Our Public Library Research section features both UK and International Research.
The UK section has been divided into ten sections: Covid and Lockdown, Cultural, Digital & Media Literacy, Economic, Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Reading, Disadvantaged Communities, Social, and Value & Impact.
The International Section has been divided into four sections: Digital and Information Literacy, Economical, Environmental, and Social.
Papers include research in areas such as the economic and social aspects of public libraries as well as the effects of worldwide events such as the COVID-19 epidemic. Our research section is always expanding and, although no way complete, gives an indication of public library research being conducted on a global scale.
UK Research
Covid and Lockdown
- Casting Long Shadows - The Ongoing Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Babies, their Families and the Services that Support them Institute of Health Visiting, November 2022.
- Libraries in Lockdown: Scottish Public Libraries and Their Role in Community Cohesion and Resilience During Lockdown Professor Peter Reid and Lyndsay Mesjar, Robert Gordon University, March 2020.
- Making a Difference: Libraries, Lockdown and Looking Ahead Carnegie Trust, October 2020.
Cultural
- Can Public Libraries in the UK Provide a Pathway Towards Increased Cultural Engagement for People Perceived as Having low Socio-cultural Capital? Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Clore Leadership Programme, March 2019.
- Evaluation of the Inverclyde Culture Collective: Final year of activity (September 2022 – August 2023) Inverclyde Council, September 2023.
- Participation, People and Place: the Role of Public Libraries in Fostering Connection and Cultural Capital in Disadvantaged Communities Sarah Summers, University of Strathclyde, May 2022.
- Review of Culture and Leisure Services in Scotland Community Leisure UK, Creative Scotland and sportscotland, August 2024.
- The Influence of Culture on Perceived use of Public Libraries by Forced Migrants in Scotland and England Dr. Rachel Salzano, Edinburgh Napier University, April 2023.
Digital and Media Literacy
- Digital Inclusion in Libraries: Full report Good Things Foundation, June 2023.
- Evaluation of NewsWise Family Workshops: Media literacy in Community Settings National Literacy Trust, April 2024.
- Libraries on the Front Lines of the Digital Divide: The Oxfordshire Digital Inclusion Project Report University of Oxford, June 2021.
Economic
- Democratising Entrepreneurship British Library, July 2019.
- Democratising Entrepreneurship 2.0 British Library, July 2023.
- Evidence Review of the Economic Contribution of Libraries Arts Council England, June 2014.
Environment
- Environmental Education in Public Libraries James Devine and Leo Appleton, University of Sheffield, March 2023.
Health and Wellbeing
- Library Based Walking Groups in Scotland: Exploring Benefits, Challenges and Opportunities Inga Allan and Perla Innocenti, University of Strathclyde, February 2023.
- The Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Public Libraries Arts Council England, March 2015.
Misinformation and Disinformation
- The Role of the Public Library in Combating Misinformation and Disinformation: A Review and Action Plan, Professor Steven Buchanan and Professor David McMenemy Arts Council England.
Reading
- A Society of Readers Demos, October 2018.
- Children and Young People's Reading in 2025 National Literacy Trust, June 2025
- Literature Review: The Impact of Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment Reading Agency, June 2015.
- Reading Fiction and Psychological Wellbeing During Older Adulthood: Positive Affect, Connection and Personal Growth Nicola K Currie, Edge Hill University; Katherine Wilkinson, Scottish Book Trust; Sarah McGeown, University of Edinburgh.
- Reading Friends - Co-production Findings for Vision Impairment The Reading Agency, June 2024.
- Reading in the Early Years: Supporting Generational Cycles of Readers - Research with Families from Low-income Backgrounds in the UK Book Trust, November 2023.
- The Role of Multiple ‘Reading Influencers’ in Supporting Children’s Reading Journeys – Findings from new BookTrust Research with Early Years Families from Low-income Backgrounds Book Trust, October 2023.
- The Role of Reading for Children Experiencing Vulnerability: Building Strong Foundations for Life - Research with Foster, Kinship and Adoptive Families in the UK Book Trust, 2023.
- The State of the Nation’s Adult Reading: 2024 Report Reading Agency, July 2024.
Underserved Communities
- Participation, People and Place: the Role of Public Libraries in Fostering Connection and Cultural Capital in Disadvantaged Communities Sarah Summers, University of Strathclyde, May 2022.
- Public Libraries and Ukrainian Refugees Libraries Connected, July 2022.
- Scottish Public Libraries Welcome Syrian new Scots: a Transition from Being a Refugee to Becoming an Active Part of the Community Dr Konstantina Martzoukou, Robert Gordon University, Jan 2020.
Social
- Organisational Practices and Social Inclusion Dr Rosslyn Kerr and Professor Nick Hopkins, University of Dundee, April 2024.
- Social Prescribing Toolkit Reading Agency, April 2021.
Value and Impact
- An Independent Review of English Public Libraries Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), by Baroness Elizabeth Sanderson of Welton, July 2023.
- Barriers to Library Use: Qualitative Research Report You can also view the Report Appendix. Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), October 2024.
- Economic Value of Libraries Toolkit Guidance Archives, Libraries, and Museums Alliance UK, 2013.
- Libraries for Living, and for Living Better: The Value and Impact of Public Libraries in the East of England Libraries Connected, University of East Anglia, June 2023.
- Suffolk Libraries: An Impact Analysis of Services of Suffolk Libraries Suffolk Libraries, January 2023.
- The Value and Impact of Scotland’s Libraries: Preliminary Findings from Public Librarian Surveys Scottish Book Trust, May 2024.
- The 21st Century Public Library in England and Scotland: Epistemic, Community and Political Roles in the Public Sphere Leo Appleton, Edinburgh Napier University, March 2020.
International Research
Digital and Information Literacy
- 2022 Digital Inclusion Toolkit New York State Library, September 2022.
- Leadership Brief: The Role of Libraries as Public Spaces in Countering Misinformation, Disinformation, and Social Isolation in the Age of Generative AI Urban Libraries Council, September 2024.
- Support in Digital Health Skill Development for Vulnerable Groups in a Public Library Setting: Perspectives of Trainers. Standaar et al, Tilburg University, Netherlands, January 2025.
- The Role of Public Libraries in Countering Misinformation: A Swedish Perspective Britt Helen Andermann, University of Boras, Sweden, 2023.
Economic
- Closing the Entrepreneurship Gap: Tools for Libraries Urban Libraries Council,
- The Economic Value of Public Libraries Public Libraries of the Future, Denmark. 2016 (Estimated).
Environmental
- Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change American Library Association (ALA), 2020.
- Public Libraries and Walkable Neighborhoods Noah Lenstra and Jenny Carlos, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, May 2019.
- Sustainability in Danish Public Libraries: How do the Sustainable Development Goals Inspire their Work? Jan Holmquist, Learning strategist and SDG expert, Holmquist Consult, November 2021.
Social
- How Libraries (and Other Social Infrastructure Spaces) Will Save Us: The Critical Role of Social Infrastructure in Democratic Resilience Fulbright Australia, Flinders University, November 2023.
- Citizen Participation in Spain’s Public Libraries: Executive Summary. Ministry of Culture, 2023.
Evidence-Led Libraries: Inspiring Innovation and Creating Communities
Scottish Library & Information Council
Annual General Meeting 2025
