Suffolk Libraries: enhancing well-being within its community

Millett, Abbie, Burrows, Katrina, Caldwell, Nicholas and Richards, Sarah (2025) Suffolk Libraries: enhancing well-being within its community. The Journal of Positive Psychology. ISSN 0275-004X

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Abstract

Libraries are community spaces that offer social and health-related activities. Yet, evidence high-lighting how libraries enhance well-being in their communities is limited. This paper examines how activities run by Suffolk Libraries enhance the well-being of users within their community. DuringStudy 1, library users completed a questionnaire investigating library use, loneliness, social connectedness, and social assurance. Study 1 identified that as library usage increased social connectedness, social assurance also increased. During Study 2, activity group users completed a questionnaire investigating happiness, satisfaction with life, and mental well-being before and after their activity group. Study 2 found increases in satisfaction with life and mental well-being after an activity group. These findings demonstrate the positive impact that Suffolk Libraries has on users. Thus, it is concluded that Suffolk Libraries, an example of a community-based service, facilitates well-being. Future work is proposed that examines in what way community services support well-being, as well as user’s motivations to engage with these services.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Community well-being, subjective well-being, eudaimonic well-being, hedonic well-being, library services, quantitative analysis
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Arts, Business & Applied Social Science > School of Social Sciences & Humanities
Depositing User: Abbie Millett
Date Deposited: 08 May 2025 08:54
Last Modified: 08 May 2025 09:27
URI: https://oars.uos.ac.uk/id/eprint/4858

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