This paper, co-authored by Battulga Buyannemekh and Mila Gasco-Hernandez, is published in Public Library Quarterly at https://scholar.google.com/scholar_url?url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01616846.2025.2521894&hl=en&sa=X&d=15564867780456478905&ei=1AFgaI2cDbvM6rQPzp2XwQQ&scisig=AAZF9b-WtacvBz931QayEpDiKpDu&oi=scholaralrt&html=&pos=0&folt=art

Local governments worldwide have started smart city initiatives to address complex socioeconomic and environmental challenges. The literature recognizes the roles of diverse actors in smart city development and governance, but community anchors such as public libraries remain understudied. Yet, emerging research suggests that public libraries can contribute to smart city development manifold. Through case studies of three public libraries in different regions, this paper shows that public libraries can contribute to smart city development by: 1) developing smart citizens, 2) enabling citizen participation, and 3) providing an innovation environment. These contributions are highly contextual and respond to local needs.