My new article, titled “Public Libraries, Digital Equity Coalitions, and the Public Good” was published this week in Public Library Quarterly. The article features findings from a 2024 study of U.S. public libraries. The goal was to gain a deeper understanding of their role in digital equity coalitions, as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has recognized that coalitions will play an important role in the success of their Internet for All initiative.
Here is a bit from the abstract:
“This paper seeks to address this gap in the literature by presenting findings from a pilot study of public libraries working with digital equity coalitions in the U.S. The findings from the survey revealed that public libraries support the public good through: (1) convening and leading digital equity coalitions; (2) participating in coalition action planning and advocacy to advance digital equity; and (3) actively centering equity, as opposed to equality, and social justice in their efforts to create and sustain healthy digital equity ecosystems. These findings suggest that if public libraries are to effectively lead and actively participate in digital equity coalitions they must not take a neutral stance to librarianship.”
I hope the findings from the article will be useful to public librarians, digital equity coalitions, policymakers, and others interested in learning more about how public libraries support digital equity through local, regional, and statewide coalitions.