The Role of Public Library Services for a Changing Rural Australia. Very little research has been conducted on the value and impact of Australian rural public libraries, and yet the paucity of social

Description

The Role of Public Library Services for a Changing Rural Australia. Very little research has been conducted on the value and impact of Australian rural public libraries, and yet the paucity of social and economic infrastructure available to their communities strongly suggests their potential as critical service centres, offering an important place for social connection as well as a wide range of resources, including those supporting digital literacy and access. This project investigates the role these libraries play in narrowing the socioeconomic gap between rural and urban Australia through seven ethnographic case studies, with outcomes including a research monograph, the first national conference on rural and remote librarianship since 1987, and a set of recommendations for future policy and practice. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4610 - Library and Information Studies. Lead: Prof Philip Hider