"Librarians are the most committed community activists I know." - Caroline Kennedy at ALA Midwinter Meeting 2012
It was billed as a Day of Caring. As part of the American Library Association's Midwinter meeting in Seattle this weekend about 75 librarians from all over the country gathered on Friday to "provide aid to local homeless organizations and offer librarian volunteers the opportunity to gain insights into best practice skills in serving the homeless."
The night before happened to be the 33rd annual One Night Count where social service agencies and volunteers attempt to physically count the people sleeping on the street. In Seattle almost 2,000 people were found sleeping on the street, a 5% increase since last year.
Keeping to the theme and push of this year's midwinter meetings; "Community Engagement and the Promise of Libraries Transforming Communities," perhaps it should of been framed as a Day of Necessity.
As the librarians dispersed around Seattle to visit various shelters I stayed behind with a handful of librarians to listen to a presentation on 'Homeless Youth and the Library' by Jill Palzkill Woelfer and Julie Winkelstein.
Fact: the library is on the frontline when dealing with homeless youth. Most will visit and visit often. For many, the library provides the only lifeline to parents and families as many of the homeless youth come to the library to check in on their Facebook account.
The library has come a long way from its days solely as a book depository. The library of today is a resource hub and community epicenter. And as the poster below states: A trained librarian is a powerful search engine with a heart.
As Winkelstein says "we are librarians, we are flexible and we care"
In his talk, Peter Block, the best-selling author of Community: The Structure of Belonging, refers to public libraries as "centers of abundance," and one of the few places in our society that is naturally integrated, a place where we regularly witness interactions between people from different cultures.
The Library as Shelter, November, 2006
Seattle and the New Koolhaas Central Library: Is the Honeymoon Over? March, 2007
The night before happened to be the 33rd annual One Night Count where social service agencies and volunteers attempt to physically count the people sleeping on the street. In Seattle almost 2,000 people were found sleeping on the street, a 5% increase since last year.
Keeping to the theme and push of this year's midwinter meetings; "Community Engagement and the Promise of Libraries Transforming Communities," perhaps it should of been framed as a Day of Necessity.
As the librarians dispersed around Seattle to visit various shelters I stayed behind with a handful of librarians to listen to a presentation on 'Homeless Youth and the Library' by Jill Palzkill Woelfer and Julie Winkelstein.
Fact: the library is on the frontline when dealing with homeless youth. Most will visit and visit often. For many, the library provides the only lifeline to parents and families as many of the homeless youth come to the library to check in on their Facebook account.
The library has come a long way from its days solely as a book depository. The library of today is a resource hub and community epicenter. And as the poster below states: A trained librarian is a powerful search engine with a heart.
Poster by Sarah McIntyre
As Winkelstein says "we are librarians, we are flexible and we care"
In his talk, Peter Block, the best-selling author of Community: The Structure of Belonging, refers to public libraries as "centers of abundance," and one of the few places in our society that is naturally integrated, a place where we regularly witness interactions between people from different cultures.
Block also reminded us that in today's climate libraries "have every reason not to exist" for everything the library stands for is in opposition to the scarcity economy it is derived from.
But, thankfully, they live on.
As hopeful as I am about the future of libraries and their central role in community building I am still a bit cautious.
Here is a little trip down memory lane with Book Patrol:
Seattle and the New Koolhaas Central Library: Is the Honeymoon Over? March, 2007
The Library Asylum, April, 2007
The Tipping Point at the Public Library April, 2009 "As the woes of Wall Street make their way to Library Street the trickle down effect is quickly becoming the trickle death effect."
Let's also not be distracted by all the current talk and focus on e-books at the library and the the rush to digital. In the end it will all get figured out with very little impact on "transforming communities."
And, of course, let's keep hope alive.
1 comment:
This is fascinating and I've just now delayed work to read some of this.
I think my gut reaction is that I don't want to see anybody in a library who is not there for the books. But then again, I understand why a book-filled room is such an attractive refuge.
I haven't been to a library in a long while as I buy most of my books and I'm no longer in college.
I do recall going to the Minneapolis library when I was living there as an aspiring artist/high schooler. I would go there to sketch the homeless people, they made perfect models.
When I go for walks around my neighborhood here in Chicago with my husband, we always walk under this one bridge where the same homeless guy is there at night. Unlike the other homeless who at that hour can't be seen because they're cocooned under piles of blankets and sleeping bags. He actually nods his head at us as we walk by his little cardboard refuge. I never see the guy during the daytime, I have no idea where he hangs out in the daytime.
I think most homeless shelters kick people out during the day, so it seems like he's choosing to be on his own at night, not sure.
So I do feel sorry for the homeless, but I'd hate to go to the library and wait on a librarian because he or she is ministering to a homeless person.
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