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Afterword by Nicole A. Cooke and Aisha Johnson



Focusing on needs and services outside the library walls, this book outlines a fresh approach to how libraries can think about and effectively reach underserved populations. Readers will discover strategies for identifying information needs where underserved populations are and learn about many successful services, programs, and partnerships.

Underserved populations frequently do not have access to a library--or they may even be unaware that they have an information need. How can we as a profession effectively reach them? This text, geared to both graduate and undergraduate LIS students as well as practicing librarians and library staff, provides contextual information on historically underserved populations as defined by the ALA Office for Diversity, Outreach, and Literacy Services (ODLOS), explores information use behaviors for these groups, and presents examples of successful strategies and programs. Readers will

understand the history, background, and demographics of ALA-identified underserved population groups, which include refugees and immigrants, rural or isolated communities, historically disadvantaged racial or ethnic groups, LGBTQAI+ teens, people with mental health challenges, and those experiencing homelessness; find ideas from real-world practice for effectively serving those population groups in their community; learn about concepts such as Reijo Savolainen's everyday life information seeking (ELIS) and Elfreda Chatman's small world lives and life in the round, theories that consider how a person's circumstances affect their information needs, searching habits, and information authorities; see why misconceptions, stereotypes, and implicit biases about underserved populations can act as barriers to people accessing the information they need; be introduced to the concept of the "community information liaison," a librarian who addresses information-seeking of their community outside of the library walls; and have information about support organizations and additional resources for further learning.

The text features contributed chapters from noted authorities such as Paul T. Jaeger, Ana Ndumu, Helen Chou, Bharat Mehra, Jeanie Austin, Emily Jacobson, Julie Hersberger, Carrie Scott Banks, Barbara Klipper, JJ Pionke, Nicole Dalmer, and Vanessa Kitzie, plus an afterword by Nicole A. Cooke.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Chapter 1 The Library without Walls(1)
• Chapter 2 Intersectionality and Identity(17)
• Chapter 3 Refugee, Immigrant, and International Communities(23)
• Chapter 4 Rural or Geographically Isolated Communities(39)
• Chapter 5 People Experiencing Homelessness(63)
• Chapter 6 People with Physical Disabilities(79)
• Chapter 7 People with Mental Health Disabilities(95)
• Chapter 8 Neurodiversity, Libraries, and Information(111)
• Chapter 9 LGBTQ+YouthsVanessa Kitzie(129)
• Chapter 10 Libraries'Engagement with Older Adults(161)
• Chapter 11 The Incarcerated and Formerly incarcerated(177)
• Chapter 12 Creating Hostile Environments: The History of Marginalized Communities in Libraries(197)
• Afterword: Getting Our Own Houses in Order(213)
• Appendix: Online Resources for Serving the Underserved(217)
• About the Editor and Contributors(231)
• Index(235)

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Bomhold (Univ. of Southern Mississippi), coauthor of Twice upon a Time: A Guide to Fractured, Altered, and Retold Folk and Fairy Tales (2008) and Build It, Make It, Do It, Play It! Subject Access to the Best How-To Guides for Children and Teens (2014), assembles a team of experts to provide actionable strategies and curated resources for serving marginalized communities. Grounded in the belief that empowering oneself leads to empowering others, this guide urges library professionals to examine their practices and critically expand services to underserved populations. Serving the Underserved opens by discussing theories of information-seeking behavior across diverse populations while emphasizing the importance of intersectionality, highlighting how overlapping identities shape experiences and access to information. Subsequent chapters lay a foundation for understanding the unique challenges faced by refugee, immigrant, and international communities, among others; people experiencing homelessness; people with physical disabilities; people with mental health disorders or neurodiversity; LGBTQ+ youth; older adults; and incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people. Each chapter offers practical tools, including examples of effective programs and discussion questions ideal for professional learning networks, making it a valuable blueprint for fostering inclusivity. Summing Up: Essential. Graduate students through faculty; professionals. --Karen Dafoe, SUNY Cortland

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Dr. Catharine Bomhold was an associate professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Southern Mississippi from 2003 to 2026 and taught a variety of classes over the years, including leading the School's licensure courses. Her doctoral studies focused on children's literature and emergent literacy, and she continued with that specialty for over 23 years. She coauthored Twice Upon a Time: A Guide to Fractured, Altered, and Retold Folk and Fairy Tales (Libraries Unlimited, 2008) and Build It, Make It, Do It, Play It!: Subject Access to the Best How-To Guides for Children and Teens (Libraries Unlimited, 2014), as well as scholarly articles on information seeking.