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Abstract: Public Libraries, Older Adults, and the Social Determinants of Health: A Narrative Synthesis and Research Agenda
This paper will use the framework of the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) to explore the library stories generated via research on older adults and public library use.
Public libraries have long been considered community spaces of both educational and social engagement. Ever since sociologist Ray Oldenburg (1989) coined the term “third place” for spaces outside of home and work where one can create community ties, scholars have applied the label of third place to the public library (Elmborg, 2011; Wood, 2020). Public libraries are now regarded as one of the last third places that still robustly exist in global society (Finlay et al., 2019; Wood, 2020, 2021). A particularly vigorous area of research is the use of third places by older adults (see Cheang, 2002; Gardner, 2011; Lane et al., 2020). Scholarly research has, by extension, been conducted on older adults’ use of public libraries (see Schull, 2010, along with the research synthesized here).
This synthesis addresses the research corpus surrounding older adults and public library use, as it has not been evaluated or synthesized with the express purpose of gaining generalizable knowledge of the outcomes of older adult library use, especially when those outcomes are examined alongside holistic wellbeing outcomes such as the SDOH.
SDOH, as defined by the World Health Organization, are “the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life” (WHO, n.d.). The presence of public libraries and other third places within community infrastructures have been shown to positively affect social determinants of health and community quality of life (Finlay et al., 2019; Jeffres et al., 2009). Research on the social determinants of health in older adult populations has also shown that connection and proximity to third places like public libraries can positively influence dimensions of the population’s SDOH (Lane et al., 2020; Robles et al., 2023)
Little research exists that explicitly examines older adults’ use of public libraries in relation to their SDOH, although the literature examined in this review tacitly mention many dimensions of the SDOH as outcomes of older adults’ public library use. Because the literature demonstrates a strong interconnectedness and intersection but little explicit discussion of research on older adults, public library use, and SDOH, this review seeks to evaluate the existing literature on older adults as users of public libraries to understand two questions:
1. What outcomes and stories occur when older adults use public libraries?
2. How does public library use relate to the positive development of older adults’ social determinants of health?
This synthesis examines the stories about libraries and older adults using an SDOH framework, positioning the research regarding elders and libraries toward future pathways at the intersection of public health, gerontology, LIS, and social welfare disciplines. By examining existing evidence in a new light, it uncovers new research trajectories and opportunities for evidence-based advocacy as public libraries continue to meet the needs of older adults in their communities.
Public libraries have long been considered community spaces of both educational and social engagement. Ever since sociologist Ray Oldenburg (1989) coined the term “third place” for spaces outside of home and work where one can create community ties, scholars have applied the label of third place to the public library (Elmborg, 2011; Wood, 2020). Public libraries are now regarded as one of the last third places that still robustly exist in global society (Finlay et al., 2019; Wood, 2020, 2021). A particularly vigorous area of research is the use of third places by older adults (see Cheang, 2002; Gardner, 2011; Lane et al., 2020). Scholarly research has, by extension, been conducted on older adults’ use of public libraries (see Schull, 2010, along with the research synthesized here).
This synthesis addresses the research corpus surrounding older adults and public library use, as it has not been evaluated or synthesized with the express purpose of gaining generalizable knowledge of the outcomes of older adult library use, especially when those outcomes are examined alongside holistic wellbeing outcomes such as the SDOH.
SDOH, as defined by the World Health Organization, are “the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life” (WHO, n.d.). The presence of public libraries and other third places within community infrastructures have been shown to positively affect social determinants of health and community quality of life (Finlay et al., 2019; Jeffres et al., 2009). Research on the social determinants of health in older adult populations has also shown that connection and proximity to third places like public libraries can positively influence dimensions of the population’s SDOH (Lane et al., 2020; Robles et al., 2023)
Little research exists that explicitly examines older adults’ use of public libraries in relation to their SDOH, although the literature examined in this review tacitly mention many dimensions of the SDOH as outcomes of older adults’ public library use. Because the literature demonstrates a strong interconnectedness and intersection but little explicit discussion of research on older adults, public library use, and SDOH, this review seeks to evaluate the existing literature on older adults as users of public libraries to understand two questions:
1. What outcomes and stories occur when older adults use public libraries?
2. How does public library use relate to the positive development of older adults’ social determinants of health?
This synthesis examines the stories about libraries and older adults using an SDOH framework, positioning the research regarding elders and libraries toward future pathways at the intersection of public health, gerontology, LIS, and social welfare disciplines. By examining existing evidence in a new light, it uncovers new research trajectories and opportunities for evidence-based advocacy as public libraries continue to meet the needs of older adults in their communities.