Public Servant Lifestyle

Bath and North East Somerset comes top as England's public library members log on to reference ‘heaven'.

When it comes to surfing the latest resources on the Internet, library users are logging on in their hundreds of thousands to enjoy the nation's most trusted reference resources. Oxford University Press (OUP) has released the first set of annual usage statistics for its prestigious Oxford Online resources, widely available across England's public libraries following the landmark agreement between OUP and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in March.

Over the past year, library users in 145 library authorities across England have clocked up an impressive 1,134 days and 18 hours logging on to world-famous resources such as the Oxford English Dictionary Online (OED Online), the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford DNB), Grove Art Online, Grove Music Online, and Oxford Reference Online.

Bath and North East Somerset tops the league with the highest number of sessions per capita overall.

Library Users

The MLA/OUP deal has had a great impact on our library users," says Basil Nankivell, Customer Services Libraries and Information, Bath and North East Somerset Council. "Being able to offer excellent online resources for the Google generation has really helped to keep the library's profile high as a place to get quality information."

More users in Hampshire than anywhere else have used the resources overall, but members of libraries in Oxfordshire have spent the most time browsing the collections online.

"We're delighted that Oxfordshire Libraries members are such impressive users of OUP titles online, and that's largely due to our staff who are so fired up by this wide world of information and promoting it enthusiastically," comments Katharine Spackman, County Reference and Information Librarian, Oxfordshire Libraries. "The excitement and interest when we introduce people to the titles is huge, with the typical reaction being, 'I'm going to tell my friends about this!' It's a great way to make our information service more accessible and convenient for people and we've had lots of excellent customer comments."

Other 'switched-on' library authorities in terms of sessions per capita include City of London, City of Westminster, London Borough of Camden, Stoke-on-Trent, London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, East Riding, London Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, Newcastle, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

The statistics have also revealed some interesting regional variations in usage - for example:

West Sussex library members top the league table for time spent exploring the Oxford DNB, clocking up over 451 hours of usage, but more users in Hampshire than anywhere else have logged on. Overall, English public library members have consulted the Oxford DNB over 126,000 times, spending more than 10,000 hours browsing this award-winning collection of 55,000 biographies.

Cheshire users show their love of words, browsing OED Online in the highest numbers and for the longest time. West Berkshire comes top for the highest number of sessions per capita, and over 82,000 individual sessions have been recorded overall for OED Online.

East Riding appears to have the highest concentration of art lovers, with more users clocking up more hours exploring Grove Art Online than anywhere else in England.

Birmingham has a vast number of music lovers, coming top of the pops for Grove Music Online in terms of session time. Bath and North East Somerset came first for the number of sessions per capita.

The City of Westminster has recorded the most sessions per capita for Oxford Reference Online, whilst users in Lancashire are spending most time searching and browsing this collection of trusted reference works.

Broadband Population

The UK now boasts the fifth-largest broadband population in the world according to the latest broadband usage figures from eMarketer and England's public library members are making the most of the opportunity to consult Oxford Online resources free of charge from home.

As well as access at their local library, members can log on to these invaluable resources from any computer at any time, simply by using their library card - and 50% of user sessions are now from outside the library.

"Thanks to the agreement between the MLA and OUP all holders of a Cheshire Library card can access such magisterial works as the entire Oxford English Dictionary and Grove Art Online from home, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," says Sue Edison of Cheshire Library Services. "Whether it's homework, quiz questions, research or the crossword clue a formidable reference library is now available at the click of a mouse."

John Dolan, Head of Library Policy, MLA Council says, "Libraries are for everyone. Oxford Online, as part of our Reference Online initiative, is taking the highest calibre of reference works to people in their home, school and work. With growing usage this is a brilliant step forward for public libraries in England."

"OUP is delighted that our landmark agreement with the MLA has been greeted so enthusiastically by public librarians and their members across England, and that usage of our award-winning range of online resources is increasing so rapidly both within libraries and from home," comments Susanna Lob, Head of Marketing for Reference and Online Publishing at OUP. "The agreement underlines OUP's core mission to promote widespread access to top quality information and scholarship, and we look forward to continuing to support librarians' efforts to let their members know about the wonderful range of Oxford online resources now available to them free of charge 24x7."

More praise for the OUP/MLA national agreement from librarians:

"I am delighted that online access has been taken up so well in West Berkshire. Our customers are accessing the Oxford English Dictionary and other online products both in our libraries and from home. This extends our service and gives added value. The popularity of the service shows the value of the work being done to broaden and simplify public access via the library network." - Mike Brook, Team Leader (Lifelong learning) for West Berkshire Library Service.

"It's very rewarding to learn that West Sussex Library users are top of the table in Britain when it comes to using the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Once again it proves that Libraries now play a vital role in providing specialist online information to their customers, information which is not available to every internet user." - Mike Coleman Deputy Leader of West Sussex County Council.

"We are delighted that our inclusion this partnership between the MLA and OUP has been used so enthusiastically by East Riding library customers. Once again we are able to demonstrate that the library service in the East Riding is about more than just borrowing books." - Richard Primmer, Acting Head of Culture, East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Remarkable

Further praise for the OUP/MLA national agreement:

"A remarkable deal. The list of works is astonishing... It's hard to imagine a better excuse for the recent rises in the council tax..." The Independent, April 15, 2006

"A fantastic bargain available online" - The Oldie.

"Click to free reference 'heaven'" CILIP Newsletter, June 2006

"How else could I discover, at two in the morning and chasing a deadline, how many times Lord Rosebery's horses won the Derby when he was Prime Minister - or how many petitions Thomas Clarkson collected in his 1824 campaign against slavery? I tracked down that last one, incidentally, by dialling up the Internet while passing through Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and using my Westminster library card number." - Robert Lacey, author of Great Tales from English History and Royal: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Is your library connected? Find out what online services are available where in England by following this link.

More information available in Books, Arts & Culture, Home Office