| Abstract [eng] |
In recent decades, the library has become both a place for leisure activities and a learning institution. Adults most often choose traditional services such as borrowing books for home use, photocopying, internet access, and participation in events. Children under the age of 14, as users of library services, usually visit libraries accompanied by their parents, kindergarten teachers, or schoolteachers. They read books and participate in various events and educational activities, both in groups and individually. However, it should be noted that as children enter adolescence, they visit libraries less frequently and make less use of the services provided. For adolescents, the main purpose of visiting the library is reading compulsory school literature. This master’s thesis formulates several research questions: what factors determine the attractiveness of public library services for adolescents; what are the expectations of Generation Z and Generation Alpha in the context of public library services; and what possible scenarios exist for strengthening the attractiveness of public library services for adolescents in a regional context. The object of the research is public library services for adolescents. The aim of the thesis is to reveal opportunities to enhance the attractiveness of public library services for adolescents. To achieve this aim, the following objectives were set: to analyse public library services and their attractiveness to adolescents in a theoretical context; to identify the factors influencing the attractiveness of library services for adolescents; and to evaluate the preconditions for strengthening the attractiveness of library services for adolescents. The following data collection methods were employed: analysis of scientific literature and semi-structured interviews; the data analysis method applied was qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews. In the theoretical part of the thesis, based on the analysis of studies by foreign and Lithuanian scholars, adolescents’ needs in the context of library services were identified, public library services were analysed, and the factors determining their attractiveness or lack thereof were established. A total of 24 informants voluntarily participated in the study: 6 adolescents (aged 14–18), 6 of their parents, 6 teachers, and 6 librarians. In order to comprehensively explore the research topic, it was examined from the perspectives of different stakeholder groups, analysing how adolescents, their parents, teachers, and librarians identify the same problem and propose possible solutions. The qualitative research conducted made it possible to assess the accessibility and attractiveness of services for adolescents at the Jurgis Bielinis Public Library of the Biržai District Municipality from the perspectives of these groups. The findings of the study may be applied in the development and improvement of strategies aimed at strengthening public library services for adolescents. |
