With Passionate Purpose

This research study, part of the Institute of Museum and Library Services-funded [name of study), employed a nationwide survey of library staff to learn their motivations for engaging in outreach, the types of support library staff receive for this work, the challenges they face in serving the community outside library walls, and their future plans for outreach work. Survey analysis found that 100% of respondents believe that libraries should be engaged in outreach. Furthermore, library staff expressed a variety of purposes for their outreach, including to promote and support learning for children and families and to inspire future engagement with the public library. For most respondents, outreach is highly valued by their library, though library support can differ in terms of staff time, funding, and materials. Outreach work, particularly with families and children in underserved communities, brings with it a variety of challenges that do not seem to deter most of the respondents who indicated an intent to maintain or expand their outreach efforts. This research builds a picture of the passionate purpose underlying the commitment by library staff to meet communities where they live and thrive, while also making visible and validating the invisible labor of these dedicated staff as they transform the library from a building to a service.