Case study · Residents and communities
Understanding what would bring non-users back to Bradford’s libraries
Targeted research explored perceptions of Bradford’s libraries among people who did not use them and what could encourage future use as the Council reviewed service delivery.
AudienceLibrary non-users and Bradford residents
ApproachTargeted telephone and face-to-face survey research
Value to Bradford CouncilEvidence to support future library service design and encourage greater use
The brief
- Bradford Council wanted to understand perceptions of libraries among non-users and what might encourage them to use a library in future.
- The research also needed to support consideration of how library services could be reorganised in response to budget pressures.
The approach
- Telephone research targeted people who had not visited a library within the previous 12 months.
- Face-to-face interviews were also carried out with a sample of 817 residents.
- Subgroup analysis explored differences by age, gender, and geography.
The outcome
- The findings supported decision making about the future organisation of Bradford’s library services.
- The research also provided evidence on how the Council might encourage greater use of libraries.