To Restore Civil Society, Start With the Library
"This crucial institution is being neglected just when we need it the most..."
By Eric Klinenberg
Going along with the theme of my mother being a guest reviewer yesterday, my uncle-in-law sent me a link to this opinion piece this morning. It's a well-written piece, confirming what many of us in librarianship already knew -- that the future of libraries is in being the central civic gathering place in town. In many places there is literally no other alternative. Streamwood, where I used to work, is one such place where there is no other public building within the village where people -- particularly teens -- could gather for free without being accused of loitering.
And this is not to say that we need to forsake our traditional services, like collecting books for the residents. But we need to be aware that our library staffs are being stretched to do more, and need time away from their desks to host and engage the community when it comes to us.
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