International Journal of Information Studies & Libraries

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Editorial Note:Libraries and Social Capital Revisited


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1 Department of Library and Information Science University of Malaya, Malaysia
     

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What kind of a society do you want to live in? To me it’s a simple question with a simple answer – one which is high in social capital. According to Woolcock (2001), a society which is ‘housed, healthy, hired and happy’ has good social capital. In other words a society which has good economic, cultural, and social achievements. Fourteen years back, when Anne Goulding (2004) discussed about libraries and social capital in her Editorial for the Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, she gave impetus to a myriad of research into social capital development in libraries, specifically public libraries. At that time, Goulding relied on the concept of social capital which revolved around citizen participation at community level with an emphasis on public space as a key community resource where people meet and interact. Public libraries gained recognition as advocate for social capital development since it serves different range of communities, have varied collections in language and formats and offer space and facilities that enhance social interactions and trust.
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  • Aabo, S., & Audunson, R. (2012). Use of library space and the library as place. Library & Information Science Research, 34(2), 138-149.

  • Goulding, A. (2004) Editorial: Libraries and social capital. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 36, 3–6.

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  • Vårheim, A. (2014). Trust and the role of the public library in the integration of refugees: The case of a Northern Norwegian city. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 46(1), 62-69.

  • Woolcock, M. (2001). The place of social capital in understanding social and economic outcomes. ISUMA: The Canadian Journal of Policy Research, 2(1), 11–17.


Abstract Views: 247

PDF Views: 9




  • Editorial Note:Libraries and Social Capital Revisited

Abstract Views: 247  |  PDF Views: 9

Authors

Kiran Kaur
Department of Library and Information Science University of Malaya, Malaysia

Abstract


What kind of a society do you want to live in? To me it’s a simple question with a simple answer – one which is high in social capital. According to Woolcock (2001), a society which is ‘housed, healthy, hired and happy’ has good social capital. In other words a society which has good economic, cultural, and social achievements. Fourteen years back, when Anne Goulding (2004) discussed about libraries and social capital in her Editorial for the Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, she gave impetus to a myriad of research into social capital development in libraries, specifically public libraries. At that time, Goulding relied on the concept of social capital which revolved around citizen participation at community level with an emphasis on public space as a key community resource where people meet and interact. Public libraries gained recognition as advocate for social capital development since it serves different range of communities, have varied collections in language and formats and offer space and facilities that enhance social interactions and trust.

References