The thesis is intended to assess the contribution of the public library service
to the creation of social capital to reduce poverty. However, in research
studies targeting this subject, the lack of empirical research is continuously
mentioned or suggestions are made that more qualitative studies could shed
more insight on the creation of social capital in public libraries.
The concept of social capital or rather how it is created in public libraries
leads to the complexity of understanding the creation thereof in public
libraries, while continuous suggestions are that more qualitative studies
would give light on its creation in public libraries and also in other subject
disciplines (Aguilar & Sen 2009: 425; Halpern 2005: 1; Lin 2001: 3).
However, to find clarity about what social capital is, the study focuses on
Pierre Bourdieu’s description of social capital. Pierre Bourdieu is known as
one of the first social scientists who tried to understand the concept of
social capital (Bourdieu 2005: 1). The public library from a social capital
viewpoint is a trustworthy social network where people have access to
resources to benefit their socio-economic development.
The presence of social capital is visible in every aspect of life and for that
reason it is not uncommon for social capital to have an effect on
unemployment, mental health and social empowerment (Thompson 2015).
Social capital is a recognisable term in Library and Information Science
(LIS) literature (Stilwell 2016: 54; Strand 2016: 144; Skelly 2014: 2; Aabø,
Audunson & Vårheim 2010:16; Hart 2007:22; Bhandar, Pan & Tan
2007:263). However, the idea that social capital in libraries exists may not
be recognised, such as in the case of the book Bowling alone, authored by
Robert Putnam (Putnam 1995:22). Public libraries fulfil the role of social
capital in two ways: connecting individuals and the community with their
library services and programmes and promoting the staff-patron interactions
that attempt to create patron trust in the library. Feldman (2009: 5)
illustrates the notion of social capital in the library as generated through
library services and programmes that could contribute towards
empowerment, skills development, happy families and positive economic
growth (Feldman 2009:5).
The study is an sequential explanatory mixed methods study. There were
three data collections methods use. Questionnaires with mostly close-ended
questions, interviews and official documents. The research participants
were 115 library patrons and 58 library staff of the Emfuleni Local
Municipality Library and Information Service.
The researcher found several explanations on the creation of social capital,
but none had measurable outcomes that could illustrate the societal value of
public libraries, apart from one, which was to build a trusting relationship
between the library, staff and patrons. Hence, through Vårheim’s (2014: 68)
observation about trust and patron attendance, library programmes were
identified as the measurable outcome to rationalise the importance of the
public library and the value of libraries and library staff. In such a case, the
societal value of libraries can be understood. Through the correct measuring
instruments that were identified in this study, public libraries address the
creation of social capital that makes it possible to show that public library
services support lifelong learning and workforce development. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/25176 |
| Date | 01 1900 |
| Creators | Adams, Lindall Elaine |
| Contributors | Van der Walt, Thomas, 1957- |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (397 pages) : illustrations (some color), application/pdf |
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