The Economics of Happiness and

Libraries

Gareth Osler

LibraryCamp 2012 (Birmingham)

email: osler.gareth@gmail.comtwitter: @LibraryWeb

Presentation Overview

● The West's concept of happiness

● The sequence of events leading up to the current government's announcement of the development of a happiness index

● The Economics of Happiness and Libraries

● Implications of this recent development in government policy for libraries?

● Adendum and epilogue

The West's concept of happiness

○ From Aristotle to the Science of Happiness (2 slides)

○ What is this thing called happiness? (2 slides)

From Aristotle to the Science of Happiness

Aristotle (384BC–322BC) 'Nichomachian Ethics', Book I (1095a):

"Happiness, therefore, being found to be something final and self-sufficient, is the end at which all actions aim"

AllExperts, Expert: Maria, 2/15/2010, http://en.allexperts.com/q/Greek-2004/2010/2/translation-38.htm (retrieved 11 Oct 2012)

From Aristotle to the Science of Happiness

Daniel Nettle (2006), 'Happiness: The Science Behind Your Smile':

"The fear programme, which we evolved as hunter gatherers is designed to get us away from things that are likely to harm us. If we had to make an analogous claim about the purpose of the happiness system, we would be most likely to say that it is there to keep us moving towards things that are likely to be good for us in some appropriate biological sense--mating, good food, pleasant environment--and away from things that are bad for us."

What is this thing called happiness?

From Desmond Morris's classification of happiness ('The nature of Happiness', 2006) in which he also suggests evolutionary (and otherwise) reasons as to why possibly we enjoy the things we do: curiosity and exploration, challenging work, achievement; winning; being helpful, cooperation; love, bonding, birth, child rearing; sensual pleasures - a delicious meal, of the flesh (hedonism); exercising the brain - games, puzzles; rhythmic activities - dancing, singing, athletics, military marching; masochism; risk taking; excitement (through to hysteria); tranquility, meditation (leading to a more sustainable form of happiness); devotion (belief); medication for pain relief, restructuring life for the better; drugs; reading, day-dreaming.

What is this thing called happiness?

Theoretical viewpoints include:

● sensory hedonism ● Kahneman's theory● local preferentism● Whole Life Satisfaction

Wikipedia: 'Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.' (Retrieved 11 Oct 2012)

(PIPs, L'pool 8 Oct 2012)

The sequence of events leading up to the current government's announcement of the

development of a happiness index

○ Background to the current ONS well-being measure (6 slides)

○ First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-being Results (2 slides)

Background to the current ONS well-being measure

During the late 1990s:

● Economists were finding evidence that a doubled GDP in 30 years hadn't made people in developed countries any happier (there had to be a better way).

● Research was also showing that incomes, after reaching a certain point (about £10,128.89) results in an inverse relationship between more money and happiness.

● Happiness became a new science.

Background to the current ONS well-being measure

2002, Tony Blair's government

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) set to work on a happiness index, abandoned after proved too difficult to pin down.

2003 analytical paper '– Life Satisfaction – calling for politics to focus on the things of most value', produced by head of New Labour's strategy unit David Halpern (considered how happiness might affect different policies).

Background to the current ONS well-being measure

2008, collapse of Lehman Brothers

French president Nicolas Sarkozy launches an inquiry into happiness ... how the relentless search for a rise in GDP sometimes trampled over a government's other goals, such as sustainability and work-life balance

Background to the current ONS well-being measure

2009, still New Labour

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) declares that one of its priorities was a statistical instrument for measuring ‘national wellbeing and progress' (citing a "growing international recognition ... [of] a need to develop a more comprehensive view, rather than focusing solely on GDP").

Richard Layard (Labour peer since 2000, a key influence on both the Blair and Brown governments in taking up this agenda), and colleagues are contracted by ONS to work on the project.

Background to the current ONS well-being measure

2010, Lib-Con coalition

Government asks ONS to create a ‘happiness index’ that can measure the country’s state of wellbeing:

"measures based on what people tell us matters most"

"intended to complement other measures of the state of the UK such as GDP"

Released 24 July 2012, dataset drawn from four subjective well-being questions included in the Integrated Household Survey (IHS) Apr 2011 - Mar 2012:

● Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?

● Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?

● Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?

● Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?

First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-being Results

References:

First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-being Results, Released: 24 July 2012http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-subjective-wellbeing-in-the-uk/first-annual-ons-experimental-subjective-well-being-results/first-ons-annual-experimental-subjective-well-being-results.html (retrieved 11 Oct 2012)

ONS well-being report reveals UK's happiness ratings, 24 July 2012http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18966729 (retrieved 11 Oct 2012)

First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-being Results

The Economics of Happiness and Libraries

○ The Economics of Happiness and Libraries (1 slide)

○ Current status of the well-being policy within government (2 slides)

"the gift that you give the artist and that the artist gives you"- Boing Boing, 17 November, 2006, Zadie Smith on the practice of reading http://www.boingboing.net/2006/11/17/zadie_smith_on_the_p.html (retrieved 5 Nov 2012).

