Libraries as a Social Hub by Alicia Morris Scott

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Libraries act as social and community hubs.  Libraries are a place people can come together with similar or diverse ideas and bring the community together.  The library is a public space that allows people to find information, community and connection.  The impact of the local library to bring diverse populations together is priceless to the community.  Libraries are seen as the third place, not the work place or the home, but a third place where people can come together to build friendships and strengthen the social bonds of a community and build a community identity.  Building a bond with community increases the likelihood that those people will see each other as neighbors rather than strangers.   During times of great strife and contention, libraries can provide information on protests, demonstrations and knowing their rights as citizens.  Libraries can play a role in providing accurate information regarding things going on in the community and the country.  Libraries provide inclusive space for all in a community and all are welcome and should feel safe and free to express themselves.  Libraries are great places to get out of the heat on warm days and are often known as a “cool zone” in the hot summer months.  With libraries providing all these important aspects of community life, we can rest assured that libraries play an important role is preserving community togetherness.

 

Works Cited

Gustina, Margo, and Eli Guinnee. “Why Social Justice in the Library?” Library Journal, vol. 142, no. 10, June 2017, pp. 52–55. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=123352435&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Cabello, Marcela, and Butler, Stuart M. 2017. “How Public Libraries Help Build Healthy Communities.” Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.

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