Community engagement has emerged as a central theme in public librarianship, especially in recent years.
Public libraries in the United States are increasingly expected to go beyond traditional services and actively
collaborate with their communities to identify needs, co-create services, and foster social wellbeing. In
the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice movements, and ongoing digital divides, libraries have
redoubled efforts to engage their communities in meaningful ways. This article provides a comprehensive
overview of community engagement in public libraries, tailored for MLIS graduate students. It explores
how the concept is defined and interpreted in library contexts, the theoretical foundations underlying it,
and why it is critically important in a post-2021 environment. The discussion then turns to evidence-based
best practices for implementation – from partnerships and outreach models to user-centered programming
and co-creation – as well as common challenges such efforts face. Finally, we highlight several recent case
studies (post-2021) illustrating innovative community engagement initiatives in U.S. public libraries.
Throughout, we cite relevant scholarly literature, professional reports, and official library documentation to
ground the discussion in evidence.