Lighting the Fuse: A Survey of How Librarians Are Building Regional Identity through Public Library Services in Rural Central Appalachia

This study explores librarians' perceptions of the presence, absence, and importance of regional identity building activities in public libraries in rural Central Appalachia through the results of a survey distributed to and interviews conducted with library directors who serve these areas. Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data suggests many libraries are promoting regional identity building through programming, collection development, and outreach and that a majority would be interested in complementing their current offerings with Appalachian-focused services if barriers such as lack of funds and limited staff availability were mitigated. Further research might focus on creating a set of best practices and a resource list for designing region-specific library services and determining library patrons' perceptions of these offerings as a component of library services. This study also addresses gaps in the library literature on rural public libraries in Appalachia and the role of libraries in promoting regional identity in their communities.Master of Science in Library Scienc