Democratizing Knowledge: Carnegie Libraries for the 21st Century

As trusted public institutions, libraries provide access to a range of services and programs that reduce economic and social inequality. In politically polarizing times, libraries also serve as important sites for civic engagement and drivers of social cohesion. However, libraries face myriad challenges including aging infrastructure, under-investment and capacity issues.

Developed by the SIPA Capstone team in collaboration with the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY), this project identified the main needs and gaps facing the American public library system and analyzed the funding landscape from federal, state and philanthropic sources. Based on primary and secondary research, this report identified three areas of most urgent need for libraries: civic engagement programming to combat political polarization; capital improvements to repair aging infrastructure and mitigate climate change-related risks; and access to digital resources, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

Using a mixed-methods approach, this report incorporated findings from a literature review, qualitative and quantitative data from national surveys, expert interviews, and financial analysis of the funding landscape. Building upon these findings, this report recommended where a multi-year investment from CCNY would be most impactful for U.S. public libraries to continue to provide essential services for their communities and combat the effects of political polarization through providing resources and tools for engaged and informed citizens.