Assignment X: Opening the Third Eye to the Third Space
One idea from the early modules that immediately stood out to me is participatory service: the belief that quality library services are not something to be bestowed upon library users by knowledgeable, well-connected librarians, but rather are a product of an open and participatory dialogue between that librarian and the constituency she or he serves and cares about. The participatory service model runs parallel to the movement in teacher’s education programs – one of which I participated in in a former life – that is leaving behind the “sage on the stage” archetype of teacher who holds the key to knowledge and pontificates at the head of the classroom in favor of the “guide on the side” educator who engages learners as collaborators who shape their own meaningful, personalized learning journeys. Many such student-centered approaches, such as the Montessori Model, lean into the motivations of the individual student and asks them to be the architect – with support – of their own personal growth paths.
This Youtube short explains the concept and potential pitfalls of the Sage/Guide duel rather succinctly (Ratliff, P, 2025):
The Heart of Librarianship – or the cycle of support, engagement, and discovery rooted in service, access, and intellectual freedom – helps guide us towards this participatory model as it emphasizes the importance of humanity and heart in how librarians act as facilitators and guides (Stephens,). Much as Montessori teachers do, the participatory librarian utilizes their advanced training and long-term planning skills to create structures for learning where users find a comfortable, safe space to take risks and try new things (The Montessori Center, 2024). Operating in such a way requires shifting the focus from library as an institution – built on tradition and siloed specializations – to library as relationship – built with the community in service to itself.
The Struggle: Being a Guide Amongst the Sages
My initial reaction to the participatory service model is colored by the same realities I faced incorporating fresh teaching methodologies, such as Differentiated and Standard-Based Assessment, into my first teaching positions post-credential. It all sounds wonderful and necessary, but the day-to-day realities of the job make implementation feel like a Herculean effort. My experience in the library world is that many librarians struggle mightily to shed the image of the “subject matter specialist”. They prescribe services to patrons because facilitating meaningful dialogue is time-consuming and difficult and often requires a level of setting oneself aside that many librarians’ pride is resistant to. As the Ratliff Youtube Short highlights, sometimes we do need to don our sagely robes – but when?
Finding Tenants
The Unquiet Library (Mathews, 2010) offers an example of what library spaces can look like when the tenant, or “guest”, moves their clothes from their suitcase to the closet, swaps out the yellowed curtain for fresh blinds, and hangs their favorite band poster on the wall. The tenant achieves a level of ownership in the space that brings along with it a great sense of pride and protectiveness (Stephens, 2016).
When we nurture the user, listen to their needs and invite them in, they become more than library users. They find a home as library tenants. Creating a place that matters to users and helps them shape their own identities and participate in society, Oldenburg’s Third Space (Lefernik, 2018), is how we foster advocates for and defenders of the library. I can imagine the outcry that would meet the announcement of the Unquiet Library’s closure. I can see the student protests and the headlines in the school newspaper. When we make the library a place where people feel like they belong, they will protect that space like they never would a book repository.
Livermore’s Third Space for Teens
Civic Center Library Teen Space Improvement
I don’t have to look far to see an example of participatory service in action. Livermore Public Library’s planned Teen Space at our Civic Center branch is aiming to create a new 1,700-square-foot area designed for teens by teens. It is a collaboration between our library administrators, namely Nathan Brumley, our Assistant Directory, and the Livermore Youth Council, a collection of teen leaders from Livermore’s junior and high school councils, who drove major decisions about designing the space. When approached, the Council described the need for a space where teens could not only study and collaborate on projects, but could also spend time and socialize without having to spend money – an idea central to public librarianship. It gives teens a space where they can simply be without having to be viewed as a customer, perceived as a nuisance, or considered as an afterthought (Strzemp, 2026).
As I continue through the course, I want to keep asking: Who is missing from the conversation? What kinds of participation are we making possible? Are we looking to our vast library knowledge to inform us, or are we designing ways for our patrons to become part of the decision-making process? I have to remember that participatory service is not just an innovation strategy or a buzzword. It is a mindset to remind us that quality library services are not built for people. They are built with them.
Works Cited
Leferink, S. (2018, January 24). To keep people happy… Keep some books. OCLC Next. https://blog.oclc.org/next/to-keep-people-happy-keep-some-books/
Mathews, B (2010, June 21). Unquiet library has high-schoolers geeked. American Libraries Magazine. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2010/06/21/unquiet-library-has-high-schoolers-geeked/
Ratliff, P. (2022, September 28). Sage on the Stage vs. Guide from the Side. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GQ8jpxp42Io
Stephens, M. (2016). The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change. American Library Association.
Strzemp, J. (2026, June 1). Livermore Library plans to open new space just for teens next year. Livermore Vine. https://www.livermorevine.com/youth/2026/06/01/livermore-library-plans-to-open-new-space-just-for-teens-next-year/
The Montessori Center (2024, November 7). The role of the Montessori teacher. https://www.themontessoricenterbend.com/the-role-of-the-montessori-teacher
One Comment
Naikia Felder
Hello @heyrobbiej! I really love the questions you’re asking in this post. I think you were right on the money with a lot of your points. I agree that, although difficult, it’s definitely time to move away from the Western hierarchical view of knowledge holding and sharing. It’s more important than ever to step away from ego-focused education and instead utilize a model that is both collaborative and reflexive. I think Montessori schools are a good representation of this. I’ve always thought schools would be more effective if they allowed people to explore their hobbies and interests early and often. If libraries and schools facilitated these ideas, I think many more people would feel welcomed and compelled to engage. When we make the effort to understand others and democratize knowledge, we create spaces people find worth fighting and advocating for.