A Free and Open Library Two subjects stood out to me the most in this module: the need for librarians to adopt an equitable and open-minded attitude in serving their community, and how libraries can be an encouraging space for patrons to thrive (Garcia-Febo, 2018; Hasan, 2022). The subjects reminded me of previous courses that I took, which focused on social justice and the need for libraries to be more equitable areas for patrons to thrive in a culturally aware environment. (Kostelecky et al., 2023). Because of this experience in those courses, I realized that providing such a free and open space for many patrons to thrive in a non-judgmental…

Now, as in the past, freedom of speech and expression are threatened by politicians playing into many people’s fears, and a free and open library space catered to the diverse and participatory needs of the public is needed to combat the suppression of people’s ideas (Kuhn, 2024; Library Futures, 2025; Stephens, 2025). One way to introduce the library as a free and open space is to be as transparent with the library community as possible, as many are woefully misinformed on the reasoning for the inclusion of various spaces in the library, catered to diverse needs, and the inclusion of various texts (Bolan, 2008; Kuhn, 2024). Another method is for…