Aged services survey for Fairfield City Library service new South Wales.

With 133 nationalities and over 70 languages spoken among its 193,000 population the City of Fairfield in metropolitan Sydney is Australia's most multicultural and multilingual local government area. In 2004 its library, commissioned a survey funded by a State Library of NSW grant to discover why older immigrants use the library less than others, and how their use could be increased. In an Australian, and possibly world first, the survey explored the behaviour of library users and nonusers' in three language groups, Arabic/Assyrian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

A review of the survey methodology and outcomes by Linda Dunn was published in Australasian public libraries and information services 18(2) June 2005 pp76-78

The following is the executive summary of the survey report. The full report is available from Linda Dunn Client facilities coordinator Fairfield City Library Railway Pde Cabramatta NSW 2166 email [e-mail]

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This is a report on the library habits of three language groups--Spanish, Arabic/Assyrian and Vietnamese--in Fairfield City. Persons speaking English as the only language at home form a fourth group. The backbone of the project was two surveys, one of users of Fairfield City Library, the other of nonusers. The project was funded by a NSW State Library grant, which largely covered the consultancy fees, but it would have been impossible to carry out without very considerable contributions of time by Fairfield City Library staff.

The project was conceived because older people in Fairfield City are much less inclined to use public library services than in other local government areas. Chapter 1 of the report sets the scene through brief descriptions of the Fairfield community, Council and library policies, the two surveys, population statistics mainly from the 2001 Census, and evidence from the two library user satisfaction studies carried out in 1997 and 2000. Chapter 2 describes the user survey and Chapter 3 the nonuser survey. With few exceptions, the evidence is described through graphs rather than statistical tables for ease of presentation. A separate appendix volume contains all tables and reproduces the English, Arabic, Spanish and Vietnamese versions of the questionnaires used in the two surveys.

General observations

Fairfield has shown dramatic social change over the past 20-30 years. Incomes are low and appear to have lagged behind the rate of increase in the rest of Sydney. They may even have fallen in poorer areas including Cabramatta. Since the mid eighties, the percentage of people born in nonEnglish speaking countries has risen strongly, and so has the median age of the population.

Focusing on older people, the main concerns can be encapsulated in low income levels and low proficiency in English causing social exclusion. Other social issues confronting the population at large at least indirectly affect older people, including relatively high unemployment, rising housing costs, children at risk of poverty, gambling, drugs, stress and violence. Much of this is concentrated in the eastern part of Fairfield City centred on Cabramatta.

These concerns must not be interpreted to paint a hopelessly bleak picture, and both Council and Fairfield City Library address them vigorously. Looking at the situation positively, the area has the potential to be a showcase for ethnic diversity and vigour. Support groups exist in the major foreign language communities and the concern is to some extent shifting to other foreign language communities not yet capable of organising proper support for new migrants. The Fairfield City Library Service is at the forefront in its support of this multicultural society and has, for instance, one of the highest usage rates among young people. To name but a few of its efforts, its book collections cover 18 languages, it has library guides in nine languages, layout and signage are arranged to assist nonEnglish speaking people, it conducts community consultations to further improve its services, arranges visits of foreign language groups like the Assyrians depicted on the inside front cover, and organises special events to encourage communications between ethnic groups as well as use of the library. Seventeen languages or more are represented among the library staff.

The surveys

The main practical problem was to obtain a sufficient number of observations, bearing in mind that only 10-12% of library users are aged 50 years and over and that the library had to provide staff assistance with the appropriate language ability. This state of affairs is incompatible with the enforcement of strict random sampling rules. In the event, the user survey turned out to be reasonably typical of the community with the exception of the catchment area around Bonnyrigg library, which was hardly represented at all. The survey yielded 308 valid responses spread over the four language groups. A significant number (69) resulted from the efforts to collect nonuser data, as current library users discovered in the surveyed groups were given user questionnaires.

It was quite difficult for the library to organise the nonuser interviews, and the only cost effective solution was to contact foreign language and Australian organisations and conduct the interviews in groups. The result was 239 valid interviews with nonusers in addition to the 69 users who were picked up in the process. The resulting findings are useful although the survey had an excessive number of female respondents and a preponderance of people in their 70s. The survey was reasonably widely distributed across suburbs and language groups, though not as well as a random sampling approach would have achieved. The questionnaire itself followed a front and back format laid down in many previous library surveys including the satisfaction studies in 1997 and 2000. As an innovation introduced by Fairfield City Library they were copied in A3 format to be easier to read. The format has space for demographic data such as sex, age, address (suburb) and language proficiency, as well as questions exploring library specific matters. All questionnaires are reproduced in appendix 4 of the report.

