Simon Huhndorf, Jarosław Działek
Assessment of the walking accessibility of public libraries in Krakow using the E2SFCA approach Urban Development Issues, vol. 54, 5–14. DOI: 10.1515/udi-2017-0007
Keywords: libraries, accessibility, walking accessibility, E2SFCA approach, Krakow
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ABSTRACT
Public libraries play an important role for local neighbourhoods as they function as community hubs. In an ideal case libraries would be located in such a way that a high level of equity in access to them is ensured. This study examines whether or not this equity of access is provided in the case of Krakow where the network of public libraries has recently been reorganised. Besides other methods of measuring accessibility the authors utilise the enhanced two-step floating catchment area approach in order to uncover spatial differences in potential accessibility on foot. Findings from the analyses indicate that, with the exception of the central districts of Krakow, every district is faced with an accumulation of more or less neglected areas. In addition, the work highlights that almost one quarter of Krakow’s population is affected by poor accessibility on foot (more than 20 minutes walk) to the nearest library. The study concludes that the variations in access to libraries presented should be considered by local planners in future phases of the planning of new libraries.
Public libraries play an important role for local neighbourhoods as they function as community hubs. In an ideal case libraries would be located in such a way that a high level of equity in access to them is ensured. This study examines whether or not this equity of access is provided in the case of Krakow where the network of public libraries has recently been reorganised. Besides other methods of measuring accessibility the authors utilise the enhanced two-step floating catchment area approach in order to uncover spatial differences in potential accessibility on foot. Findings from the analyses indicate that, with the exception of the central districts of Krakow, every district is faced with an accumulation of more or less neglected areas. In addition, the work highlights that almost one quarter of Krakow’s population is affected by poor accessibility on foot (more than 20 minutes walk) to the nearest library. The study concludes that the variations in access to libraries presented should be considered by local planners in future phases of the planning of new libraries.
REFERENCES
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Audunson, R., Essmat, S. & Aabø, S. (2011) Public libraries: A meeting place for immigrant women? Library & Information Science Research, 33, 220–227.
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Dai, D. & Wang, F. (2011) Geographic disparities in accessibility to food stores in southwest Mississippi, Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 38, 659–677.
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Donnelly, F. P. (2015) Regional variations in average distance to public libraries in the United States, Library & Information Science Research, 37, 280–289.
Edwards, J.B., Robinson M.S. & Unger K.R. (2013) Transforming Libraries, Building Communities: The Community-Centered Library, Scarecrow Press, Plymouth.
Elbeshausen, H. & Skov, P. (2004) Public library in a multicultural space: a case study of integration in local communities, New Library World, 105 (3/4), 131–141.
Elmborg, J. (2011) Libraries as the spaces between us. Recognizing and valuing the third space, Reference & User Services Quarterly, 4, 338–350.
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Higgs, G., Langford, M. & Fry, R. (2013) Investigating variations in the provision of digital services in public libraries using network-based GIS models, Library & Information Science Research, 35, 24–32.
Higgs, G., Langford, M. & Norman, P. (2015) Accessibility to sport facilities in Wales: A GIS-based analysis of socioeconomic variations in provision, Geoforum, 62, 105–120.
Johnson, C.A. (2012) How do public libraries create social capital? An analysis of interactions between library staff and patrons, Library & Information Science Research, 34, 52–62.
Joseph, A.E. & Bantock, P.R. (1982) Measuring potential physical accessibility to general practitioners in rural areas: a method and case study, Social
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Luo, W. (2004) Using a GIS-based floating catchment method to assess areas with shortage of physicians, Health & Place, 10, 1–11.
Luo, W. & Qi, Y. (2009) An enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method for measuring spatial accessibility to primary care physicians, Health & Place, 15, 1100–1107.
Luo, W. & Whippo, T. (2012) Variable catchment sizes for the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method, Health & Place, 18, 798–795.
Murzyn-Kupisz, M. & Działek, J. (2015) Libraries and museums as breeding grounds of social capital and creativity: potential and challenges in the
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Nadzri, A., Rasam, A. R., Masrek, M. N., Marliana, Lian, M. O. & Bakri, N. N. (2015) Using geographical information system to visualise potential public library outlets, The Tenth International Conference on Digital Information Management, 72–76.
Ni, J., Wang, J., Rui, Y., Qian, T. & Wang, J. (2015) An Enhanced Variable Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Method for Measuring Spatial Accessibility to Residential Care Facilities in Nanjing, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12, 14490–14504.
