| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 圖書資訊學研究所 === 106 === Public libraries are important places for people to read, search information and exchange knowledge. With the evolution of information technology, intelligent libraries have emerged due to its convenience and cost savings. The purposes of this study include: 1. to understand users’ characteristics, library use behavior, needs, and satisfaction; 2. to investigate the differences of needs and satisfaction among users’ from different intelligent libraries and with different library-use characteristics. This study used a survey to study seven intelligent libraries of the Taipei Public Library (as of 2017). The survey instrument was designed based on relevant literature and measured user needs and satisfaction in five dimensions—“collection,” “facility,” “circulation service,” “staff service,” and “overall perception.” The library-use behavior was measured by frequency of library visit, time spent in the library, and whether or not/number of books they typically borrowed. This study expects to deepen relevant studies on intelligent libraries and to provide specific suggestions for public libraries to facilitate intelligent library services.
In order to understand the characteristics of the users, the researcher distributed the survey during different times and days of a week, and obtained 412 valid responses. The main research findings of this study include: 1. users of intelligent libraries are mostly students living close to the intelligent library and reside in the same district as the library; 2. users typically visit the intelligent library because it is close to home; users’ frequencies of visit and time spent in the library vary depending on the library location, and many users do not borrow books or only borrow a few books; 3. users’ satisfaction is higher than their needs regarding collection, facility and services, and they would especially like intelligent libraries to start new services on returning materials and picking up requested materials from another branch; 4. users from different intelligent libraries express different degrees of their overall needs for the intelligent library, but their satisfaction are all high; 5. users with low frequency of use, short-period of stay, and no book-borrowing express their overall needs for the intelligent library to a lower extent.
According to the above findings, this study proposed the following suggestions for intelligent libraries: As to library collections, the current collections of intelligent libraries cannot meet the needs of heavy users who borrow many books. Since the characteristics of users vary from library to library, a well-developed feedback system is needed, and users’ feedback can be used for collection acquisition. As to library facility and services, although the overall satisfaction is high, users pointed out that the quality of Wi-Fi and self-check machines outside the library needs some improvement. In addition, users typically spent a short-period of time in the intelligent library, and many users visit non-intelligent libraries for services that do not provide by the intelligent library (e.g., pick up requested materials and return materials from another branch). Therefore, intelligent libraries may consider to offer such services and to retain users to stay longer in the libraries. Although users do not strongly express their needs for staff, some mentioned in the open-ended questions that some inappropriate behavior may bother other users in the library. Therefore, intelligent libraries may need to establish an effective way of patrol to ensure users’ safety and comfort in intelligent libraries.
Future research can use mixed-method research designs to further explore the factors affecting users’ needs and satisfaction so that intelligent libraries can establish an assessment system for collection development and other services. Furthermore, future research can expand the scope to investigating user needs both in intelligent and non-intelligent libraries. This may help better understand how to allocate resources effectively between intelligent and non-intelligent libraries.
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