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According to the UN High Commission on Refugees, over 82 million people are currently displaced globally and of those nearly 25 million are refugees. Every community in the United States – urban, suburban, and rural – is shaped by newcomers seeking safety, opportunity, and self-improvement. Libraries are often the place that feels most welcoming to refugees and newcomers, making them well positioned to offer relevant and impactful programs and services to these communities. Using the International Federation of Library Associations’ (IFLA) conceptual rubric of sanctuary, storehouse, gateway, and bridge, my research explores a variety of programs and services deployed by libraries to address the needs of refugee and newcomer populations. Based on fieldwork in the United States, the Netherlands, and Germany, this chapter describes how libraries impact refugees and newcomers in decisive and meaningful ways. From informal gatherings to national government collaborations of digital content, libraries provide an array of compassionate, effective, scalable interventions for newcomers. Such interventions also positively impact the non-displaced communities in which they operate, fostering deeper connections between newcomers and their communities. Library services to refugees and newcomers provide a broad collective impact in the global crisis of displacement and belonging.

A shared set of moral standards, ethical principles and behavioral norms of social structure can be referred to as culture. Many health problems are strongly influenced by one’s cultural background. The purpose of the paper is to examine the scientific explanation of indigenous norms and practice of health healing.

This qualitative study considered in-person interviews to know the Tribals’ indigenous healing practice in Bangladesh. A focus group discussion with five tribal students was conducted to form a baseline on Tribals’ norms, rituals and information-sharing behavior. Around 35 tribal students were interviewed to find out their healing practices, norms and rituals on health issues. All these practicing indigenous knowledge were documented instantly. Peer-reviewed scientific papers from renowned databases were searched to have scientific evidence on each case. All the studies having negative or positive evidence were mentioned with each case.

The findings showed more indigenous knowledge with scientific disagreements on health aspects among the Tribals’ health practice in Bangladesh. However, the positive impact of such knowledge is not negligible. Therefore, showcasing the scientific tribals’ indigenous knowledge to a global audience is a strong recommendation.

Health and health care-seeking behavior among the tribal population in Bangladesh is not a new area of research, few studies have focused on the context, reasons and choices in patterns of health care-seeking behavior; obstacles and challenges faced in accessing health-care provision in the tribal areas in the country. However, research attempts to show the relationship between ecological knowledge and scientific indication is new in nature.

This paper presents a case study for the pilot of a peer-led service model that is centered on fostering student leadership, collaboration and advocacy. The authors, who serve as advisors to the program, discuss the Library's transition to this peer-led model for reference support, outreach, programming and campus engagement.

This case study examines the development and implementation of a new peer-led service at a mid-size public university aimed at centering student success, belonging and empowerment. Authors share practices, strategies and goals for training, onboarding and professional development with emphasis on student advocacy, leadership and retention in the program.

The authors found that developing the structures and opportunities to foster student-led initiatives and efforts for student success, belonging and engagement has helped the library better connect and engage with diverse student communities on campus.

Findings of this study may be limited at the time this case study is written due to it being a new and developing library student program for reference, outreach and programming.

The peer-led service model for reference and student engagement presented in this article serves as a case study that may be applicable for those who wish to imagine and develop a student-centered library program at their institution.

This case study may provide an alternative approach useful to those who wish to reimagine and innovate library student programs at their institutions.

Although there are many peer-led initiatives in academic libraries for outreach and programming, this program explores the approach of fostering student leadership and advocacy within library student roles to lead and facilitate library efforts for campus engagement with structured guidance and support from librarian advisors.

This paper presents results from a participatory action research study with 46 LGBTQIA+ community leaders and 60 library workers who participated in four community forums at public libraries across the US. The forums identified barriers to LGBTQIA+ communities addressing their health questions and concerns and explored strategies for public libraries to tackle them.

Forums followed the World Café format to facilitate collaborative knowledge development and promote participant-led change. Data sources included collaborative notes taken by participants and observational researcher notes. Data analysis consisted of emic/etic qualitative coding.

Results revealed that barriers experienced by LGBTQIA+ communities are structurally and socially entrenched and require systematic changes. Public libraries must expand their strategies beyond collection development and one-off programming to meet these requirements. Suggested strategies include outreach and community engagement and mutual aid initiatives characterized by explicit advocacy for LGBTQIA+ communities and community organizing approaches.

Limitations include the sample's lack of racial diversity and the gap in the data collection period between forums due to COVID-19. Public libraries can readily adopt strategies overviewed in this paper for LGBTQIA+ health promotion.

This research used a unique methodology within the Library and Information Science (LIS) field to engage LGBTQIA+ community leaders and library workers in conversations about how public libraries can contribute to LGBTQIA+ health promotion. Prior research has often captured these perspectives separately. Uniting the groups facilitated understanding of each other's strengths and challenges, identifying strategies more relevant than asking either group alone.

The purpose of this study was to get a baseline understanding of the state of reference services in urban public libraries in the United States.

The researchers surveyed all members of the Urban Libraries Council, a network of public library systems in urban centers across the country. The survey asked about their reference services, including how reference is offered, volume and types of questions and staff responsibilities. Participants were also asked how reference has changed in the past 5–10 years and what changes they anticipate in the future.

This study found that the vast majority of urban public libraries still maintain a physical reference desk, but most also offer reference services in other formats as well. Most libraries have seen numbers of reference questions decline. Reference staff members are engaged in instruction, programming and community outreach as well. Looking ahead, some libraries expect reference questions to continue to decline and demand for virtual services to increase.

Directors and reference staff of public libraries, especially those in urban and suburban settings, will find these results useful for benchmarking against their own experiences and for planning for future changes.

