University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina will use an Early Career Development Grant to study how public libraries can meet the health-related information needs and practices of individuals within LGBTQ communities. The study will adopt an information practices approach to understand the role of health-related information in the everyday lives of these groups.Evidence indicates that LGBTQ communities do not seek, share, and value information in ways currently supported by cultural institutions (e.g., government, medicine, education). The project director will conduct semi-structured interviews, community forums, and focus groups. The South Carolina State and Richland Libraries will serve as project partners. This project positions public libraries as community anchors that can understand the health-related information needs and practices of local LGBTQ communities and leverage their specialized knowledge to develop inclusive services, spaces, and collections.