A Home for the Community: Libraries as Social Hubs

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Image 1: Carlsbad Library, Children's Storytime

A Home for the Community: Libraries as Social Hubs
By Jessica Sparks

I've been asked many times why I want to become a librarian. I must like to read, right? Yes...but working in a library is more than just about the books, it's about the people. And most people that don't use the library often just don't understand the importance of libraries to the community. The library is at the center of our community; in his article "Public Libraries: The Hub of Our Communities" Wayne Senville describes the library as a "home for all of the community" (Senville, p. 101).

According to a 2013 Pew survey, almost two-thirds of adult Americans say that closing their local library would have a major impact on their community (Zickuhr, Rainie, Purcell, and Duggan, 2013). Libraries are the center of knowledge for the entire community; the library supports the advancement of every community member. Students meet with tutors, parents relax while their children read books, teenagers chill, job-seekers use the computers to apply for jobs, students work on class projects, and the meeting rooms are used for study groups, book clubs, and businesses. One of the ways in which libraries are a hub for the community is through programming.

Programs encourage a sense of community, a coming together in a public place. Programs educate by offering opportunities for the community to learn new skills and apply them to crafts, music, and even coding. Programs also entertain and uplift. Libraries located around local businesses, like the Downtown San Diego Public Library, help business by providing resources and also facilitating partnerships (Senville, p. 98).

The San Diego Public Libraries have a wonderful variety of programs available to the community, for children's, teens, and adults. These programs range from read aloud's to lectures and discussions. One particularly fun one is a teen event at the Rancho Bernardo Public Library "Science of Fairy Tales" where they will discuss the "engineering dilemmas" of the Three Little Pigs! Read more about the SDPL Spring Programs here: http://online.flipbuilder.com/tyny/txbz/mobile/index.html#p=3

Here are some websites with library program ideas:

1. http://www.programminglibrarian.org/ideas/library_type?library_type=2
2. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/publicawareness/campaign%40yourlibrary/prtools/sampleprogramming
3. http://publiclibrariesonline.org/tag/adult-programming/

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References

[Carlsbad Library Children's Storytime]. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://www.familyfunincarlsbadca.com/carlsbad-library-childrens-storytime/

Senville, W. (2009). Public libraries: the hub of our communities. APLIS, 22(3), 97-103.

Zickuhr, K., Rainie, L., Purcell, K., & Duggan, M. (2013, December 11). How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communities. Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/12/11/libraries-in-communities