Cracking Public Space Open: Design for Public Librarians

Title of the Paper

Cracking Public Space Open: Design for Public Librarians

Paper Information

• Subject Area: Human-Computer Interaction and Public Library Design
• Keywords: Public Space, Public Library, Infrastructuring, Civic Design, Digital Citizenship, Community Interaction
• Publication Information: Published at CHI 2021 Conference, authored by Sandjar Kozubaev and Carl DiSalvo

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Problems or Challenges: Public libraries, as vital spaces for community and civic activities, are under pressure to transform due to limited resources, technological changes, and increasing societal demands. Libraries must navigate the logic and economic pressures of private markets while maintaining their role as public institutions fostering knowledge democracy and social inclusion.
• Significance of the Problem: Public libraries are among the few remaining open and multifunctional public spaces. Studying librarians' work sheds light on the complex socio-technical relationships between technology, societal needs, and public services.
• Research Motivation and Related Work: Existing library research predominantly focuses on user perspectives or physical space design, with limited attention to librarians as practitioners of community infrastructuring. This study aims to explore how librarians support their communities through their work practices and how these insights can inspire Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) design.

Solution

• Proposed Method or Solution: Using "infrastructuring" as an analytical framework, this study investigates how librarians in the Fulton County Library System in Atlanta, USA, support their communities through resource management and community service provision.
• Innovative Contributions:
  • Analyzed two types of infrastructuring in public libraries: civic and social infrastructuring, and infrastructuring with and along market logics.
  • Introduced the metaphor of "cracking public space open," offering design insights for supporting complex social services.
• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:
  • Data Collection: Qualitative data were gathered through public meeting observations, in-depth interviews, and volunteer experiences.
  • Analysis Method: Open coding was conducted using grounded theory with Atlas.Ti software to identify research themes.

Research Findings

• Specific Findings:
  • Identified four core themes in librarians' work:
    1. Connecting library collections to community identity;
    2. Designing programs and services beyond books;
    3. Libraries as venues for political activities;
    4. The influence of market logics on library work.
  • Proposed several design insights for HCI and public library design:
    • Supporting heterogeneous and uncertain work environments;
    • Coordinating between public service and market logics;
    • Fostering community resilience and creative technological solutions.
• Comparison with Existing Solutions: By examining librarians' work through an infrastructural lens, this study complements research on the interaction between libraries and technology while redefining the social roles and relationships of public libraries.
• Experimental or Evaluation Results:
  • Civic and social infrastructuring played a significant role in strengthening community networks and identity.
  • Librarians effectively maintained the openness of community public resources by flexibly adapting to market logics.
• Limitations and Future Directions:
  • Limitations: The study focuses on urban environments in the United States, without addressing other countries or regions.
  • Future Directions: Conduct comparative studies in a global context to explore design strategies for cross-cultural social service institutions; develop technological tools to support community relationships and autonomy.

Conclusion

This study expands the understanding of library work and design through qualitative analysis and design insights. By focusing on "infrastructuring," it highlights the multifaceted roles of librarians and their approaches to addressing complex societal needs. The findings provide important guidance for designing public service platforms and enhancing community engagement.