Study title

Finnish Local Government 2004: Libraries 1999

Dataset ID Number

FSD2146

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD2146
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd2146

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Mäkelä, Pertti (University of Vaasa. Faculty of Social Sciences)

Abstract

The survey focused on public libraries in Finnish municipalities, concentrating on their management, services and development. Other similar surveys were carried out in 1996 and 2002.

First, the respondents were asked a number of questions relating to staff qualifications and numbers, library services, facilities and stock. One theme pertained to who produces certain services like cataloguing, maintenance, IT systems, etc. for the library, and satisfaction with these services. Decision-making was studied with questions pertaining to the municipal committee responsible for library matters, and to the level of activity, knowledge of libraries and role of committee members. The respondents were also asked who (e.g. municipal council, municipal committee, the person in charge) decides on staff recruitment, acquisition, opening hours, allocation of funds, etc.

Use of client surveys was charted. Opinions were probed on the impact of certain bodies (e.g. neighbouring municipalities, trade unions, civil servants, the EU, library users) on library services. The respondents were asked about priorities in their role as persons in charge, and what kind of changes had happened in the library since 1994. They also evaluated the state of the library and its services at the time of the survey, and were asked whether certain areas for development (e.g. image promotion and marketing, increasing the influence of users or staff, introducing new services, increasing staff numbers, contracting out services) would be important for the library in the coming years.

Background variables included library type, and the respondent's year of birth, education, work experience in libraries, responsibility areas at work, and number of inhabitants in the municipality.

Keywords

information/library resources; library facilities; library services; local government services; management; outsourcing; public libraries; public services

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Natural sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Government, political systems and organisations (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Finnish Local Government 2004

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• Mäkelä, Pertti (University of Vaasa. Faculty of Social Sciences)

Data Producers

• Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities

Time Period Covered

1999

Collection Dates

1999

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Political-administrative area (Municipality)

Universe

Finnish municipalities (excluding the Åland Islands)

Time Method

Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Probability: Multistage

Two-stage stratified sampling in selecting project municipalities. Total study of library managers/chief librarians of libraries located in the selected municipalities.

The project municipalities were selected separately from those with less than 10000 inhabitants (28 municipalities) and from those with more than 10000 inhabitants (19 municipalities). The selection aimed to be representative within both groups in relation to all municipalities with the same population size. Large municipalities were over-represented because 70 % of the Finnish population lives in large municipalities. Representativeness criteria included regional location, age and education of the population, industry structure, municipal economy parameters, political situation and variables related to municipal policy. The selected municipalities form a small scale model of all Finnish municipalities. The Åland Islands municipalities were excluded because of special features resulting from Åland's autonomy.

Total study of all libraries and branch libraries which were located in the selected municipalities and had someone designated as the person in charge (N=115). 104 libraries responded.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Paper

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

90.4

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

2.0

Related Datasets

FSD2145 Finnish Local Government 2004: Libraries 1996

FSD2147 Finnish Local Government 2004: Libraries 2002

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Mäkelä, Pertti (University of Vaasa): Finnish Local Government 2004: Libraries 1999 [dataset]. Data version 2.0 (2018-07-19). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd2146; URN: https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD2146

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Materials

Mäkelä, Pertti (2002). Kunnan kultainen kirjasto II : matka multimediaan jatkuu. Helsinki : Kuntaliitto. - (KuntaSuomi 2004 -tutkimuksia; 33).

Related Publications

Mäkelä, Pertti (2002). Kunnan kultainen kirjasto II: matka multimediaan jatkuu. Helsinki: Kuntaliitto. KuntaSuomi 2004 -tutkimuksia; 33.

Mattila, Juha & Ikola-Norrbacka, Rinna (2004). Vaihtelevat vapaa-aikapalvelut. Tutkimus kuntien kirjasto-, kulttuuri-, nuoriso- ja liikuntapalveluista 1996-2002 [verkkodokumentti]. Helsinki: Kuntaliitto. http://hosted.kuntaliitto.fi/intra/julkaisut/pdf/p041216133533D.pdf [viitattu 28.9.2006].