The Experiences of Public Library Staff Developing Programs with Physical Activities: An Exploratory Study in North Carolina
Noah Lenstra · The Library Quarterly · 2018
Public libraries increasingly provide programs focused around moving the body and being physically active: everything from bike rodeos to chair-based yoga to music-and-movement programs. Although common, these programs have received little assessment in the scholarly literature. This article reports on an exploratory qualitative study of the experiences of staff in public libraries in the state of North Carolina that have developed and implemented these types of programs. Across the state, staff report developing a variety of programs that include physical activities for multiple audiences. The diversity associated with this programming area testifies to the creativity of library staff working in and with their communities. This study adds to the limited understanding of programs involving physical activity in libraries by identifying and articulating several key aspects that need attention, including how this programming relates to the overall mission of the library.