Exploring Public Library Identity Through Mission Statements

Melissa Fraser-Arnott

25 citations0/0 files storedPublic Library Quarterly

No readable copy stored yet — this record is metadata only.

No open-access location is known for this record yet.

Literature note Cite in a project Citation map

Library Science and Administration Library Science and Information Organizational Strategy and Culture

Abstract

Public libraries’ institutional identities inform library strategic planning, including marketing and branding, collection and service development, evaluation, and talent management. While each public library develops a unique identity and brand, this identity is informed by the collective institutional identity of public libraries. This study examined the mission statements of public libraries in Canada and the United States in order to identity the salient aspects of public library identity of modern public libraries. The following identity components were identified: (1) community building, (2) culture and recreation, (3) equitable access, (4) information, (5) positive impact, and (6) stewardship. These identity components are examined in relation to literature on library and librarian professional identity and history. They categories are sufficiently broad to serve as an umbrella for a wide range of public library collections, programs and services. Understanding the collective identity of public libraries allows each public library to situate their unique collections and activities within the greater library community.

Paper brief

Loading…

Cite this work

Citation unavailable for this work.

BibTeX RIS CSL-JSON

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Citations in this library

Citation map →

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 25 citations exist upstream.

References

2005Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis 2008The qualitative content analysis process 2016How to plan and perform a qualitative study using content analysis 2017Methodological challenges in qualitative content analysis: A discussion paper 1999Rethinking validity and reliability in content analysis 2008Librarians as Teachers: A Qualitative Inquiry into Professional Identity 2014The Construction of Librarians’ Professional Identities: A Discourse Analysis / La construction de l’identité professionnelle du bibliothécaire : Une analyse de discours

Cited by

2022Serving Their Communities: An Analysis of Australian Public Library Mission Statements 2022A Pandemic Snapshot: Libraries’ Digital Shifts and Disparities to Overcome 2024Integration of public libraries and cultural tourism in China: An analysis of library attractiveness components based on tourist review mining 2023Public Libraries as Key Knowledge Infrastructure Needed to Empower Communities, Promote Economic Development, and Foster Social Justice 2024Public Library Virtual Storytimes: The Whys, Why Nots, and Measures of Success

Explore the map →

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.

Imported from OpenAlex (CC0) — nothing here is generated.