Author ORCID Identifier
Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MA
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Geology and Geography
Committee Chair
Maria Perez
Committee Member
Jamison Conley
Committee Member
Kathleen Ryan
Abstract
The state of West Virginia lacked a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the availability of physical books across the state. Access to reading material is vital to a child’s educational development as well as lifelong learning beyond childhood. To guide policy decisions and planning for outreach which addresses reading levels and beyond, I mapped levels of access stemming from socioeconomic barriers, spatial barriers, and an integrated index of both types of barriers. To map spatial access, I utilized a modified Extended Two-Step Floating Catchment Area model, deriving techniques from Hong et al’s 2023 article addressing access for health care in WV. The final product was an integration of the spatial and socioeconomic indices to model overall levels of access in the state. The integrated index demonstrates the areas with the lowest access levels in West Virginia are the most rural, with a particular emphasis on the Southeastern part of the state. Clay County, WV is noted as the low access zone with the highest estimated child population.
Recommended Citation
Maxey, Heather A., "Using Extended Two-Step Floating Catchment Area to Map Children’s Level of Access to Physical Books in West Virginia" (2023). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 11794.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/11794
Included in
Geographic Information Sciences Commons, Human Geography Commons, Library and Information Science Commons, Spatial Science Commons