Park, S. J. (2012) Measuring public library accessibility: A case study using GIS, Library & Information Science Research, 34, 13–21.
Park, S. J. (2012b) Measuring travel time and distance in library use, Library Hi Tech, 30 (1), 151–169.
Penchansky, R. & Thomas, J. W. (1981) The concept of access: definition and relationship to consumer satisfaction, Medical Care, 19, 127–140.
Polzin, P., Borges, J., Coelho, A., (2014), An extended kernel density two-step floating catchment area method to analyze access to health care. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design (41), pp. 717–735.
Svendsen, G.L.H. (2013) Public Libraries as Breeding Grounds for Bonding, Bridging and Institutional Social Capital: The Case of Branch Libraries in Rural Denmark, Sociologia Ruralis, 53 (1), 52–73.
Talen, E. (2003) Neighborhoods as service providers: a methodology for evaluating pedestrian access, Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 2003 (30), 181–200.
Talen, E. & Anselin, L. (1998) Assessing spatial equity: an evaluation of measures of accessibility to public playgrounds, Environment and Planning A, 30, 595–613.
Tsou, K.-W., Hung, Y.-T. & Chang, Y.-L. (2005) An accessibility-based integrated measure of relative spatial equity in urban public facilities, Cities (22), 424–435.
Vårheim, A. (2011) Gracious space: Library programming strategies towards immigrants as tools in the creation of social capital, Library & Information Science Research, 33, 12–18.
Vårheim, A., Steinmo, S. & Ide, E. (2008) Do libraries matter? Public libraries and the creation of social capital, Journal of Documentation, 64 (6), 877–892.
Wan, N., Zou, B. & Sternberg, T. (2012) A three-step floating catchment area method for analyzing spatial access to health services, International
Journal of Geographical Information Science, 26, 1073–1089.
Wang, F. & Minor, W.W. (2002) Where the Jobs Are: Employment Access and Crime Patterns in Cleveland, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 92, 3, 435–450.
Xiong, X., Jin, C., Chen, H. & Luo, L. (2016) Using the Fusion Proximal Area Method and Gravity Method to Identify Areas with Physician Shortages, PloS One, 11 (10), e0163504.
Internet sources
Miejski System Informacji Przestrzennej Krakowa: http://obserwatorium.um.krakow.pl/obserwatorium/kompozycje/?lang=en [accessed: 30.04.2017]
WIGeoGIS website: www.wigeogis.com/en/home [accessed: 30.04.2017]
Aabø, S., Audunson R. & Vårheim A. (2010) How do public libraries function as meeting places? Library & Information Science Research, 32, 16–26.
Audunson, R., Essmat, S. & Aabø, S. (2011) Public libraries: A meeting place for immigrant women? Library & Information Science Research, 33, 220–227.
Cole, K. J. & Gatrell, A. C. (1986) Public libraries in Salford: a geographical analysis of provision and access, Environment and Planning A, 18, 253–268.
Dahlgren, A. (2008) Geographic Accessibility Analysis – Methods and Application, Department of Technology and Society, Lund University, Lund.
Dai, D. & Wang, F. (2011) Geographic disparities in accessibility to food stores in southwest Mississippi, Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 38, 659–677.
Dempsey, C. (2012) Distance Decay and Its Use in GIS. Available from: https://www.gislounge.com/distance-decay-and-its-use-in-gis/ [accessed: 30.04.2017].
Dewe, M. (2006) Planning Public Library Buildings: Concepts and Issues for the Librarian, Ashgate, Aldershot.
Donnelly, F. P. (2015) Regional variations in average distance to public libraries in the United States, Library & Information Science Research, 37, 280–289.
Edwards, J.B., Robinson M.S. & Unger K.R. (2013) Transforming Libraries, Building Communities: The Community-Centered Library, Scarecrow Press, Plymouth.
Elbeshausen, H. & Skov, P. (2004) Public library in a multicultural space: a case study of integration in local communities, New Library World, 105 (3/4), 131–141.
Elmborg, J. (2011) Libraries as the spaces between us. Recognizing and valuing the third space, Reference & User Services Quarterly, 4, 338–350.
Ferguson, S. (2012) Are public libraries developers of social capital? A review of their contribution and attempts to demonstrate it, The Australian
Library Journal, 61 (1), 22–33.
Gądecki, J. & Knaś, P., ed, 2017, Biblioteka Kraków. Rozwój sieci miejskich bibliotek publicznych, Małopolski Instytut Kultury, Kraków [in Polish].
