University of Alabama (University of Alabama, School of Library and Information Studies)

The University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies and Chicago State University’s Department of Computer, Information, and Mathematical Science and Technology, in partnership with multiple state and public libraries, will study and build the capabilities of public librarians and selected communities to lead civic engagement and promote positive social change by advancing racial justice. The project team will collect data through surveys from public librarians and focus groups and interviews with library staff in each region; develop external and internal community engagement frameworks, strategic action plans, and roadmaps specific to domains like health, commerce, education, and public policy; and test these frameworks by implementing information-based solutions in libraries identified by state leaders in the region. Southern public libraries and their selected communities, as well as libraries and their service areas nationwide, will benefit from this project.