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Abstract: PAPER: Telling Library Stories: The Impact of Midwestern Public Libraries on Community Resilience
Our paper argues that public libraries in the Midwest play a crucial role in enhancing the resilience of local communities affected by socio-economic, climatic, or public health challenges. We base our findings on a comprehensive mixed-method study conducted by our interdisciplinary team between 2022 and 2023. Our team, called “Libraries and Resilient Communities” (LARC), is comprised of researchers and practitioners from various fields, including Library and Information Science, Planning and Public Affairs, Sociology and Criminology, Business Analytics, and Social Work at the University of Iowa. As part of our study, we surveyed 415 library directors across the 13 Midwestern states and conducted in-depth interviews with the directors of 14 of the most innovative libraries in the region. The interviews offer rich, qualitative insights that complement the quantitative survey data, providing a comprehensive understanding of how public libraries adapt and respond to community needs during challenging times.
Our paper explores the many ways in which public libraries serve local communities, well beyond their traditional roles of providing access to relevant information and literacy programs. Employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches, this research tells compelling stories of how public libraries support their communities during times of economic hardship, extreme weather events, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study highlights the personalized support that libraries offer in such areas as job search assistance, access to social services and housing, and the provision of safe spaces during weather emergencies.
In particular, the interviews with library directors document the innovative strategies and often unconventional services that libraries have implemented, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, to better serve their patrons. From helping individuals create email accounts and submit job applications online to offering the sale of license plate renewal stickers, these narratives showcase the adaptability and resourcefulness of public libraries in meeting the evolving needs of their communities.
Furthermore, our paper examines some of the factors that influence Midwestern public libraries’ missions and practices, such as community socio-economic characteristics, library resources, and the local political climate. By investigating these determinants through multivariate regression analyses, our research uncovers the challenges and opportunities that public librarians experience in their efforts to serve local communities. Our findings indicate that public libraries in urban, low-income areas are particularly attentive and responsive to the needs of their patrons, and that library directors’ understanding of their libraries’ role in supporting local communities is consistent across various areas of intervention (economic, climatic, and public health).
Our paper aligns with the Library Research Seminar’s theme of “Telling Library Stories” as it uses data-driven storytelling to communicate the crucial impact that public libraries have on their communities. It showcases complementary research methods, practitioner insights, and the transformative potential of libraries in the 21st century. By sharing these compelling narratives, articulated from both survey data and rich interviews, our paper ultimately aims to advocate for the crucial role of public libraries, and inspire further research and collaborations between scholars and practitioners in the field of library and information science and related fields.
Our paper explores the many ways in which public libraries serve local communities, well beyond their traditional roles of providing access to relevant information and literacy programs. Employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches, this research tells compelling stories of how public libraries support their communities during times of economic hardship, extreme weather events, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study highlights the personalized support that libraries offer in such areas as job search assistance, access to social services and housing, and the provision of safe spaces during weather emergencies.
In particular, the interviews with library directors document the innovative strategies and often unconventional services that libraries have implemented, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, to better serve their patrons. From helping individuals create email accounts and submit job applications online to offering the sale of license plate renewal stickers, these narratives showcase the adaptability and resourcefulness of public libraries in meeting the evolving needs of their communities.
Furthermore, our paper examines some of the factors that influence Midwestern public libraries’ missions and practices, such as community socio-economic characteristics, library resources, and the local political climate. By investigating these determinants through multivariate regression analyses, our research uncovers the challenges and opportunities that public librarians experience in their efforts to serve local communities. Our findings indicate that public libraries in urban, low-income areas are particularly attentive and responsive to the needs of their patrons, and that library directors’ understanding of their libraries’ role in supporting local communities is consistent across various areas of intervention (economic, climatic, and public health).
Our paper aligns with the Library Research Seminar’s theme of “Telling Library Stories” as it uses data-driven storytelling to communicate the crucial impact that public libraries have on their communities. It showcases complementary research methods, practitioner insights, and the transformative potential of libraries in the 21st century. By sharing these compelling narratives, articulated from both survey data and rich interviews, our paper ultimately aims to advocate for the crucial role of public libraries, and inspire further research and collaborations between scholars and practitioners in the field of library and information science and related fields.