Qualitative study on public perception of the library: the case of the Public Library of Empoli

Abstract

Some public libraries recognize the need to understand their impact on and perception by their communities. Nowadays, the study of community perception through the methodology of qualitative social research is present but still nascent in the library scenario. Sharing methods, results and conclusions is crucial to understanding how qualitative research can enhance libraries’ roles and design their improvement strategies. This article aims to illustrate the qualitative methodology and the Grounded Theory strategy adopted to analyze the perception of active and
inactive users within the community of the public library of Empoli and to contextualize the specific results obtained to understand the win-win benefits of the research itself for both the users and the cultural institution.