Outreach services of public libraries for disadvantaged communities

Abstract

Although outreach services focusing on disadvantaged communities are crucial for public librarians, there is limited research on this topic in Iran. It remains unclear what principles these services are based on and what themes they emphasize. Therefore, this study aims to identify the key themes of outreach services by analyzing news sections from public libraries in Iran, ultimately contributing to the development of a conceptual framework. The analysis reveals that the key themes of outreach services in Iranian public libraries are social inclusion, social capital, community engagement, knowledge of community conditions, and marketing and reading promotion. © The Author(s) 2025