Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Kimberly Curran
LIS 631
Assignment #2
September 22, 2016
Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, are computer systems that allow researchers to
display sets of data visually, using preexisting boundaries such as county lines or census tracts to
define the changes in data across a given community or geographic area. Each map and its
corresponding data set can then be analyzed and compared to others of the same area. This can
reveal correlations between different types of information, as well as patterns or trends. For
public libraries, which as institutions are dedicated to providing equity of access to information
for all members of their communities, GIS can be used to gather and analyze detailed
information about the demographics of the area a given library serves. As budgetary constraints
often restrict libraries from providing all the services they would prefer, being able to use this
demographic data to focus their efforts on the actual, rather than perceived, needs of their
This analysis will focus on ways GIS research could be utilized by the Chesapeake
Central Library. The Chesapeake Central Library is the main branch of the Chesapeake Public
Library system, which consists of seven locations and a bookmobile service. Using two online
GIS platforms, SimplyMap and Digital Inclusion Survey’s Interactive Map, census data and
consumer information for the population of the Central Library’s service area was gathered and
displayed by census tracts or, when it provided additional clarity, by block groups. The variables
chosen for analysis included local racial, linguistic, and cultural demographics, age, education,
internet use, and employment status. By examining this information, the library will be able to
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better understand the specific needs of their user population and evaluate areas for improvement
Findings
According to the report generated by Digital Inclusion Survey, the Chesapeake Central
Library services a population of 42,475 people within a three mile radius of its location (2016).
Of this number, approximately 77% reported as White, 15% as Black, 4% as Asian, and 3.3% as
Hispanic/Latino, with other races accounting for less than 1% of the total population (2016). 7%
of this population, an estimated 2974 people, are recorded as foreign immigrants, with the largest
percentages having emigrated from Germany, Jamaica, and Mexico (2016). 1% of the target
population report limited proficiency with English, while 7.3% reported speaking other
At 15% of the target population, Black people make up the largest minority in the
library’s service area by a large margin. Reviewing the map generated by SimplyMap reveals
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that this group is particularly present in the immediate vicinity of the library, and could
potentially make up significantly more than 15% of the library’s active user base.
Hispanic people make up one of the next largest minority groups, at 3.3% of the
population of the library’s projected service area. Through examining the map showing the
distribution of Spanish speakers in the areas around the Central Library, it can be seen that the
immediate vicinity of the library falls firmly within the expected range. While other blocks
nearby report greater or fewer numbers of Spanish speakers on average, it is unlikely that the
library’s active user base deviates far from the projected 3.3%.
The largest age group in the Central Library’s service area is the 20-29 year range. Of the
42,475 people in the service area, 13,532 are between the ages of 20 and 29, meaning this
demographic makes up approximately 32% of the total target population (Digital Inclusion
Survey, 2016). The next largest age group, 65+, accounts for an estimated 26% (2016).
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Only 5% of the target population has less than high school as their highest level of
completed education (Digital Inclusion Survey, 2016). Given this information, and the fact that
such a large percentage is of traditional college age, it is reasonable to assume that college
students would make up a significant portion of the library’s potential users. Examining the data
on the map, one can see that undergraduate students do account for up to 5.93% of the
population in the areas directly adjacent to the library, and even more than that in the
surrounding areas.
Students rely heavily on the internet for both communication and research. Using
SimplyMap to examine the percentage of households that rely on school or the library for
internet access, it is evident that there is significant need for this service in the library’s service
area.
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Another demographic that could impact the way the Central Library approaches its
services and programming is employment. The unemployment rate in this library’s service area
is 6.3% (Digital Inclusion Survey, 2016). This is slightly higher than the national average of
4.9% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). Of the remaining population, many are families with a
While this map is less exact than some created with SimplyMap, it still indicates that men
in the majority of the service area have a greater than 3.4% probability of being employed by the
Armed Forces. This data corresponds with the library’s location near two active military bases.
Recommendations
Diversity is one of the core values of public librarianship. It is all too easy to fall into the
trap of only meeting the needs of the community’s majority members, while believing that
because no other need is immediately visible that it must not exist. One benefit of utilizing GIS
to analyze demographic data is that it allows the researcher to identify minority groups and
potentially underserved portions of their community. This analysis has revealed a number of
racial, cultural, and linguistic minorities within the Chesapeake Central Library’s service area.
As “librarians have an obligation to select and support access to content on all subjects
that meet, as closely as possible, the needs, interests, and abilities of all persons in the
community the library serves,” the library should take steps to ensure their services do indeed
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reflect their community’s diverse information needs (ALA, 2014). This could include investing
understand their specific needs, and targeting underserved areas of their community for outreach
Other services the library could focus on are homework help, research assistance, and
facilitation of study groups, to better serve their large student population. As the largest age
group this library serves is 20-29 year olds, they might also be able to better connect with new
users by improving their use of social media, which is currently something the entire Chesapeake
library system largely neglects. The research indicates that there is a clear demand for computer
and internet access at the Central Library, so continuing to expand and improve those services
would benefit their users. The second largest age group this library serves is people aged 65 and
older, and as older library users often require assistance with technology, offering more
computer classes or one-on-one technology sessions geared toward that demographic would also
be beneficial.
somewhat higher than the national average. The library could better serve this group through job
search assistance, resume workshops, and other classes or programming that would help build
professional skills.
Military families also constitute a significant demographic that would have unique needs.
These families are often used to moving regularly and may have difficulty connecting with their
new community. Marketing library card sign-up programs and other library events to these
families in particular would be a way to engage with them and draw them into the library.
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While using GIS to visually display demographic data on maps is an extremely useful
tool for developing library services and programming, it is not the only way of using GIS. Using
local consumer data, rather than census data, GIS can be used to develop reports that compare
sales of particular items in different locations. For instance, the following table compares book
and periodical sales in the Chesapeake Central Library service area with those in Chesapeake,
Information like this, when combined with the library’s internal circulation statistics, can
be used to predict and anticipate the information needs of the community, allowing the library to
“develop and implement strategies for improving library services” (Milsap, 2011, p. 3).
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Bibliography
ALA. (2014, July 1). Diversity in Collection Development. Retrieved from American Library
Association:
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/diversitycollection
Bishop, B. W., & Mandel, L. H. (2010). Utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) in
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2016). The Employment Situation -- August 2016. U.S. Department
of Labor.
Digital Inclusion Survey. (2016, September 22). Interactive Map. Retrieved from
http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/content/interactive-map
Hertel, K., & Sprague, N. (2006). GIS and census data: tools for library planning. Library Hi
Milsap, G. (2011). Using Market Segmentation to Provide Better Public Library Services.