People who are “surprised” that libraries are still around, obviously haven’t made their way into a library lately. Maybe past experiences shaped in their head of what a library is – book depository with stern librarians ready to shush them at any point- but happily these notions are wrong. A successful library should be doing so much more than serving books to the community. Yes, we have wi-fi and computers, no, not everybody has access to the internet or a computer at home. Yes, we offer a safe place free of the environmental elements that surround you. Yes, we have restrooms. But we offer so much more.
The “New Models” modules offered a lot of examples of library service that you can find throughout the world. In Canada, you can find kits aimed for the use by dementia community members. At the Berkeley Public Library, you can have an easy access library card which doesn’t require you to have a home address. At Salt Lake City’s library you can join a tai chi class. These are examples of some of the innovative and imaginative ways librarians are facilitating connections within their communities.
Image courtesy of Anythink Library
Not only do libraries offer you things and services, but they offer the opportunity of connection in a safe place where it may not happen otherwise. One simple but impactful program I watched during this module was Anythink Library’s “Get to Know Your Neighbor.” This takes a simple idea and connects community members by having “neighbors” ask questions which in turn causes a natural conversation and connection between two people who may not have otherwise connected. Questions are created and placed in a fishbowl then a question is randomly selected and a conversation ensues. This is a very simple idea but the connections formed are incredible. Different people of different ages and backgrounds get to start a conversation with a single question. Sharing their answers leads to a human exchange of ideas, stories, and a feeling of connection. I don’t know about you, but having human to human interactions are becoming less frequent. Want to have groceries delivered to you? Use InstantCart. Want to buy brand new curtains? Use Amazon. Want to have your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant without leaving your house? Use DoorDash. Technology like Waymo is even transporting people in self-driving vehicles. You can go a day without conversing with a human easily today. That starts stripping away those social skills we learned as children and young adults. Pretty soon, you find out that it just feels uncomfortable to socialize. But “Get to Know Your Neighbor” takes that pressure off. You sit on a couch with another person and you select a question. You are given the opportunity to talk and to listen. You cannot put a price on that kind of opportunity.
Photo courtesy of Entertainment Earth
As a society we are moving towards technology and convenience and there is nothing wrong with that but as humans we seek and crave connections. Maybe you’re a little rusty? Come to the library and you are sure to find a program that will give you the opportunity to connect with your neighbors.