Demographic diversity

Conditions vary substantially within Fairfield City from its crowded traditional centres around Fairfield and Cabramatta in the east to the high income area of Abbotsbury and semi rural areas in the west (Cecil and Horsley Parks). Income levels tend to increase going from east to west. Consequently, the five libraries under Fairfield City Library Service cater for very different communities. Statistics for each library can be compiled assuming the 27 suburbs within Fairfield City can be allocated to one of them, thus forming five library catchment areas. Naturally, the concept is crude because individual suburbs may be split between two libraries--but it nevertheless proved useful in the analysis of findings. See page 7 for a map of suburbs and catchments.

The population in the Bonnyrigg catchment was the only one growing significantly between 1991 and 2001. At around 50,000, its catchment population became the largest in 2001, displacing the Whitlam (Cabramatta) catchment which had a falling population.

The three other catchment areas around Fairfield, Smithfield and Wetherill Park libraries averaged some 25,000 people. The Smithfield catchment population had the highest share of people 50 years and older in 2001 (30%), Bonnyrigg the lowest (22%). The Fairfield City average was 25%. The median household income in Fairfield City was $39,520 in 2001, 23% below the Sydney average. The western catchment areas surrounding Bonnyrigg and Wetherill Park libraries had income levels around the Sydney average, the Smithfield catchment slightly above the Fairfield City average and Fairfield and Whitlam 19% below the Fairfield City average. There is a strong negative relationship between the percentage of older people (65+) in a suburb and its prosperity level, measured either by its median household income or its labour force participation rate. This is a statistical fact which underscores the urgency of effective social planning to alleviate conditions in the suburbs with the greatest concentrations of old people.

Fairfield City Library has an obvious role to play here. Vietnamese was the most common language spoken at home in 2001. It accounted for a third of the Whitlam catchment population but was also the most common language in each catchment except Wetherill Park. Middle Eastern language speakers were most common in the Fairfield library catchment, Spanish around Wetherill Park and Smithfield.

Poor speakers of English are highly concentrated around Whitlam Library, with other concentrations in the Fairfield and Bonnyrigg catchment areas. Eighteen per cent of the total population spoke poor or no English in 2001.

Previous surveys

The 1997 pilot and 2000 full library satisfaction surveys both showed low usage rates among older people aged 50+ (10% and 15%, respectively). Detailed findings from the 1997 survey suggest that usage rates might be particularly low for nonEnglish speakers, which makes sense although the response was too small to make it conclusive evidence.

According to the 2000 satisfaction survey, the satisfaction level with nonEnglish language materials was relatively low compared with other services and facilities provided by Fairfield City Library. Across libraries in the western part of Sydney there was a strong statistical relationship between the percentage of users who were interested in nonEnglish language materials and the percentage of the population speaking a language other than English at home. Fairfield showed the highest level of interest (51% of users in the 2000 satisfaction study) and had the highest population born in nonEnglish speaking countries (49%).

The 2004 user survey

Demographic and related data Not one surveyed person 50 years and older speaking Arabic, Assyrian, Spanish or Vietnamese was born in Australia. Most people aged 50+ who used any branch of Fairfield City Library Service at all, including users of Whitlam Library, used their nearest local library. There was very little indication anywhere in the survey results that significant numbers of older people visited Whitlam Library for its specialist services. The great majority of Vietnamese and Spanish speakers classed themselves as poor speakers of English. Only a third of Arabic and Assyrian speakers did so. Among Arabic/ Assyrian and Vietnamese speakers, relatively more women than men spoke poor English.

Library usage Frequent users dominate the responses to the survey at libraries, but it is possible to derive a distribution of frequency of use from the data across the whole population. Two different tests give similar results: about 20% of the total senior user population use the library on a weekly basis, 20% fortnightly and 60% less frequently. Spanish seniors appeared to use the library less frequently than the other groups. Practically everyone used the library collections, 62% the library services and programs, and 22% attended one or more of four specified types of 'events'. Six of 10 persons used only the collections in their own language, and almost all the rest used their Own language collections combined with mainly English language collections. Reading newspapers was the most frequently used service or program, followed by photocopying and down the line by computers, English conversation classes and the Internet. Vietnamese people were most inclined to participate in English conversation classes, ahead of Spanish, Arabic and Assyrian speakers. The most popular event was art exhibitions, followed by children's events and writers' festivals and with 'Living Library' trailing, probably because it is still relatively new and unknown. The Vietnamese were much more inclined to attend events than other groups, and people speaking English only at home least likely to do so.

