Librarians don’t have to recreate the wheel. Just LISTEN, and not only to those who would volunteer their opinion, but to those who may have never been asked. This article follows a campaign shared by public library systems in Canada, including Halifax, Vancouver, Toronto, and Regina. The highlight of their programming is that instead of aiming efforts towards people who already have the knowledge, skills, abilities, and motivation to participate in a library, they start from the anchor of social exclusion. While this may be an uncomfortable concept to some people, this concept is an echo of my previous work with people with developmental disabilities, who are sadly often in the realm of social exclusion. I have to say that I think these Canadian librarians “get it” in a way that many civil servants are unwilling to see or consider. Library lovers will always be a part of the library, but what about those people who are socially ostracized? Do they not also belong in the library? Populations of people who experience loneliness come to mind, such as the elderly, the physically disabled, the mentally disabled, and the homeless.
Working Hand in Hand- How to Conduct Community-Led Planning By Lenstra and Barbakoff (2024, March)
https://www.vpl.ca/about/working-together
Hi! I love that this article focuses on how to include individuals and groups that are typically excluded from society. You make a great point that the library lovers will always come, but the library should be for everyone. We frequently have homeless people who visit the library to use the computers, to have a place to sit down, or to escape the weather outside. It is common to hear patrons and staff say that they are uncomfortable with the homeless using the library. But, why? If the library is welcoming to everyone, doesn’t the homeless belong in the library as much as the next person? Thanks for sharing!