Checking out
On the library as our last public square
When faced with a power outage at home this summer, I knew exactly where to go for wifi, A/C, peace, and quiet.
At the library that day, there were a few other people using the space in a similar way, but most were there for other reasons. There were students studying, there were elderly folks who came in to read the newspaper, and even a few people trading in spent DVDs for another handful to watch at home.
But we were all there, sharing space, taking turns, and enjoying the variety of services the library offers all of its patrons, no matter where they’re coming from.
In a conversation with the president of American Library Association, professor and columnist, Tressie McMillam Cottom, noted how rare this is becoming:
“I think [the library] is one of the few places where people from multiple social classes still have to interact…one of these places where we brush up against each other.”
She’s right. Every day we put up more barriers in neighborhoods, schools, and other public places where we used to “brush up against each other.” And while these walls are personally convenient, they also make it harder to find ways to keep it moving when faced with the unavoidable existence of other people.
We’ve gotten used to playing by our personal rules in our personal spaces, further insulating ourselves according to class and means, and making formerly common exchanges charged and awkward.
In some places, this gulf may be more permanent than we’d like to admit, but do me a favor and go down to the library and check out one of the few places everyone’s still making it work.
Agree