Same Book, New Tricks: How an Academic-Public Library Partnership Revitalized a Rural Library

Authors

Faith L. Bradham, Bakersfield CollegeFollow
Ariel Dyer, Bakersfield CollegeFollow

Abstract

In 2020, many small communities in California’s Central Valley lost their public libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, the public library in rural Shafter is thriving today as a result of a unique partnership between the local community college and Shafter: the college provides ongoing library staffing for the city’s library, while the city provides facilities, collections, and oversight for the library. This partnership, though not without its challenges, has provided both Shafter Library and Bakersfield College Library with a singular opportunity to engage multiple communities and expand library access beyond traditional conceptions of an academic or a public library. In collaborating, the two public entities give a rural community back its public library with greater access than before and with expanded services. This case study describes how this collaboration was achieved, the current operations of Shafter Library, how this collaboration has impacted the city and the college, and provides advice for those considering similar partnerships.

Recommended Citation

Bradham, Faith, and Ariel Dyer. 2024. "Same Book, New Tricks: How an Academic-Public Library Partnership Revitalized a Rural Library." Humboldt Journal of Social Relations 1 (46): DOI: https://doi.org/10.55671/0160-4341.1239