Honors Projects
Abstract
This research paper focuses on how the Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL) has adapted to the 21st century, with an emphasis on the impact of digital materials and the Internet. This paper looks at these changes primarily through three lenses: official policies, services and programs, and internal culture. This paper uses quantitative data to determine if TLCPL has maintained overall growth in areas such as number of cardholders, customer counts, circulation, computer usage, and program attendance. These numbers show that, while not always maintaining growth, TLCPL has adapted quite well to the 21st century, bringing in record high numbers across the variables measured. These numbers, along with TLCPL’s position as a community center throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that TLCPL has a solid foundation for the future. This paper concludes that, contrary to some beliefs, public libraries like TLCPL will continue to serve the public for decades to come.
Department
Honors Program
Major
Communication
First Advisor
Dr. Raymond I. Schuck
First Advisor Department
Communication
Second Advisor
Dr. Matthew A. Donahue
Second Advisor Department
American Culture Studies
Publication Date
Spring 3-24-2023
Repository Citation
Clem, Cade, "Still Lending You the World: The Toledo Lucas County Public Library in the 21st Century" (2023). Honors Projects. 913.
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/honorsprojects/913
Included in
American Studies Commons, Communication Commons, Library and Information Science Commons