Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2026
DOI
10.29173/cais2031
Publication Title
Proceedings of the Annual Conference of CAIS Actes du Congres Annuel de L'ACSI
Issue
2026
Pages
8 pp.
Abstract
While public libraries espouse equitable access, few studies examine Black community disengagement. Drawing on Critical Race Theory and the theme "Information in Repair," this paper analyzes semi-structured interviews with seven Black parents of youth aged 13-24 in London, Ontario. Findings reveal that their lack of library engagement stems not from access barriers but from libraries functioning as racialized spaces irrelevant to Black lived experiences in Canada. Where libraries fall short, Black-led organizations perform continuous, invisible reparative labour through culturally responsive programming and trusted information networks. Meaningful repair requires confronting institutional whiteness, redistributing resources to Black-led organizations, and sustaining authentic relationship-building with and for communities.
Rights
© 2026 Amber Matthews
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.
Original Publication Citation
Matthews, A. (2026). "When I think of the public library, I think of white": Black families counter-narratives of library irrelevance and community repair. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of CAIS Actes du Congres Annuel de L'ACSI(2026), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.29173/cais2031
ORCID
0000-0002-1937-3187 (Matthews)
Repository Citation
Matthews, Amber, ""When I Think of the Public Library, I Think of White": Black Families Counter-Narratives of Library Irrelevance and Community Repair" (2026). STEMPS Faculty Publications. 442.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/stemps_fac_pubs/442