Supporting Libraries to Serve the Holistic Needs of the Community: Insights from Fathers Served By Social Service Systems

Introduction: Public libraries offer essential community resources providing access to information; linking individuals with government resources and community services; and providing programming to expand learning, cultivate curiosity, and connect individuals (Garmer, 2014; Rankin, 2016). While an increasing body of scholarship has explored maternal caregivers’ perceptions of services provided by public libraries, we have yet to unpack how fathers in general, and how those involved in social service systems, in particular, relate to youth programming in public libraries. To that end, the current study conducted interviews with fathers who have experienced challenges like incarceration or addiction treatment to describe if and how they have engaged their children in online and in-person reading, and educational programming offered by public libraries.

Methods: The first and second authors solidified a joint effort between an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)-funded multistate project exploring public library services to young children and families and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Unifying Fathers to Families, Communities, and Systems (UFFCS) study. This collaborative research effort involved interviewing a convenience sample of 12 fathers of children ages 4-17 who had experienced prior system involvement (e.g., incarceration, drug courts). An inductive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was conducted to recognize and describe if and how system-involved fathers engage with their children in library programming. The authors reviewed and approved a codebook of final themes and quotes to support each theme. The inclusion of quotes ensured that we represented the narratives accurately, thereby adhering to authenticity and confirmability.

Results: In response to data gathered from fathers, four core themes emerged. Participant-fathers discussed how much time they spent at the library, and what types of services or activities they participated in for themselves as well as with their children (theme 1). While they conveyed positive perceptions of those activities (theme 2), they also discussed barriers that may derail continued participation (theme 3). The last theme (theme 4) highlighted the perceptions and implications of increased library presence in virtual spaces. While all participants conveyed that public libraries promote academic enrichment, cultivate imagination and a high sense of morality, they noted that public libraries do not (1) encourage fathers to attend storytime as often as they do mothers, and (2) often do not provide father-focused resources or referrals that align with their needs.

Discussion: This is the first study to explore fathers’ perceptions of youth and family programming offered by public libraries. Results highlight the potential for public libraries to serve as a community-hub for service provision and advocacy for youth, fathers, and families. In each interview, fathers offered insights about how libraries can (1) tailor services for traditionally marginalized and under-served fathers and (2) support their efforts to engage (or re-engage) their children in educational, community, and public library programming. Afterschool initiatives, school partnerships, more hands-on activities, and father-focused programming (post-prison transitions, post-drug addiction services) are some of the innovative ideas we will present.