Satisfaction levels Apart from parking facilities, which were rated very low, the worst satisfaction scores were given by foreign language groups for materials and services 'in my language', and the highest satisfaction scores for general attributes like helpfulness of staff, opening hours and layout. The English only group was much more satisfied with the specified services and facilities than the foreign language groups--in fact, it showed the highest satisfaction level for every single one of the eleven services and facilities under review. The Vietnamese group tended to be generally more satisfied than the Arabic/Assyrian and Spanish groups, and the group of other languages was least satisfied. The degree of dissatisfaction expressed by all the foreign language groups compared with the English only group constitutes a prime issue emerging from this project.

Hobbies Two thirds of male and female library users nominated reading as a hobby. The second most important hobby, travel, was also equally popular with both genders. Gardening was favoured by women, sport and the fifth main hobby, music, by men. There may be a connection between how frequent people visit the library and their hobbies. This makes particular sense as far as the hobby of reading is concerned, but also applies to other major hobbies such as travel, gardening and music. People citing sport as a hobby appear to have a reverse impact on visitation frequencies. This actually makes some sense since sport is a time consuming activity, even the armchair or spectator variety.

Potential library volunteers There is great potential for recruiting volunteers across the major language groups using Fairfield City Library--the capacity of the library to administer a volunteer corps may be the limiting factor. It indicates a wish on the part of the local communities to become involved, which would fit in well with campaigns such as Living Library. Using this potential could thus provide additional promotional opportunities for the library for increasing the membership of the service.

The 2004 nonuser survey

General The term nonuser refers to Fairfield City Library. Many used other libraries or had done so in the past as shown below.

Main finding on nonuser demographics Foreign language nonusers speak poorer English than users of Fairfield libraries. A crude estimate suggests that over half--possibly much more than half--of current poor-English speakers are aged 50 years or more.

Relationships with libraries Only 23% of Vietnamese and 29% of Arabic/Assyrian nonusers of Fairfield City Library had ever used a library either in their homeland or in Australia. This contrasted with Spanish language nonusers, 66% of whom were currently using another library or had done so in the past, and with people speaking English only at home (64%). The majority of local nonusers of Fairfield City Library knew about it (less in the Vietnamese than in the other groups). People did not use the library mainly for lack of time, because they were using another library, had no interest in it, were buying their own books or had no transport.

Information sources, reading and listening behaviour Information sources for nonusers of Fairfield City Library varied considerably among language groups in a way that is not easy to summarise. Overall, friends or family, ethnic radio or television, and newspapers were main sources. Most people were currently reading books or other printed materials at home, except among Arabic/Assyrian people where only 42% were doing so. Foreign language speakers were much more likely than those speaking only English at home to listen to and watch dvds and videos. The three main foreign language groups predominantly read, listened to and watched materials in their own language, especially the Vietnamese.

What would make me use the local public library? This was the crucial question to nonusers. Current nonusers of Fairfield Library Service will need strong persuasion, and information about the services, to come to the party. There is no doubt that a considerable amount of ignorance contributes to the negative attitudes encountered in this survey. Illiteracy, lack of proficiency in English and social isolation are important factors, but some positive suggestions can be made. The least promising candidates according to this survey are those who speak English only at home. It may be advisable to extend the surveying to try confirming or denying these initial results. The response to the provision of 14 different suggested services and facilities was consistently negative. This may be typical for the Fairfield English speaking community or may have been influenced by the choice of respondents to this particular survey.

Arabic/Assyrian users had the most positive attitudes and would be most inclined to come along if they knew that staff spoke their language, and in response to community events, videos and dvds in Arabic, and the provision of English classes. Spanish speakers were also relatively positive, especially if books and magazines in Spanish were available. Other factors that might attract senior Spanish speaking people were community events, English classes and Spanish signage. Vietnamese nonusers of Fairfield City Library generally gave low scores, but there is sufficient positive information to suggest that the most promising areas for promotion of the library are the provision of Vietnamese books and magazines, signage, dvds and videos, and community events. In summary, it will be a continuing struggle to attract current nonusers to Fairfield City Library, though it is advantageous that people are looking for things that have already been provided but need to be more widely promoted. The most positive communities appear to be the Arabic/Assyrian and South American. The Vietnamese community, however, is the largest single foreign language community in Fairfield and it would be quite wrong to give it a lower priority. There are also pressing social reasons for keeping up the work to involve them.

Judging from the response to the nonuser survey by the mainly Australian persons who speak English at home and do not currently use Fairfield library services, this group represents the least promising area of promotion. Further surveys may give different results, but for the time being the most promising avenues for expanding the library's services is through the emphasis on Fairfield' s multicultural community and concentrating on particular parts of that community. It also fits in with the need to alleviate the isolation of older residents of nonEnglish speaking background.

Hans Hoegh-Guldberg Economic Strategies Pty Ltd