Noah Lenstra
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7613-066X
University of North Carolina at Greensboro Department of Information, Library, & Research Sciences
njlenstr@uncg.edu
Christine D’Arpa
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8999-9479
Wayne State University School of Information Sciences
cdarpa2@wayne.edu
Abstract
Food justice is a topic many working in public libraries wish to understand and put into action. Many struggle to do so in a way that is sustainable for their institutions and for library workers themselves. Based on focus groups with public library workers conducted from November 2023 to March 2024, we developed five themes that encompass how this changing role is conceptualized by library workers: (1) The library is an evolving, multi-cultural community resource and hub, (2) Food access is essential to learning and literacy, (3) Library workers feel pressure and guilt to address all needs and individuals, (4) Procedures and policies integrate food work into library work, and (5) Partnerships integrate library work into food work. A research agenda concludes with other additional work needed to understand not only this topic, but to more generally understand how public libraries work creatively with and alongside their communities to address evolving community needs.