Providing Library Services for Urban Children: Challenges and Strategies

Abstract

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 25.7% of individuals residing in the United States were under the age of 18 in the year 2003 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2004a). Within that group 17.6%, about 12 million children, were living in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2004b). Of the children classified as living in poverty, most lived in metropolitan areas. As defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), metropolitan areas are geographic entities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, or an urbanized area made up of a central place and adjacent territories where the general population density is at least 1000 people per square mile of land (U.S. Census Bureau 2004c). The largest city in a metropolitan area is called a “central city” or an urban center. These densely populated urban cities are home to most children living in poverty in metropolitan areas.

Citation

Anita Massey, S., Carlson Weeks, A. and Neely, T.Y. (2005), "Providing Library Services for Urban Children: Challenges and Strategies", Nitecki, D.A. and Abels, E. (Ed.) Advances in Librarianship (Advances in Librarianship, Vol. 29), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 73-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2830(05)29002-5