Higgs, G., Langford, M. & Fry, R. (2013) Investigating variations in the provision of digital services in public libraries using network-based GIS models, Library & Information Science Research, 35, 24–32.
Higgs, G., Langford, M. & Norman, P. (2015) Accessibility to sport facilities in Wales: A GIS-based analysis of socioeconomic variations in provision, Geoforum, 62, 105–120.
Johnson, C.A. (2012) How do public libraries create social capital? An analysis of interactions between library staff and patrons, Library & Information Science Research, 34, 52–62.
Joseph, A.E. & Bantock, P.R. (1982) Measuring potential physical accessibility to general practitioners in rural areas: a method and case study, Social
Science & Medicine, 16, 85–90.
Luo, W. (2004) Using a GIS-based floating catchment method to assess areas with shortage of physicians, Health & Place, 10, 1–11.
Luo, W. & Qi, Y. (2009) An enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method for measuring spatial accessibility to primary care physicians, Health & Place, 15, 1100–1107.
Luo, W. & Whippo, T. (2012) Variable catchment sizes for the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method, Health & Place, 18, 798–795.
Murzyn-Kupisz, M. & Działek, J. (2015) Libraries and museums as breeding grounds of social capital and creativity: potential and challenges in the
post-socialist context [in:] S. Warren, P. Jones, eds., Creative economies, creative communities: rethinking place, policy and practice, Ashgate, Farnham, 145–169.
Nadzri, A., Rasam, A. R., Masrek, M. N., Marliana, Lian, M. O. & Bakri, N. N. (2015) Using geographical information system to visualise potential public library outlets, The Tenth International Conference on Digital Information Management, 72–76.
Ni, J., Wang, J., Rui, Y., Qian, T. & Wang, J. (2015) An Enhanced Variable Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Method for Measuring Spatial Accessibility to Residential Care Facilities in Nanjing, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12, 14490–14504.
Park, S. J. (2012) Measuring public library accessibility: A case study using GIS, Library & Information Science Research, 34, 13–21.
Park, S. J. (2012b) Measuring travel time and distance in library use, Library Hi Tech, 30 (1), 151–169.
Penchansky, R. & Thomas, J. W. (1981) The concept of access: definition and relationship to consumer satisfaction, Medical Care, 19, 127–140.
Polzin, P., Borges, J., Coelho, A., (2014), An extended kernel density two-step floating catchment area method to analyze access to health care. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design (41), pp. 717–735.
Svendsen, G.L.H. (2013) Public Libraries as Breeding Grounds for Bonding, Bridging and Institutional Social Capital: The Case of Branch Libraries in Rural Denmark, Sociologia Ruralis, 53 (1), 52–73.
Talen, E. (2003) Neighborhoods as service providers: a methodology for evaluating pedestrian access, Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 2003 (30), 181–200.
Talen, E. & Anselin, L. (1998) Assessing spatial equity: an evaluation of measures of accessibility to public playgrounds, Environment and Planning A, 30, 595–613.
Tsou, K.-W., Hung, Y.-T. & Chang, Y.-L. (2005) An accessibility-based integrated measure of relative spatial equity in urban public facilities, Cities (22), 424–435.
Vårheim, A. (2011) Gracious space: Library programming strategies towards immigrants as tools in the creation of social capital, Library & Information Science Research, 33, 12–18.
Vårheim, A., Steinmo, S. & Ide, E. (2008) Do libraries matter? Public libraries and the creation of social capital, Journal of Documentation, 64 (6), 877–892.
Wan, N., Zou, B. & Sternberg, T. (2012) A three-step floating catchment area method for analyzing spatial access to health services, International
Journal of Geographical Information Science, 26, 1073–1089.
Wang, F. & Minor, W.W. (2002) Where the Jobs Are: Employment Access and Crime Patterns in Cleveland, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 92, 3, 435–450.
Xiong, X., Jin, C., Chen, H. & Luo, L. (2016) Using the Fusion Proximal Area Method and Gravity Method to Identify Areas with Physician Shortages, PloS One, 11 (10), e0163504.
Internet sources
Miejski System Informacji Przestrzennej Krakowa: http://obserwatorium.um.krakow.pl/obserwatorium/kompozycje/?lang=en [accessed: 30.04.2017]
WIGeoGIS website: www.wigeogis.com/en/home [accessed: 30.04.2017]