The Depiction of American Public Libraries in Film - Abstract

This study consisted of an investigation and analysis of the depiction of American public libraries in film since 1940. A total of 46 films were studied. A review was conducted of the limited amount of literature on related subject areas, which was found to be lacking rigour. Thematic approaches led to analyses in the areas of research, cultural signifiers, children, secrecy, sexuality and the genre of science fiction. The overall portrayal of public libraries in film was found to be that of a place of enrichment, knowledge and American values.