Visitors and Residents: Differences in Worthington Public Library Engagement

What are the different types of public library user? The Visitor and Resident Worthington Project extends the Digital Visitors and Residents framework into the public library environment, exploring the use of both in-person and digital library resources, services, and programs.

This project investigates how different types of users engage with the public library based on the volume, type, and depth of their library use, and explores how this use can change in different contexts. More than 1,556 people completed an online survey and 30 people participated in individual semi-structured in-person interviews to discuss their library use.

The survey collected information about people’s use of library services and their use of similar services offered by other community and commercial providers. The interviews explored how people typically use the library, both in person and online, why they choose library or other community services, and how the library will or will not play a part in their lives in the future.