Meet Me at the Library: A Place to Foster Social Connection and Promote Democracy

By Shamichael Hallman

America is facing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, with troubling effects on our mental and physical health. We live in one of the most divisive times in our history, one in which we tend to work, play, and associate only with people who think as we do. How do we create spaces for people to come together—to open our minds, understand our differences, and exchange ideas?
 
Shamichael Hallman argues that the public library may be our best hope for bridging these divides and creating strong, inclusive communities. While public libraries have long been thought of as a place for a select few, increasingly they are playing an essential role in building social cohesion, promoting civic renewal, and advancing the ideals of a healthy democracy. Many are reimagining themselves in new and innovative ways, actively reaching out to the communities they serve. Today, libraries are becoming essential institutions for repairing society.
 
Libraries have a unique opportunity to bridge socioeconomic divides and rebuild trust. But in order to do so, they must be truly welcoming to all. They and their communities must work collaboratively to bridge socioeconomic divides through innovative and productive partnerships.
 
Drawing from his experience at the Memphis Public Library and his extensive research and interviews across the country, Hallman presents a rich argument for seeing libraries as one of the nation’s greatest assets.  He includes examples from libraries large and small--such as the Iowa’s North Liberty Library’s Lighthouse in the Library program to bring people together to discuss important topics in a safe and supportive space, to Cambridge Cooks, an initiative of the Cambridge MA Public Library that fosters social connection by bringing people together over shared interest in food.
 
As an institution that is increasingly under attack for creating a place where diverse audiences can see themselves, public libraries are under more scrutiny than ever. Meet Me at the Library offers us a revealing look at one of our most important civic institutions and the social and civic impact they must play if we are to heal our divided nation.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Island Press
• Release date: Oct 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9781642833201

Book preview

Reviews for Meet Me at the Library

[pbirch01 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I walked into a tiny library in central Washington and saw a poster about a public zoom call with the author of this book. As I walked deeper into the library I was stunned at what it had to offer - a makerspace, tons of books and periodicals and even a kid-sized bathroom in the middle of the children's section. Obviously, this library is a bit of an outlier but it really emphasized many of the main points of this book simply that libraries are great and can be even better by diversifying their offerings to serve more people.

In many ways, its amazing that libraries exist at all. Can you imagine libraries being created today? Since we are so fortunate to have them we should use them and expand what role they play in our society. This is the charge that Hallman makes repeatedly in his book, as with his background in library management he is well positioned to write this book. Hallman makes many arguments about why we should invest both money and volunteer hours in libraries and gives examples from all over the US showing the various ways different libraries have worked to solve issues in their areas. Can libraries solve all the issues of modern day America? TBD but they can definitely bring people together who might not have met otherwise and that can can lead to real lasting social change in their community.