"People wish also in the main, to give their fellows and themselves the opportunity for self-improvement … human sympathy … the universal desire for an increase of human happiness by an increase of knowledge of conditions of human happiness"- Library Daylight – Tracings of Modern Librarianship, 1874-1922, Edited Rory Litwin.

The Economics of Happiness and Libraries

Sir Gus and the well-being revolutionJuliet Michaelson, new economics foundation, 26 July 2011 http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/entry/sir-gus-and-the-well-being-revolution

Office for National Statistics, Measuuring what matters/ National Well-beinghttp://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/index.html (retrieved 24 May 2012)

Current status of the well-being policy within government

Office for National Statistics, Measuring National Well-being - Life in the UK 2012 - Published 20 November 2012 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/publications/index.html (retrieved 20 Nov 2012; replaces the previous Social Trends study, and provides the main source of well-being research results)

Welsh Libraries Launch “First Incomplete Field Guide to Wellbeing in Libraries” http://www.goscl.com/welsh-libraries-launch-first-incomplete-field-guide-to-wellbeing-in-libraries/ (retrieved 24 May 2013)

Current status of the well-being policy within government

Implications of this recent development in government policy for libraries?

○ Implications for public libraries? (2 slides)

Implications for public libraries?

● Research that could lead to a more realistic approach to valuing public libraries than issues and footfall?

● Public libraries have always had difficulty justifying themselves in terms of GDP (although BL does make an attempt) - a political change then to be encouraged by the libraries?

● David Cameron is trying to get the concept up and running even in the midst of public service cuts and soaring living costs - should local councils take the lead likewise?

● The ONS questions were formulated by asking people what matters - it would be interesting to look at the process by which the index was drawn up in more detail (giving an insight perhaps into what matters most for people at the moment).

Implications for public libraries?

● Is David Lankes' lecture as featured in CILIP News Round-Up: October 2012 now relevant more than ever: From collections to community – a vision of new librarianship

● Frontline staff can feel happier about adding some happiness to people's lives :)

● A new importance for community libraries?

● Exactly what contribution can community libraries make to the wellbeing of a community?

● Etc.

Additional bibliography, further reading, glossary:

1) http://bit.ly/LibraryCamp2012_HappinessIndex_Adendum2) http://www.slideshare.net/oslergareth

This presentation online:

1) http://bit.ly/LibraryCamp2012_HappinessIndex2) http://slideshow.org/oslergareth

Adendum

Comments from discussion following the presentation:

- ONS survey questions prompted discussion re. experience of new students using univ. library facilities.

- Importance of being able to provide a non-judgemental non-competitive environment in the library (e.g., public seeking information on serious medical conditions).

- HI as a policy beneficial to library culture.

- Reference to MLA General Learning and General Social Outcomes. (The point I think being that social value is by no means a new subject within the field of libraries, however perhaps with a new relevance.)

Adendum

By way of a conclusion to the presentation.

A library is of value in every context of our lives as a society. A person may use a library only once in a while (or even only at certain points in their lives), but find the library of considerable value to them when they do. It is even conceivable that a person who does not use a library service at all still values for example that Thomas Jefferson valued libraries so highly. (By definition only a few people may achieve above average, however those people often will mention the role of libraries in their achievements.)

Issues and footfall alone do not reflect that libraries can still add considerably to the feeling of well-being of a person and even without that person being a regular user themselves (often a member even if not a user at all). They value libraries being there for when they are needed, and also that others value the libraries and often very highly.

Epilogue

(Cont.)

Libraries constitute an economic activity [ref. glossary], of value directly to the well-being of individuals, but also an instrumental value to the wider economy (the purpose of itself likewise being the well-being of our society).

Libraries are important to our feeling of well-being.

A 'happiness index' would be a truer measure of the value of our libraries than the counts of issues and footfall that are currently relied upon.

Gareth Osler (24/05/2013)

Epilogue

(Cont.)

"It is important that we feel happy within ourselves, because when we are feeling happy about ourselves then we know that our values are falling into place." (Citation long since lost in the mists and fogs of time.)

Epilogue

Change log:

16 Oct 2012- Desmond Morris slide, note to the effect that Morris talks about factors that affect happiness as well as possible evolutionary aspects.

7 Nov 2012- The Economics of Happiness and Libraries added.

20 Nov 2012- Slide added, current status of policy within gov.- Note on discussion page re. social value not being a new subject within the field of libraries, however perhaps with a new relevance.

Adendum

(Cont.)

22 Jan 2013- Link to The Happiness Project (further reading).- Tweaked def. happiness (gloss., 'feelings of', ref. Wikipedia def.).- Title slide (still not entirely sure how library camps should correctly be titled!).- Added epilogue slides.

01 Feb 2013- Added 'subjective well-being' as a definition of happiness (glossary).- Conclusion (epilogue).

Adendum

(Cont.)

24 May 2013- Link to Measuring National Well-being - Life in the UK 2012 ONS) (slide, Current status of the well-being policy within government).- Link to Welsh Libraries Launch “First Incomplete Field Guide to Wellbeing in Libraries” (slide, Current status of the well-being policy within government).- Tweaked conclusion (Epilogue).- Link to 'Sir Gus and the well-being revolution' fixed (slide, Current status of the well-being policy within government).

Adendum