Libraries as Social Hubs

In an ever-polarized and distracted world fraught with fake news and propaganda, the library strives to be the great community equalizer. In the article “Libraries as Values-Driven Participatory Culture Hubs”, published in Information Today in June 2018, Brendan Howley argues that “libraries matter because they’re the cornerstone and touchstone of shared stories – they embody and set free the culture in which we live” (Howley, 15). They encourage conversations and participation in community, and while social media can spark those conversations, the library facilitates that participation.

Howley lists six aspects that libraries facilitate, making them “critical community resources”. These are:

• Diversity of voice
• Social equity
• Transparency and social accountability
• Access to the building blocks of an open society
• Access to trusted repositories of community data
• Access to business intelligence for centers of small business and entrepreneurship (15)

In the TedX Talk video “Public Libraries: The Next Level”, Brampton Library’s CEO discusses how libraries are assisting patrons in creating their own content, as individuals and groups, further connecting them with their communities. She also explains how kids come to the library for their most popular program, LegoMania, and learn to engage in cooperation, which helps them move on to the next level of programming, LegoRobotics. This program, and several other STEM programs, help kids gain engineering and planning skills that will help them move to the next level as community members.



It is clear that beyond just being a place to get books or a space where the community can convene, libraries serve a much larger community, social, and educational purpose. This can be seen not only at the public library, but academic libraries as well. Study spaces encourage students to gather and exchange information. Library events encourage students to explore the library and feel part of the academic community. Students convene at the library for academics, often resulting in social connections and plans.

What changes have you seen in your library regarding its function as a social hub? Please comment!

Additional resources about this topic are cited below.


Works Cited

Harris, Ryan, et al. “Creating Shared Campus Experiences: The Library as Culture Club.” Journal of the Medical Library Association, vol. 101, no. 4, Oct. 2013, pp. 254–256. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3163/1536-5050.101.4.005.

Hinze, Shana. “Librarians as Community Ambassadors.” Young Adult Library Services, vol. 15, no. 1, Fall 2016, pp. 27–30. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=118843606&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Howley, Brendan. “Libraries as Values-Driven Participatory Culture Hubs.” Information Today, vol. 35, no. 5, June 2018, pp. 15–16. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=130182780&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Padgett, Lauree. “The Social Library.” Information Today, vol. 34, no. 10, Dec. 2017, p. 23. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=126810320&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

“Public Libraries: The Next Level.” YouTube, TedX, 2 Oct. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frOurFNzFE0.