新北市立圖書館總館作為第三場域與民眾認知成效及認同感之研究

Abstract

本研究旨在探悉新北市立公共圖書館總館作為第三場域與民眾認知成效及認同感。本研究以使用者為對象，瞭解使用者從新北市立圖書館總館所獲得之生活效益面向、使用者對於總館的認同感面向，以及總館作為第三場域的面向進行分析。

本研究採用問卷調查法，自2016年12月7日至12月20日間於新北市立圖書館總館門口發放問卷，總共回收504份有效問卷。本研究依據問卷結果進行分析，提出五項結論：（一）新北市立圖書館總館使用者以板橋區市民為主，學生族群為大宗，女性多於男性，使用時間以周末為高峰。（二）使用者以「自習/課業學習」、「借還書」、「閱讀書籍/影音資料」為主要使用目的。（三）新北市立圖書館總館對使用者成效可歸類為「休閒」、「日常活動」、「工作相關」、「教育及學習」四種類型。（四）新北市立圖書館總館具有第三場域之中性場所、平等主義、對話為其主要活動、方便可及的、樸實、愉快的氣氛、家以外的家等七個特質。（五）新北市立圖書館總館使用頻率、認知成效、第三場域與圖書館認同感之間部分具正向顯著相關。

本研究結果指出新北市立圖書館總館之服務與空間有對於使用者有實質貢獻，除了圖書館核心服務外，新北市立圖書館總館提供的新時代服務，如24小時取還書、24小時自習室、異國風情閱讀角、輕食區等貼近使用者的需求，提高使用者的來館意願及停留時間。顯示實體公共圖書館總館在新時代中的重要性、獨特性及不可取代性。

根據研究結果，提出建議如下 ：（一）強化公共圖書館總館與使用者間的關係，有利於加深彼此的信任度，讓圖書館真正的成為家與工作場所以外之第三場域。（二）推廣使用者較少利用之新北市立圖書館總館的服務增加使用者的幫助，有助於提升圖書館總館在使用者心中的重要性；也可藉由瞭解使用者從新北市立圖書館總館服務中的獲益頻率高低進行更進一步的討論，貼近使用者的需求。（三）設置新北市立圖書館總館讀者信箱，增加使用者與新北市立圖書館總館的交流與對話。This study aims to explore the perceived outcomes and the sense of identity of public central libraries through New Taipei City Library. It analyses how the library benefits its users through both traditional and newly incorporated services, and discovers its definition as a third place with Oldenburg’s framework.

Questionnaires response collected from library users during the period between December 7th and December 20th 2016 were analyzed quantitatively, based on a sample of 504 New Taipei City Library users, ranging in age from 13 to 65 up. Users are majorly students, and this is consistent with the user composition of public libraries in general in Taiwan.

The results show that New Taipei City Library users benefit from library services in four major outcome categories: daily life, recreation, work, and education. Results also show that New Taipei City Library fully meets many of Oldenburg’s third place criteria, including (a) neutral ground, (b) leveler, (c) conversation as main activity, (d) accessibility, (e) low profile, (f) playful mood, and (g) a home away from home. Among the 8 criteria by Oldenburg, New Taipei City Library met these seven in the 50% Likert scale analysis, defined as agree and strongly agree. This study further analyses the relationship among library use frequency, perceived outcomes, library as a third place, and the identification of a central library. The result shows that the four variables are positively correlated.

In summary, New Taipei City Library not only holds its core functions, but also incorporates up-to-date services to meet changing user needs, and to increase user’s willingness to visit and stay. Judging by New Taipei City Library, it can be concluded that a physical public central library is unique and irreplaceable to the community it serves.

Based on the results of this study, there are some suggestions for New Taipei City Library and public libraries in general. Firstly, making New Taipei City Library an informal meeting place by strengthening the interaction between users and the library, can consequently increase the trust between them. Moreover, library space and services should be arranged according to the purposes and needs of the users. The space and services that can enhance the lower-performing perceived outcomes should be promoted, so that the central public library can elevate its importance and relatability to the users. Lastly, the New Taipei City Library should offer a library suggestion box to its users to make increase communications between the users and the library, as communication is the key to positive developments.