While discussions of changes in reference service and volumes of reference questions are plentiful, as are predictions of how these declines will impact reference services, there is little current research on the actual state of those services. This study fills a gap in the literature by providing a baseline overview of the reference services in urban public libraries.

Public libraries are incubators for collective action in the knowledge economy. As three case studies from the United States and Singapore demonstrate, public libraries can serve as influential champions that garner financial resources, communicate an urgent need for change, and respond to the unmet information and economic needs of marginalized individuals and communities. In the Raise Up Radio (RUR) case, public librarians engaged schools, museums, youth, and families in rural communities to develop and deliver STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) content over local radio stations. In collaboration with organizational partners, RUR librarians created a model for library-community-radio projects for the rural United States. In the What Health Looks Like (WHLL) case, public librarians engaged senior citizens in discussions of health and the creation of health comics. In partnership with an interdisciplinary health research team, WHLL librarians developed a pilot for library-community-public health projects aimed at information dissemination and health narrative generation. In the Singapore shopping mall libraries case, the National Library Board (NLB) created public libraries in commercial spaces serving working families, senior citizens, and the Chinese community. The NLB developed an exportable model for locating information centers in convenient, popular, and useful business spaces. These case studies demonstrate how libraries are nodes in the knowledge economy, providing vital services such as preservation of cultural heritage, technology education, community outreach, information access, and services to working families, small- and medium-size businesses, and other patrons. In the years to come, public libraries will be called upon to respond to shifting social norms, inequitable opportunities, emergencies and disasters, and information asymmetries. As the cases of RUR, WHLL, and the shopping mall libraries show, public librarians have the vision and capacities to serve as influential champions for collective action to solve complex problems and foster sustainable development and equitable participation in the knowledge economy.

The purpose of this paper is to share a model of skilled outreach working to find and engage the hidden group of socially isolated and lonely older people who are reluctant or unable to access community activities, formal services or support. The model can inform the practice of community development, housing or other workers concerned with initiating behaviour change among older people to increase their social connectedness.

This practice-focused paper presents a description of key elements of the Ageing Better in Camden (ABC) outreach approach along with a snapshot of operational data and examples from interviews/case studies to indicate impact of the work.

ABC’s Outreach Team engaged with individuals facing significant barriers to social connection including physical and mental health problems, living alone, bereavement and caring responsibilities. A high proportion of Team engagements were with men (41%) who are typically hard to engage. In total, 23% of people who the Team met took some “Action” towards social connection. Qualitative examples indicated that encounters with the Team could be uplifting and act as a “nudge” towards “Action”. This paper discusses the need to strengthen evidence of the impact of the approach and challenges of doing so.

There are few descriptions in practice or research literature of outreach work with older people and the elements which make it effective. This paper addresses this gap.

OCLC Research conducted a global survey focusing on libraries’ strategic goals that incorporate five of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where libraries could have the greatest impact. More than 1,700 library staff completed the survey and identified how they were integrating these five SDGs [Quality Education (SDG 4), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reduced Inequality (SDG 10), Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16), and Working in Partnership to Achieve the Goals (SDG 17)] in their strategic framework and the activities that staff undertook as part of their overall mission.

Results from the survey combined with other projects provide examples of how the SDGs inform library strategic planning and how the library staff’s activities impact sustainable development in their communities. Quality education (SDG 4) was the top goal that respondents believe libraries can impact through community training and classes. Public libraries also often are the main source of credible information and facts in a community.

This commitment to quality education and credible information is demonstrated in the role libraries play in helping community members to access legal information. This chapter describes several different partnerships where libraries are important connectors to legal information which often can be life changing to the community, such as providing information on how to expunge a criminal record to obtain employment.

Implementing peer-to-peer learning models within an academic library environment presents several benefits and challenges. This study explores the effectiveness of integrating peer-assisted learning in research services and considers the impact on those providing support and those seeking assistance. A more comprehensive understanding of peer education approaches in research support services will benefit academic libraries interested in incorporating this model.

This article showcases case study data from the reference and instruction peer-led learning programs at California State University Fullerton's Pollak Library, incorporating library interns and student assistants trained to provide front line research support to fellow students from 2019 to 2022. Feedback was collected across the learning experience from student facilitators, patrons assisted and participating library supervisors.

Project data demonstrates that incorporating students in traditional academic library research services nurtures experiential learning and serves as an effective high-impact practice. Additionally, peer-led programs contribute to a helpful, welcoming atmosphere for library users and help connect libraries to the communities they serve.

Exploring survey data and student reflections, this combined study highlights advantages and implications of incorporating peer learning programs in research services in both formal and informal instruction environments. Results also reveal promising methods for recruitment, training and sustainable program development for libraries considering this approach.

The purpose of this article is to share this study’s efforts to foster belonging in special collections public service spaces, as Black and Latina practitioners of color, while navigating known systemic professional barriers to inclusivity in the library information profession.

In this conceptual essay, frameworks from Black and Chicana feminist theories are applied which resonate deeply with this study’s practices but are not often encountered in library spaces, namely intersectional nepantla, which is used to situate the positionality within special collections.

Fostering belonging in special collections environments is an ongoing effort, but this study offers reflections in solidarity with all who seek to increase inclusivity and equity in their spaces. It is believed that the cumulative impact of many small actions implemented from the ground up can potentially be as significant as top-down, administrative charges.

This article's originality stems from both its authors and the methodology. As BIPOC practitioners, to the authors emphasize the authentic, day-to-day interactions that are essential to developing inclusivity and equity in special collections and archival spaces. Special collections reference workers have limited time off desk to collaborate and conduct research.