Are evangelical Christians an underserved population?

Abstract

Even though large numbers of Americans identify as evangelical Christians, the public library profession in the United States has been reluctant to reach out to evangelicals as a population with distinct information needs. This essay explores some of the possible reasons for this reluctance. The author takes stock of research indicating that evangelical publishers are well-represented in the collections of American public libraries, but calls for the library profession to ramp up its commitment to programming and outreach--even as it refuses to compromise on core values of religious neutrality and intellectual freedom.