Myth busting
Most librarians today will cringe at the public assumption that libraries are simply places full of books staffed by people who have the cushy role of reading all day long. Those of us working in library spaces of any type––academic, school, and especially public––know this to be far from our day-to-day realities. Now and forever, providing unique and relevant services informed by community needs and interests will be the sustaining force behind multi-faceted libraries that are complex, adaptive, and globally-minded environments.
Library service to vulnerable community members
The safety and well-being of immigrants and refugees in the United States are at risk, leaving many of our fellow community members feeling uncertain about their personal mobility. While city, state, and federal leaders miss the mark in protecting some of their most vulnerable residents, libraries have an opportunity to step in. New York City public libraries have offered immigrant services for a number of years, but with the influx of fear amongst non-citizens (and actually, a number of citizens too) here in New York and across the country, it is time to think even bigger. Having collection items and promotional materials like flyers and handouts in locally-spoken community languages is a necessary and accessible starting point, but libraries can go even further. We do not expect our patrons to come in only requesting books and desktop computers, we know they need more. For inspiration, we can look abroad and see two exemplars in Denmark and France.
DOKK1
Highlighted by Professor Stephens in several lectures and readings, DOKK1 in Aarhus, Denmark, home to the Aarhus Public Library, “reenvisions the library-going experience” with a focus on human needs and more effective uses of space (Morehart, 2016). Areas are dedicated to performances, meetings, children’s activities, public gatherings and celebrations, relaxation, and much more. Thinking about inclusive uses of cutting edge technology, DOKK1 has a “Siri AI assistant system” that functions as an immigration service, where someone not from the EU can go and get help with things like obtaining a work permit (Aleksic, 2025). These kinds of provisions may not immediately come to mind when someone says, “library programs,” but they should! They are meaningful integrations that are possible in the hyperlinked library.
Vaclav Havel Library
In Paris, France, the Vaclav Havel Library is a part of a social complex building reconstructed in the Halle Pajol. When the building was first completed, the inclusion of a library was identified amongst the community requests; upon the opening of the Vaclav Havel Library in 2013, it quickly became one of the building’s most popular spaces. Vaclav Havel Library serves one of the most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Paris that is home to large migrant and asylum seeker communities, and works to offer supportive programming beyond basic literacy and language materials. The space holds: “133 seats, power plugs, free, anonymous WiFi, (…) a recreation room complete with a collection of video games, table tennis and foosball [for] local teens with limited options to gather and spend their free time” (Lauersen, 2020). The anonymous WiFi is worth noting as the library opposed requests from police and the city to require ID verification for Internet use. The popularity and positive reception of Vaclav Havel Library proves how thoughtful, nuanced service to communities brings users in and encourages them to stay a while.
References
Aleksic, D. (2025, May 27). A automaton librarian and a robot that drives away seagulls–Meet DOKK1, or how the Danes see sustainable and democratic public space. Ekapija. https://www.ekapija.com/en/news/5183296/an-automaton-librarian-and-a-robot-that-drives-away-seagulls-meet-dokk1
Lauersen, C. (2020, March 3). Václav Havel library in Paris-La Chapelle: A gift for everyone. Library Planet. https://libraryplanet.net/2020/03/03/vaclav-havel-library-in-paris-la-chapelle-a-gift-for-everyone/
Morehart, P. (2016, August 17). Moving beyond the “third place.” American Libraries Magazine. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/library-design-moving-beyond-third-place