The Interweaving of Library Usage, Community Engagement, and Socioeconomic Class Four data physicalization circular weavings representing library usage group characteristics

Introduction

There is a long tradition of libraries serving disadvantaged and marginalized populations in the United States. The American Library Association (ALA) produced policy 61 to, "promote equal access to information for all persons, and recognizes the urgent need to respond to the increasing number of poor children, adults, and families in America." Libraries are recognized as "community anchors" and "part of the education system" (Holt and Holt 2010). But not every library adopts the ALA policy 61 and provides outreach to those not part of a library community.

The following data physicalization shows four library usage types: high, low, medium, and zero usage. Within these groups the amount of each socioeconomic type, community engagement, education level, and installed internet broadband can be seen and the way these characteristics change between groups. With each higher library usage type it is evident that community engagement, socioeconomic status, education level, and rate of installed broadband internet increases. The characterization is clearly evident of those individuals that are not being reached by libraries, with more than half of the zero library usage group earning $30k or less, having the least amount of broadband internet installed, majority having received a high school education or less and almost half as involved in the community as the high library use group. This shows that libraries as communities and community in general elevates individuals beyond their socioeconomic status and education level while also increasing those characteristics. This data physicalization asks how can library usage be increased for those of lower socioeconomic status? How can community be created in libraries to bridge those existing gaps seen through the four circular weavings? How can those without community and in the lower socioeconomic status without suitable resources be reached by libraries?

On the flipside, these four circular weavings also display the vibrancy of those individuals that are knit together in high community engagement and almost full use of the library. Every usage type is seen as beautiful and worthy despite the lower numbers. There is still community engagement in the zero library use group and individuals that have a higher education. These weavings display a vibrant picture of hope and a call to reach those in the empty, disconnected spaces.

Tapestry as a Medium

Tapestry as an art medium with its warp and weft, weaving techniques, thread textures and array of colors is a meaningful form for representing the interweaving of individuals in community. Community characteristics are also a complex intertwining of individuals just as weaving can be. The four circular weavings of this data physicalization bring across this phenomenon.

The below guide shows the color characteristic pairings for viewing the data in the circular weavings. The cream center circle represents the groups library usage. Cream thread is used to represent the cream pages in a book. With each waning usage type, the empty space showing library usage grows until the last weaving representing zero library engagement has no white thread at all. The next layer from the center shown in orange thread represents community engagement. Orange wool roving is used to represent community engagement because it is vibrant and pops out in the weaving. Lightening shades of periwinkle thread represents socioeconomic status types: $75k+, $50-$75k, $50k, and <$30k income/year. Periwinkle is used since blue has often been a color of prestige. As the income/year decreases the color becomes paler and less prominent in the weaving. Dark green and pale green represent amount of education with dark green representing having achieved some college up to finished higher education and pale green representing high school or less than high school achieved. Green is chosen as the color of money earned as a result of education achievement. Brown and beige are chosen for the rate of installed broadband internet with brown standing for having broadband internet installed and beige for not have broadband internet installed. There is no significance to these last colors. It was the most pleasing color to add that was readily available. Empty space in the weaving shows the negative of those characteristics used in library use and community engagement.

Transposing the Data into Weaving

The dataset I used for the data physicalization is from the Pew Research Center's research study, “From Distant Admirers to Library Lovers–and Beyond.” In this research study there are nine different subtypes of library users which I combined into four types. I did this by adding together the relevant characteristics and then finding the average for that characteristic. To apply this data to a circular weaving I first divided the seven inch diameter circular loom into four concentric circles and measured the circumference of each circle. Then I multiplied the circumference by the decimal of each characteristic that gave me the length of each characteristic in the respective concentric circle. After that I created four blueprints with the correct lengths to weave for each characteristic.