inequality measures, and multiple regressions to analyze statistics from the Public Libraries Survey (PLS) collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and from census tract data. It evaluated the levels of public library funding and services and tested how these resources vary with neighborhood income and urbanization levels. This is one of the few nationwide multivariate studies of neighborhood-level variations. The study revealed significant funding and service variations across the nation's 9000 library systems. Distributions of digital materials, full-time staff with a master's degree in library and information science, and library programs were especially disparate. Library systems in lower-income or rural neighborhoods were relatively less funded and offered fewer information resources. Interestingly, the only variable that was not significantly associated with neighborhood income was the number of public Internet terminals. This suggests that recent funding and research efforts may have made a difference. Similar funding efforts are encouraged for other types of library resources such as staff education and training. In light of the prevalent disparities in resource levels across neighborhoods, the study calls for a fundamental evaluation of the funding mechanisms for libraries," wrote S.C.J. Sin and colleagues, Nanyang Technological University.

The researchers concluded: "Also, information behavior research should investigate how this structural information inequity affects individuals' information use decisions."

Sin and colleagues published their study in Library & Information Science Research (Neighborhood disparities in access to information resources: Measuring and mapping U.S. public libraries' funding and service landscapes. Library & Information Science Research, 2011;33(1):41-53).

For more information, contact S.C.J. Sin, Nanyang Technological University, Division Informat Studies, Wee Kim Wee School Communicable & Informat, WKWSCI 05-07, 31 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637718, SINGAPORE..

Publisher contact information for the journal Library & Information Science Research is: Elsevier Science Inc., 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA.

Keywords: City:Singapore, Country:Singapore, Government Agencies, Information Science, Information Technology, Information and Data Science, National Center for Education Statistics

This article was prepared by Education Letter editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Education Letter via VerticalNews.com.