The importance of the physical spaces of NSW public libraries: What users miss, and why

COVID-19 has caused great damage, and hugely affected all portions of Australian society. Federal and State government mandated lockdowns have led, at various times, to the enforced closure of library buildings across Australia. These lockdowns have, sadly, forced communities to experience life without their libraries. As damaging as these closures have been to library users and their communities, they have also afforded a unique opportunity to learn more about the role and function of public library spaces by asking users currently experiencing library closures to reflect on the extent to which they miss the physical library, and why.
This research represents an important addition to previous studies which have focused on user perceptions of the library space. Such studies, while undoubtedly valuable, may have been clouded by recency bias, and a potential lack of appreciation for what at the time might have been considered a standard and ever-present service.
This report summarises the findings from work conducted by researchers from the Charles Sturt University Libraries Research Group. The research was funded by the State Library of New South Wales and was undertaken between October 2021 and January 2022.
The project sought to answer two research questions:
• RQ1: How much do public library users miss visiting their physical libraries during the time ofCOVID-induced closures?
• RQ2: In what ways do users uniquely benefit from visiting public libraries’ physical spaces?