Category FAQs Search : Libraries for the underserved
Question: Connecting with Community: The Importance of Community Engagement in Rural Public Library Systems
Answer: In the past twenty years, public libraries have undergone dramatic changes inresponse to a changing social and technological environment. As Scott (2011) observes,“Libraries today function as robust community centers, often providing services thatpeople cannot get elsewhere.” Martinez and Williment (2012) note “A number ofCanadian public libraries are pioneering a new service delivery model, which emphasizescollaborative service development and delivery, with library staff and the communitiesthe library serves.” This community-led service model, although still relatively new, isbeing used successfully in a variety of urban Canadian public libraries. However it hasparticular value and relevance to rural public library systems, where library participationrates are traditionally lower than in urban systems. This study seeks first to definecommunity engagement and then examines community-led initiatives in rural NovaScotia public libraries, identifying the particular challenges faced by librarians in theserural communities.
(Source: Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, 11 Jun 2021)
Source Link: https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/ojs.cais-acsi.ca/index.php/cais-asci/article/download/936/834