Library Trends Call for Proposals

While much has been said about libraries and homelessness, is this the whole story? The recent LIS discourse around homelessness looks primarily at the provision of social services in public libraries. Though these services may broaden access to the (often limited) resources available for people facing homelessness, scholarly and practitioner focus in this area limits how we understand housing insecurity and its intersection with libraries. Additionally, critical approaches are missing from LIS research, homelessness research, and the points where they connect. Specifically, the reliance on clinical interventions as means of managing homelessness, underlying social and economic structures that lead to widespread inequity, the use of housing as commodity, and how libraries figure into these complex dynamics, are areas worthy of deeper, more critical investigation.

This special issue seeks to explore how the growing number of people experiencing homelessness, including adults, families with children, youth and young adults, and older adults, are being (or could be) served by libraries in ways not focused on social service needs. Conceptually, the issue considers these overarching questions: why are libraries relying on social workers to meet the information needs of people with housing instability? why haven’t social justice frameworks like those supporting prison abolitionist librarianship been applied to library homeless services? why are race and racism often left out of the library literature looking at homelessness?

We seek proposals for articles that explore these questions and more through original research studies but will also consider essays and contributions in other formats. Perspectives from outside the US are welcomed and encouraged. 

Possible topics for articles include (but are not limited to): 

• Information behaviors/information seeking of people who are unhoused (however this is understood)
• Library community engagement with encampments and tent communities
• Reading and literacy with people experiencing homelessness, including “traditional” library programming
• Critical explorations of social work and social services in libraries
• Parallels between prison abolitionist library work and serving people who are unhoused
• Implications of race and racism when we talk about homelessness and libraries
• Action research with folks who are experiencing housing disruptions
• Family and student homelessness and P-12 school libraries
• College student homelessness and library services
• Library workers as allies in the struggle for affordable housing
• Interrogating library funding, homeownership, and implications for housing equity

Article length: 7,000-10,000 words (not including bibliographic references)

Submission of Proposed Articles

If you are interested in contributing a paper to this special issue, please submit a proposed title, a 500-word abstract, and a list of the authors and their affiliations to: Dr. Vikki C. Terrile at vikki.terrile@qc.cuny.edu by December 1, 2026. 

Decisions on the proposals will be announced by January 4, 2027. Articles based on accepted proposals will be due June 23, 2027.

About the Guest Editor

Dr. Vikki C. Terrile, Associate Professor at the Queens College School of Information Studies, CUNY, was a public and academic librarian for 25 years. Her research explores how families and adults experiencing homelessness engage with libraries and reading. 

Peer Review

This issue will use an open peer review system in which authors review manuscripts from other contributors in addition to editorial review by the issue editors.