This research project focuses on children’s programming and structure in the U.S. public library system, and the social and emotional impact on children’s wellbeing and development.

My research serves as a pilot project — I will be conducting my analysis using five public library systems in the Greater Boston area to serve as a multi-site case study. I will conduct my research primarily through an interview and survey process, supplemented by researched historical and archival data centered on the library systems’ infrastructure, programming, and community engagement and involvement. I will conduct interviews and survey librarians, development specialists, children's book authors, and other relevant professionals — to gain an understanding of the cultural, social, and emotional importance of libraries for children and families. My research project will be submitted to the Tufts Social, Behavioral, and Educational Research IRB, and complete any prerequisites necessitated by Tufts or the cities where I’ll conduct research.

This project is the perfect intersection between my declared Child Studies and Human Development major and Civic Studies co-major, in its analysis of the relationship between children’s development and policy. The research will contribute to my leadership in my planned career path of urban planning or public policy, by using what I learn towards planning and advocating for the protection of third spaces and community institutions that educate and serve children, families, and vulnerable communities. Libraries in the U.S. are underfunded, and I hope my research contributes to building policies that combat this issue. On a global scale, this research can be applied to any community looking to better their library systems and engagement with youth development.