Thesis Defence: The Public Library and Intersections of Houselessness in Two Small Cities of Interior British Columbia
December 10 at 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Emilie Isch, supervised by Drs. Jon Corbett and John Graham, will defend their thesis titled “The Public Library and Intersections of Houselessness in Two Small Cities of Interior British Columbia” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Urban and Regional Studies theme.
An abstract for Emilie Isch’s thesis is included below.
Defences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Please email jon.corbett@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence.
ABSTRACT
This thesis investigates how public libraries presently mitigate intersections of houselessness in two small cities in the southern interior region of British Columbia (B.C.) in so-called Canada. The research identifies on three main topics relating to ongoing intersecting states of emergencies in B.C., small cities, and the public library. The first topic seeks to understand these issues through the role of political economic systems that exacerbate intersections of emergencies ranging from the toxic drug supply to housing and privatization, and anthropogenic climate change. The second topic outlines how they function in the small city landscape, which is defined as the in-between of rural and urban and broadens the discussion away from strictly urban environments. Lastly, the topic of the public library places an emphasis on infrastructure, both social and physical, and conceptualizes public space. This thesis follows an interdisciplinary research design, using two methodologies ‘content analysis’ and ‘semi-structured interviews’ to deliberate five key findings. Content analysis analyzed sources from planning, city profiles and other documents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants from the two sites of study for this thesis – Nelson and Vernon. Outcomes of this thesis position the state of small cities through the changing face of houselessness, urbanization and housing, and community efforts and actions. Findings also explore the role of public libraries as social and physical infrastructure, and how they serve as a site to promote accessibility, and inclusivity. Ultimately, this thesis addresses the role of librarians and library staff alongside challenges and barriers, with outcomes situating relational engagement, supporting the staff, de-escalation, training, and skills equipping. These conclusions outline suggestions for best practices to effectively achieve the overarching argument of the public library’s ability to provide a sense of community, belonging, harm mitigation, safety, solidarity, and as a refuge from anthropogenic climate change.
