Open Access“We’re Still Open”: Canadian News Media’s Framing of Canadian Public Libraries’ Covid-19 Responses
Author(s) -
Nicole K. Dalmer,
Meridith Griffin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the annual conference of cais
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2562-7589
DOI - 10.29173/cais1208
Subject(s) - framing (construction) , covid-19 , negotiation , pandemic , political science , conversation , public relations , sociology , news media , media studies , library science , history , social science , computer science , medicine , communication , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , archaeology , pathology , virology , outbreak
COVID-19 is persistently transforming how and where public libraries are able to engage with and support their communities. While existing research at the juncture of public library services and COVID-19 has overwhelmingly examined library-produced content, this study shifts focus to media representations of library practices during COVID-19. Using frame analysis methodology, this study analyzed 218 Canadian news articles for the ways in which news stories articulate public libraries’ roles and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three frames emerged: (re)negotiating the library’s space, (re)configuring the library’s roles, and (re)constructing “others”. Conclusions explore the implications of these frames, linked to a broader conversation regarding transformations to public spaces during COVID-19.