Challenges and Possible Solutions in the Standardization of Grass-roots Librar-ies in Western China
The standardization of grass-roots libraries in underdeveloped areas of western China progresses slowly compared to libraries in the developed regions due to the limited resources.Focusing on the standardization of grass-roots libraries in underdeveloped areas of western China,this study answers the following questions.1)What are the barriers to standardization facing grass-roots libraries in underdeveloped areas of western China?2)What factors may impact public libraries'standardization process in underdeveloped areas of western China?3)What are the typologies of the influencing factors?4)What should be done to solve standardization dilemmas in underdeveloped areas of western China?The authors adopted in-depth interviews to collect data from 21 stakeholders,including directors,librarians,and temporary staff in 7 different libraries in a province in western China and some officers who are working in related government departments.We inductively code the 100 000-word interview transcripts with grounded theory.Firstly,this study reveals the gaps between grass-roots libraries'standardization process in underdeveloped areas of western China and the regulations in the Public Library Service Specification,a national standard.The lack of infrastructures,human resources,collections,and service performance of these libraries affect the standardization process.Therefore,these grass-roots libraries'standardization is moving forward as slowly as a person walking with a lame leg.Secondly,the barriers to the standardization process include the limited resources in underdeveloped areas of western China,the problems within the grass-roots libraries system,and the inappropriate regulations in related industry standards and documents.They can be defined as resource-based,institutional,and policy-related barriers.These barriers intertwine and hinder the standardization practices of grass-roots libraries in western China.Lastly,the study provides a creative suggestion to overcome the above obstacles with a standardization perspective.And it is essential to develop local standards for the standardization of grass-roots libraries since the national standard might ignore the differences among regions.Based on the cultural advantages of western China,this study further designs a framework for developing local standards,including content design,standardization evaluation,staff training,and safeguards for local standards.This research provides insights into theoretical studies of library standardization and the standardization practices of grass-roots libraries in western China.However,due to the lack of personnel,materials,and time,the survey just covers 7 grass-roots libraries in underdeveloped areas of western China,and the suggestions put forward have yet to be tested in practice.5 figs.7 tabs.17 refs.
Grass-roots librariesStandardizationNational standardsLocal standardsWestern China
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
