Student Theses
Date of Award
Fall 12-22-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Library Science/Master of Life Sciences (MLS)
Language
English
First Advisor
Simone Yearwood
Abstract
Public libraries are key institutions for dealing with crises in communities. In the midst of a devastating global pandemic and a continual wave of social uprisings, it is necessary for library workers to more seriously reckon with the need for drastic changes in the ways that public libraries respond to and operate within these conditions. It is unclear to what extent libraries have adopted significant changes recommended by organizations and professionals in the field to become resilient and ecologically sustainable. These changes include the abandonment of neutrality discourse, a democratic restructuring of workplaces, and the relocalization of library programs and resources. This paper involves discussions of sustainability, resilience, and degrowth; the effects that capitalism has on libraries and climate change; economic democracy within the workplace; and library neutrality and objectivity. Description of content analysis covers methodological rationale, research instrument, and limitations. Preliminary findings reveal a lack of critical action to foster ecologically sustainable practices, with some minor exceptions; signs of hostility toward workplace democracy in libraries; and biases toward the needs of capital at the expense of labor.
Recommended Citation
Crowley, Alex, "Proactive Public Libraries for Community Resilience and Ecological Sustainability" (2021). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/qc_etds/25
