From public good to paid service: A phenomenological study of users' lived experiences of fee payment in public libraries
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of the current study is to explore and understand the attitudes and lived experiences of public library users towards paying for services and using libraries.
Method: The qualitative phenomenological study used purposive sampling to select 21 users who had experience using fee-based services in provincial central libraries. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews in written and telephone form. The recorded data were analyzed verbatim and concepts and categories were extracted.
Findings: Data analysis revealed that users' experience can be categorized into six themes, including positive themes of service quality, service personalization, and negative themes of access justice, class library, instrumental library, and library identity transformation.
Conclusion: Findings reveal that although fee-based services lead to improved quality and personalized and user-friendly services, they also fuel feelings of discrimination, exclusion, and a gradual transformation of the library identity. Public libraries need to reconsider their revenue-generating policies to maintain their social legitimacy. Emphasis solely on economic aspects jeopardizes the historical mission and philosophy of the library as a public and justice-oriented institution.
Keywords: Cost of library services, quality of services, access equity, class library, library identity.