Year of Award

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Anthropology

Department or School/College

Anthropology

Committee Chair

G.G. Weix

Committee Co-chair

Kelly Dixon

Commitee Members

Nathalie Wolfram

Keywords

Anthropology, Education, Museum, Collaboration, History, Social

Subject Categories

Social and Cultural Anthropology

Abstract

In 2021 the Missoula Public Library opened in a new state-of-the-art building to include a science museum, a research facility, a family resource center, and a media resource center in addition to the library facilities, all providing free and low-cost programs to the public. This establishment, internally dubbed All Under One Roof (AUOR), offers a window into the culture of Missoula and provides the community myriad resources in one, co-located model that has never been seen in the United States. Using ethnographic methods, this study provides insight into AUOR and the significance of its culture house model as the future of educational, collaborative community spaces by demonstrating the effectiveness of diverse partnerships, centralized resources, and community-centered design. This work has found that AUOR mirrors Missoula’s culture and produces an effective way to collectively address social issues by providing opportunities for interdisciplinary and intergenerational learning.

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© Copyright 2023 Caitlin Ervin