Training needs and preferences of adult public library clients in the use of online resources

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study into the provision of Internet training for adult public library clients. The study, which was completed in 2008, forms part of a larger investigation into the characteristics, preferences and needs of adult public library clients in New South Wales. The aim of this section of the investigation is to gain an understanding of client needs and preferences when being trained in the use of online resources in order to assist public library staff in providing relevant guidance and instruction to the community. The research takes the form of a multiple exploratory case study based on naturalistic inquiry, using grounded theory as an operational characteristic. Twenty-four public library clients were interviewed to gain an understanding of client needs in an online environment. The study identifes two main approaches to face-to-face training on Internet resources, client preferences for informal and formal tuition depending on their level of expertise. With the study indicating that computers inspire mixed feelings for the less experienced user, it is important to establish training courses tailored to specific needs to ensure the development of confidence in the use of online resources.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 7 citations exist upstream.

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.