The Social Well-being Impact (SWI) of Libraries and Museums Study

In "Strengthening Networks, Sparking Change: Museums and Libraries as Community Catalysts", a previous study conducted with IMLS in 2016, The Reinvestment Fund documented a range of different ways that libraries and museums across the country address community concerns through their activities and strategic partnerships . However, no study has yet adequately measured the contributions these institutions make to different dimensions of well being in their communities. This study will use primary and secondary data to document the contribution that libraries and museums make on the quality of life in their communities. Primary data will be collected through county-level case studies in up to 24 counties that will be selected based on their geographic scale (i.e. rural, suburban, or urban), a critical presence of museums and libraries in the county, and elevated levels of one or more dimension of social well being.

The latest form for The Social Well-being Impact (SWI) of Libraries and Museums Study expires 2022-06-30 and can be found here.