A CSU-Deakin Australian Research Council project
Background
Social capital matters. It refers to the links and bonds that are established between people that give rise to greater levels of trust, and which produce positive outcomes for society. Social capital fosters the development of healthy and cohesive communities; helping society and government function effectively. The increasing importance of social capital has been further highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is however growing evidence however to suggest that social capital in Australia is declining.
Public libraries are ideally positioned to lead the way in developing and supporting social capital in Australia. With 1706 service points and over 150 million annual visits Australian public libraries are open to people regardless of age, sex, income, race, political or religious point of view. This openness makes public libraries ideal places for people to gather, access the information or resources they need, come in contact with other people and ideas. While public libraries can be an important location for creating social cohesion and trust in the community, there is limited empirical understanding on the ways in which libraries can best contribute to the development of social capital. This project will fill this gap.
Aim
The aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between public libraries and social capital.This aim will be addressed through the following research questions: (i) What is the role of Australia’s public libraries in fostering the development of social capital? (ii) What are the mechanisms that enable or have the potential to enable Australia’s public libraries to help foster and/or increase social capital, if at all? (iii) How do Australia’s public libraries in regional and metropolitan areas differ in the mechanisms that foster and/or increase social capital?
The aim and research questions will be explored via a case study method. Six Australian public library services will provide the sites for the case study. Over a period of six to 12 months the research team will visit each site, engaging with library staff and users via interviews, questionnaires and observations. Human Ethics Clearance will be provided by both CSU and Deakin University.
