Hi everyone!

My name is Laura and I live on the East Coast, where I am a library assistant at my local public library. This is my third semester as an LIS student. As an introvert, my intention has been to ultimately wind up in a cataloging/technical services position—but I have found connecting with patrons at the circulation desk much more fulfilling than I originally imagined! I extended myself beyond my comfort zone last year when I started up a new monthly book club, which has been a lovely way to get better acquainted with some of the patrons I serve. (Also, I love occasionally challenging them with genres they don’t usually read—there sure were some strong opinions about Marie-Helene Bertino’s Beautyland, which is one of my personal favorites!)

In a previous life, I studied geography and the ways that people interact with places. This was when I first learned about “third places,” a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg. Libraries are quintessential third places—welcoming to all, free of charge, and a place to meet up with others in the community. It seems that the universe wants me to examine libraries as third places—after reading the chapter on information communities in the Encyclopedia of Community last semester for INFO 200, the editor of that book (unbeknownst to me) snapped a picture of me at my local No Kings rally and later included it in her blog entry about her experience there. Turns out Karen Christensen, in addition to editing the Encyclopedia of Community, also worked closely with Ray Oldenburg and will soon be publishing the follow-up to his book about third places entitled The Great Good Place. Small world! On a trip to Ireland a few weeks later, I happened upon a delightful exhibit about third places by The Rat Project that featured a zine that cited Oldenburg’s book. Noted, universe! Got it.

A small zine that reads 4) Third places can bring youth and adults into association with one another. 5) Third places help care for the neighborhood. 6) Third places foster political debate. We can better test and refine our opinions by interacting with others, not by simply listening to the pronouncements of television commentators. "A Place on the corner," real life alternatives to television... 7) Third places help reduce the cost of living. Where people meet regularly natural support groups or "mutual aid" societies tend to form. 8) Third places are entertaining. And the entertainment is provided by the people themselves. 9) Third places give the gift of friendship. Not the singular, lifelong "best" friendship necessarily, but the tonic of friends met in numbers. 10) Third places are important for retired people.

A zine featured in The Rat Project exhibit in the Test Space of the Limerick City Gallery of Art.

INFO 287, The Hyperlinked Library, feels like a fabulous chance to explore libraries as arenas of community-building, collaboration, and conversation. I am particularly drawn to the ways in which stories and storytelling can bring people together and facilitate knowledge sharing, so I’m especially excited about that module. From the introductory INFO 287 materials, I get the sense that this course will be really grounding for the rest of my LIS coursework. I am an avid believer in centering library work in compassion and human connection, so I think I’ve come to the right place! I’m really looking forward to connecting with and learning from all of you.

The term "Third Places" was created by Ray Oldenburg, the author of The Great Good Place (Paragon House 1989). These notes were taken from Planning Commissioners Journal Number 25, Winter 1996-97. A zine by Caoilfhinn.