Libraries around the country are expanding their services in an effort to become ‘third spaces’ for the community.
Could a revival of public libraries as community spaces fill the growing need for ‘third spaces?’ In a piece for Governing, Alan Ehrenhalt argues that it very well could.
As coffee shops seek to limit public access to their amenities and public space becomes increasingly privatized, public libraries could once again serve as key gathering places.
An increasing number of libraries have opened cafes to enhance local sociability. Many have placed job-training centers inside. Seattle’s main library contains a satellite City Hall. Charlotte is building an indoor-outdoor library to attract more customers year-round. The library in Athens, Ga., has become a focal point for chess tournaments. The one in Evanston, Ill., has created an entire sports complex. The library in Upper Providence Township in Pennsylvania has installed a teaching kitchen.
With these changes (and others, such as allowing talking in some previously quiet library spaces), libraries hope to remain relevant by offering both resources and community.
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