“We're building the community; it's a hub for democracy.”: Lessons learned from a library-based, school-district partnership and program to increase belonging for newcomer immigrant and refugee youth

Abstract

This community-based mixed-methods evaluation study investigates how a library-based program increases belonging for newcomer youth. This article presents the qualitative analysis from a mixed-methods study in progress. The article describes the library's community practice of advocating for newcomers with meaningful programming that increases understanding of community resources, local politics, and belonging. Key findings relate to the project leaders' perceptions of the library as a hub for democracy, how the program positively increased belonging for newcomers, and challenges and lessons learned from the first year of the program. Implications for practice demonstrate how the asset-based program through the library-school district partnership counteracts hostile political climates toward newcomers.