Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

2025

DOI

10.29173/cais1946

Publication Title

Proceedings of the Annual Conference of CAIS Actes Du Congrès Annuel De l'ACSI

Pages

11 pp.

Conference Name

The 53rd Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Information Science, 27-29 May 2025, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Abstract

This study used narrative inquiry and critical approaches to race to explore Black youth perceptions of public libraries and community-based programs. The study was conducted in Ontario with youth aged 13 to 24 and parents of youth. Data was drawn from semi-structured interviews with youth and parents and an arts-based qualitative tool. Libraries were identified as safe and welcoming community spaces. However, youth feel poorly represented and seek youth programs with a race-conscious and inclusive approach. Core recommendations include equitable approaches to representation, strengthening relationships with partner organizations, and addressing performative approaches to inclusion.

Rights

© 2025 Amber Matthews.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.

Original Publication Citation

Matthews, A. (2025). Why should I stay? Canadian Black youth and public libraries. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of CAIS Actes Du congrès Annuel De l’ACSI. https://doi.org/10.29173/cais1946

ORCID

0000-0002-1937-3187 (Matthews)

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