University of Iowa (University of Iowa, School of Library and Information Science)

The University of Iowa (UI) School of Library and Information Science in partnership with faculty in the UI School of Planning and Public Affairs, Sociology, Business, and Social Work, will assess public libraries’ impacts on community resilience across the United States, and their ability to withstand and recover from adversity. The assessment will explore how public libraries impact local economic and social outcomes, library programs and their ability to address community stressors, and the factors that drive libraries to implement resilience-boosting programs and barriers to adoption. The results will advance knowledge about libraries as they function as community resilience hubs and the project will publish a full report distributed to all U.S. libraries through available state library listservs and the PUBLIB Electronic Discussion List, and to funding agencies.