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This chapter presents a preliminary model that frames public library workers as the foundations of how public libraries help build and support sustainable communities in the twenty-first century, particularly in the United States, specifically in rural America. For public libraries to continue to be key partners in sustaining their communities, and in supporting the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is essential that public library work be valued, visible, and sustained over time. The UN defines sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Four studies of public library work during the COVID-19 pandemic found that public library workers are facing challenges in both meeting their own needs and meeting the needs of their communities. That finding led to a consideration of what is needed to place public library work at the center of sustainable thinking. Sustaining library workers will strengthen the library as a community hub, and help those workers in turn sustain community relationships necessary for the work of the library. These, in turn, will contribute to more sustainable communities.

Information provision services to the general public have, since their inception in South Africa, been biased towards the white minority in the community. In reaction to the imbalanced position and in an effort to re‐dress inadequacies experienced through the existing public library system, alternative community‐driven information provision services were introduced. In this study, the three existing information provision services currently operating in South Africa, i.e. the public library services, community libraries and resource centres, will be discussed and compared. The strengths and weaknesses of each system will be examined, and suggestions put forward as to possible adaptations that can be made in order to develop information provision services, servicing all inhabitants of the country on an equal basis.

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a two‐year experiment at one North American academic library with extending free borrowing privileges to community users.

The paper reviews previous research on services to unaffiliated community users by academic libraries and employs quantitative measures to examine the costs and benefits of providing such services at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), Arkansas, USA.

The data indicate that services can be provided to unaffiliated community users with minimal effort and cost. However, the benefits to the organization, such as increase in good will and social capital, are difficult to measure.

This paper reports on one North American academic library's experience providing service to unaffiliated community users and may provide guidance for other libraries in allocating resources for community outreach. The results of this study may or may not be generalizable to all academic libraries.

There has been little research that attempts to assess the economic impact of unaffiliated community users on academic libraries.

The purpose of this chapter is to define the role of libraries as civic institutions that assist citizens in significant transition points in the lives of children and adults. Libraries play an important role in society as essential democratic spaces that help create a sense of belonging in diverse communities. They provide opportunities for inclusive services to the marginalized, a wide range of literacy development services, from early childhood to older citizens, including literacy in more than one language for immigrant families. Libraries also provide community outreach programs, such as resources for access to healthcare, housing, and food. Many of these programs are connected to life transitions, such services for veterans and a pathway for immigrants to obtain US citizenship. Most of these programs are funded by grants and use community volunteers. This chapter highlights the work of one library, referred to as City Library, in a predominantly Latinx community in Southern California, including services and resources on literacy and essential neighborhood connections and partnerships.

The Pikes Peak Library District has served as a model for public libraries desiring to implement automated systems over the past ten years. This article discusses the creation and operation of the online community resource files system. The changes that have occurred since the initiation of the programme and the reasons for those changes are presented. The relationship of the programme for community information to the overall purpose of the library is explained. This article provides a starting point for libraries considering the automation of files of local information resources.

Libraries and other public access points need technologies to enable people to effectively find information, communicate with it and conduct transactions (particularly on a local level) as well as create ways to generate new revenues to offset the costs of serving the public electronically. In the province of Ontario, Canada the Network 2000 Virtual Library Project is working to achieve this. It enables libraries and their patrons to communicate with each other using a simple, standard interface. It also gives libraries the opportunity to offer any number of community services via the Internet, including services that will bring in revenue using e‐commerce payment methods.

This paper reports a study into the current status of, and future prospects for, community informatics (CI) services in libraries in Pakistan.

It is based on a questionnaire survey of academic and public libraries, and community centres, in the major cities of Pakistan, backed up by interviews with librarians and community leaders.

It is found that while most libraries provide community information services, these are of traditional kind, and there are very few examples of information and communication technologies‐based CI. There is enthusiasm for developing such services among librarians, and high regard for library services in the community. Essential factors are funding for provision of equipment and training, and awareness raising in the community.

The study was limited to a sample of libraries in large cities.

Proposals for development of a government‐sponsored CI initiative are presented.

This is the only study to date which investigates the role of libraries for CI provision in Pakistan, and one of very few which studies this topic in a developing country.

The purpose of this paper is to report the second phase of a study on the impact of one North American academic library extending library privileges gratis to community users.

The paper reports the results of a web‐based survey of community users at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), Arkansas, USA. The survey was conducted to obtain information on demographics and community users' perception of the value of library privileges.

Community users often have some connection to the university and tend to be satisfied with and value the privileges. Receiving the privileges may increase the users' good will toward the university and willingness to donate to development efforts. The benefits to the organization, such as increase in good will and social capital, are difficult to measure.

This paper reports a study of the perceptions of community users at one North American academic library and may provide guidance for other libraries contemplating the value of community outreach. The results of this study may or may not be generalizable to all academic libraries.

There has been little research that attempts to assess community users' perception of the value of an academic library extending library privileges to them. Previous studies surveyed librarians about their perceptions of the pros and cons of extending privileges.

This chapter examines the impact and influence of the visual and performing arts in sustaining thriving communities and highlights the essential role of libraries in providing access to arts and cultural programming and services. Creative and artistic intervention has become the imperative of our time. Creativity is required not only in design studios and workshops, but in all areas of work and life, both professional and personal. Places of artistic and cultural production are strongly correlated with strong local economies and sustainable communities. Libraries are public spaces that promote and maintain community, not only civic institutions. As such, the library plays a key role as incubator for the arts. Libraries advocate freedom: of ideas, communication, and information. Arts programming in libraries provides an avenue for people to communicate ideas and feelings through visual, auditory, or kinesthetic forms. But more than that, libraries are also about education, safe and welcoming spaces, community, and entertainment. Libraries support and promote the value of multiple perspectives and voices. Libraries can shape patronage of the arts and engage future generations by addressing social diversity and inciting inclusive participation in the arts. Many libraries are participating in the creation of new forms of understanding through arts programming, services, and resources. In an age where many of society’s most important challenges are related to our relationship with information, it is vitally important to include visual and performing arts professionals in the intersection between artistic practice and critical engagement with information.

This paper aims to disseminate the lessons learned from the African Library Project (ALP), which has worked in collaboration with more than 1,500 partners to stock 3,762 community and school libraries in 13 African countries with more than 3,883,082 books. Hopefully, these lessons will help other decision-makers and practitioners in different contexts.

The study is based on the authors’ implementation experience and secondary data the project has collected since its commencement.

The paper identified the following best practices that other organizations can adopt to enhance or establish additional school and community libraries: the application and book-receiving process, using collaboration, partnerships and volunteerism to mobilize resources are just a few best practices that have been highlighted. Use of student and teacher librarians in the absence of professional librarians, as well as materials and forums for increasing capacity among teachers and community librarians.

Other stakeholders in developing countries can replicate the ALP best practices to set up and run school and community libraries.

Although many individuals and organizations are involved in promoting literacy activities, no particular framework guides the process. This paper summarizes ALP best practices that can inform a framework that can guide the practice.