Public libraries in Malta are not seen as having an educational role but rather a recreational one. In fact, most public libraries build their collections almost exclusively with fiction material.
These findings emerged from a study conducted among public, school, academic, special libraries and the National Library, carried out by a number of librarians and a university lecturer on behalf of the Malta Library and Information Association (MaLIA).
Their Report On The State Of Maltese Libraries, edited by Robert Mizzi, Catherine Vella and Heather Brown, indicated that barely one fourth of the libraries have current reference material. "This should encourage the introduction of the internet in public libraries where users can find a multitude of reference sources," the report suggested.
One fourth of public libraries offer internet access to users through access points which are located in the same building but not in the library. Internet points in libraries have the potential to attract new users to the libraries - interviewed staff confirmed an increase in users since the introduction of broadband.
The difficulty of having updated collections of books is closely linked to lack of funding. In fact, "a number of branch libraries are running on an annual budget as low as Lm45. In some cases, the local councils, despite having signed the cooperation agreement with the Department of Libraries and Archives, have contributed very little in the way of funding, if anything at all, for collection development.
"While the financial reality of public libraries should be kept in mind, the role of public libraries in providing users with an informal environment should not be forgotten," the report states.
"A serious effort should be made to ensure that all libraries provide "a multitude of reference and educational resources available both in print and on the internet."
Given the restricted budget, the report states that it was predictable that no expenditure on training was reported by the libraries. The association has proposed a cooperation agreement to deliver short courses of training on designated areas to public library staff on a regular basis, to which local councils can also contribute.
The report also stated that only 12 per cent of the books were in a good physical condition as many of the books were overused. Some books were infected with bookworm, while others have remained unused on the shelf for more than 10 or 15 years.
"Some library workers commented that if a proper weeding exercise was carried out, removing overused and unused books, their libraries would end up with only a few shelves of books," the report said.
Regarding the state of the library premises, the report states that almost half of the public libraries - which include the Central Public Library, regional and branch libraries - are not accessible to disabled persons, while some do not have enough space between the shelves to allow access to a person in a wheelchair. However, in some instances there has been a positive development with regards to equipment such as computers, printers and fax machines. Other developments related to internal décor, are new shelving and new books for local council libraries.
Reading facilities are also a cause for concern to the report writers, as most libraries are too small to be able to offer reading facilities and most library workers are still tied to the "archaic idea" that libraries are just book dispensers and collectors.
The report states that libraries should offer a number of services besides lending books, especially if there is an agreement on the concept of a modern library, such as homework clubs, adult learning facilities and multimedia educational resources.
"If the authorities persist in their idea that public libraries are merely places where books are circulated, issues such as the provision of reading facilities become futile."
With regards to opening hours, the report suggests that these currently reflect the needs of the library staff rather than the needs of users who work long hours. A revision in the opening hours should also consider opening on Saturday mornings, a trend which an increasing number of libraries are following.